Home Schooling Resources for WV Public Libraries: Home

Abstract: The article discusses the various services offered by
the public library for homeschooling families in the U.S. It includes the partnership of the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) with Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to publicize materials of interest to homeschoolers with a quarterly booklist of new acquisitions. Another is the development of the Home Learning Center in Illinois which provides homeschooling families a range of several school-related materials. In Baltimore, Maryland, homeschooling technology classes are held at the Enoch Pratt Library's Orleans Street Branch at the Pratt
Center for Technology Training

The author discusses how homeschooled children feel about reading. It is suggested that homeschooled children learn from an early age to read for information, not just for enjoyment. The author explains that she likes to read what her children are reading, not because she is monitoring what is being read, but because she enjoys the books.

Discusses the relation between home schooling and public libraries. Reasons for home schooling; Teaching styles parents use in home schooling; Home schooler's use of public libraries; Services offered by public libraries to home schoolers.

Suggests titles for creating a library collection to meet the needs of homeschooling families. Categories, including theory and research, legal guidance, curricula design and evaluation, personal experiences and more; `Is Public Education Necessary?,' by Samuel L. Blumenfeld; The periodical `The Teaching Home,' edited by R. Sue Welch; `The Home School Manual: Plans, Pointers, Reasons and Resources for Parents Who Teach Their Own Children,' by Theodore E. Wade and others.

The article focuses on public library outreach to homeschooling families. It suggests creating a page containing homeschooling information as part of the library's Web site, offering library tours to homeschooling groups, and offering to provide topical collections of library resources upon request. Creating programs targeted to homeschoolers, developing volunteer opportunities for homeschooling families, and hosting homeschooling fairs are also discussed.

The article outlines the importance of libraries to homeschoolers in the U.S. As homeschooling is becoming popular in the country, the need to use libraries also increases because the facility offers various usage including a meeting place, a resource for learning and research, a cultural resource that provides programming and materials and a recreational reading resource. Many families prefer homeschooling because it meets the special needs or learning styles of their children, enjoyed the flexibility of the schedule for those who travel, dissatisfaction with state/government regulations at school and provide individualized teaching.

As the number of homeschooled students rises in this country, needs for resources, instruction and support also has risen. The homeschooled students, while not participating in the school classrooms and by extension the school or public libraries, have needs that should be satisfied by library services. These include access to materials and technology, information literacy skills instruction, reading and writing support, curriculum materials and methods, reference services, as well as areas to "make and take", facilities for quiet study or to meet with mentors or tutors. In addition, homeschooled students need the kind of library skills instruction that all students in traditional school libraries receive. The purpose of this study is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of library support to home-schooled students in Nassau-Suffolk, Long Island and to make recommendations based upon analysis. The major question examined is: How are homeschooled students served through their local public libraries? Also the study examines the perception of homeschooling families by public librarians. There are three main conclusions that derive from the study: the librarians' reactive rather than proactive response to the homeschooled population; the lack of consistent leadership in development or outreach of library programs specifically for the homeschooled; and the public librarians' perception that there is no difference between the homeschooled population and the rest of the patrons who use the library. The analysis leads to suggestions and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common assumption is that families choose to home school because of religious convictions. Returning to statistics gathered in 1999 by the federal government and studied by John Cloud, 75% of those polled actually began home schooling because they were worried about the quality of their children's education. Being able to include religious and moral issues in the curriculum is a secondary benefit for many families. The surveyed families support these claims. Two of the three families interviewed began home schooling so they could better monitor and meet the specific or special needs of their children. One family started home schooling with one child, and after experiencing successful results, decided to home school all three children. Because many home school families have a limited income many are one income families with one parent who stays at home to home school, public library technology resources and access to the Internet are very popular with home schoolers. One family that was interviewed has a computer at home, but they find one computer is not enough for three children

The article focuses on the aspects of libraries and homeschooling in the U.S. It says that the term "homeschooling" immediately sets the stage for something different, and goes beyond the implied features of an informal home setting. It notes that homeschool families typically connect with one another at the community level with homeschool support groups like informal playgroups and learning cooperatives. Homeschool libraries can be huge with overflowing affairs of popular learning books