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Hey! We finally came up with a NAME for
our Homeschool!
We chose this name because we feel that
our children are indeed blessings from Heaven,
and we are privledged to live in a nation
where we have the option to educate our children as we see fit.
We firmly believe in our decision to teach
our children at home. We commend others who have chosen to
challenge the "norm" and take charge of
their families, and their children's future.
** Many new Links have been added! ** Homeschool links are at the end. Click here to jump!
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Why did we
choose to keep our kids out of school?
At first that
seems like an easy enough question. But the reasons are so many and
varied, that it is hard to list them all at once. And it seems that
every time we watch the news, we find another reason NOT to put our kids
in school! Occasionally we find ourselves wondering why more people
aren't openly challenging the Public School system, and the war zone that
happens there everyday - but we have finally accepted that over 90% of
parents will send their children to school. And we support their
right to make that decision for their family as strongly as we stand for
our right to teach our children at home.
The biggest
reasons we don't want our kids in the public school system are: Drugs,
Gangs, Pre-teen Sex, and quality of Education. That last item covers
a lot of sub-categories too. Let me address these issues in order
of appearance though, to maintain some semblance of organization.
* Drugs: We have always
known that there were drugs in the schools and that children, even young
children, were at risk of exposure. We didn't realize just what a
very real danger this was until a couple years ago though, when a neighbor
girl started talking to me out in the yard one day. She was in 4th
grade at the time. She started telling me about these lickable stickers
that the kids in her class were selling to the "little kids" like in first
grade. They were drugs she said, but the big kids would tell the
little kids that they were candy. They would sell these "stickers"
during recess and at lunchtime when the teachers weren't looking.
I presume that the stickers she was talking about were LSD, though I don't
know for sure. My husband and I had already decided to homeschool
our children while I was still pregnant with our first. But this
conversation really underlined our conviction that school is NOT a safe
place to send our kids!
* Gangs: It shouldn't
be too difficult for most parents to understand our fears of this.
Gangs have infiltrated every town and school in our nation, even the small
rural schools. Drive by shootings, riots, knife fights, the list
goes on and on. With an approximate ratio of 30 students per 1 teacher,
there is no way that every child can be under direct supervision every
moment of the day. Heck, I sometimes have trouble keeping my eyes
on just three! I especially remember a story that was on the news
when we lived in Spokane. A 1st grader sneaked into his dad's room,
and "borrowed" a pistol, and hid it under his coat until he got to school.
During recess he shot a 4th grader who had been antagonizing him the day
before. This most certainly is NOT the type of conflict resolution
that we want to teach our children!
* Pre-Teen Sex: I don't
know if it is actually happening more frequently in recent years, or if
I am just noticing it more as I watch my own children grow up and worry
about their futures. But the number of teenage, and PRE-teen pregnancies
sure seem to be increasing in dramatic proportions. I hear so many
stories about 14, 12, even 9 year olds getting pregnant - usually by similarly
youthful fathers. We believe that much of this comes from peer
pressure to "do it". Children feel that they won't fit in to the
popular crowd if they are still a virgin at age 16! What horror!
I don't honestly believe that the parents who send their children to public
school agree with this immature viewpoint. But most of the Homeschool
parents we've met are actually doing something to shield their children
from this type of peer pressure, and that is the key difference.
* Quality of Education:
And this, as much as any of the other reasons, if not MORE importantly,
is why we have chosen to homeschool. And there are so many aspects
of home education that differ from public education that I find it impossible
to outline them all in one small paragraph. First, let me say that
I have the utmost respect for school teachers who have made it their livelihood
to try and teach a room full of active students! That is one of the
hardest tasks anyone could volunteer for, as they put themselves at great
risk, just as the students who attend the the school. I know that
most school teachers got involved with teaching because they really do
want to make a difference in the world, and they really do want to help
the children who sit in their classroom.
But from our
position as parents, and both of us who have been through the public school
system ourselves, we don't feel that we can put our own children at risk,
knowing that there is a better alternative. I have three brothers,
all of them are very bright and very capable. But my youngest brother
had a teacher in elementary school who teased him, and told him to his
face "You are stupid. You will never learn how to read". And
to this day, my brother hates reading, writing, and anything to do with
words. Even worse, he BELIEVES he is stupid, and incapable of learning,
despite evidence to the contrary. I had a similar experience.
It only takes ONE bad teacher, no matter how good all the others are!,
to ruin a child, a person, for the rest of his life. We feel we just
can not take that risk with our own children. It isn't worth it.
Our kids are special, they are bright, and we want them to reach their
full potential.
More specifically
though, we feel that we can provide more hands-on education than the schools
can. We can take them on more field trips. We can give them
one-on-one instruction (as opposed to the 1-to-32 ratio found in most schools!).
We can do unit studies on things that THEY are interested in, thus insuring
that they remember the lessons more clearly because their own curiosity
drives them to study. And we feel that all of these things which
are open to homeschooling will provide our children with a better and happier
education. Which is our ultimate goal: that our children will continue
to love and thrive on knowledge, and to pursue it throughout their lives.
We especially feel that the prison-like environment that students are subjected
to in the schools effectively squelches all of a person's inborn desire
to learn. We hope to prevent this.
And if that
isn't enough, then consider how the heirs to any Royal Crown are educated.
Certainly not in any public institution! They are trained and tutored
and offered many opportunities to explore their world with the undivided
attention and guidance of a single instructor. Do our children deserve
any less? Are they not the young Princes and Princesses of our hearts?
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not
depart from it."
What about
Socialization?
Our oldest
son is only six years old, and I am already so SICK of hearing this!!!
Yeah? So? What about socialization? You really think
kids in public school are being socialized in the Gentle Graces?
You really think they are learning real-world socialization skills by being
forced to sit in a cramped desk, along with 30 other students exactly their
same age, and told not to speak until spoken to? How many of you
find yourself at a job where all your co-workers are exactly the same age?
Or where you are never allowed to speak? Sounds more like incarceration
to us, and prison life is not exactly what we want to be training our children
for! Yes, you have my meaning correctly; we do not feel that the
school system provides proper socialization for any child. And why
is it that this is usually the FIRST question skeptics ask when the subject
of homeschooling arises? Aren't the kids supposed to be in school
to get an education? They aren't supposed to be there to socialize.
Socialization
comes from interaction with the community. Socialization comes from
friends, from Church, from swimming lessons, from intramural sports, from
walks to the park, from visits to the library, and from field trips.
All of these activities provide children with the opportunity to meet and
talk with other humans, both of their own age (yes, we do feel that children
having friends their own age is important - we just feel it should not
be LIMITED to children their own age) and with people older and younger
than them.
And socialization
with the family should not be forgotten either. If children spend
8 hours a day in school, then come home and play with their friends for
a few hours, eat a fast dinner and go to bed, there is no time left for
family bonding. The decision to homeschool allows us to put the importance
of family back in focus. It allows us to be the primary guidance
for our children, rather than playing second string to the government schools.
And it allows us to avoid some of the anti-authority figure disrespect
that kids pick up from the schoolyard. And best of all, our children
have plenty of time to bond with their siblings. They love playing
together, and learning together, and even teaching one another. It
is a delight to watch them grow and learn, and be brothers together.
Our decision
to homeschool is final. We feel this is the best choice for our family.
Only a horrible tragedy would cause us to alter our plans, and even then
we would try to find a way to continue giving our children the best hope
for their future that we can possibly give them. We wish you the
best of luck in all your decisions, and we hope that you will follow the
lead of your heart - whatever that may be. Thanks for taking an interest
in our family!
Write to us!
We are interested in getting
in touch with other homeschoolers, particularly homeschoolers in Oregon.
We each have private e-mail addresses, so please respond to the person
you feel you can identify with the most:
Laurene
Wells - The Webauthor of this entire site, full-time Mother, aspiring
author of children's books, and primary caregiver/educator of our three
boys. I'm very busy, but I talk more
than I probably should.
Ron
Wells - Works full time in the "Silicon Forest", graduated with Highest
Honors from ITT Technical Institute, and often sacrifices his rare computer
hobby time to interact with his family.
Jhereg
Wells - 6 years old now, He reads fantastically (about a 5th grade
level) and he is learning to write, do math, and other interesting things.
He didn't answer his email very often, so we discontinured his mail box
for now. You can say "Hi!" to him if you have ICQ #10770751. Please
don't send him any inappropriate material. I monitor his internet
activity very closely.
Rivan
Wells - He just turned 4 and is just barely learning how to read,
and doesn't know how to write yet. He has been talking for a very
long time now, and he LOVES to play with cars. And his favorite method
of exploration is still climbing! His newest delight is playing with
the soap in the bathroom sink. Does this mean he will grow up to
be a chemist?
Zephan
Wells - The newest member of our family! He is a year old
now, and is growing ever so fast! He gets into everything he can
walk, climb, or dig into. He only says a few words, but it is amazing
the number of things he can say with just the word "Ooooo"! Rivan
is teaching him all about cars and trains and things that GO, and he loves
it! He is still quite adorable!
Homeschool Links!
There are a lot (And I do mean a LOT!) of excellent homeschool pages already available on the Internet. At this point in time, I do not feel that I have anything additional to offer that can't already be found somewhere else. I don't really want to compete with my peers, so instead I am offering links to the other sites that I have found. This collection of links grew to such an extent that it began to look like quite a mess! I have attempted to organize them somewhat. Some pages may fit into more than one category, but I've done my best to choose the most appropriate locations for each site.
Following is an Interactive Menu for your convenience:
Big Idea Productions, Inc. - Homepage - Creators of Veggie Tales animated videos.
Winnie the Pooh his Corner - A site filled with free Pooh stuff: e-cards, screensavers, desktop themes, wallpapers, Coloringpages, pictures, games and much more.
Kid's Town - Interesting site with several links as well.
The Canadian Kids Home Page - Jhereg found this page. Looks cute too!
Kids' Corner - Many high quality links to Kid-friendly Web Sites!
Welcome to the White House for Kids - Quite a bit of information and trivia in small bits that are easy for kids to consume. Several neat pictures of Inside the White House too!
Knuckles' Birthday Party - Cute little family site. Register to enter a contest.
Baby Jennifers Favorite Sites - Some links to interesting places, including the Hubble Space Telescope.
Personal Home Pages of Homeschoolers
In His Making School - nearly all text site, but some excellent Homeschool, and general clean Humor! Well worth the visit for the laughs! Also some serious information, and useful links.
Linda's Home & Family Resources Home Page - Well designed family page, with topics for every member of the family!
Home Schooling With The McKies - nice family page, good links and encouraging words.
The Radical Mother - What a dynamic site! Sadly, the web author passed away earlier this year.
Michael's Home Education Home Page
Allain Family Page - Discovered quite by accident, nice music plug-in!
Support Advice and Information
Home Education Magazine - Home page of the excellent magazine for Homeschoolers. Read sample articles online!
Jon's Homeschool Resource Page - A great resource for general information on homschooling nationwide!
Lindenwood Home Schooling Academy
Our Lady Of Victory - Traditional Catholic Home Schooling
Unofficial WELSHomeschool page - Lutheran Homeshcooling information
HOMESCHOOLING with Ann Lahrson-Fisher !!! - Author of "Homeschooling in Oregon".
Kent State University, Coucil on education of the Deaf - Deaf Education Web Site
Teacher's Helper3 - Free monthly lesson plans.
Montessori Network - Information from an official Montessori org. about teaching preschoolers.
Home School Legal Defense Association - National organization fighting for Homeschool rights.
NWRESD Home Schooling Information - Homeschool group for the NW corner of Oregon.
Oregon Homeschooling Organizations - list of other resources, both on the web and off.
Oregon Homeschool Organizations
The Oregon Home Education Network - Support, information, updates on local activities, etc.
OCEANetwork Web page - Oregon Christian Education Association Network statewide support.
Educational Software Resources
ELECTRO-BOOK, Makers of good family software - FREE Christian and family software DL.
New Night Owl Shareware Page - Information on ordering the CD-Rom's packed with Shareware programs.
SHAREWARE.COM -- the way to find shareware on the Internet
Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. International Christian Homeschoolers Curriculum. Home Education Materials that are "Great for Your Kids AND Great for You. Guaranteed." - This is the literature based curriculum that we are using for our own kids this year.
Sonlight Curriculum Buy/Sell Message Board - A place to find or sell your USED Sonlight Curriculum.
Alpha Omeaga Publications - http://www.home-schooling.com/ - Producers of the popular workbook curriculum and the brand new computer based Switched On Schoolhouse CD_ROM curriculum.
The Elijah Company - Homeschooling Supplies and Textbooks - This is a MUST SEE catalog! Excellent information on how to determine the best teaching style for YOUR family!
Shekinah Curriculum Cellar: Home Schooling Supplies
Homeschool - Beautiful Feet Books - Home
Homeschool Science - Fun Hands-On Experiments
The Sycamore Tree Homeschool and Catalog
Christian Supply store - Offers Homeschool curriculum and Homeschool workshops as well as more conventional Christian supplies.
Sassafrass Grove - Homeschool Laws, Curriculum and Software Page
Venture Home Schoolers Resources, Homeschools, and Home Study Programs
Christianbook.com--Books, Music, Gifts, and more!
Manipulative Math and More ......
HomeSat - Bob Jones University Satelite Homeschool Curriculum
SFAW Education Network - Scott Foresman educational curriculum
Saxon Publishers - Placement Information - Free ONLINE Math Placement test for Saxon math.
School of Tomorrow Producer of the time tested ACE accredited correspondance curriculum.
Timberdoodle Home Page - An EXCELLENT source for all manner of homeschool teaching supplies, games, and books.
Higher Learning - Order a certificate (or a thousand?) for a free CD-Rom.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry - Come visit OMSI! Hands on Science experiments for kids of all ages!
How did fish and plants survive the Genesis Flood? - An online text offering a logical theory.
IDEA BOX- Early Childhood Education and Activity Resources
Teach Your Child. - Links, Books, and free software to help you teach your kids. Entirely non-commercial.
A Beka Book - Homepage for the popular ABeka curriculum.
Welcome to the New Creation Music Center Web site! - Purchase, or Rent new & used instruments. Business operated by a homeschool faimly for about 8 years. Excellent terms and prices!
temporary - Welcome from The Mining Company - list of homeschool resources and other info.
Homeschool Central - Used Curriculum - Ever wondered how to get hold of used materials?
GHHobby - How to use model rockets as educational tools.
Discovery Channel Online - Complex site. Plan to spend more than a little time here.
Smithsonian Institution - *Much* to see here.
Homeschool Central - homeschool resources, links, and education
Prodigy Homeschool Resource Guide - Truly an excellent list of links, and homeschool resources!
Understanding Mathematics: From Counting to Calculus - Descriptive ad for comprehensive book.
The MATHMAN - Web site with sample problems from Mathbooks for grades K-12. Upbeat!
WebMuseum: Bienvenue! (Welcome from the curator) - Wanna see some great works of art?
Heritage House - Prolife - Precious Feet - Abortion Info - prolife links - free prolife catalog - Some excellent teaching supplies on prenatal human development, including many detailed anatomical models.
Tobin's Lab has some
great hands on Science and History kits and activities, but apparently
their web page is no longer available. You can call or write them
in Arizona at:
Tobin's Lab
P.O. Box 6503
Glendale, AZ 85312-6503
(602)843-4265
Math 'n' Stuff is
a resource for many different kinds of math books and math curriculum!
I even found the Math Made Meaninful here, they have cuisinare rods, Miquon
Math, SRA Math, Saxon of course, and many others. Unfortunately they
do not seem to have a web site. You'll have to contact them by more conventional
means:
MATH 'n' STUFF
8926 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 522-8891
FAX: (206) 522-1235
Ernie's Learn to Speak a Little Hawaiian - LOVE this site! Nice intro to the Hawaiian language!
Finite Mathematics and Calculus Resource Page - Math tutor ONLINE! From Algebra to Trig and Calc. Looks like a fabulous resource for the advanced homeschooler, or college student.
GET - Home Page - Guided Educational Tours on the Internet.
Home Schooling Daily - Excellent homeschool site intended to help provide an Internet guided month long educational tour on a specific theme. August was China. September is Mexico. NICE!
E-Conflict Home Page - Truly EXCELLENT site, flags and information on every Nation in the world! Plan to spend a little extra time here. It's neat!
Native American Links - WONDERFUL links to Native American sites, and site about Indians.
Texas School for the Deaf Home Page
Footwear of the Middle Ages Homepage
MEDIEVAL PAVILION RESOURCES--Tent Gallery
The Ultimate Pro-Life Resource List
Pro-life or Pro Choice, get the facts! http://www.abortionfacts.com
About ALBC - American Livestock Breeds Conservancy; great deal of information on Rare Breed and uncommon livestock.
FeatherSite - The Poultry Page - Fantastic wealth of information on all breeds of chickens, waterfowl and game birds! Haven't seen a better one yet!
Snowy Owl's Coloring Pages For Kids
Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission
About the online World Factbook (1996) and Master Index
Info Africa Home Page - Your Guide To South Africa
Educator's Guide to Kitchen Comets
Science Experiments You Can Do!
Welcome to Harvard University - Yes, Homeschoolers can attend Harvard University too!
Welcome to Yale University! - Ivy League Universities accept Homeschoolers too!
MIT SIPB Home Page - MIT accepts 1-2 Homeschool students every year! They request you include some college courses, or some community classes with transcripts that provide unbiased performance evaluations.
Oregon State University Home Page, Oregon, USA
University of Canberra CWIS Splash - This college is located in Australia.
Washington Web: Education:Colleges & Universities
University Of Idaho - In Moscow, Idaho.
Welcome to the University of Westminster - Just in case you're interested in a Brittish college.
University of Oregon WWW Server - Oregon Today
Oregon State University Home Page, Oregon, USA
Oregon Health Sciences University
Western Oregon University Home Page
University of Washington Home Page
http://www.law.washington.edu/ - Homeschoolers can get a Law degree too!
The George Washington University - Located in Washington D.C.
Central Intelligence Agency - Following a college education, perhaps a career in the CIA would be interesting?
If you have any new links that you think would be appropriate
here, especially Unit Studies and Curriculum Company URLS, please send
email to: tinyzoo@aracnet.com
CLICK HERE - Take me Back to The Tiny Zoo!
We now belong to a Homeschool Web Ring. Please visit some of the other Member sites!
This Home-Schooling?
We Said Yes! site is owned by Laurene
Wells
Click for the
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