Why Parents Opt for Homeschooling

The Jakarta Post.com
Opinion and Editorial - September 23, 2006

Mierza Miranti, Jakarta

Homeschooling is a viable education alternative to institutional schooling. This kind of education requires children to learn under the general supervision of their parents. It is believed to be a complete substitute for institutional schooling.

If you were to ask 10 parents why they schooled their children at home, you would get a variety of responses.

Among the reasons for homeschooling is the long-standing belief that home is the best environment to teach religion, ethics and norms.

Some parents worry about the spiritual upbringing of their children, particularly in Indonesia, where the study of religion only takes a couple of hours and is considered insufficient to teach their children the real value of their religion. Homeschooling, on the other hand, allows them to design their own curriculum.

Homeschooling also gives families the opportunity to become closer. Sending children to school takes about a quarter or half their time on a school day, forcing parents to work harder to maintain a close relationship.

Homeschooling brings families closer together. Children thrive under parental supervision, and parents really get to know their children. Homeschooled siblings tend to be more kind and helpful to each other too.

Greater flexibility to question the curriculum is another reason why homeschooling is chosen over formal education. Indonesia is a country in which students are expected to have a grasp -- or at least an understanding -- of every subject taught at school. The national curriculum, of course, cannot satisfy every parent. This kind of education also prepares children for the national exams designed for students educated outside the formal education system, which is known as Kejar Paket A, B or C.

Some parents believe homeschooling is more able to meet special needs. They say conventional schools only facilitate one way of learning: sitting in class and following the teacher's instructions. Some children, however, have a "different" way of learning and, unfortunately, in the case of children who cannot sit "nicely" in class, some teachers believe they disturb the other students.

Homeschooling enables parents to supervise the content and progress of lessons in a more satisfactory way. Some parents are not satisfied by the information and services provided by their children's school. They feel they have "lost" their children. They have no knowledge of the teacher's targets for their children. They only become aware of their children's "weaknesses" when they get a report card at the end of the semester. Thus, homeschooling gives parents the opportunity to monitor their children's development.

Parents who practice homeschooling say their children are spared from schoolyard bullying and peer pressure.

Emotional bullying -- name calling, mockery and humiliation -- can be just as devastating as physical bullying. Smart children, special needs children, and anyone unlucky enough to appear "different" can expect a steady diet of this negative emotional input in a typical school. Since research has shown that children need to feel safe in order to learn, simply removing a child from a stressful situation may produce enormous learning gains all by itself.

Flexible school hours is another advantage. Homeschoolers can learn by reading a book in the garden, having a debate in the car or socializing while shopping in a traditional market, and even more if they have access to the Internet.

In the virtual world, a homeschooler can visit The Louvre, create a vaccine in a virtual lab, interact with astronauts at their space station, and even talk to Robert Ballad -- a Titanic explorer -- in a submersible.

There are many reasons why parents school their children at home, but they all agree on one thing: "It's the best thing for our child!"

The writer teaches at SMPI Al-Izhar Islamic junior high school in Pondok Labu, Jakarta. She can be reached at caryatid_mirzie@yahoo.com.

Bermain = Belajar

Pedoman bermain bagi yang anaknya 0 - 5 tahun

Bermain itu bukanlah hanya kesenangan. Bermain adalah bagian hidup bayi dan anak. Bermain adalah pekerjaan sehari-hari anak yang membantunya belajar dan tumbuh. Orangtua adalah gurunya yang pertama dan terpenting. Ayah bunda bisa membantunya dalam memanfaatkan bermainnya. Baik juga bagi anak kalau kakek neneknya serta kakaknya, saudara lain dan teman mau bermain dengan dia.

Bermain itu penting bagi anak karena bisa membantu:

• belajar tentang dunianya
• belajar melakukan sesuatu
• memecahkan masalah
• menguasai perasaan
• menjadi percaya diri
• menjadi kuat
• belajar bergaul dengan orang lain, yaitu pinjam-meminjam dan bergantian

Inilah beberapa contoh bermain yang membantunya belajar dan berkembang:

• Memasukkan kotak kecil ke yang lebih besar akan membantu bayi dan bocah menggunakan jari-jarinya dan menepatkan.
• Menggambar, melukis, menempelkan, menyisipkan akan membantu belajar dan menggunakan keterampilan dan kesabaran.
• Memakai pakaian akan membantu membayangkan dan menciptakan.
• Bermain sandiwara, berlaku seolah-olah orang lain misalnya orangtua dsb, membantu mengerti peran orang dewasa. Menirukan perasaan orang bisa membantu anak menyesuaikan diri. Sandiwara membantunya membayangkan sesuatu.

Bermain dengan bayi dan anak itu baik karena:

• Membantu berkenalan satu sama lain dan hubungan menjadi erat.
• Membantu anak menyadari cinta dan tertariknya Anda kepadanya. Merasa dicintai membantu anak belajar dan berkembang baik.
• Orangtualah yang paling tahu dan bisa membantu anak belajar lewat bermain.

Orangtua bisa membantu anaknya lebih banyak dengan:

Memberi barang yang menarik untuk bermain

• Tidak harus yang mahal. Anak pun bisa suka belajar dari yang murah umpamanya dadu kayu, wujud binatang, alat melukis dan kertas. Kenyataannya, Andalah mainan yang paling menarik baginya untuk diajak bermain.
• Pakailah saja barang di rumah, misalnya kotak karton, sendok kayu, wadah plastik atau dari apa pun, pakaian tua untuk bersandiwara.
• Mungkin ada pustaka mainan di dekat Anda tinggal, jadi tanyakanlah di perpustakaan atau Puskes Anak Balita.

Meluangkan waktu untuk bermain dengan anak
Ada kalanya orang sibuk sekali dan mungkin merasa lelah. Namun tentu ada saja yang tidak memerlukan banyak waktu dan tenaga. Ayah bunda bisa:

• Berbicara atau bernyanyi dengan anak sambil melakukan sesuatu di rumah.
• Ikutkan ke sesuatu yang mampu dilakukannya, misalnya mengambilkan busa untuk ayah saat mencuci mobil, penjepit pakaian untuk menjemur, membantu menyedot debu.
• Menunjuk ke sesuatu bila berada di dalam bus atau berbelanja.
• Bersama-sama berdiam diri sambil membaca buku gambar atau cerita.

Minta bantuan kakaknya atau saudara untuk bermain dan berbicara dengan anak.

Membiarkan anak bermain dengan caranya sendiri

• Kita sering mengambil alih permainan anak dengan memberitahukan caranya misalnya, “Bangunlah rumah dengan dadu.” Kadang-kadang memang perlu memberitahunya misalnya cara menumpuk dadu, tetapi penting pulalah membiarkannya menemukan sendiri. Ini membantu dia berpikir dan belajar memecahkan persoalan. Membiarkan dirinya bermain sendiri bukan berarti mengizinkan apa pun, seperti menggambari dinding. Masih harus Anda awasi agar mereka tidak merugikan dirinya atau barang-barang di rumah.
• Biarkan anak memandu Anda. Kadang-kadang anak ingin melakukan sesuatu sendiri dengan didampingi dan ada kalanya Anda harus ikut serta bermain. Biarkan dia yang memutuskan. Pada usia sekian itu biasalah untuk ‘berjajar’ atau bermain di samping – bukannya bersama orang lain. Kegiatan yang bisa dilakukan berdampingan seperti menggambar, bisa menyenangkan hatinya.
• Cobalah jangan memaksakan gagasan Anda atas anak.

Bermain dengannya

• Duduklah di lantai dan bermain bersamanya, ikutlah mengambil bagian, jangan hanya menjadi pengawas.
• Alih-alih bertanya seperti, “Kenapa ndak membangun rumah?” lebih baik cuma menanggapi yang dilakukannya, misalnya

‘Rumahnya sedang dibangun.’
‘Dadunya sudah masuk ke dalam truk.’
Itulah cara yang lebih baik untuk mengikutinya daripada memerintahnya. Lagipula memberitahunya bahwa Anda pun tertarik.

Mengetahui saat anak mau bermain dan saatnya ingin berhenti
Saat yang tepat untuk bermain dengan bayi dan anak adalah bila mereka terjaga, jangan kalau sedang lelah atau lapar. Bayi dan anak tidak bisa lama memusatkan perhatiannya. Singkat dan sering mungkin yang terbaik. Tanda bahwa anak ingin berhenti bermain adalah:

• • menguap,
• • mengelakkan,
• • kelihatan gelisah.

Itulah ‘alamat’ mereka ingin berganti permainan atau beristirahat.

Umur yang berbeda-beda
Inilah beberapa saran bagi anak pada umur yang berlainan. Bisa juga Anda tanyakan lebih lanjut di Puskes Anak Balita atau kelompok bermain.

Berbicara, bernyanyi, bercerita atau membaca buku itu baik untuk segala umur. Jika bayi masih berusia beberapa bulan, tunjukkan gambar di buku dan ceritakan sekadarnya. Meskipun Anda sendiri tidak gemar membaca, masih baik kalau ada buku untuk menunjukkan gambarnya. Ceritakan kepada bocah dan anak tentang diri maupun keluarga Anda misalnya, “waktu masih kecil, kakek sering … ” atau “waktu nenek masih muda, dia suka … ” Hal ini membiasakannya kepada suara dan susunan bahasanya.

Jika tempat bermainnya sempit, rupanya lebih mudah membiarkannya menonton TV, tapi berarti waktu bermain dan belajar berkurang kecuali Anda duduk bersama dan membicarakan tontonannya. Inilah saran bermain di tempat yang sempit.

0 - 9 bulan

• Beromong-omong dan berdendang dengan bayi. Omongan membantu belajar berbicara dan memahami kata – bisa saja sambil melakukan sesuatu misalnya, “Mau makan malam,” atau “Mau pergi berbelanja.” Tunjuklah ke sesuatu dan sebutkan namanya. Kalau bayi mengoceh, jawablah. Tirukan air mukanya, dan tersenyumlah membenarkan kalau dia menirukan Anda. Kebanyakan bayi mencoba menirukan kita dari minggu pertamanya.
• Menyentuh dan merasakan sesuatu membantunya belajar. Bayi dan bocah tidak ‘nakal’ jika menyentuh, mereka cuma ingin berkenalan dengan dunianya. Berilah bayi mainan dan benda yang aman untuk dipegang – mainan lunak, kerincing, sendok, kelos benang. Membunyikan kerincing mengajarkan bahwa hal itu bisa juga dilakukannya.
• Biarkan bayi telungkup bermain sejenak tiap hari. Hal ini membantunya belajar menahan kepala, menguatkannya dan menoleh. Carilah tempat aman di atas lantai lalu taruhlah dia di atas selimut bersih tetapi tungguilah. Jangan biarkan dia tertidur telungkup.

9 - 18 bulan

• Ceritakanlah sesuatu, sekadar dibacakan buku cerita atau dibuatkan buku gambar tempel lalu tunjukkan dan katakan apa yang terjadi dalam gambar.
• Mencoret-coret. Biarlah mencoreti kertas dengan pensil berwarna tak beracun.
• Lagu dan sajak.
• Bermain air – mainan terapung, mengisi dan mengosongkan baknya. Anak bermain dekat air harus selalu ditunggui!
• Menumpuk dadu.
• Isilah satu kotak dengan benda-benda aman dari berbagai bentuk dan warna. Biarkan bayinya menjajaki benda-benda ini, kemudian sebutkan namanya.
• Membunyikan tutup panci.

18 bulan - 2½ tahun

• Memakai pakaian.
• Melukis dengan jari.
• Kotak karton untuk membangun menara atau rumah-rumahan.
• Teka-teki kata.
• Bola untuk dilontarkan, dipantulkan dan disepak.
• Play dough. Inilah resep membuatnya. Diperlukan 1 cangkir tepung biasa, 1/2 cangkir garam dapur, 1 sendok makan minyak, 1-2 sendok makan krim tartar,1 cangkir air ditambah sedikit pewarna makanan. Campurlah semua di dalam panci besar. Rebuslah 3-5 menit dengan hati-hati dan kepanasan sedang.Aduklah terus sampai adonan itu kental dan tidak menempel ke sisi panci.Dinginkan dan remas-remas sampai halus lalu disimpan di lemari es.

2½ - 3½ tahun

• Musik dan lagu. Bergerak dan menari mengiringi irama. Memainkan alat musik buatan sendiri misalnya pot dan sendok seolah-olah tambur.
• Mewarnai dengan pensil tak beracun.
• Biarkan membantu memasak, misalnya menuang tepung atau mengaduk.
• Bermain play dough dan plasticine untuk pemusatan perhatian dan ingatan.
• Pergi ke taman untuk berlari dan memanjat dapat memperkuat otot dan kepercayaan diri.

3½ - 5 tahun

• Bersandiwara, memakai pakaian, bermain toko atau sekolah. Memainkanperan dan menirukan membantunya memahami dunianya dan membantunyabelajar memecahkan persoalan.
• Meronce (merangkai) merjan tapi jangan sampai ditelan.
• Melukis dengan alat yang berbeda-beda – kuas besar dan kecil, lidi berkapas atau jari akan memberi lukisan yang beraneka ragam.
• Menggambar, menggunting dengan gunting aman dan menempelkan-
• Jigsaw.
• Mengikatkan tali sepatu dan pita.
• Menelusuri benda-benda berbagai bentuk.
• Menanam umpamanya sayur atau bunga ke dalam pot.

Bermain dengan anak kecil kalau sedang menjaga bayi adiknya
Pilihlah kegiatan yang bisa dilakukan si anak di dekat Anda selama melayani bayinya. Mulailah dengan anak misalnya mencoreti kertas, sebelum menyusui atau memandikan bayinya.

Kalau bermainnya memorakporandakan rumah?
Pakailah dus khusus atau lemari mainan, jadi bisa segera merapikannya - secara bermain agar anak mau membantu. Enak melihat rumah rapi tetapi senang juga mengetahui bahwa bermain itu membantunya belajar dan berkembang.

Kelompok bermain bagi orangtua dan anak

• Hampir di setiap pelosok terdapat kelompok bermain. Inilah tempat untuk beramah-tamah bagi kedua orangtua maupun anaknya dengan keluarga lain. Anak bermain dengan anak lain lalu bisa bersahabat. Orangtua pun mendapat teman dan menyumbangkan peluang guna berbagi pikiran mengenai caranya menjadi orangtua.
• Ada kelompok bermain yang diurus kelompok masarakat atau orangtuanya. Ada yang tanpa pungutan biaya, ada pula yang membayar sekadarnya untuk membeli mainan. Orangtua sendirilah yang bertanggung jawab menjaga anaknya, tapi ada pula yang menyediakan karyawan terlatih guna kegiatannya.
  
• Atau, Anda sendiri ingin mendirikan kelompok bermain di daerah Anda tinggal.

55 Reasons to Homeschooling

1. Spend more time together as a family.
2. Spend more time with children when they are rested and fresh rather than tired and cranky from school.
3. Avoid having to struggle to get children to do the tedious busywork that is so often sent home as homework.
4. Allow children time to learn subjects not usually taught in their school.
5. Allow children to have time for more in-depth study than what is allowed in school.
6. Allow children to learn at their own pace, not too slow or too fast.
7. Allow children to work at a level that is appropriate to their own developmental stage. Skills and concepts can be introduced at the right time for that child.
8. Provide long, uninterrupted blocks of time for writing, reading, playing, thinking, or working so that the child is able to engage in sophisticated, complex activities and thought processes.
9. Encourage concentration and focus - which are discouraged in crowded classrooms with too many distractions.
10. Encourage the child to develop the ability to pace her/himself - this is prevented in a classroom where the schedule is designed to keep every child busy all the time.
11. Spend a lot of time out-of-doors. This is more healthy than spending most weekdays indoors in a crowded, and often overheated, classroom.
12. Spending more time out-of-doors results in feeling more in touch with the changing of the seasons and with the small and often overlooked miracles of nature.
13. Children learn to help more with household chores, developing a sense of personal responsibility.
14. Children learn life skills, such as cooking, in a natural way, by spending time with adults who are engaged in those activities.
15. More time spent on household responsibilities strengthens family bonds because people become more committed to things they have invested in (in this case, by working for the family).
16. Time is available for more nonacademic pursuits such as art or music. This leads to a richer, happier life.
17. Children will not feel like passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers. They will learn to design their own education and take responsibility for it.
18. Children will realize that learning can take place in a large variety of ways.
19. Children will learn to seek out assistance from many alternative sources, rather than relying on a classroom teacher to provide all the answers.
20. A more relaxed, less hectic lifestyle is possible when families do not feel the necessity to supplement school during after-school and week-end hours.
21. Busywork can be avoided.
22. Learning can be more efficient since methods can be used that suit a child's particular learning style.
23. Children will avoid being forced to work in "cooperative learning groups" which include children who have very uncooperative attitudes.
24. Children can learn to work for internal satisfaction rather than for external rewards.
25. Children will not be motivated to "take the easy way out" by doing just enough work to satisfy their teacher. They will learn to be their own judge of the quality of their own work.
26. Children will be more willing to take risks and be creative since they do not have to worry about being embarrassed in front of peers.
27. Children will be more confident since they are not subject to constant fear of criticism from teachers.
28. Peer pressure will be reduced. There will be less pressure to grow up as quickly in terms of clothing styles, music, language, interest in the opposite sex.
29. Social interactions will be by choice and based on common interests.
30. Friends can be more varied, not just with the child's chronological age peer group who happen to go to the same school.
31. Field trips can be taken on a much more frequent basis.
32. Field trips can be much more enjoyable and more productive when not done with a large school group which usually involves moving too quickly and dealing with too many distractions.
33. Field trips can be directly tied into the child's own curriculum.
34. Volunteer service activities can be included in the family's regular schedule. Community service can be of tremendous importance in a child's development and can be a great learning experience.
35. Scheduling can be flexible, allowing travel during less expensive and less crowded off-peak times. This can allow for more travel than otherwise, which is a wonderful learning experience.
36. Children will be less likely to compare their own knowledge or intelligence with other children and will be less likely to become either conceited or feel inferior.
37. Religious and special family days can be planned and celebrated.
38. More time will be spent with people (friends and family) who really love and care about the children. Children will bond more with siblings and parents since they will spend more time together playing, working, and helping each other.
39. Feedback on children's work will be immediate and appropriate. They won't have to wait for a teacher to grade and return their work later to find out if they understood it.
40. Feedback can be much more useful than just marking answers incorrect or giving grades.
41. Testing is optional. Time doesn't have to be spent on testing or preparing for testing unless the parent and/or child desires it.
42. Observation and discussion are ongoing at home and additional assessment methods are often redundant. Testing, if used, is best used to indicate areas for further work.
43. Grading is usually unnecessary and learning is seen as motivating in and of itself. Understanding and knowledge are the rewards for studying, rather than grades (or stickers, or teacher's approval, etc.).
44. Children can be consistently guided in a family's values and can learn them by seeing and participating in parents' daily lives.
45. Children will learn to devote their energy and time to activities that THEY think are worthwhile.
46. Children will be able to learn about their ethnicities in a manner that will not demean. Children will be able to understand multiculturalism in its true sense and not from the pseudo-multicultural materials presented in schools which tend to depict others from a dominant culture perspective.
47. Children will not learn to "fit into society," but will, instead, value morality and love more than status and money.
48. Children do not have to wait until they are grown to begin to seriously explore their passions; they can start living now.
49. Children's education can be more complete than what schools offer.
50. Children who are "different" in any way can avoid being subjected to the constant and merciless teasing, taunting, and bullying which so often occurs in school.
51. Children with special needs will be encouraged to reach their full potential and not be limited by the use of "cookie cutter" educational methods used in schools.
52. Low standards or expectations of school personnel will not influence or limit children's ability to learn and excel.
53. Children will be safer from gangs, drugs, and guns.
54. Parents will decide what is important for the children to learn, rather than a government bureaucracy.
55. Family will not be forced to work within school's traditional hours if it does not fit well with their job schedules and sleep needs.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling – also called home education or home school – is the education of children at home rather than in a public or private school. Prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws in the 19th century, most childhood education worldwide occurred within the family or community, with only a small portion of the population attending schools or employing tutors. Today most children are institutionally schooled.

Especially in the English-speaking nations, homeschooling is an option for parents who wish to provide a quality of education or social environment that they believe is unattainable in schools.

Homeschooling may refer to instruction in the home under the supervision of correspondence schools or umbrella schools. A curriculum-free philosophy of homeschooling may be called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator John Holt in his magazine Growing Without Schooling.