Everyone has something he or she feels passionately about, and therefore, everyone can develop their values and interests in a way that they can influence others. Leaders tend to be creative, independent, compassionate, articulate and organized. Homeschooling can bring out many of these abilities, and these traits are hallmarks of the homeschooled child. The flexibility of the homeschooling curriculum allows your child to explore his or her interests and to explore issues of interest. In a classroom setting, there are so many students to deal with and too little time to develop a particular child's interest. Homeschoolers do not have to have their hands held every step of the way, but children who are homeschooleded know how to complete projects independently. At the same time, many homeschoolers can take the initiative in a group setting, since many homeschoolers have the time and the inclination to get involved in community activities.
As part of your homeschool coursework, ask your child what he or she feels strongly about. This could be explored while studying history, current events, religion or science. Encourage your child to create speeches or imaginary debates between two figures. Perhaps you and other homeschooling parents can organize a debate team or a junior discussion panel. Maybe homeschoolers in a particular state can get together for a statewide debate contest or exploration of current issues. The more your child connects with other homeschoolers who share his or her values, the more solid the commitment will be to his or her values.
If your child is going to be interested in the world around him or her, there has to be influence in the home. If you show interest in what is going on in the world and discuss current events at the dinner table, then your homeschooler is likely to follow suit. Homeschooling, unlike conventional educational systems, does not need to begin at 8:00am and finish at 3:00pm. Homeschooling is around the clock: from the moment the child wakes until he or she goes to bed. Even if you are not engaged in classwork, everything the child sees and hears forms his homeschooling experience. Therefore, the home has to be a place where social concern is encouraged and ethical behavior is a part of everyday life.
Volunteering in the community is a great way for homeschoolers to connect with others and to develop compassion and concern. One who takes the intiative to help improve the lives of others is a potential leader, and the time made available to homeschoolers should be invested in activities which strengthen the character.________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.
Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.