To Those Seeking

Renowned author Ray Bradbury once said:

I'm completely library educated. I’ve never been to college. I went down to the library when I was in grade school in Waukegan, and in high school in Los Angeles, and spent long days every summer in the library....

With the library it's like catnip, I suppose: you begin to run in circles because there’s so much to look at and read. And it's far more fun than going to school, simply because you make up your own list and you don't have to listen to anyone. When I would see some of the books my kids were forced to bring home and read by some of their teachers, and were graded on -- well, what if you don't like those books?

Elsewhere he wrote:

I discovered me in the library. I went to find me in the library. Before I fell in love with libraries, I was just a six-year-old boy. The library fueled all of my curiosities, from dinosaurs to ancient Egypt.

When I graduated from high school in 1938, I began going to the library three nights a week. I did this every week for almost ten years and finally, in 1947, around the time I got married, I figured I was done. So I graduated from the library when I was twenty-seven. I discovered that the library is the real school.

Quite the endorsement of unschooling, right?

Many parents want to pull their kids from public schools - an estimated 1.2 million have actually done it since 2020 - and are looking for possibilities. They can’t afford private schooling and feel “unqualified” to homeschool. So they purchase curricula to “do” school at home. They pick and choose subjects and set up rigorous schedules and assignments. They worry about grades and transcripts. While there are students who thrive in that environment, there are still a number of them who continue to struggle with their studies. Why? Because they essentially set up school at home. Is that really homeschooling? Well there’s good news. There are alternatives.

Students can enroll in community colleges or trade schools. They can find mentors and internships in business. They can do volunteer work and community service. They can learn about the world by being a part of the world.

Parents can pool their resources and form homeschooling co-ops. Some even hire tutors and teachers to help with academic subjects and college preparation. Some find local or online microschools that adhere to self-directed learning programs.

The bottom line is this: how does the child best learn? And how can their learning style be accommodated? Remember no two people learn the same way on the same day. We need to meet our students where they are at and help guide them on their best way forward.

Visit www.ephesuseducation.com