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Our Homeschooling Triumphs

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Some of our own homeschooling success stories

A friend challenged me to write about my family's successes with homeschooling. Often when people think of homeschooling success stories, they think of the finished story, when the homeschooler is an adult. Their success in adult life is seen as a validation of the homeschooling choice.

But my sons are still elementary and middle-school ages. What are our success stories? Here's my take on it.

First of all, what's that thing in the picture up there?

A triumph in creative thinking

Oh, that!

Well, the boys were getting ready to play Munchkin, but they had lost the die that they used for the game. So JG made his own random number generator out of K'NEX pieces.

The spokes, which are of different lengths and colors, each represent a number. You twirl the gizmo in the air, and whatever spoke it stops on, that's your number to use in the Munchkin game.

I guess you could make two of them if needed, and twirl one in each hand, for games that require two dice.

Homeschooling success: My kids are learning how to solve problems creatively, and how to create their own math manipulatives.

What's my definition of a homeschooling triumph?

How am I measuring success?

My goal for my boys is that they'll grow up to be happy, functional adults. When I see them developing the abilities and traits that happy, functional adults need, I count that as a homeschooling success.

Sometimes the traits that make for successful adults might not be the same as the traits that bring success in a classroom, but since they're not in a classroom it doesn't matter whether they ever learn how to sit at a desk for six hours doing meaningless work. (Yes, I know that there are some adults who do that very thing every day, but they're not the best examples of happiness and functionality.)

A triumph in doing your own thing

This is an early draft of a map of our house that BT started. BT is very visually-oriented and likes geography and maps. He says that he wants to be a mapmaker when he grows up.

To me, the map represents one of the things I like about the homeschooling environment. While my sons do hang out with other kids, they're not so bombarded with the mob mentality that they fall into the majority's ideals about what are the "cool" things to be interested in.

Homeschooling success: Neither of my boys has ever aspired to be a rapper or play in the NBA. They know their own mind.

One of my favorite homeschooling books!

Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum

Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum

by: Norman Stiles, Daniel Wilcox, Joe Mathieu

Amazon Price: $42.00 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

A perfect example of the unschooling philosophy as Grover goes on an educational field trip.

A triumph in learning both math and confidence

Image of numbers, shared on Wikimedia Commons by lmacmOne of the things I love about homeschooling is that we can pick our own ways to explore and learn any subject. This is great when it comes to math because JG is not fond of pencils and paper. In school, almost all math is written. At home, along with watching videos and playing games that involve math, we enjoy just talking about math!

Occasionally, when JG is faced with a particular math question he wants to work out, I will tell him that I think he's going to have to use pencil and paper to figure this one out. But so far he has always proven me wrong, figuring out a way to work it out in his head.

His affection for money gives him lots of opportunities to do mental math, as does his interest in Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. And best of all, he knows the reasoning behind the math. He understands the meaning of multiplication, rather than just knowing that 3 x 4 = 12 as an abstract fact.

Homeschooling success: My kids have no math anxiety!

A triumph in literacy and in patience

I've talked about this in some of my other homeschooling writings. Learning reading was a struggle for JG. He was a letter-switcher and also, while he understood the principles of phonics, he had a harder time remembering sight words. Some people malign sight-reading as an absolute evil, but in order to read English, a person needs skills in BOTH phonics and sight-reading. There are plenty of words that don't follow the rules of phonics, and JG had more trouble memorizing those words than the average kid does. And even with words that follow the rules, your reading will be a lot slower if you're still sounding out the words instead of recognizing them on sight.

If he had been attending school, being compared to 29 other students his same age, he would have been in the "slow" reading group, which carries the unspoken message that you're one of the dumb kids, regardless of his above-average talents in math and critical thinking.

And there were some well-meaning folks in my life who were concerned about his progress early on, but they had the decency not to talk about it in front of my son. Example: I was talking with some family members once and I said, "JG said that he thinks it would be really cool if there were a nighttime zoo where people could come at night and see all nocturnal animals." A relative looked at me skeptically and said, "JG used the word 'nocturnal'?" I knew what he was getting at, and I got a little smug, "Yes, he did," I said. His muttering retort was, "Can he spell it?" (It wasn't until days later that I realized what I should have replied to that: "Yes, he can. I-T !")

But none of that reached JG's ears. At home, he was able to work on his reading at his own speed without anyone acting like it was a problem. And you know what, he still learned. Without anyone pressuring him or making him feel inferior. He started putting in serious practice time on reading when he had a motivation of his own. He developed an interest in Pokemon and would spend hours reading cards and instruction manuals. The next thing I knew he was fluent.

Homeschooling success: My son reads fine, and he reads for enjoyment.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books

by: Jeff Kinney

Amazon Price: $34.97 (as of 05/31/2012)Buy Now

JG's favorite book series. When he buys a new one, he sets a goal for how few pages he will read each day so that the book will last for a while.

Another thing that has helped with his literacy

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A triumph in socialization

A Halloween party at our homeschoolers park day.

If my sons had gone to school, they would have had two choices, the local public school or the private school where I work. In public school, they would have spent their days surrounded by children who were exactly the same age as them, in a population that was 90% Latino. In the private school, they would have spent their days surrounded by children who were all within 2 or 3 years of their age, in a population that was 99% African-American.

As homeschoolers, their major social influences are their parents, but they also interact with lots of other people as a part of our daily activities. I encourage them to speak for themselves and engage in conversation with people they encounter in libraries, business places, and anywhere else we go.

They socialize with other kids through various homeschool activities and outings. Our favorite park day includes homeschoolers from all over, from working-class neighborhoods like ours all the way to the affluent enclaves of South Orange County. The group includes families that are Anglo-American, African-American, Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern, and non-Americans as well. There are Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Moslems, Baha'is, Pagans, and atheists. The kids range in age from toddlers to teens and no one shuts anyone out. This offers much better opportunities for socialization than they would get in a school setting.

Homeschooling success: My kids interact in a friendly, comfortable, and respectful way with children and adults of all ages, races, religions, and economic strata.

The biggest triumph of all

Artwork they made in the Microsoft Paint program


Homeschooling success: They're loving their childhood.

Share your own triumphs!

Do you have a homeschooling success story? Share it right here!

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Thanks for listening to our story!

Feel free to sign the guestbook

  • KitandCaboodle May 21, 2012 @ 10:38 pm | delete
    I agree 100% with your definition of success! Learning is more than being able to regurgitate facts. It is being able to think critically, to problem solve, to be creative, and to know how to respect other people no matter who they are. Great lens.
  • Atreyusmommy May 17, 2012 @ 9:05 pm | delete
    Great lens. I enjoyed reading your story. I also homeschool and love it very much. Thank you for sharing this.
  • phoenix-arizona-friends Jun 27, 2011 @ 5:45 pm | delete
    You are an amazing teacher. Keep up the good work!
  • Geekgurl Apr 15, 2011 @ 9:23 am | delete
    Great information! Your story is wonderful and I'm sure your children respect for making that choice. :)
  • Fitzcharming Apr 7, 2011 @ 8:57 pm | delete
    I love your comment about your kids loving their childhood. Three cheers for homeschooling moms!
  • blanckj Mar 20, 2011 @ 8:14 am | delete
    Homeschooling can definitely be successful.
  • JeremiahStanghini Mar 9, 2011 @ 3:35 pm | delete
    These are lovely stories... Great for anyone considering homeschooling to read about.

    With Love and Gratitude,

    Jeremiah
  • UKGhostwriter Mar 5, 2011 @ 12:08 pm | delete
    well done - truly inspiring
  • iijuan12 Mar 4, 2011 @ 1:48 pm | delete
    It is important to count our blessings and successes in homeschooling I think I'll need to sit down and do this too some time. It's such an encouragement!
  • deldobuss Mar 4, 2011 @ 12:59 pm | delete
    What an awesome list of accomplishments! I was just making a list of the things we had accomplished this past year to put in our record book/journal. They are mostly books we have read and subjects we have studied. I like your list a lot better!
  • Titia Mar 3, 2011 @ 8:03 pm | delete
    There's no homeschooling possible in my country, but there are plenty different types of schools to choose from. I we would have had the oportunity, I still don't know if I would have homeschooled my children. Great lens though.
  • HomeschoolUSA Mar 3, 2011 @ 10:32 am | delete
    Wonderful stories! Thanks for sharing!
  • Evelyn_Saenz Mar 3, 2011 @ 6:02 am | delete
    What a loving and insightful mom you are! You are giving your children the chance to learn and explore in ways that will lead them to unfathomable discoveries. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your lives.
  • stargazer00 Mar 3, 2011 @ 2:06 am | delete
    Sounds like a lot of great triumphs with many more to come, I'm sure.
  • designfrenzy Mar 2, 2011 @ 10:56 pm | delete
    What a fabulous reminder to embrace the "NOW" of our lives and those of our children! My kids and I spent an hour yesterday playing guitar and making up ridiculous stories to go along? it was a moment I will remember for a long time. That is one of my success stories? being able to truly enjoy and have a belly laugh with my kids on a day to day basis! They are treasures.
  • rlivermore Mar 2, 2011 @ 7:05 pm | delete
    My kids are now grown, but they were homeschooled all the way through high school. I totally get what you are saying and agree that you have already experienced many success stories!
  • gods_grace_notes Mar 2, 2011 @ 5:57 pm | delete
    What a great story! I love hearing your insights and perspective... Fantastic addition to the Jenga challenge!
  • PaulOnBooks Mar 2, 2011 @ 5:49 pm | delete
    An interesting and very well-told tale. One to add to, year on year.
  • BevsPaper Mar 2, 2011 @ 5:48 pm | delete
    Your boys are so lucky to have a loving and talented mother to "unschool" them. Wonderful success stories!
  • capriliz Mar 2, 2011 @ 5:13 pm | delete
    Sounds like your homeschooling efforts are quite successful. In public schools, it is so easy for a child to get locked into some label and the rest of him or her is buried under that label, unable to shine through.
  • tandemonimom Mar 2, 2011 @ 4:37 pm | delete
    Brilliant! I loved every word of this story! The K'nex "die" is great and nonreaders who can use the word "nocturnal." Thank you for sharing this story!

    **BLESSED** and featured on Blessed by Tandemonimom and also on Homeschool Success Stories!
  • MissMerFaery Mar 2, 2011 @ 3:33 pm | delete
    Excellent lens, your kids sound like they are doing great! Learning at your own pace and being able to enjoy childhood without modern pressures are very important. Thank you for sharing your stories!
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P.S. What is The Homeschool Club?

THE HOMESCHOOL CLUB is real parents and kids sharing their best resources for great homeschooling. Each day we celebrate learning by opening doors to a world of creativity, knowledge and discovery. In the car, at the kitchen sink, and down by the frog pond - the whole world is our classroom and we explore it with creative projects, games, and activities. This club is a place to share, organize, and discuss how and what we learn in the world. Make a free page to tell your own homeschooling story and share your favorite resources. We can't wait to hear from you!

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