Page 68 - issue
P. 68
Life Is Our Classroom
“Home schooling allows the children to feel that they are
important people and can do important things,” says
Rebecca. “I need them to help me run the household, and
they know that. When everyone is home together all day, a
lot of mess is created and my children help keep the house
neat. On Fridays and before Pesach, we have less school and
instead focus on home economics: i.e., preparing for Shabbos
and for Pesach. I think it is just as important as school work.”
Recently, Rebecca’s eight-year-old daughter prepared and
planned her own birthday party, from printing the invitations,
delivering them, planning the games, and baking the cake.
“Home schoolers are independent thinkers,” says Rena.
“When I attended the home schooling conference this year, I
noticed an interesting phenomenon. They had a panel of
children who were home schooled. All the children were
asked certain questions and then given time to answer. I
noticed that all the children gave different answers. They
weren’t looking over their shoulders checking what other
children were saying in order to decide what they should say.”
The Home Schooling Co-op
One of the highlights of my grandchildren’s lives is the home
schooling co-op they attend on Mondays, run by Rena Baron.
“A co-op is very common in home schooling communities,”
says Rena. “About 20 families are part of the co-op, which
takes place one afternoon a week for about three hours. This
year, the co-op has five groups, including one for 10- to 13-
year-old boys, 6- to 9-year-old girls, 5- to 7-year-old boys, 5- to
7-year- old girls, and children four and under. The afternoon
is divided up into three classes for each group. Some of the
groups are run by mothers and some have hired teachers. “I
started the co-op because it takes time to prepare a subject
in a fun way that the kids will really understand and enjoy,”
says Rena. “Instead of each parent preparing every subject
just for their own children, we split the work by sharing the
subjects with all of our children. Different parents are pas-
sionate about different subjects and naturally will share that
enthusiasm with their children. In the co-op, the kids gain
from the enthusiasm about each subject they are taking,
because parents can choose the subject they want to teach
and generally pick subjects they are passionate about. Each
parent has also been able to share interesting information
with the kids based on skills they know. The kids have been
exposed to sign language, origami, edible plants/flowers,
watching wheat grow, learning how to set a formal table set-
ting, and more.”
Traditional vs. Home School
Most of the home schooling families I interviewed do not
home school all their children. Both Rebecca and Rena have
one of their children in school and home school the others.
“It was obvious to me that it was best for my sixth-grade son
to attend school this year,” says Rebecca. “Homeschooling
60 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
“Home schooling allows the children to feel that they are
important people and can do important things,” says
Rebecca. “I need them to help me run the household, and
they know that. When everyone is home together all day, a
lot of mess is created and my children help keep the house
neat. On Fridays and before Pesach, we have less school and
instead focus on home economics: i.e., preparing for Shabbos
and for Pesach. I think it is just as important as school work.”
Recently, Rebecca’s eight-year-old daughter prepared and
planned her own birthday party, from printing the invitations,
delivering them, planning the games, and baking the cake.
“Home schoolers are independent thinkers,” says Rena.
“When I attended the home schooling conference this year, I
noticed an interesting phenomenon. They had a panel of
children who were home schooled. All the children were
asked certain questions and then given time to answer. I
noticed that all the children gave different answers. They
weren’t looking over their shoulders checking what other
children were saying in order to decide what they should say.”
The Home Schooling Co-op
One of the highlights of my grandchildren’s lives is the home
schooling co-op they attend on Mondays, run by Rena Baron.
“A co-op is very common in home schooling communities,”
says Rena. “About 20 families are part of the co-op, which
takes place one afternoon a week for about three hours. This
year, the co-op has five groups, including one for 10- to 13-
year-old boys, 6- to 9-year-old girls, 5- to 7-year-old boys, 5- to
7-year- old girls, and children four and under. The afternoon
is divided up into three classes for each group. Some of the
groups are run by mothers and some have hired teachers. “I
started the co-op because it takes time to prepare a subject
in a fun way that the kids will really understand and enjoy,”
says Rena. “Instead of each parent preparing every subject
just for their own children, we split the work by sharing the
subjects with all of our children. Different parents are pas-
sionate about different subjects and naturally will share that
enthusiasm with their children. In the co-op, the kids gain
from the enthusiasm about each subject they are taking,
because parents can choose the subject they want to teach
and generally pick subjects they are passionate about. Each
parent has also been able to share interesting information
with the kids based on skills they know. The kids have been
exposed to sign language, origami, edible plants/flowers,
watching wheat grow, learning how to set a formal table set-
ting, and more.”
Traditional vs. Home School
Most of the home schooling families I interviewed do not
home school all their children. Both Rebecca and Rena have
one of their children in school and home school the others.
“It was obvious to me that it was best for my sixth-grade son
to attend school this year,” says Rebecca. “Homeschooling
60 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
