“School at Home” wasn’t really a term that was used before the world came to an awkward halt in 2020. Up until then it was known as just regular old homeschool, home education, or other names that more closely reflect the various styles of homeschool. (If you are unfamiliar with homeschool styles, you can read more about them here.)
When the schools closed and eventually switched over to Zoom, suddenly everyone was a “homeschooler”. People were home all day with their children, setting them up with a computer so they could log on with their classmates. Parents were printing out the daily worksheets and helping their children through what needed further explanation (if they had the time and understood what was being taught). These families finally understood what their home education friends were experiencing… they were homeschooling now, too.
Except that really, they weren’t. Like, at all. What they were doing was “school at home”, and that is not the same. And “school at home”, if I may be so bold, is the death of homeschool.
The Death of Homeschool
School at home is just what its name implies: it’s taking what the school system says should be done, how it should be done, and in what order, then checking all those boxes at home. Sound thrilling? Sure, there’s some flexibility. Math can be taught in the morning OR the afternoon. Recess can be a full hour. Lunch can include food that’s actually healthy AND appetizing… sound freeing yet?
There is a reason most home educators choose to structure their homeschool much, much differently than the traditional school model. It’s that schools are not run in the best interest of the child. They do not help raise up children who truly know and care about the natural world around them. Instead they are designed to pump children with information they won’t remember, repeatedly test them for the sake of statistics, and make good law abiding citizens ripe for the workforce. In addition, schools today are accepting children as young as 4, then expecting them to read and write and sit still and quiet for circle time. So much for the joys of childhood. And if this is how you choose to homeschool, I would have to ask you why you chose to home educate in the first place. Reproducing the school environment at home is far, far from the point.
The Beauty of an Education Well Done
While “school at home” isn’t necessarily as bad as all that, it is not a recipe for homeschool success. And if it’s being overseen and directed by an actual school, it likely will not produce the fruit and beauty of a true home education.
As parents and home educators, homeschool can be whatever we want it to be, and there are as many different ways to do it as there are families doing it. I’ll have you consider this: what type of person do you want your child to grow up to be (values, etc.), and what type of childhood do you want them to have right now? Forget about which facts you want them to memorize, which wars you want them to be able to write a 5 paragraph essay on, and how many aspects of science you want them to be able to recall. First, just focus on the personhood of your child. Enjoy lots and lots of free time together. Heck, even try doing NO school work at all for a while.
So what should you do? That’s not something I can answer for you. Only you know what’s best for your family. And if you’re not sure what that is yet, it’s okay. Take some time to test the homeschool waters. Read up on different homeschool styles and find out which one resonates with you and your family. And just remember, you don’t have to do it all. Even if you feel like you’re doing nothing at all, you’re probably doing more than you realize. Just love on your children. Give them time to enjoy what they’re passionate about. Go exploring. Adventuring. Find reasons to smile together. I promise you won’t regret giving them the time to just be kids.
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