Ryan on Homeschooling

After a horrendous start to the homeschooling week, one in which I not only threatened to send Ryan to highschool, but went ahead and called for an appointment (they never returned my call which tells you something about the local state highschool!) it has ended positively.

Homeschooling a child on the spectrum isn't easy but its an amazing journey.  I have never gone for easy.  I have gone for the journey.

This is Ryan's persuasive piece - essay is a stretch - I was trying to find a way to get her to expand it but,,,well, she's said her bit and didn't have more to say.  It does say it all.  Maybe I am the one who has to learn brevity!

Position: Traditional Schooling Should Not Be Compulsory
Written By Ryan Connor 

March 15, 2013

 

Working out back in November, 2012

All children shouldn't have to go to traditional school.

Most children actually learn better being home schooled because they don't have all of the distractions going on around them. They also learn better because they have the 1 on 1 attention, not the 1 on 25+ attention.

Learning at home allows you to spend more time working on things you have problems with; you can go your own pace.

Artwork, first done at school, second done at home.

At home you can learn things that traditional schools don't teach. Example: Cooking, how to shop, cleaning, babysitting, dancing. You can focus more on what you enjoy. For example, I play the flute and I belly dance. I also learn about horse care and riding. 

Flute without the distractions of uninterested students

Sometimes you might not fit in at school. You can stop people bullying you because you don't see them, you can stop putting up with bad behaviour and you can learn in your own environment, bedroom, dining room, nature reserve.

Children should be able to learn at home in their own environment, at their own pace, without stress, worrying when a test is due, noise and all of the distractions.

 

Children should also be allowed to rearrange their Schleich horses and Playmobil figurines during breaktime!
 

 

Note that I did NOT tell her to put in cooking and cleaning and shopping. In fact, we rarely cook - unless we are baking or learning about how yeast works - and the minimal amount of cleaning and shopping we do all week is really nothing to whinge about. I am not keeping my only daughter home in order to teach her how to be a perfect homemaker. Although I do use her for babysitting. And if she's INTERESTED in housework, I have plenty for her to do while I finally get to work on my novel!!!

 

That last paragraph (sentence) was ALL her though.  Her biggest complaint about school wasn't the bullying, or the boring and, she felt, remedial classes but the noise and distractions.  She is so much happier at home.  I am happier with her home.  We are all happier because she is schooled at home.

 

It DOES take a village.  But thank God I can choose that village!!!