|
|
|
| Home | Legal | About Us | Link To Us | Bookmark Us | Recommend Us | Suggest a Link | Search | Feedback | Contact | |
| |
|
|
|
A Blessing Disguised As Homeschooling by Vicky Priestley |
|
Our homeschool adventure began in 1989 as we began to notice the bad attitudes and ungodly influence trickle into the public elementary school where our children were attending. The decline in quality education along with the negative classroom environment, cruel peers, and the teaching of humanistic philosophies convicted our Christian conscience. We wanted what was best for our children and with that came the desire to keep adding to their morals, values, Godly characters and Bible knowledge. We are responsible for our children and their training/upbringing. We were viewed by many (even family members) as "strange"! Why would parents spend 24 hours a day with their school-age children, when they could be bused to someplace else for someone else to teach 6-8 hours of the 24 hour period? Isn't that what's supposed to be done? We believed that as their parents, teaching one-on-one could maximize positive influence and keep them guided in the right direction with truth and absolute standards. We prayed about it, was sparked with encouragement from the "Teaching Home" magazine that we ran across at the library and thus, began our blessing of homeschooling.
We began with a 7th grader, 4th grader and a 2 year-old-toddler. We chose a reputable homeschool curricula for their academics right up through their high school subjects along with electives needed for a college-bound student. They did exceptionally well and fell in love with the sciences and math. They became very self-disciplined, worked independently and learned time-management, as well as flexibility, as we worked with each of them individually. They excelled each year as their yearly required test scores revealed. We had not "hurt" them with our choice to homeschool them. They mastered Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and physics as well as biology and chemistry. Labs were provided once a week through our local homeschool support group at a Christian School. We did gymnastics at a local gym once a week in addition to field trips, speak-up, discovery days, museum visits, community services, nursing home visits, park days, canned food drives, children's hospital ministering, roller skating, ice skating, bowling, jr./sr. high retreats, picnics, lock-ins, boy scouts "Contenders of the Faith" within our homeschool group), teen times ("Snak-N-Yak") and many other activities that was extra curricula outside the classroom setting. A private teacher taught our piano lessons. Spanish, driver's education, computer keyboarding, and speech were all a part of their schooling even though it was done at home. Their vocabulary, reading, writing, and spelling were always advanced for their years. "Socialization" has never been a problem for our three sons. Staying active with our local support group and their best friends and church and working part-time their junior/senior years in high school showed many that we were just as "social" as the next family. They earned and saved their money and bought their own vehicles to drive. Teaching them at home did not "cripple" them academically or socially in any way. As a result, we are the best of friends - a very close family. We, as their parents (not their peers) prepared them for lifetime responsibilities, decision-making, careers, stewardship, and when the time comes - choice of forever mates. Our two oldest sons have graduated. Chad graduated in 1996, took his ACT & SAT (scored very well) and went on to college. He graduated from college in spring 2000, 4.0 "Summa Cum Laude with a BA in biology pre-medical and a minor in chemistry. He took the MCAT (scored again very well) and was accepted into the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV. He is presently a freshman pursuing his doctor's degree. Craig graduated in 1999 and is presently enrolled in college pursuing a BA degree in chemistry pre-medical. He is also maintaining 4.0 GPA. My THEN two-year-old toddler, Christopher, is NOW a freshman (15 yr. old) in our homeschool. He stays active with skateboarding, rollerblading and has a love for art, reading, and the computer. Homeschooling is a blessing in disguise - after you get beyond the "fear" of the unknown and trust the Lord for His leadership and guidance. The high school years of training are just as important as the high chair years. The Lord has truly blessed us and the "finished product" is reward enough for all the efforts made along with the sacrifices and love invested. We are so thankful for the "right" to choose homeschooling as the way to go for our children. Go for it! The Lord will bless you richly for it! © 2001 Vicky Priestley. All rights reserved. Re-printed with permission. |
||
Vicky and her husband Dwight are members of the Kanawha-Putnam, West Virginia Home Educators. | ||
Would you like to contribute an article on a homeschooling topic? Contact us.
| Site Terms of Use | Advertise | FAQ | Privacy |
