Do your home school homework
Parents learn to tailor curriculum, balance activities
By Ben Penserga
Daily Times Staff Writer
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Times Photo by Joey Gardner
Alan Schulte, 9, works on math problems with his mother,
Carla Schulte, who home-schools Alan.
On the Net
* The American Home School Association. www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org
* The Maryland Home Education Association. www.mhea.com
* Home School Legal Defense Association. www.hslda.org
* Home Schooling on Delmarva. www.homeschooling-delmarva.com
Read more
* "Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling," by Mary Pride
* "Home Schooling: The Right Choice," by Christopher Klicka
* "The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling," by Patrick Farenga
* "The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home," by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer
SALISBURY -- With more than a decade of home schooling her four children in Wicomico County, it is easy to classify Suzanne Taylor as a successful veteran of the practice.
But like all home-schooling parents, the Taylors were once rookies who faced their first dilemma.
"When we started in 1990, there were not many places to purchase curriculum," Taylor said.
However, the Taylors made the best of it.
"We picked up a little of everything from different resources according to our children's abilities and interests," she said.
After experiencing her own growing pains, Amy Jenkins, who home-schools her children in New Church, said as parents consider home schooling, they should fully evaluate their situation.
"The greatest piece of advice would be think it through," she said.
Once the decision is made, however, she said the real work begins.
Getting started
The first step toward home schooling is a visit to the county school board, said Manfred Smith, founder and president of the Maryland Home Education Association.
"You first want to contact them to let them know you're taking your child out of school," he said.
To do that, Smith said, comes some paperwork and an Assurance of Consent form, which acts as a guarantee that the child leaving school will still receive regular and thorough instruction.
According to the Annotated Code of Maryland, home-schooling parents have three ways to prove to state officials they have taken over their children's education responsibilities: by keeping a portfolio of previous work, using a correspondence school or enrolling in a satellite program, which can independently monitor a student's progress.
However, Steve Brewer, pupil personnel director for Wicomico County Public Schools, said for families who do not use either of those methods, a county school system official can meet with a parent about twice a year.
"We usually ask them to bring some samples of their work, look for evidence of organization," he said. "We're not trying to nitpick -- we're just trying to see if a child is making progress in their education."
And while many parents are not trained teachers, Brewer said, he feels several succeed in providing their children with solid educations.
"For most of those who do it, they do it well," he said
Not school at home
But after a family has informed local education officials of their intent, the most daunting task of home schooling remains: determining how to teach their children.
For some home-schooled families, what their children learn is influenced by their religious beliefs.
Jenkins uses the A Beka, which weaves Christianity into its education format.
"It is an awesome curriculum, which meets the requirements for the yearly benchmarks the children are supposed to accomplish," she said.
Carla Schultes, a former Salisbury University math professor who has home-schooled her two sons for nearly four years, uses a mix of prepared curriculum and her own judgment when she teaches her children.
"For the most part we purchased curricula according to what I believe the needs of the children are, although I have often made things up on my own to fit in with what was going on in the children's or our family's life," said the Salisbury resident.
In 2001, shortly after Schultes began teaching her sons, Alan and Brian, her parents began a cross-country bus trip.
"I got a copy of their itinerary and for our social studies unit for about a month we 'followed' them using books from the library, the Internet and a plastic place mat with a map of the United States on it that we placed stickers on and drew their route with markers," she said. "The boys -- even Brian, who was 3 at the time -- learned so much and they still even talk about what they learned."
But time in the classroom is also augmented with outside interaction on a daily basis, Schultes said.
"We have had Ukrainians stay at our house three times in conjunction with the Kiev Symphony and the Kiev Youth Orchestra and Chorus. We have visited the Christian shelter and we talk to all sorts of neighbors on our daily walks," she said.
Jenkins said she takes her three children to the library and the nearby YMCA.
However, said Janet Phillips of Ocean City who home-schools her son, a home-schooler's day should not be as structured as in a traditional school system.
"My first year, it was literally like school at home," she said with a laugh. "That didn't last too long."
Home school homework
While the chance to control a child's learning environment may seem enticing for a parent who is not satisfied with their current education options, home school veterans warn that the decision must be researched heavily.
"It has to be a full-time commitment," Smith said. "Some people are going to find out it's hard work; it's not just finding a curriculum and using the child as just some add-on."
And once the decision has been made, Jenkins said parents must realize the limitations of their children.
"Don't be too hard on them or try to make them 'perfect,' " she said. "We aren't skilled in everything, and they should not be either."
Schultes recommends conferring with other home-schooling families or, at the very least, home schooling for a trial period.
"If you're struggling with the choice, it can't hurt to try it for a year," she said. "You can always go back to (regular) school if it doesn't work out for your family."
* Reach Ben Penserga at 410-845-4648 or bpenserga@salisbury.gannett.com.
After a person has pulled their child from a public or private school to be educated at home, the next step is to decide which way they prefer to track their child's progress. Three options are available:
MAINTAIN A PORTFOLIO. Under this option you would agree to maintain a portfolio of your child's work and meet with school officials several times a year for review. It is recommended that you do not conduct these reviews in your home. You are not required to use a formal curriculum or correspondence course. You can create your own program, just keep good records.
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL. Home Study International of Takoma Park, Md., (301-680-6570), and the Calvert School of Baltimore (410-243-6030), are the only approved correspondence schools. You must use their teacher advisory in order not to be subject to public school reviews. The cost per child is about $700.
RECOGNIZED RELIGIOUS SATELLITE SCHOOLS. There are many recognized satellite schools in Maryland. All but one or two are Christian-based. Costs and services vary from $250 to more than $1,000 per family. Enrolling in one of these programs will exempt you from public school reviews.
-- Maryland Home Education Association
Originally published March 21, 2005
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