Service to Homeschooling Families

1
Service to Homeschooling Families

• Instructor
• Adrienne Furness
• adrienne.furness_at_gmail.com
• An Infopeople Workshop
• Winter 2008-2009

2
Question for the Group

• Has anyone had a difficult interaction or
  situation with homeschoolers in their libraries
  that theyd be willing to share? Any anxieties or
  concerns about working with homeschoolers?

3
Why Should You Care About Homeschoolers?
From Homeschooling in the United States 2003 by
Daniel Princiotta and Stacey Bielick http//nces.e
d.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/
4
78 of homeschoolers use the library as a primary
source of learning materials.
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Why Families Homeschool
From Homeschooling in the United States 2003 by
Daniel Princiotta and Stacey Bielick http//nces.e
d.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/
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The Homeschooling Year

• Follow the school calendar
• Homeschool year-round
• Create a calendar based on family needs
• religious considerations
• medical needs
• travel or special projects
• Business
• Some follow no calendar at all

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Daily Homeschooling Schedules

• Schoolwork in the morning/outings in the
  afternoon
• Chores in the morning/schoolwork in the late
  morning and early afternoon
• Schoolwork in the evenings or at night
• Some do no organized seat work

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What is Unschooling?

• Term coined by educator John Holt
• The beginning of the contemporary homeschooling
  movement
• Child-led learning
• Real world activities
• Radical Unschoolers

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A Sample Unschooling Day

• 800am Wake up.
• 800-845am Eat breakfast/get dressed/etc.
• 845-930am Read
• 930-1130am Go to volunteer job at local
  animal shelter
• Noon Lunch
• 1230-200pm Play outside
• 200-300pm Work on article for area
  homeschooling group newsletter
• 300-330pm Play math computer game
• 330-500pm Play with neighborhood children
• 500-600pm Make dinner for the family,
  eatdinner discussion centered around current
  events

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Conservative Protestant Homeschoolers

• Brought to conservative Protestants by educators
  Raymond and Dorothy Moore
• Popularized by Focus on the Family radio show
• Highly organized and vocal segment of the
  homeschooling population

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Question for the Group

• What are some of the pros and cons of supplying
  materials, services, and programs specifically
  geared to a religiously-united group like
  conservative Protestant homeschoolers?

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Other Homeschooling Philosophies

• Other religions (Catholics, Pagans, Jews,
  Muslims)
• Children with special needs
• Classical
• Charlotte Mason
• Military
• Artist
• Eclectic

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Homeschooling Curriculums

• A number of prepackaged products available
• MANY are religously-focused
• Listing of some suppliers on your bookmark file

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Question for the Group

• Why might it be important to have a basic
  knowledge of the laws governing homeschooling?

15
Homeschoolers and the Law

• Education governed by state
• Homeschooling currently legal in all 50 states,
  but the laws vary widely
• Be familiar with the ways people are attempting
  to comply with law
• NO LEGAL ADVICE

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Complying with Compulsory Education Law in
California

• Establishing a private school (Private School
  Affidavit Form)
• Tutoring (state certified teacher)
• Enrolling in a charter, public, or other school
  that allows for independent study at home

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California Curriculum Requirements

• Private school requirements
• Instruction must be in English
• Grades 1-6 English, math, social sciences,
  science, fine arts, health, and physical
  education
• Grades 7-12 Gr. 1-6 subjects plus a foreign
  language, applied arts, vocational education, and
  driver education

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Statewide Homeschooling Organizations

• HomeSchool Association of California (HSC)
• California Homeschool Network (CHN)
• Christian Home Educators Association of
  California (CHEA)

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HSC and CHN

• Extremely similar organizations
• HSC founded 1987
• CHN founded 1994
• Inclusive (anyone can join)
• Provide information/support
• Protect rights
• Publications (HSC bimonthly, CHN quarterly)
• Annual conferences

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CHEA

• Protestant Christian group
• Founded 1982
• Ties to Home School Legal Defense Association
  (HSLDA)
• Information/support
• Quarterly publication
• Annual conference

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Finding Local Support Groups

• Ask homeschoolers who visit your library
• Websites for statewide organizations
• Google searches

22
Question for the Group

• Considering that many homeschoolers consider
  libraries part of the same government that runs
  the schools theyve rejected, what are some ways
  we can reassure them that were an organization
  they can trust?

23
Question for the Group

• Based on what we learned this morning, what kinds
  of barriers do you think homeschoolers might
  encounter when they visit the library?

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What Homeschoolers Have to Say about How
Libraries Can Improve Their Services to
Homeschoolers

• Space to meet
• Increase borrowing limits
• Extended loans
• Reduce fees (ILLs, holds, overdues)
• Teacher cards

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What Library Programs Do

• Welcome homeschoolers
• Increase their investment
• Increase their independence
• Increase your knowledge

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Before You Start

• WHO am I targeting?
• WHAT do they want to learn?
• WHERE should I have the program (in-house vs.
  outreach)?
• WHEN is the best time for homeschoolers?
• WHY am I doing this?
• HOW will I implement this program?

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Planning Successful Programs for Homeschoolers

• Wide age ranges/family programs
• Afternoons
• Partner with local organizations
• Recruit volunteers
• Focus on the library

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Types of Programs to Consider

• Homeschool open house
• Library skills
• Computer skills
• Book groups
• College/scholarship information

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Question for the Group

• SHOULD we buy special materials for
  homeschoolers?

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Why Starting a Homeschooling Collection is a
Challenging Task

• Homeschooling materials not widely reviewed
• Many are published by small presses or are
  self-published
• Some arent available through jobbers
• Some have a blatantly religious slant
• Almost all are biased in some way

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Who Uses Homeschooling Collections?

• Homeschooling families
• Non-homeschooling families
• Teachers
• Tutors
• College students

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Dont Hide the Homeschooling Materials

• Separate collection
• Signage
• Spine labels
• Brochures, bookmarks, and fliers

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Collection Development Resources

• Homeschooling periodicals
• Websites and blogs
• Amazon.com
• Books already in your collection
• Patron recommendations

34
Getting Started

• Developing a Homeschooling Collection
• Homeschooling Periodicals You Should Know About
• The Less-than-150 Homeschooling Collection

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Question for the Group

• If someone asked you why its important to
  provide library services to homeschoolers, what
  kinds of things might you talk about?