Homeschooling Benefits for Adolescence ~
Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves

In the spring I shared a post with you about Middle School Resources and Materials. In that article I referenced Maria Montessori’s thoughts on the middle school years; how she viewed that fleeting time is best spent.

It generated quite a bit of interest – for many of you there was a very real modern day understanding of Ms. Montessori’s century old words.

For today, I thought we could dig a little deeper in that direction. Let’s bring the spirit of those Montessori ideas home, and think about the benefits and gifts an adolescent might experience when homeschooled.

For the purpose of this article, when referring to “middle school,” I am writing about seventh and eighth grade. There is a particular explosion of development during these years, and some people, like Maria Montessori, feel this age group is better off with an alternative experience to the status quo.

Perhaps a good way to start would be to consider the three areas that form the whole child.

Homeschooling Benefits for Adolescence

1. The Body

Photo by bo.peep.baby

Aside from the years of infancy and early childhood, there is no other point in human development where greater physiological transformation takes place than during adolescence. Pair that with the added pressures from media, social expectations, and just plain trying to figure it all out; and you have a very challenging period to be human.

The body needs peace and breathing room during this time.

It certainly isn’t all bad, goodness no. Being a young teen is fun! With a fairly modest level of obligation in their lives, this age group is still eager and free to play, explore, read for hours, discover new music and interests, try out hobbies, meet new people, so many wonderful things.

But they need time and space. They need the gentle yet firm patience of a good, constant support system to find their way through it all. Who better to provide this than family?

Also, they need to move! Whether it be a fifteen minute dance break, a bike ride after lunch, or shooting hoops between science and math – the desire to engage the physical body does not end at age twelve. At home, there is plenty of time for such activity.

Let’s not forget about sleep. Boy do they need a lot of sleep! With no early school bus to catch, homeschoolers can sleep for a full and proper night’s rest.

It’s easier to keep kids well fed at home too. Growing homeschool teens can eat freely and often more nutritiously throughout the day.

Good rest, good food, physical activity, and breathing room; rather nice foundation to build the day on.

2. The Mind

“How do we discern our children’s gifts, talents, and motivational interests? By presenting opportunities where their innate graces can surface.” – Debra Bell

I have yet to meet a person who’s innate graces surfaced while sitting at a hard desk taking a standardized test, or during three hours of homework following the completion of a six plus hour school day.

The goal should be to foster the mind and its natural love for learning, not extinguish it.

As homeschoolers, we have a 24/7 (so to speak) opportunity to notice the intellectual ques and clues our children give us. We have a heightened awareness of their mind’s direction. Throughout the day we look for and create moments that spark new terrain for them to explore.

Learning at home (or in the wide open world) affords us the freedom to tap into our children’s interests at most any given time of the day. We expose them to new ideas and experiences in order to help cultivate their minds and help them discover their passion.

And we follow their lead, a lot.

A teenager who has identified their passion, and has the opportunity to live out that passion, has far better chance at “succeeding,” or more importantly, feeling successful, than one who does not. It is rare to find a person who cares more about discovering a child’s interest than their own parents. Outside influences may care; parents usually care more.

3. The Spirit

Self-esteem, confidence, behavior, body image, new social territory, fitting in, gossip, peer pressure… the list goes on, doesn’t it? A person’s spirit, their true essence, is affected (perhaps permanently) by these things.

Homeschooling parents have greater awareness  around what their children are exposed to, as well as more time in the day to discuss situations as they come up and reinforce your family’s beliefs and values in a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere.

The middle school years are a particularly vulnerable time for our kids. The adolescent brain is not the same as a fully developed adult brain. Teens make decisions differently, they feel things differently, and they are influenced differently. PBS ran a very interesting program called Inside the Teenage Brain that you can view online.

In many ways, these years are the turning of the tide. Homeschooling can be a wonderful way to keep the family close and our children feeling secure, well-nurtured, and healthy.

What do you feel are some of the other homeschooling benefits for adolescence?

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Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves

Montessori education is a philosophy and model created by Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy, in the late 1800s. At its core, Montessori education is designed to promote peace and considers the whole child as well as the environment in its approach .

It has been a primary influence in our family’s lifestyle and educational philosophy.

We’ve heard from some readers that you are interested in Montessori philosophy as it might fit into your homeschool. And some of you were looking for a little inspiration or direction to light the way.

If you are like me, you appreciate things broken down into easy to follow steps.

In 2005,  Angeline S. Lillard wrote a book called Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, in which she discusses whether or not a century old methodology can stand up to modern day scientific research in developmental psychology. Her research led to the understanding that Dr. Montessori’s ideas were, and still are, a very effective holistic approach to educating a child.

It’s an academic way of saying that Maria Montessori knew what she was doing.

In Lillard’s book she covers Eight Principles of Montessori Education.  Today we will look at those and think about how they may fit into your homeschool.

Montessori at Home: The 8 Principles of Montessori Education

1. Movement & Cognition

Movement and cognition are closely entwined, and movement can enhance thinking and learning.

For most of these principles I’ll list a few points to consider as a homeschool family, but this particular one calls for a brief story.

Sir Ken Robinson did a TED Talk on Schools Killing Creativity. He told the story of Gillian Lynne, a school girl whose parents were told she may have a learning disorder because she was fidgety and couldn’t concentrate. They sent her to a specialist. She restlessly sat on her hands while the doctor and her mother spoke of the problems Gillian had at school.

Eventually, the doctor said he needed to speak to the mother privately, he and Gillian’s mother left the room. As he was leaving, he turned on the radio that sat on his desk, when they left the room he said to her mother, “Just stand here and watch her.”

The minute the doctor and mother left the room, Gillian recalls coming to her feet and moving to the music. The adults watched her for a few minutes from outside the room.

The doctor turned to her mother and said, “Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn’t sick, she’s a dancer.”

Gillian Lynne went on to study dance and eventually become a world famous choreographer, her work included the productions of Cats and Phantom of the Opera. (Thank goodness for that doctor.)

Humans need movement, each in their own way.

2. Choice

Learning and well-being are improved when people have a sense of control over their lives.

• Make a list of work assignments for the day and have them create their own schedule.
• Keep a basket in the refrigerator of healthy snacks for them to choose from.
• Create a basket of pre-selected (high quality) SSR books for them to choose from.

3. Interest

People learn better when they are interested in what they are learning.

• Fill a basket with oversized, ‘coffee table’ books from the library. These tend to be filled with beautiful, inspiring photography that will spark conversation and interest.
• Create a lapbook or unit study around a favorite hobby, period in history, musician, author or animal of your child’s choosing.
• Love letter writing? Create a letter writing station or box for kids to help themselves. Be sure to include everything needed: stationary, pens, stamps, address book, (laminated) copy of a properly written letter.

4. Extrinsic rewards are avoided

Tying extrinsic rewards to an activity, like money for reading or high grades for tests, negatively impacts motivation to engage in that activity when the reward is withdrawn.

• This challenges normal practice for many of us. I don’t feel inclined to hand out money or treats for every job well done – but there is a pass/fail, win/lose mentality in our culture, and the older a child gets, the more they become aware of that. To be honest, I’m working on this one.

5. Learning from & with peers

Collaborative arrangements can be very conducive to learning.

• Host a knitting group in your home
• Meet at a funky cafe for a weekly study group
• Form a young writers or poetry group
• Seek out a homeschool debate team
• Into film making? Gather with friends to make a short film.

6. Learning in context

Learning situated in meaningful contexts is often deeper and richer than learning in abstract contexts.

• Make homemade yogurt rather than talk about how their favorite yogurt is made.
• Learn about flora and fauna with field guides in hand and an afternoon trek through the woods.
• Take a morning trip to the grocery store with a budget and menu plan.
• Play with science by making homemade lip balm, soap, or natural remedies.
• Keep chickens or bees!

7. Teacher ways & child ways

Particular forms of adult interaction are associated with more optimal child outcomes.

• Have Week In Review meetings with your kids, individually if possible .
• Children can partner with you on designing a garden, rearranging furniture (design), or reviewing curriculum choices for the coming year.
• Collaborate on literature list for next year.
• Have them recommend a few titles of books they love for you to read. (Does not matter the age of the child or if you wind up reading Jack & the Beanstalk – they will appreciate you honoring their judgment.)

8. Order in environment & mind

Order in the environment is beneficial to children.

• Maintain an art shelf with easy to access projects that rotate from week to week.
• Keep your learning environment clear of clutter.
• Adopt “10 Minute Tidy” period at the end of the day.
• Some families find workboxes to be helpful.

These principles can provide a helpful map to those in need, or simply a source of inspiration as we each look ahead to our next school year.

Is your current approach to homeschooling similar to these principles? Please share with us how these ideas are relevant in your home.