Monday, January 10, 2011

Homeschooling

I've looked at the blogs of a couple of South African homeschoolers in the last two or three months. My children were all homeschooled for primary school - my eldest until Grade 10. But my youngest started school for the first time last year in Grade 7. They have all made the transition well and we have no regrets about homeschooling. My youngest suggested that he might prefer to be homeschooled again this year. The thought is very appealing to me - he is a slightly 'different' child, exacerbated by being the youngest of four. He doesn't seem to have a natural grasp of maths, but covers it over and still does well - but this will bite him later when the basics need to be there. He really should be drilled again in the foundations. On the other hand, his imagination flies in all directions and I would love to let him explore freely, let him be challenged by himself and his own interests rather than classroom competition. Homeschooling would make this possible.
However - being the last of four, homeschooling could be a bit lonely. I am not master of my own time, although between my husband and I we could probably manage that. Next year we will be in a new town and my son may need a school report to get into a local school - which means we would be tied to some sort of formal curriculum. So, to school he goes.
My husband has persuaded me that high school will be better and that he will enjoy it more. I need to be sure that I am not just trying on to hold on to my 'baby'. We'll see how it goes.

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