Home-Based Learning
By Rachel Ofo
Homeschooling, unschooling, worldschooling. The world of home-based education is spinning with new terms and ideologies every day. It’s easy to feel a bit confused, and maybe even a little giddy as you hold on to the pedagogical ride. In general, the term “homeschool” simply reflects a child learning core subjects at home. Easy enough to grasp. However, under this umbrella, comes everything else from informal learning to learning as one travels. And it’s up to us, as parents, to choose which route or mix of routes to take that will best fit our child’s and our needs.
The role of parents trying to foster curiosity while creating a balanced yet interesting learning environment has added complexity because, well, we’re still parents. We don’t want our children frustrated or confused with us and vice versa. With that comes a whole lot of learning, not just for our children but for ourselves as well, even for those already in an education-centered career. I found myself saying, “It will be so easy. I’ve been teaching for years.” Well, I was wrong; I’m just as much a student as my six-year-old.
When I made the decision to homeschool my daughter, I didn’t know much about it, to be honest. Growing up in the 90s, homeschooling wasn’t very popular or mainstream. There were very small groups of people who chose this route. And many factors played into this, whether they were personal beliefs, financial needs, or lack of knowledge and resources. So this whole idea of not putting my child in a traditional school was so foreign to me and those closest to me. However, while living in Thailand, between my transition to a stay-at-home mom and the general costs of education, my decision to homeschool was made. I was following homeschooling parents on Instagram, meeting up with homeschooling families in Bangkok, and generally absorbing all the information I could on the subject. The first thing I (thought I) needed was a fancy location conducive to my child’s learning.
Location/setup
When I first began my child’s home-based education, I believed we had to have a state-of-the-art classroom-like setup. Many parents do this and it works. However, with our limited space, and my daughter’s obsession with the outdoors, this wouldn’t work for us, which is totally fine. We study in the backyard, at the library, and really, anywhere she wants that she can concentrate. For example, when I began writing this article, I was sitting in front of a lake with my laptop on a picnic table. My daughter was switching between fishing, looking for a gopher she’d spotted earlier, and counting the blades of grass on a nearby marsh—because math. We went home after a few hours, finished some online assignments, and went back. Then she spotted a frog, which just the week before she’d learned about the life cycle of—yay, reinforcement! By the time I completed this article, I was in bed, while my daughter finished up her math lesson. Once we were both done with our tasks for the day, we made plans to extract tomato DNA and view it under a microscope, because why not?
Flexibility is one of my favorite aspects of homeschooling. Although she has set topics to learn and assignments to complete, we do a whole lot more learning to supplement what she’s already learned or introduce what she will learn in the future. Honestly, the learning never stops. And because the assignments are provided, it gives me more time to think of creative activities to encourage her learning. And when my creative juices run dry, off to the library we go! You can never go wrong with having your child either wandering around, playing, or actually reading in the library. However, this works for us because of the curriculum and schedule she follows.
Type of curriculum/schedule
There are many options with regards to curriculum. Some parents get a general checklist of what needs to be covered and they loosely plan based on that. Some parents follow a rigid schedule. It depends on the area and school requirements. For our particular program, we found a nearby school to register my daughter, and they provided a laptop, along with all the course materials. My job is to make sure she logs in to meet with her homeroom teacher and other students in the program every morning, and to ensure all the assignments are completed on time. However, this is specific to our program. Some schools offer different resources; some schools offer grants to pay for resources. It’s all about finding what works. This includes understanding your child’s learning style.
My daughter has been bouncing off walls ever since she learned to crawl. So with your child, are they capable of sitting for extended periods of time? Or do they need a few resets throughout the lesson? My daughter does quite well with studying for a couple hours at a time but retains more information when she gets a snack or jumping-jack break. And if none of those work, we simply pause for the day and go play outside. Sometimes she gets tired of me, so we find ways to give her a break. A great way to do this is with co-ops.
I joined a couple of homeschool co-ops in Bangkok. This was a way for homeschooling families to get together and learn as a group. The wonderful thing about this was that it was run by the parents. We chose what to teach and how to teach and just had fun. The goal was enjoyable learning with social opportunities.
Goals/expectations
Have fun! Learning doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. But it does have to be enjoyable, especially for the younger ones. With home-based options, you’re given the flexibility to take time on subjects where your child may struggle, and repeat activities they may love. Last week my daughter had an assignment that required planting one single seed. However, we planted six different types of plants. Every day she wakes up to water them and make sure they have adequate sunlight. Every day we review seeds, photosynthesis, living things, and everything that comes with that particular field of science. She doesn’t know she’s “learning” because she’s enjoying it and will probably ask me to plant more things in the future. Understanding what you want from homeschool and the program you join is necessary, especially if you plan on using it while traveling around and enjoying the beauty of Thailand. And remember, goals and expectations can change, and that’s OK.
Hopefully this article shed a little light for those who are curious about homeschooling or encouraged those already on their homeschooling journey. Because what we do now sets the tone for our children’s future. The foundation that’s laid determines the world that is built. Yes, it’s scary, it’s nerve-racking, but it’s also beautiful. We love watching our child play with their blocks. We love seeing them build up and knock down until they’ve constructed something they're proud of; in fact, we encourage it. So let’s allow ourselves the same grace. Accept the fact that we probably won’t get it right the first year, or maybe even the second or third. The great thing is, there is no striking out. Allow ourselves to take a step back, re-evaluate, and restart when needed. Because the best way for our children to learn is by our example. It’s OK to mess up. Let’s push for our home-based learning to be a homerun.
About the Author
Rachel Ofo moved from the US to Bangkok in 2016 and spent six and a half years there. She has a daughter, whom she loves dragging around on various adventures like hikes and fishing trips. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and trying new restaurants. She also enjoys being out in nature.