Johannes

As a computer science graduate who designs and implements complex Online Communities, Johannes would ideally like to plan everything down to the last detail. But with children, you always have to be flexible when plans change on the fly.

Katharina

Katharina stands out for her creativity in various areas, such as sewing, baking, and writing. She supports Johannes, and he is very grateful to her for it.

The Children

We are overjoyed to have eight children (six girls and two boys) whom we have had the privilege of raising. In addition to their diverse interests, their personalities are also unique, so we are challenged daily to raise them with patience and forbearance.

By now, our eldest daughter is happily married to a Swedish man.

Why Homeschooling?

Did you know that the original meaning of the word “school” is “free time”—time that was free from the compulsory labor that children in earlier eras had to perform to support their families? That seems strange, doesn’t it, especially since today it is the institution of school that enslaves children.

Our children should not be idle, should not waste their valuable time—not at home, where everyone has their own small and large tasks to ensure the smooth running of family life, but certainly not in a school building where they are often crammed with information that has little to do with real life, and where their intrinsic motivation to learn (beyond the imposed school curriculum) is taken away.

We want to offer our children here at home—in our home, within our family, among friends—plenty of free time to learn about life, to educate themselves according to their interests, and thus to develop into independent-minded and self-reliant individuals who can find their way in society without getting lost in the gray masses.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: info(at)heimschulfamilie.de

Here are a few more arguments in favor of unschooling:

76 Reasons to Choose Unschooling / Homeschooling

Life without school gives us the opportunity...

1. ... to spend more time as a family.

2. ... to spend more time with the children when they are rested and refreshed, rather than when they come home from school tired and irritable.

3. ... to avoid the struggle of getting the children to do the tedious work they so often bring home as homework.

4. ... to give the children time to explore subjects that are not normally taught in school.

5. ... to give the children time to explore a topic more thoroughly than is allowed in school.

6. ... to allow the children to learn at their own pace, neither too slowly nor too quickly.

7. ... to allow children to work at a level appropriate to their own stage of development. Skills and concepts can be introduced when the time is right for the child.

8. ... to provide long, uninterrupted blocks of time for writing, reading, playing, thinking, or working, so that the child can engage in challenging, complex activities and thought processes.

9. ... to encourage focus on a single task—this is impossible in an overcrowded classroom with too many distractions.

10. ... to encourage the child to find their own pace—this is prevented in a classroom where the schedule is designed so that every child is occupied at all times.

11. ... spending a lot of time outdoors. This is healthier than having children spend most of their time in crowded and often overheated classrooms.

12. Those who spend more time outdoors are more attuned to the changing seasons and to the small and often overlooked wonders of nature.

13. Children learn to help with household chores and develop a sense of personal responsibility.

14. Children learn life skills, such as cooking, naturally by spending time with adults who are engaged in these activities.

15. When we spend more time on household chores, we strengthen family bonds because people feel more connected to things when they have invested in them (in this case, by working for the family’s well-being).

16. There is more time for non-academic activities such as art or music. This leads to a richer, happier life.

17. Children do not feel like passive recipients of the curriculum their teachers have chosen. They learn to design their own education and take responsibility for it.

18. Children realize that learning takes place in many different ways.

19. Children learn to seek support from a variety of sources rather than relying solely on the teacher to provide all the answers.

20. A more relaxed, less hectic lifestyle is possible when families do not feel obligated to supplement school with after-school activities in the afternoons or on weekends.

21. Grind can be avoided.

22. Learning can be more efficient, as the methods used can be adapted to the child’s specific learning style.

23. Children are not forced to work in “cooperative learning groups” that include children who exhibit highly uncooperative behavior.

24. Children can learn that the goal of their work is inner satisfaction, not rewards of any kind.

25. Children are not motivated to take the easy way out by doing just enough to satisfy the teacher. They learn to judge the quality of their work for themselves.

26. Children will be more willing to take risks and be more creative because they do not have to worry about embarrassing themselves in front of their classmates.

27. Children become more self-confident because they do not have to constantly fear criticism from teachers.

28. Peer pressure is reduced. There is less pressure to grow up quickly in terms of clothing, music, language, and interest in the opposite sex.

29. Interactions with others are chosen voluntarily and are based on shared interests.

30. Friends can be more diverse, not limited to the same age group that just happens to attend the same school.

31. Field trips can take place more regularly.

32. Field trips can be much more enjoyable and productive when they are not conducted with a large school class, which usually means having to move too quickly and deal with too many distractions.

33. Field trips can be directly integrated into the child’s own curriculum.

34. Volunteer activities can be incorporated into the family’s regular schedule. Community service can be immensely important for a child’s development and is a great learning experience.

35. The schedule is flexible and allows for travel outside of peak season, when prices are lower and destinations are less crowded. This makes it possible to take more trips, which are wonderful learning experiences.

36. Children are less tempted to compare their knowledge or intelligence with that of other children, so there is less chance that they will become conceited or feel inferior.

37. Religious holidays and special family celebrations can be planned and observed.

38. Children spend more time with people (friends and family) who truly love them and feel genuine affection for them. Children have closer relationships with siblings and parents, as they spend more time playing, working, and helping one another.

39. Feedback on the child’s work is immediate and appropriate. They do not have to wait until the teacher has graded and returned the work later to find out if they understood it.

40. Feedback can be much more meaningful than marking wrong answers or assigning grades.

41. Exams are optional. No time needs to be spent on exams or exam preparation unless the parents and/or the child wish to do so.

42. Observation and discussions take place continuously at home, and additional assessment methods are usually unnecessary. If exams are used, they are best utilized to identify areas where further work could be done.

43. Grading is usually unnecessary, and learning is viewed as motivating in and of itself. Understanding and knowledge are the rewards for learning, not grades (or stickers, or the teacher’s approval, etc.).

44. Children can be guided consistently by family values and learn these by observing and participating in their parents’ daily lives.

45. Children learn to devote their energy and time to activities that THEY consider worthwhile.

46. Children can learn about their ethnic heritage without being made to feel inferior. Children can experience cultural diversity in its true sense, not through the pseudo-multicultural material presented in schools, where others are portrayed from a dominant cultural perspective.

47. Children do not learn to conform to society, but come to value morality and love more than status and money.

48. Children don’t have to wait until they’re adults to seriously pursue their interests; they can start living today.

49. A child’s education can be more comprehensive than what schools have to offer.

50. Children who are “different” in any way avoid being subjected to the constant and relentless teasing, mockery, and bullying that so often occur in school.

51. Children with special needs are encouraged to reach their full potential and are not limited by the use of cookie-cutter teaching methods common in schools.

52. Low standards or expectations on the part of school staff will not influence or limit the child’s ability to learn and excel.

53. Children are safer from gangs, drugs, and weapons.

54. Parents decide what learning content is important for their child, not the government.

55. Families are not forced to work during traditional school hours if this does not fit their daily routine or sleep patterns.

[1-55] © Copyright Pam Sorooshian - Results of an online survey conducted by Pam Sorooshian for the National Home Education Network - Translated from English by S. Mohsennia - Source: http://www.leben-ohne-schule.de/pam.sorooshian/55reasons.html

56. School-age children and younger siblings do not have to be woken up abruptly—contrary to their natural sleep patterns and without regard for their natural circadian rhythms. Over time, this weakens the immune system and makes them more susceptible to illness.

57. Homeschooling is more environmentally friendly; it eliminates countless miles of car travel and thus harmful exhaust emissions, and usually only one family car is needed.

58. Enormous financial savings, thanks to the elimination of a second car, gas costs, and school tuition—money that can be used for the children’s meaningful education! (For us, that adds up to over 500 euros a month!)

59. Siblings don’t have to be pulled away from their play, and babies don’t have to be woken from their sleep, to pick up older children from school.

[56-59] © Added by Nanette Mittelstädt at: http://unerzogen-mv.blog.de/2008/05/29/grunde-furs-homeschooling-4242129/

60. At school, children are socialized in an unnatural, unworldly, homogeneous (in the sense of same-age) environment, rather than growing up in a family setting with people of all ages. School-based age structures are found nowhere else—neither in the workplace, nor in sports clubs, music groups, church congregations, or similar settings.

61. Children are not forced to find their place in the class according to the principle of “survival of the fittest.”

62. At home, children do not experience pressure to perform from teachers, school, graduation requirements, classmates, or the class. They are free to set their own goals.

63. Children are not required to switch their focus every 45 minutes according to the principle: “First you’re very interested in German, then in English the next hour, ... etc.”

64. At home, children can take individual breaks whenever they need them.

65. At home, learning guides (e.g., parents) help their children realize their potential and do not necessarily have to “teach” them.

66. At home, children fit into the system and do not need to be kept in their seats with drugs (such as Ritalin).

67. At home, sensitive topics such as questions about sexuality can be addressed in a manner, style, and at a time appropriate for children.

68. At home, it is not necessary for 50% of students to be poor performers and 50% to be high achievers.

69. At home, no one fails, and no one has to repeat a grade.

70. Homeschooled children have more freedom in choosing a career; they aren’t taught by the system that only the less intelligent pursue vocational training while the more intelligent must go to college.

71. Values can be taught and practiced within the family, so that, for example, politeness, respect for elders, helpfulness, and consideration for those less fortunate once again become second nature.

72. Tutoring becomes unnecessary, which in turn saves time, stress, and money.

73. The joy of learning is preserved, as learning can be practical, and knowledge is not perceived as useless from an early age.

74. Role models are not peers (who are just as inexperienced) but, for example, parents or grandparents within the family.

75. Children are not subject to the goals of the education system, which is designed to produce standardized individuals for the economy. (See the film Alphabet www.alphabet-film.com)

76. Children who learn at home are not forced to think within predetermined, standardized frameworks. They have every opportunity to develop their thought processes and find creative solutions.

[60-76] © Supplemented by Katharina and Johannes Hamecher

Source: http://www.scooland.de/argumente-fuer-freie-bildung.html