Homeschooling: Taking it to the next level

“You dropped a hundred and fifty grand on an education you could have gotten for a $1.50 in late charges at the public library”

Matt Damon – Goodwill Hunting

My idea of homeschooling goes beyond the idea of grabbing a curriculum and educating my children up to the necessary standards of public education.  Likewise it is not just about saving them from the social ills of the public schools, or protecting their religious foundations.  To me it is a life methodology of constant learning.  Call it what you want, seeking knowledge, homeschooling, educating, or enlightening yourself, the title concerns me little.  The goal is what is important.  It is not just something I do with my children, but something that I do myself as well.  

It seems that in homeschooling many people do not stick it out all the way through, and eventually enroll their children in public or private institutions as they get older.  This may be for various reasons, some of which being the idea that one lacks the ability, knowledge, or resources to give a proper education once their child reaches the higher levels.  Some may fear the eligibility of their children entering a University or their apparent acceptability to the admissions office.  I for one see none of these as problems, and today I would like to address the issue of educating your children to be prepared for University level studies, and present just one of the many tools available that can help relieve this problem. 

I hope that this post will be beneficial to those of you who would like to skip the college experience altogether, those who would like to give your children a preview, or those of you whose children have just surpassed the high school curriculums and would like something more challenging.  If you fall into any of these three categories than I suggest you become acquainted with ITunes.   ITunes is an application from apple which is the main portal through which people with apple products such as an iPod can buy and download all sorts of things from books, videos, to music and much more. However you do not need to own any apple products to use it, not an iPad, nor an iPhone, or an iPod, just your PC will do.

The best thing about ITunes in my opinion is none of the above mentioned uses, but rather a subsection of the ITunes application called ITunesU.  The U stands for University.  ITunes University is like the Napster of college courses, only it is legit, and IT IS FREE.  Have you dream of your children studying at Yale?  Maybe you don’t want them to pay the tuition of Princeton? Or perhaps you are not interested in sending your child across the country to Stanford?   If that’s the case then with ITunes U you can have your cake and eat it too, all at your fingertips with a price tag of zero. 

There are over 300 colleges and universities from across the world, which have recorded and uploaded full semester courses onto ITunesU.  Courses range from business, history, international relations, chemistry, to entrepreneurship, and so much more. Your children can study just about anything that comes to mind.  It is a wonderful resource that parents should utilize for themselves and their children while it is still available and free.  

Most of the Universities are from but not limited to the United States.  There are institutions from over 19 countries to choose from.  Some of the many institutions include Yale, Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Georgetown, Berkley, Columbia, Duke, and just about any other major University or College that you can think of.      

Possible benefits

1.      If you don’t wan your child to go to University or put themselves in thousands of dollars in debt, now you don’t have to.  Especially if you’re not concerned with that piece of paper getting them a job at the end of the day. 

2.      If they do want to go to college you can prepare them with ITunesU, in fact they can even aim for a specific university, try some of the courses, and then correspond with the professors, via email and eventually make a visit which might go to help their chances of getting in.

3.      Often times young adults (including myself) with little guidance at the age of 18 are promised a good job, all you have to do is sign on the dotted line.  “Yes it looks like a big number but as soon as you graduate your new job will be paying you $30,000 a year, maybe more, and you will pay off that debt in no time.”  Reality is a lot different from that.  Four years later, in debt, without a job, and you feel like a sucker.  That’s a lot of money to blow on a degree that you might not really like in the first place.  Also guidance counselors don’t factor in things like inflation and the cost of living once you graduate, nor the potential job market or lack thereof.  ITunesU gives you a sneak peak at the subjects your child will actually study long before they do, so that they can make a more educated decision about what to study, or to even study at all.

4.      If you are like me and you are not just educating your children but you are personally taking part by also educating yourself then ITunesU is for you.  Sometimes we feel like we would like to go back to school but just cannot afford it.  Also many parents may feel like they are lacking the propper knowledge to school their children in certain subjects.  ITunesU can help you get on track.  Another excellent idea is as your children get older, instead of teaching them, you can start studying with them.  ITunesU gives you that opportunity. 

How to use it?

First you will have to download the application from here.  They may ask you for a debit or credit card and charge you a penny/ $.01 for those of you outside of the US.  (This is because most people use this service to buy movies and music and are charged via their card)  Once you’ve downloaded the application, open up ITunes on your desktop.  Look to the left hand menu as displayed in the picture and click on ITunes Store.  This will bring up a new window.  Once that new window is displayed there will be a menu bar at the top.  Click on ITunesU and then search.  When you find something you like, click on the course and then you have three options.  You can subscribe which will automatically download upcoming lectures, or get all which downloads all of the current lectures, or you can pick any of the individual lectures by clicking on the tab under the price column, that should say free.

If you are living outside of the United States, Canada, or England, you might want to scroll all the way to the bottom of the app where you will find a circular flag of the country of your location, click on this and change to the US because in some countries certain sections are not available.

 For those of you who have not beeen aware of this resource, I hope that it is a good find for you and helps you and your children in taking your homeschooling to the next level.

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Where are the Fathers?

One of the reasons I see our homeschooling experience as being a success, is that I work as part of a team with my wife.  I find it sad that often times if I meet someone whose children are homeschooled and ask the father about it he says; “I don’t know much about it…. My wife takes care of that.” 

This post is not specific to the men whose children are homeschooled but to every man that has a child, regardless of the educational path they have chosen for them.  You’re children are a blessing from God, and as the Prophet peace be upon him said: “You are all shepherds… and a man is a shepherd over his family, and he will be asked about them.”   The educational and spiritual development of a child is not to be taken lightly.  There are many fathers out there who contribute to their childs education and we commend them and pray that more people follow in their footsteps.  This post is not directed towards them, but rather towards those fathers who have not given the idea of engaging their child's educational development much thought, or don't know where to start.  It doesn’t take a genius, and the resources are available in abundance.  The question is; will you put in the time, effort, and commitment? 

In regards to time, there is no reason you should not have time for your children, even if you are working two jobs.   On my best days I wake up at 4:00 AM and I am out the door to a private class in Usuul al Fiqh.  I come back briefly for breakfast only to rush out again to go to University.  I have classes from 7:30 until 12:15 and then I drive to work.  I don’t get home until 5:15 and then I eat.   I usually have about 30 min before I leave again for a private class in Arabic grammar.  When I finish my class I drive to the mosque to pray the night prayer, after which I have classes in Fiqh and Hadeeth.  I normally arrive home between 9:15 and 9:30 PM.  So When do I homeschool?

My trick is in four parts:

1.      I am part of a team with my wife. We split the responsibilities, and sometimes we cover for each other when someone is sick, or caught up with other responsibilities.

2.      A little consistency is better than a whole lot of randomness.  Many of my lessons can be knocked out in 20 minutes or less.  The rest is just about being consistent.  The prophet peace be upon him said “The best of deeds are those which are the most consistent, even if they were to be small”. 

3.      I use the weekends.  Sometimes I use it to fit in a project or lesson that takes up more time, sometimes I use it to catch up on sleep, or my other activities that I’ve fallen behind in.  The important thing is that your time is managed and maximized.

4.      Sacrifice.  Sometimes it hurts my studies, takes away my free time, my social life, or exercise, but if the education of my children is more important, then that is a sacrifice that I am willing to make.

This is if everything goes well.  Sometimes the car breaks down, the fridge is empty and needs to be filled, I get sick, the wife gets sick, final exams, a light needs to be replaced, and a whole slew of other unpredictable events that happen, and that is life.  So when do I rest? When do I prepare for exams? When do I have time to write for this blog?  The answer is that most often times I don’t.  Like a waiter carrying too many plates in a crowded restaurant, frequently things get dropped, but I have to prioritize and there is nothing more important than the development of my children.  My point here is not to flaunt my schedule or show off, but to show you that yes it is difficult, and that it takes sacrifice, and that it can be done, even from the busiest of dads.

Maybe you’re the dad that does work two jobs and when you do see your children you just want to have a little fun.  Well it’s not all about math, writing, and reading.  Education can be as fun as teaching your child how to track animals, recognize tree types and their uses, teaching them to build a tree house, first aid, outdoor safety and many more things.  Understanding the sciences that are involved in these activities and helping your children to make the connection and learn practical skills. 
 

I want people to get more involved, be more self-reliant, make an impact in their child’s life, and build a positive relationship with them while spending quality time.   I hope that more fathers will get involved with their children’s education, and use this site and others to help give them ideas on how to do so.   This is not a call for you to pull your children out of the public or private school systems.   If the word homeschooling scares you just replace it with “being involved in my child’s educational development”.   Regardless of whether your children are in public or private schools, or homeschooling, I hope all fathers will play an active role in the development and education of their children.

Speaking of a problem without presenting a solution is useless so in the future we will be posting articles for fathers with activities and lessons that you can use to get involved with your child under the title of “Just for Dad”.  We hope you’ll comment, share your experiences, and even send us artilces, plans, and suggestions of things you do with your son or daughter so that we can repost them for everyone to benefit.  Please help us in this effort by getting involved, and sharing these post with others so that we can spread the message that it’s not just mom, but Abi homeschools too.

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Why Homeschool? Top 10 Reasons

1.       Fulfilling your Responsibility in front of God.  Our children are a blessing, not something to show off on holidays or flaunt on Facebook.  No one loves a child more than his/her father or mother.  And as one homeschooling mom put it, “I don’t trust people who don’t love my children to have their best interest at heart.”   Parents should take full responsibility of the educational development of their child so that they can be certain that their child has been given the best education possible.   They are a blessing from God and we will be asked about what we did to raise them as strong believers and also about what we didn’t do.  Such a responsibility should be put in careful hands.  Public education is a risk not only to your child's education but to their spiriutal development. 


2.       Building Strong Relationships     It’s not uncommon in our society today to find a parent who doesn’t know his or her own children, who they are, what their likes are, or what they’re doing with their “friends” after school even though they live under the same roof.  Homeschooling allows for parents to be much more involved with their children developing stronger relationships and bonds.  As a homeschooling parent it allows you to not only be their parent, but their teacher, their role model, and also their friend.  The child feels you have a greater presence in their life and this helps to develop a strong family.   Additionally relationships between the siblings become stronger whereas brothers and sisters become classmates, teachers of each other, and friends.

3.       Educational Results Standardized testing in my opinion was the nail in the coffin for the educational system, but if you buy into the government system and are concerned with standardized testing then homeschoolers are winning.   But one doesn’t need some research paper to realize that if their 3 year old is reading, that they’ve made the right choice.  From another angle, we might ask what is success, and is a standardized test, or a grade on a report card the best measure.    What if what you’re teaching is outside the bounds of a grade?  How do you measure morality, character, love, and having a strong connection with God?  

4.       Flexibility in Learning Styles Children are not factory produced, and each individual is as unique as a snowflake.  We all have different strengths and weaknesses intellectually.  Children learn in different ways, some excel through visual learning, others through listening, others through physically acting out the process, and others with any combination of the three at varying levels.    Homeschooling allows the parents to cater their teaching style and activities to best suit their child.   The second aspect of this is the speed at which a child learns.  Does it really take 12 years to reach basic Algebra?  In public schools skipping grades can be difficult.  A student may excel in math and be slow in reading, but with the public school system you are forced to march with the masses.  This can force a child to either dumb themselves down or at other times run at a pace they cannot keep.  Homeschooling eradicates this problem allowing the student to go as fast or as slow as they want, in each respective subject.   The third aspect of this is having the ability to allow the student more time in a subject that they excel in, and encouraging their own personal educational interests wherever they may be.

5.       Flexibility in Curriculum Homeschooling isn't just about being home.  The World is our classroom. Need a science lesson?  Go to the aquarium for Biology.  Take a walk in the woods and examine plant and tree types.  Play in the rain after discussing precipitation.  Enroll in a karate class in place of kickball at gym.   With the internet the possibilities are endless.  There are countless educational sites on everything from history, to chemistry, to arts and crafts.  Use YouTube, watch a documentary or a how to editorial.  If you’re dealing with a real prodigy who gets beyond your ability of instruction, use ITunesU where university classes are posted free of charge from you’re local state University up to the ranks of Harvard and Yale.  And if you’re not the “do it yourself” type, you have the freedom to choose a more standard curriculum which has been reviewed and recommended by seasoned homeschooling parents on any one of the many homeschooling blogs or forums.  You can choose what to use and what not to use, along with adding additional material when you see fit.  Overall, you’re in control.

6.       Flexibility in Time 7 hours a day?! Well if you look at the public school as a babysitting center while you’re off chasing your career dreams, then maybe that isn’t such a bad idea.  Public schools are filled with busy work, dragging out curriculums for 12 years, keeping students in line with the syllabus, too much time is wasted and subject matter becomes redundant.  While Strangers are raising our children for such a long time, they could be spending quality time at home and learning in half the time.  A child's concentration may be higher in the afternoon or evening.  Children mature at different ages.  Maybe starting at 5 years old is too late? Why wait if they have the ability to start learning?  It is possible they need to wait until they are 6 or 7 years old.  Individual projects becomes more flexible with homeschool.  If the child wants to keep drawing for 2 hours, when art class at school is only 50 min, let him draw.  Homeschooling allows you the freedom to make a program that best fits your child’s individual needs. 

7.       The Environment is Better There’s no need to argue that public schools have become a catastrophe filled with all sorts of social ills.  In general public schools are centers for exposing children to bullying, cheating, lying, immorality, harassment, substance abuse, violence, labeling, social pressures like having a girlfriend/boyfriend, financial pressure like wearing the latest fashions, and exposing your children to ideas contrary to your values and beliefs.  High school can be absolutely crushing for the child’s self-esteem.  Anyone who has run the gauntlet of the public school system has their fair share of stories.  Critics would argue that your children through homeschooling will become social misfits and outcasts but the reality is the exact opposite.  Homeschooling children are often more exposed to adults than peers allowing them to mature faster, and avoid undesirable behavior problems picked up at recess.  As homeschooling becomes more and more prevalent, group meet-ups, trips, and conferences for homeschooling families increase, allowing your children to meet other homeschooled children and make friends.  Your children will not be in a social vacuum, they will have plenty of social interaction in a positive and safe environment. 

8.       Your own personal development Ask any homeschooling parent and for sure they will tell you that it is a learning experience for them, not just in teaching methods, but in the actual material itself.  It is said the best way to learn something is to teach it, well now you have the opportunity to really further your education and in any subject you want.    Things you’ve always wanted to learn about you can turn into lessons for your children.  Kids are full of questions, there are intuitively inquisitive about every aspect of life and will often ask questions that you may have never given thought to and that you don’t know the answer to, rather than blow them off, go find out the answer to their questions, you learn

9.       Protecting the spiritual development of your child.   It’s not just about saving your child from wasting his time listening to monkeyism (otherwise known as Darwinism).  Due to the separation of church and state in public schools children are lacking in their spiritual education.   Even if I don’t agree with one of the major religions of the world, I want my child to know about it, what they believe and why we don’t.  From our own perspective religion plays a major role in our lives and it affects every aspect of life.  We want to study science through the lens of marveling at the creation of God.   We want teach our pilliars of faith, to be able to teach our child moral values, or say a prayer at the end of a class thanking God, none of which can be achieved through a public school.

10.   The teachers are better Have confidence in yourself!  If you can read, write, complete simple mathematical equations, and love, then you have all the tools needed to teach your child from preschool through high school.  Add on top of that, with the internet and some seasoned homeschoolers to get advice from and you’re on your way. Through a little research you can learn and teach almost any subject that is taught in a public school to the required level if not higher.   Also you have to consider the Student Teacher Ratio.  With budget cuts and lack of funding, classrooms are becoming overcrowded with sometimes 25-30 students per a teacher or even more.    Also don’t assume that some college graduate with a teaching certificate is qualified to teach your child. Often teachers are teaching subjects outside of their specified field of focus.   Another myth of homeschooling is that it is something that only mom and dad do. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s no reason why grandparents and aunts and uncles can’t get involved, inviting them to teach subjects with which they are familiar.  A carpentry class with Grandpa, sewing with Grandma, or special math lessons with an uncle who’s an accountant.  Homeschooling, when approached with an open mind opens up opportunities rather than closing them.  Most importantly as teachers you’re there to be your child’s biggest supporter, celebrating each and every success, and encouraging perseverance during difficulties.

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