Great homeschool article

No place like home ... school
By Nathan Mueller
STAFF WRITER


McKenna Kaukonen, 7, got to see Leader Dogs during class time.

Scott Duff, 6, and his sister Shannon, 8, did their history lesson in the bathtub.

Athena Lewandowski, 6, gets to ride horses any time of day and ties it into her curriculum.

According to the parents of these children, none of that would be possible without the luxury of homeschooling.

"We are able to take them places and do things that cannot be done in a classroom," said Kelly Tratechaud, mother of two homeschooled children. "It gives us more freedom to pick and choose the curriculum."

But even though there is more freedom, it does not mean the curriculum is drastically different than that of a traditional school. Students still are taught math, reading, writing, science, social studies, physical education and more.

It's just the way those subjects are taught that differs. Each homeschooling family has a different method and different reason for why they homeschool, but it all revolves around what works best for the child.

Some parents homeschool for religious reasons, others because they are not satisfied with the local school district, but ultimate it seems that freedom is a major selling point. Parents can do their teaching in the morning or wait and spread it throughout the day. Others make every lesson a hands-on activity while some stick to the books and administer tests.

Tammi Brandon prefers to let Athena choose how she wants to structure her school day by letting her pick what they do in the morning and allowing her to monitor how much work she has left to do. Tammi does not test because she can see what is challenging her daughter and if she has truly learned anything.

"When you have 30 kids you can administer a test and get an idea of where the child is, but you cannot tell their depth of subject knowledge," she said. "Working one-on-one, I can tell."

Said Karleen Duff: "It allows us to focus on their strengths and interests. And we teach them to love learning."

But just because these children are homeschooled does not mean they do not interact with other children. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Four years ago, Brandon started the South Lyon Area Schoolers at Home so she could provide a classroom-type environment for her daughter. The group now consists of about 30 families and 100 children and continues to grow.

Many of members of SLASH host group lessons in their homes, and they even hire an instructor for a physical education class.

While many detractors of homeschooling believe the children lack social skills, the parents strongly disagree.

Duff said homeschooling has allowed her children of different ages to become best friends because they were not in separate classrooms, and Tratechaud said her kids benefit because they are constantly spending time with kids who are not just their age.

The bond between the children was evident a couple weeks ago during the group's gym class when children ranging from 5 to 10 years old were interacting, competing and helping each other.

"One of the things we have to cut down on is socialization," Duff said.

For the kids, they all enjoy homeschooling for different reasons.

"My favorite is sign language," said Gracie Tratechaud, 5.

"I like being home and spending time with my family," McKenna said.

In terms of educational quality, a 2004 study by Columbia University showed that homeschooled students scored higher on average on the SAT than public school students, and Tratechaud said she has a friend who works in admissions at a public university in Michigan who said colleges are actively seeking homeschooled students.

Being homeschooled is not easy — for the child or parent. Some of the parents have teaching certificates, but even those who do not spend numerous hours researching and preparing so their child gets the best education possible.

"For us it is fun," Duff said. "I consider it a gift to be able to do stuff like this with my kids."

And after listening to the kids, they have fun getting a different twist on learning as well.