A Guide to
Homeschool Foundational Black American Children
Introduction
According to 2020 U.S. Census, the number of Black children presently being
homeschooled grew from 3.3% in the spring of 2020 to 16.1% in the fall of 2020.[1]
Gassam Asare, in a Forbes article noted several reasons why
Foundational Black American parents are homeschooling their children. He said
that “ There could be a number of reasons why Black families are opting to
homeschool their children. Implicit bias within education can contribute to
issues like the adultification bias and the school-to-prison pipeline, which
may be a growing concern for Black parents. An added worry is the push from
some U.S. lawmakers to ban teaching of Black history. Many Black parents are
taking their children’s education into their own hands.”[2]
Asare interviewed a
FBA parent who was homeschooling her children. This parent noted that
her children had formerly attended both public and private schools. The
experience of her children in these schools failed to impress her, since her
children failed to learn in these educational settings. This led the parent to
declare that “ It seemed to me that in public school, they were only teaching
kids to pass a test. We wanted our children to be able to enjoy learning, to
have an environment where everything wasn't driven by tests. Just because you
pass a test doesn't mean you obtained anything”[3].
Some parents have also pulled their children out of schools
because their children experiences racism while attending private schools.
Asare, reported that a parent he interviewed noted that she puuled her child
out of a private school because “The other reason was when I did take my
daughter out of public school and put her into private school, they were
experiencing a lot of microaggressions and racism. I saw their character
changing, being that there was only a handful of Black children in the private
Christian school. My daughter, who's now 27 years old, at the time was coming
to me and she was wanting to straighten her kinky hair and she was being
bullied and teased by some of the white boys because of her kinky hair”.[4]
Getting Started
It is not complicated to begin homeschooling your child. But
there are a number of things you must consider before you homeschool your
child.
Grated, homeschooling your child is a scary exercise for any
parent, because they have not been trained to be teachers. But Rev. Dr. Shock,
recommends this learning environment, when he notes in his book Becoming a Black AI Jhedi
Afrofuturism Homeschooling: Giving Black Children an Unfair Advantage in an
Unfair World, that: “Furthermore, homeschooling can serve as a sanctuary
from problems such as bullying, peer pressure, and other potential pitfalls of
traditional schools. Homeschooling also promotes closer family ties as families
spend more time together. Beyond the confines of a classroom, homeschoolers can
explore diverse and immersive learning experiences, like field trips or
community involvement. They also have the potential to develop a strong sense
of self and independent thought, free from certain school-related societal
pressures. Unlike traditional school settings where children primarily interact
with peers their age, homeschooled kids often engage with a variety of age
groups, including adults. Parents can also circumvent undesirable school
situations, whether they relate to problematic policies, exposure to harmful
substances, or teaching methods they don't endorse. Academically, some studies
suggest that homeschoolers frequently outperform their peers in public schools
on standardized tests. Homeschooling also gives parents the reins to emphasize
character and moral development, ensuring that their children are instilled
with values they consider vital. Lastly, homeschooling can be time-efficient,
eliminating needs like commuting or waiting for an entire class to complete an
assignment.” .
Firstly, you must consider the fact that you will be totally
responsible for teaching your child. This means that you will be responsible
for not only monitoring their learning activities, but you will also have to
help them determine their program of study.
If you begin to homeschool your child and decide to later
send them to public school, remember the
school will have them tested. This test will be used to determine what grade
your child will be assigned in the local school you wish them to attend. It is
the public school that will determine the class room assignment for your child
no matter, what grade level you think your child should be placed.
Your major goal is to help your child(ren) become motivated
to become life-long learners interested in educating themselves for their own
educational enlightenment and preparing themselves for their future experience
as adults in the world of work.
Before taking your children out of school, or beginning the
initial learning activities for your child check the laws in your state
regarding homeschooling, because, the laws, rules and regulations in your state
relating to homeschooling may differ. Some states may have specific
requirements, and state-mandated academic hours your child must be engaged in
learning during an academic year, plus assessments, and subjects that your
child must adhere too.
In some states you can obtain books from your local school
to use to teach your child various subjects. This can be useful for many
parents –but because you don’t have the teacher’s edition of the book you
borrowed from the local school you don’t have access to the answers for
questions associated with the text your child got from your local school. As a
result, it is better for you to buy work books and subject textbooks at your
local or on-line Teacher Store.
Buying text from the Teacher Store is a good idea because
there are answers to the lessons in these text. These answers will ensure that
your child has successfully completed
the lesson in the work book.
Some of you may choose an on-line school for your child to
attend. But most of you will take the responsibility to educate your own child
yourself because the on-line school my be based on white supremacy, and you
will not want your child to experience the trauma of being
bullied and racism.
Always refer to the learning your child is engaged in as
studies, not work. In the child’s mind they associate work with being paid. So
always tell them when it is time for them to learn they are doing their
studies.
The best thing about home schooling is that it allows your child(ren) to learn on their own
schedule. But remember most children and teens learn best when they have a
schedule.
To begin a homeschool
you must establish a schedule for your child. This schedule must include the
daily times your child will participate in their own production of personal
knowledge. You must also establish the time your child will go to bed each
evening.
You will explain to your child that they can engage in
learning activities any time of the day in addition to the regular hours you
have delineated for your child to learn.
Your child should
attend the library once a week and take out a book to read. After your child
reads this book they should make an oral and written book report.
If you can afford it, you should buy a newspaper every day.
After you read the paper choose an article for your child to read . After they
read the article, you will ask them to make an oral presentation about the
article telling you what the article was about. This will enhance their reading
comprehension.
What is the Role of
the Parent in Homeschooling their children
The parent who homeschools his or her children plays many
roles. This results from the fact a parent , usually has not trained to be a
teacher. As a result, the parent becomes a facilitator of their child’s
education by encouraging within their child the desire to be a life long
learner.
Thusly, the parent through the creation of a regular
schedule for their child to learn on his own aims to make the learner motivated to produce their own
learning. This is an important role for the parent facilitating their child’s
learning. One parent noted that “Homeschooling parents are facilitators over
their children's learning. A lot of times what's stopped parents from wanting
to attempt to homeschool is because they think they need to be teachers or
certified teachers, or they have to have an expertise in every subject. By
being a facilitator, that means that I can find the right people, I can choose
who teaches my child math. So, for example, my kids are in online programs for
math. In the past, when I first started, I would hire a tutor to come in and do
STEM experiments with my children. I've taken them to tutoring centers. I have
facilitated their learning over the years. And there are some subjects that I
teach. I love history, so I enjoy sitting down with them and teaching them
history.”[5]
Although, a parent can effectively work as a facilitator of
the learning of their child(ren) as noted above by this parent, parents will
also often have to engage in direct instruction. This direct instruction may be
necessary when it comes to teaching their child how to read.
[1] Assare,
J G. (2023). Why More Black Families Are Choosing To Homeschool Their Children
, https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2023/02/16/why-more-black-families-are-choosing-to-homeschool-their-children/?sh=87b2e00641c6
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Ibid.
[4]
Ibid.
[5] Assare,
J G. (2023). Why More Black Families Are Choosing To Homeschool Their Children
, https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2023/02/16/why-more-black-families-are-choosing-to-homeschool-their-children/?sh=87b2e00641c6
