Homeschooling Benefits for Children from Orphanages

Many of you already know that we homeschool our son, Anton.  I wanted to blog about the reasons why we homeschool, and the particular benefits for children from institutionalized background, as I see it from my experience. 

Homeschooling is a luxury and I know it may not be possible or the right choice for every family.  I know if we were not able to Homeschool, it would obviously not be God's direction, and hence, God's best for us would be a different path.  

We don't think parents are making a mistake, necessarily, if they put their child in public school...although they could be. And, they could make a mistake in putting their child in the wrong Private School, or perhaps Homeschool isn't really for the family's giftedness and constraints. So, we're not "one-size-fits-all," in our philosophy of education.

But our goals for raising and training Anton are more than learning letters and numbers.  Parents looking to adopt, or have already adopted a child, especially understand the need to be bonded with all our children no matter how we got them, and to be unified as a family.  We did not give birth to our adopted child, or breastfeed, or have those precious moments with them as an infant.  We sometimes adopt when they are much older.  Adoption by definition is taking a child that is originally not from you, but they become a part of your family as if they were.  So, there needs be that precious bonding, and developing of those relationships.   Homeschooling is perfect for this.  We can play catch-up for what we missed by choosing the homeschool education avenue that centers on the family as opposed to another "institution," be it public or private. 

Isn't it is so great to be free to do what best serves our own family!  Praise God for our country and state.  Not everywhere affords this liberty.

There have been tons of great articles about the advantages of Homeschooling, and I don't want to repeat those.  I just wanted to give a brief list of reasons why we chose to homeschool and emphasizing the benefits to a child from institutionalized background who is a member of our family.

1.  I can better build into Anton's soul.   Not only do we teach the Bible, and that is our first subject we cover during the day, but I can direct Anton to Worship God in EVERYTHING we do.

I can work on character and discipline issues better if I spend more time with Anton, rather than less because he's been at school all day. Even the best of the teachers do not have time to work on each of their children's character and discipline in the classroom, nor are they the best person to do that.   He would be gone from 8:00 AM. to about 4:30 PM.   I would not have his best waking hours to enjoy him, to teach him, and he would not be enjoying his family and home.   I would have to use the evening to get him ready for another day at school. 

Soul building and care is what parenting is all about, and education is very broad term for me.  Actually, all the following points also fall under #1 because it is so ultimate and broad; it is all about their souls.

2.  It strengthens family bonds and family identity.  We can curl up and read a book together.  We can play games, or build something, clean the house together, go to grocery store together.  He loves experiencing life and I'm so happy to be alongside to watch him discover things.  My husband works different hours than most Pappas, and he gets a day off during the week, and so, Anton can be with us on Pappa's day off.  

When Anton thinks "Who am I?"  he doesn't think of who he is in the classroom pecking order, perhaps the one who is the last to "get it," or the "one who talks funny" or "the class clown" (and that would be Anton!)  It is not that I'm afraid of him being teased.  I just want his identity to be seen accurately, that he is created in God's image, he is precious, and placed in our family, appreciated for his strengths, and loved in spite of his weaknesses.   My husband often says, "we have a sweet family" and we do!

Anton is dressed up as fireman making some firehouse food.

3.  I can move at Anton's pace and his best learning style that could be faster or slower than the school's pace, depending on the subject.   Anton is behind in language, as is common for children who come from other countries and had difficult start in life, and homeschooling has been a huge blessing for this.  Because we never planned in enrolling him in school, getting caught up on language didn't have to be a priority, with multiple therapists, or being placed on a standardized timeline for where he should be for his age.  He is and was exactly where he should be for Anton.  I knew his language would improve as time went on and he learned his Phonics ("Intensive Phonics" I might add!) and began to write his own sentences and viola, that is exactly what happened. 

We can also use different learning styles, in general, and experiment.  Anton is imaginitive, artisitc, and very active.  Leaning can be through playing, as opposed to sitting at a desk.  And we can take breaks when we want to burn some of that boy energy.

Striving to make learning "fun" is to develop a lifetime lover of learning.

Anton dressed as Roman soldier.  We were learning
our numbers using playing cards.

We don't know what the future holds.  We may one day put Anton in public or private school.  Equipping Anton with a healthy and happy Christian Worldview as soon as possible will prepare him best for this world, where he will inevitably encounter bad influences and bad information.  I wish I could protect him from all that but I can't.  We can do what we can, with God's help, in this little crucible of our family in the precious little time we have.   We hope to raise him to "be in the world, but not of the world." and Lord willing, successful in whatever the Lord directs, but most of all to love the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. He is such a blessing. 

What about socialization?  Anton is so sociable and has so many friends he has made at Church, Sports Teams, Scouts and in the neighborhood.  In fact, now, I am thinking we need to cut back on so many activities away from the home.  He is definitely not sheltered or unsocialized.  He probably is a little spoiled, but I prefer to consider him "well loved."

Actually, I'm being Homeschooled too, being a mamma and teacher.  In our studies, I get to re-learn what I once knew, or learn what I should have learned a long time ago but didn't because the schools didn't teach it.  I particularly love History.  We use Tapestry of Grace.  We're on Year 1 now, and I have to say I love Ancient History in particular.  It is so fascinating.  When you Homeschool, you get to go back to school!  God is growing all of us. 

So, I hope this encourages you to consider Homeschooling as a choice for you.  I'll post later what curriculum we use at present.