I am seeing lots of concern about how kids are learning
right now. Or not learning, as the case may be. Learning while sitting in front
of a computer screen may not be great for every child. And many parents are
expressing dismay at the prospect of not knowing what the fall may bring. Some
are considering homeschooling as an alternative choice.
It prompted me to call Stephanie Sandler. She is a Fishkill
mom who homeschooled her daughter Madeline starting when she was in 3rd
grade.
Why did you choose to homeschool your daughter?
It started when the common core regulations were first being
rolled out. I wasn’t comfortable with the changing curriculum and the whole
attitude that one size fits all. That doesn’t work for all kids. My daughter was 8 years old at that time and I didn’t feel that what was being taught and how it was being taught was
suitable for my daughter. To me there was too much stress being put on the kids
and too much stress on teachers as well. I started homeschooling Madeline in
March and my husband and I decided I would use those few months until the end
of the school year to decide if I would keep going. I homeschooled Madeline until she entered
high school.
What were your major concerns when you homeschooled
Madeline?
Socialization. How could I make sure that Madeline
interacted with other kids? When I told a friend about my concern, she asked me
if the concept of socialization in school was accepted as the gold standard
that I would want to replicate. I admitted that I wasn’t comfortable with all
that was going on including the increase in bullying.
My second concern was whether we keep up with her peers in
school. I wanted to make sure that homeschooling was not a handicap.
In the beginning, what was the biggest mistake you made?
I was quick to set up our schedule like what was going on in
the classrooms at school. I had to change my mindset that this was not a school
at home.
What attributes should you have to succeed at
homeschooling?
There are four attributes that I feel are important. And
some of them I had to learn as homeschooling became part of our life.
Must learn to be flexible.
Be organized. It is important to use organization tools to
help keep you on track.
Use life itself as a learning tool. Do not limit what your
child learns to what they learn at a desk.
Take your child’s lead. Many times, they get excited a facet
of learning that you didn’t expect. Use that to help them grow.
Stephanie Sander is a psychologist. She works with Elise
Derevjanik, who founded Becoming Mental Health. Website is https://becomingmhc.com/. The group offers
mental health services to mothers with young children (or who are pregnant) who
are experiencing any kind of anxiety, depression, loss, or adjustment
difficulties. They offer online individual and group therapy.