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photo by Hannah Reel
Andrew Merriett, 8, works on his reading lessons while sister Lauren, 2, talks to mother Terri as she works on grading his math work. Andrew works on completing his assignments in the home office.
Moms like personal attention home schooling provides
Published Saturday, May 9, 2009
NATCHEZ — Andrew Merriett popped his head in the door connecting his Natchez home to the family’s home office.
The family dog squeezed in and Andrew’s little sister Lauren squeezed out.
“I’ve finished my handwriting,” Andrew told his mom Terri Merriett.
But at 9:45 on a Friday morning, Andrew, a third grader, wasn’t finishing up homework or home sick from school. He was at school where his mom is the principal and the teachers are on video.
Photo by Hannah Reel
Lauren, 2, sneaks into the family’s home office that Andrew uses for his school work .
Photo by Hannah Reel
The office is a separate building approximately four feet from the house with a window in the door allowing his mother to keep an eye on him from inside the house.
Across the Miss-Lou moms are celebrating Mother’s day, but play more than just the role of mom.
Terri Merriett said she decided to teach her children from home — she has three — when Andrew, the oldest, was preschool aged. She said the control over the curriculum and flexible schedule were things she and her husband Lane couldn’t pass up.
“We wanted to know what he was being taught and have a say in that,” she said. “We don’t want to just send him out into the world.”
And for the Merriett family having that control meant moving school in to the house, a decision Terri said has tested her along the way.
“It hasn’t always been easy,” Terri said. “The hardest thing for me has been finding the time to take a break and find time for myself.”
But, even with days filled chasing a 4-year-old son Samuel and nearly 3-year-old daughter Lauren and monitoring Andrew’s schoolwork, Terri said having the ability to teach her children in a faith-based environment makes the extra work worthwhile.
On a daily basis, using curriculum from Bob Jones University, Andrew has lessons in Bible, English, history or heritage studies, handwriting and spelling. Every-other-day Andrew alternates with science and math lessons.
“We start every day with Bible,” Terri said. “If we don’t get anything else completed that day, I want to make sure that is done.”
The Merriett family is one of many Miss-Lou families that is bring the classroom into the home. Natchez mom Sarah Cowart is also home-schooling her first-grade daughter Maribeth.
Cowart, who is in her third year of home schooling, said it was something she sort of fell into when Maribeth was 3.
“She seemed like she was ready to start learning so we started with preschool,” Cowart said. “After that, we just felt it was right for us.”
And like Terri Merriett, Cowart juggles home schooling with caring for a younger sibling. Cowart and her husband Robert also have a 3-year-old daughter, Amelia.
Cowart said she continues to home school because she knows she is able to give Maribeth one-on-one attention all the time — something she said traditional schools can’t offer.
“When you have 30 students in a classroom, you can’t be focused on each student all the time,” Cowart said. “Not everyone is going to be learning on the same level. You are going to have to teach above some students and lower the level for others. With (home schooling), I can customize it and spend more time in areas Maribeth is struggling with and move her up in areas that she excels.”
One of the reasons Cowart said the fit is better is because she is able to ensure her children are receiving a solid faith based foundation along with a well-rounded education.
Using Sonlight, a Christian home schooling curriculum, Maribeth starts each day with exercise and then moves into Bible, history, reading math and science lessons.
“Science is her favorite because it is very activity based,” Cowart said. “She likes to do the experiments and we save those for Friday. They are her reward for a good week.”
And like Maribeth, Josiah Reed, the 5-year-old son of Danny and Calley Reed, likes all the activities he gets to do as part of his school work.
Calley said she decided to home school so Josiah could receive personal attention.
“He is such an active child, that if he was in a traditional school I’m afraid he would be classified because of that,” Calley said.
So instead of stifling his active nature, Calley said home schooling allows her to use it as a teaching tool. She said instead of staying inside doing worksheets, her chosen curriculum — My Father’s World — gives activities that allow Josiah to focus his energy.
“If we are talking about whales we will go out in the yard and measure how big a whale would be,” she said. “And if he is restless, he can go out in the yard and play and come back to the school work later.”
Calley said it was important for both her and her husband to raise their children in a Godly household, but they didn’t know from the beginning that would include home schooling.
“At first we said there was no way we would home school, but as we prayed about it, we felt the Lord was pushing us in that direction,” Calley said. “So we said ‘OK, Lord. If this is what you want us to do, we will do it.’”
But for how long is still up in the air, Calley said.
“We aren’t saying we will do it all the way up,” she said. “If at some point the children want to enter regular school, we will pray about it do what the Lord tells us to do.”
But until then, Calley said class at their Vidalia home will be in session.
Comments
Posted by 000117 (anonymous) on May 10, 2009 at 2:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is fine. But will they be ready for the REAl WORLD? With all of it's Vices. That you have to work around just to make it, and not lose you Soul.
That is one training you will not get with Home training.
Posted by naturegirl (anonymous) on May 10, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
YES!!! They will be ready for the real world because they are totally grounded in faith and old-fashioned values. I home schooled all 4 of mine through high school. Three are college graduates, one has a Masters, all four are gainfully employed and NONE had any problem adjusting to being out of the nest. Home schooling is a real commitment on the part of the parents, especially the mom. Keep at it ladies, you will reap the benefits in children who love and respect you, and have a true grasp on what the "real" world is all about.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on May 10, 2009 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is better than fine, this is great. Parents taking the total responsibility for their children. Home schooling has been around a long time! May it continue to grow and prosper, may parents continue to be vigilent to protect their children, and may others just mind their own business.
Posted by scarlettohara (anonymous) on May 10, 2009 at 11:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not knocking homeschooling at all, but one question....what about socialization? Church is certainly a place where the children can run/play/learn with children of their own age. But, I can't imagine how children can learn sharing, cooperation, etc without other children around on a regular basis. How will they cope when out in the "real" world with others.
Again, not criticizing. Just wondering.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on May 11, 2009 at 8:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Socialization always seems a big issue. But it really is not. My kids were active in scouts, 4-H, softball and baseball, pee-wee football, horse shows, as well as church programs. These are kids they would see on a daily basis if in a school, many of them lived in our neighborhood. With homeschooling you have a lot more control on the how and who your kids are interacting with, as well as what they are learning. We also took every opportunity to have "learning experiences". For instance when we went to the grocery store, they learned nutrition and math. The hardware store became a construction learning lab, same with auto repairs. I can proudly say all my children know how to change the oil, change a flat, build a simple piece of furniture, cook a few good meals, and generally live in the "real" world.
Posted by my2miracles (anonymous) on May 11, 2009 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Not only can the average homeschooler "cope" with children their age, most are comfortable interacting with people of any age group or social status. They are not programmed to think that they should be mainly involved with only their peer group or people like them. There is a local homeschool group that meets together for playdates and field trips with kids of all ages involved, and also our other activites...in fact some weeks, we are out of our home as much as we are in. Homeschooled children tend to be very close to their siblings, learning cooperation, patience, sharing, love, and forgiveness. I have one very outgoing social butterfly, and one that's more shy...and that diversity is true no matter where a child is educated.
Posted by getitright (anonymous) on May 11, 2009 at 7:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it depends on the child as an individual when it comes to socialization. Some children need to be around more children more often to gain these skills while others don't. My child needed school for the "social" part more than anything. With our public school system so messed up, it is expensive to send you children to private school. There isn't a choice though. It is so bad that it takes 2 good full time jobs by the parents and downsized housing to afford it. It is rediculous, but it's the only choice in this town. I completely understand how people would choose to homeschool rather than spend $10,000 a year for 2 children to go to grade school. It takes patience and understanding to do homeschool as well as the will and desire. Good for all of you!!! I applaud you!!!
Posted by barbarj1 (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 1:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA FOR SOME BUT IT CAN BE BAD FOR THOSE WHOSE MOM THINK THEY ARE GREAT NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN IT IS NOT WORKING. I KNOW ONE MOM THAT DOES NOT SEE HER BOYS DOING ANYTHING WRONG BECAUSE THEY ARE IN CHURCH AND BEING HOME SCHOOLED. THEY ARE SO BAD PEOPLE DON`T WANT TO BE AROUND THEM AND SHE JUST LAUGHS IT OFF. SOME OF THEM ARE OLDER NOW AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LIFE. THEY DON`T WORK AND THEY JUST STAY HOME AND FEED OFF THEIR PARENTS. I HAVE SEEN THIS IN MORE THAN ONE FAMILY. SO IT IS GOOD FOR SOME AND BAD FOR OTHERS. IF THEY ARE GONG TO DO THIS THEY NEED TO REALIZE WHEN IT IS NOT WORKING.
Posted by chazbear28 (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
my2miracles, could you please email me some information on the homeschool group? I have been hoping there was one around here and that I would happen upon it. My guys are still very young, but there is no time like the present to get started. Thank you so much!
Posted by thelorax (anonymous) on May 15, 2009 at 10:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is not enough accountability for homeschooling parents imo. All you have to do is prove you have a schedule for what your child is learning for that year. I think you ought to have a degree to teach at home.
A teacher goes through many classes and has countless hours of practice teaching. How does that make a parent qualified? It doesn't.
Posted by my2miracles (anonymous) on May 18, 2009 at 8:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
IMO, the government shouldn't have more say in the way a child is raised or educated than their parents. The government's educational policies tilt toward conformation and moral relativism, and this in direct opposition to our family values. Prior to the compulsory education laws of the 1950's, the primary forms of education were small community school rooms, private tutors, and homeschooling. Homeschooling is a proven form of education. People like Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver, Beatrix Potter, Louisa May Alcott, and many, many other notables including most of our founding fathers were home educated. Colleges today are happy to accept homeschool transcripts along with good SAT and ACT scores (which homeschoolers on average test as high or higher on than formally educated peers.)
Source: www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200105070....
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