“We love being there for the 'light bulb moments.'”
That comment by homeschooling mother Lindsey Breker seems a pretty apt way to sum up the essence, and the appeal, of home education. Lindsey and Phillip Breker and their five kids—including third-grader Emma, first-grader Noah and kindergartener Gideon—are part of a growing trend in Maple Grove and elsewhere, as more families opt-out of conventional school systems. For homeschooling families, learning becomes more a part of everyday living, and the walls that define and limit “school” seem to disappear.
Nationwide, home-schooling has been a growing movement for a number of years, among families who want a self-directed alternative to public and private schools. In 1993, it became legal in all 50 states.
Minnesota has become something of a hotbed for homeschoolers. Around 300 students are currently being homeschooled in the Osseo Area Schools, according to Barbara Olson, the district's director of school and community relations.
For homeschoolers, learning becomes “a way of life,” says Robin Fraser, a former teacher in Milwaukee who moved to Maple Grove with her family in 1996. (Among her accolades is the Sallie Mae Teacher of the Year award, won in 1994.) It tends to lead both kids and parents to the “mindset that we are always learning, and everything represents an opportunity to learn.”
Fraser, who home-schools two sons and a daughter, ages 16, 13 and 10, is leader of FICHE (Fellowship in Christian Home Education) a homeschool cooperative which serves Maple Grove, Osseo and surrounding areas. FICHE is part of a statewide network of parent-run co-ops (both religious-affiliated and secular) which offer classes, field trips and social opportunities for kids, support and encouragement for parents and service projects for kids and parents.
To some degree, successful homeschooling depends on achieving the right balance of structure and freedom to be spontaneous. Some subject areas require more structure than others—math, for example. “When we get up, we have a routine, but once the routine is accomplished we can look at other options for the day,” Fraser notes. Other options might include field trips to zoos or museums, or participation in music lessons or organized sports.
Many homeschoolers say one of the most appealing benefits is the ability to customize curriculum and teaching methods to fit each child's individual needs, aptitudes and learning styles, to a degree that is typically not possible in an institutional setting. Breker says she and her family love “the flexibility and freedom.” When teaching “we can go over the material at each child's pace. If we need to, we can take more time.”
To some degree, each child's homeschooling experience is unique. Robin Fraser's three children each have their own reasons for appreciating the homeschooling lifestyle:
Drake Fraser, age 10: “What I like best about homeschooling is when my Mom is teaching someone else in school, I can go out and jump on the trampoline, shoot hoops or play Legos, if my school work is done. I also like it when we all sit together and my mom reads a book aloud to us.”
Delaney Fraser, age 13: “The best part is that I am able to accomplish all of my school work in a timely manner. It doesn’t take me all day to get my tasks finished.”
Hunter Fraser, age 16: “The creativity I have experienced in homeschooling has benefited me greatly. My mom and others have put lessons and opportunities together for me so that school is less of a chore and more interesting. For example, I am currently learning how to build a guitar peddle which combines my love for music with learning about electronics.”
Pam and Mike Kilsdonk and their two sons—11-year old Nate and 12-year old Ben—Pam and Kilsdonk of Maple Grove have been homeschooling for seven years. Pam's teaching job is made easier by her experience as a former high school teacher at Robbinsdale Cooper High School, along with the fact that the kids had a good beginning—“we read to them when they were infants, so they already knew a lot before we started.”
But Kilsdonk doesn't believe professional teaching experience is required to be an effective home-school educator. She notes that “knowing your child is the most important thing,” followed closely by wading through a wide range of curriculum-vendor options to choose the right materials for each family; this sometimes takes time and effort.
One of the things she most appreciates about home schooling is the freedom to tailor education to each child's needs, aptitudes and interests. “If our kids are interested in airplanes, we can visit the airport and learn there.”
For homeschoolers, the world becomes a classroom without walls.
