Why WE Chose to Homeschool

There are so many reasons my husband and I decided to homeschooling our daughter. We never intended to homeschool. Before Shayna, we were both teachers. We actually believe in public education; however, we do NOT believe in public education in its “current state”. My husband has continued to teach; because he loves working with his students and public schools need good teachers. However, since Shayna’s birth, I have not taught in public schools. Shayna had been at home with me during her toddler and preschool years. We played, we read, we took field trips, we had a GREAT time. As she approached her fifth birthday, I was getting ready for her “kindergarten screening”. At this point, my husband and I knew that Shayna was different. She had a passion for learning that would get squashed in the “typical classroom.” She would never survive in a classroom of 30. And the typical teacher would not know what to do with her. And if her teacher knew what to do with her, typically they didn’t have “time” to teach Shayna.

We investigated private schools. We quickly realized these would not meet Shayna’s needs. I mentioned that Kindergarten was not required in Massachusetts. My husband and I agreed to keep her home during Kindergarten, thinking that the gap would slim down during the Kindergarten year. However, Shayna soared at home, mastering reading and moving at her own pace in mathematics. Shayna has a curiousity and general love for learning. Anything that interested her she learned about. However “the deal” was that Shayna would attend school in first grade. When we realized the difference in the “average first grader” and “Shayna” we knew in our hearts we couldn’t send her.

Presently, chronologically, if Shayna was to attend traditional school she would be entering fifth grade in the fall of 2006. However, she is working on a variety of levels and subject matters. Homeschooling has worked for our family. We aren’t sure how long Shayna will actually homeschool. We hope she wants to forever ! But, the arrangement in our house is that we take one year at a time.

Many people homeschool for so many different reasons. We have chosen to homeschool our daughter because we know we can reach her needs, where we are not sure the “typical school” will.