Parents were more involved in their children’s education than ever last year.
Remote learning allowed them to eavesdrop on classes, demanded they help manage their children’s class-to-class schedules (sometimes while also working from home), and at younger grade levels necessitated getting their children situated and keeping them focused throughout the day.
It was undoubtedly daunting and may have led some to consider home schooling under the notion they have already been doing it. But it also offered the wrong impression about home schooling, according to Evergreen Park’s Ruth Hoskins.
“Unfortunately, I’ve seen parents turned off of it because they’re seeing virtual school as home-school, and it’s different,” Hoskins said.
Hoskins would know. She wrote the book on home schooling — or at least one of them. The author of “Homeschooling as a Lifestyle,” Hoskins said the home-school education format is often misunderstood, but she is happy to walk people through the process and has done so through events at the Evergreen Park Public Library, where she hopes to start monthly question-and-answer sessions.
Hoskins saw a shift in mentality as this school year approached, in large part because people have taken the time to think more about their options.
“I don’t think people are as afraid as they were earlier,” she said of home schooling. “Now, people see that they have a choice. … People have had some time to really consider the opportunities that are out there.”
More than two decades ago, Hoskins and her husband, Bernard, started thinking about education after their first daughter was born. They often worked long hours, and wanted as much time with family as possible.
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“We started thinking of our values and what was important to us,” she said. “Just the flexibility the home-school schedule offered us was fantastic.”
Of course, they had concerns as many parents do when they start home schooling, but Hoskins said in her family’s case it made sense. One of the biggest worries is the social aspect of school they think will be lost at home, she said.
“Homeschool is much more misunderstood,” Hoskins said. “People think children are not prepared for life. A lot of people are concerned about their children’s well-being.”
But children find a way to socialize, she said, especially if the parents take advantage of opportunities such as cooperatives with other families and regular trips to the library.
“The fact of the matter is, kids are very social human beings,” Hoskins said. “As home-schoolers, it does take an effort. You have to seek out those groups and communities.”
Hoskins relied upon the library “extensively,” not only for socialization but also resources. Another aspect of home schooling that can be tough is many families are doing it on one income, and curricula can be expensive, Hoskins said. She turned to the library for books, e-books and even board games.
“All of that is available at the library,” she said. “We were always at the library.”
They would also go there for a change of scenery to study in meeting rooms. And the frequent trips to the library helped instill a love of reading in her children.
Hoskins said the other major hurdle she sees is parents wondering if they are up to the task. Some think they are “not smart enough,” she said. Hoskins was not a teacher by trade, and home-schooled while also running a photography business. Parents often surprise themselves with what they know when they start doing it, she said, and resources are available to help bridge the gaps.
“Our home-school becomes what we need it to be, and we need our children to be successful out in the real world,” Hoskins said. “So, we provide those opportunities. … No one wants to see their children succeed more than their parents.”
But home schooling is not for everyone, Hoskins acknowledged. That comes down to a family decision that has to involve the children, who at any stage could protest it, she said. At a younger age, that may simply mean insisting “this is school” with the confidence that it is the right call for the family — not too different from any other parental decision at that stage. But as children become adolescents, parents need to take their feelings into consideration and have serious conversations about the future of their schooling, she said.
For the Hoskins family, both daughters stayed in home-school all the way from preschool through high school. Both then attended and graduated university.
“I know people can be very anxious about doing it,” Hoskins said. “It’s been an incredible thing for my family.”
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.