The Satisfied Learner: How Families Homeschool their Teens by Cafi Cohen

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This article, from Mothering Magazine, looks at three homeschooling families, describing how each has created a viable, rewarding learning situation.
The Satisfied Learner: How Families Homeschool their Teens
By Cafi Cohen Issue 99, March/April 2000

Maybe it's the fear of school violence or the lack of stimulating courses, but the number of homeschooling teenagers is on the rise. Some parents balk at the very thought of homeschooling their teen. After all, it's one thing to teach your daughter how to read. It's quite another to teach her trigonometry. But the idea that parents are solely responsible for instruction is just one of the many misconceptions about home education. Some other incorrect notions include that homeschooling inevitably leads to social isolation, decreased participation in music and sports, and college rejection letters. The following families' stories speak the truth: Socially and intellectually satisfying, homeschooling is an extremely viable option--for both parent and child.

Nikki--The Long-Distance Learner
Nikki Davis, a 16-year-old A and B student in San Diego, California, hated school. Her number one complaint: There was no time for making friends. Ten minutes in the hall between classes and occasional after-school visits was just not enough. Academics were also frustrating. She loved biology and longed to experiment with local marine ecosystems, but this year's curriculum dictated that she memorize plant parts instead. In addition, typical school activities seemed childish to Nikki. A dedicated surfer, she was not interested in cheerleading, fund-raisers, or dances. Since seventh grade, she begged her parents to homeschool her. While Susan, Nikki's mother, agreed with the idea, her father--not unlike many parents who attended public school--resisted. Finally, just before her junior year, Nikki's persistence, as well as her continued unhappiness with school, convinced her father. The Davises decided to try home education.

To begin homeschooling, Nikki enrolled in American School, a fully-accredited, independent-study correspondence institution. Based in Illinois, the school enrolls students from around the world. Just like any high school accepting a transfer student, American School gave Nikki credit for work completed during her freshman and sophomore years in public school. Then they outlined the courses she would need to earn a diploma. For each course, American School supplied a textbook, study guide, and other necessary materials, such as lab supplies for biology or tapes for foreign language. The study guide provided reading assignments, teacher lectures (in written form), quizzes, tests, and answers. With occasional reminders from her parents to buckle down, Nikki worked entirely on her own. For subject matter expertise, answering questions about geometry proofs or science experiments, she corresponded with teachers at American School. For each course, she submitted anywhere from six to 12 written tests, the scores of which were averaged to obtain grades for her transcript.

And what was Susan's primary responsibility? Writing checks to American School--a reasonable $250 per year--and providing transportation for other activities. Susan did not need to dredge up long-forgotten lessons in algebra or American government because the materials that Nikki used were, unlike typical classroom texts, designed for self-instruction. When she needed help, Nikki phoned or wrote the teachers at American School for consultation.

Within a month, Nikki found that she could complete her academic work in less than two hours each day. That left free time for anything and everything: paying work, volunteering, reading, surfing. She found a job bagging groceries, and spent many hours happily riding the waves at a nearby beach. Having always loved marine animals, she convinced a local museum to give her a volunteer job. She also rediscovered a childhood joy--reading for hours on end: books selected without regard to high school reading lists or requirements. Another advantage of her new schedule: plenty of time for a social life. She continued to see old school buddies, and began making new friends just as adults do--through existing acquaintances and new outside activities. Within six months, she said, "I can't believe it. I have more friends now than when I attended school."

Less than a year after she began homeschooling--and a full year before her former classmates--Nikki graduated from American School. People hearing this say, "She must be very smart. My teenagers could never do that." Yes, Nikki is bright. Nevertheless, her timetable and results are typical. Most homeschoolers complete traditional high school (grades nine to 12) in two to three years. What takes conventionally schooled students a week to accomplish, most homeschoolers achieve in two to four days, working two to three hours each day. This is because homeschooling eliminates "administrivia" such as passing out supplies, correcting papers, announcements, waiting while a teacher handles discipline problems, and general busywork. Homeschooling is efficient--in fact, it's very efficient.

David Unschools
Nikki's approach to homeschooling--an approach many would call "traditional academics"--worked well for her. In contrast, David Jackson, a 15-year-old homeschooler from Louisville, Kentucky, says, "We never use textbooks and have no typical days. Every day is different." David's father is a mechanic with United Parcel Service. His mother Gail's formal education ended with her high school diploma. She homeschools David and his three younger brothers, ages seven, ten, and 12, using an approach called unschooling.

Traditionalists and curriculum-oriented homeschoolers believe that kids learn best with schedules, textbooks, and tests. Unschoolers say just the opposite--that children are more avid learners when their interests direct their education. Unschooling parents provide educationally rich home environments and encourage their children to study whatever appeals to them. "Curriculum" is usually determined after the fact. Watching a film like Shakespeare's Henry V becomes a lesson in history and literature. Reading books selected from the library is English or language arts. Bird-watching is science, and helping with church bookkeeping is math. In life, the opportunities for education are endless.

This year David's science lessons are taking place at the local Natural History Museum, where he works. In the Hands-On Children's Room, he cleans the reptile cages, feeds the snakes, helps with the demonstration beehive, rotates the microscope exhibits, and conducts tours for school groups. Gail says, "He's getting so much more hands-on biology doing this than he would in any classroom. Not only that, his confidence in public speaking improves every week."

When he is not handling reptiles, David, like many lifelong unschoolers, reads voraciously. His tastes range from science fiction and the Civil War to the Guinness Book of World Records and a host of news magazines, including Time, Newsweek, and U. S. News & World Report. He also writes--letters to friends, articles for a family newsletter, heart-felt journal entries, and even poetry. Math lessons are a by-product of running his own small computer-consulting business. "It is not as grand as it sounds," he says. "I help people, mainly senior citizens, set up their systems and get oriented on-line or with their word processors. I keep the accounts for the business and--right now--that is my math. I also play a lot of math games with my brothers. We love the ideas and projects in the book Family Math."1

Interested in keeping his body in shape, as well as his mind, David began running in community races at age 13. He now runs three to five miles daily and regularly competes in 5 to 10K races (approximately three to six miles). In addition, he plays basketball with a homeschool team in the fall, and Little League baseball in the spring.

Andy's Eclectic Approach
While David explores his world, 17-year-old Andy Herndon from rural Texas has a singular goal: He wants to attend the United States Air Force Academy and train to fly Air Force jets. Andy knows that math and science are important, and that his physical conditioning must be top-notch if he is to fulfill his ambition. Without access to a high school sports program, Andy devised his own physical conditioning regimen, including running and weight training. In addition, he found an outstanding diving program for teenagers at the city Parks and Recreation Department. Even though he never thought he could dive, with the help of an excellent coach and a top-notch program, he has been victorious at several meets.

Andy's parents, Debra and Tom, are involved in the homeschooling movement, participating in support groups, writing articles, and organizing conferences. They've thought long and hard about the best way to homeschool. Debra says, "While traditionalists say kids learn best with schedules and texts, and unschoolers say kids learn best when their interests direct the learning, eclectic home educators say that there's no one way that all kids learn best all the time." Tom adds, "As eclectic homeschoolers, we use anything that encourages enthusiasm for learning. Sometimes that means traditional materials like textbooks. Sometimes we unschool and allow Andy unlimited free time to pursue his interests. And sometimes we fall somewhere in the middle. We always take full advantage of community resources, and, like unschoolers, we find ways to identify most of Andy's activities as school."

So how do Debra and Tom handle advanced math and science--topics that Andy needs to cover but in which they lack expertise? They've found several solutions to this problem. First, they located an exemplary self-instructional math course that allows Andy to teach himself advanced mathematics, including trigonometry and calculus. Second, they enrolled him in physics and geology courses at the community college. This gives him the chance to earn some college credit during his high school years, while also providing access to professors and other resources at the college. He enjoys the classes and says, "I am keeping up and don't feel at any disadvantage." Third, Andy takes private pilot license lessons through a local Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program squadron (CAP is an auxiliary of the United States Air Force). In addition to contributing to his study of aviation and aerospace, CAP, as well as 4-H, provides plenty of opportunities for Andy to socialize with other teens.

In addition to the math and science components, Andy needs to study foreign language to apply to the Air Force Academy. To satisfy this requirement, he and his mother decided to study Spanish together. They found an outstanding self-instructional course, Power-Glide, complete with tapes and videos. Lots of Spanish television and some Spanish conversation in their small Texas town serve as supplements to the course. As the Herndons have discovered, one of the perks of homeschooling a teenager is the opportunity to learn with him.

To round out his education, Andy takes private piano lessons and, like many homeschooled teenagers, volunteers; he works in a local soup kitchen and at a nearby hospital. Volunteering opportunities abound in any community--libraries, museums, drama groups, radio and television stations, churches, even schools. And they always provide remarkable educational experiences.

If there is anything that these three family experiences show us, it is that homeschooling can be adapted to meet any student's needs. If I interviewed 100 homeschooling families about how they choose subjects and schedule their days, I would hear 100 different ideas. There is, in short, no One Best Way. Instead, every family must decide--often through trial and error--what's most helpful for their teen. This kind of flexibility is one of homeschooling's greatest assets. Anyone can pursue home education, it is just a matter of finding the right resources--and the most satisfying approach--for you and your teen.