education
as her brother could not read yet.
She rose to the challenge. If she had
questions I would answer them during
Frederik’s recess time,” Ivy remembers.
“Handwriting practice, doing flashcards,
or completing household chores are
other things that kids could do while
mum is one-on-one with someone
else.” Catherine lists math drills,
spelling, map work and jump-rope as
independent activities nine-year-old
Katie undertakes whilst she is busy
with the others. She also makes use
of audio books for five-year-old Jane,
when she is working with her older
children, and schedules recess for the
younger two while her eldest children
– Lizzie (15) and Elias (13) provide
oral summations of their assignments.
There are also activities they enjoy
as a family – such as listening to
classical music, reading aloud and
journal writing. As Ivy points out, some
subjects do more easily accommodate
multiple ability levels than others.
“For example, art, music and health
classes were ones we always did
together, even when Frederik wasn’t
officially homeschooling.”
Dealing with critics is another
challenge. Kay faced negativity from
several family members regarding her
choice to homeschool. “One relative
said we were pouring our son’s
education down the drain. Another one
challenged me as to whether I was the
one that wanted to homeschool, or if
it was my son’s choice.” Ivy also faced
some push-back from family, but “my
in-laws have now conceded that they
like the ‘product’ of our education, even
if they question the process.” Catherine
adds that “students may feel like an
‘outsider’ since homeschooling is very
counter-cultural.” She suggests that
joining homeschooling groups can help
alleviate this. In fact one of Catherine’s
top tips for new home educators is to
get to know other homeschoolers, “as
you will need support, encouragement
and resources.” Online groups and
forums abound, including a number
of Hong Kong Facebook groups and
associations. Meeting up with other
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homeschooling families can also allow
parents to trade expertise and share
lessons (particularly useful in the more
demanding secondary years).
Connecting with other homeschooling
families can certainly help with
socialisation – which is an important
consideration for homeschoolers.
Kay’s son Yun, takes part in sports and
activities through the Impress Christian
Homeschooling Group and his Church.
Ivy’s children are active in a range of local
activities from ballet and hockey through
to guitar and football. The upside of
having less daily interaction with peers is
that parents do have more control over
the influences in their child’s life. We all
know that peer pressure is a significant
challenge for school-age kids. This was
one of the main reasons Kay chose to
homeschool Yun, hoping to protect him
from peer influence. Ivy has observed
that: “my children are not constantly
comparing themselves with others
(grades, abilities, physical traits, clothes,
latest toys). I think this makes them more
content and confident in who they are.”
So if you’ve made the decision to
homeschool, what happens next? Kay
says it’s important to “know what you
are in for. Spend a year thinking about
it if necessary, collecting information
before making a resolution to dive in.
Homeschooling is not for the half-
hearted.” Choosing a reputable
curriculum is vital. Parents can select
an all-in-one curriculum, or specific
curricula for each subject area. Online and
print options are available. Ivy’s advice
to newbies though is “to not become
overwhelmed with all the options. There
are so many good ideas and curricula, but
it is unrealistic to try to do it all. Start with
the basic subjects you need to cover and
then just enjoy the journey. It wasn’t until
I was several years into homeschooling
that I began to add in extras.”
Choosing to homeschool is just
like any other choice you make as a
parent – it comes down to a desire to
do what you feel is best for your family.
The most obvious benefit of educating
in the home is of course the additional
time to enjoy your children. Catherine
states that building “strong relationships
with each one of our children, instead
of only seeing them a few hours a
day,” is one of her primary motivations.
As Ivy says, “I don’t miss a single
milestone in my kids’ lives. Jobs will
come and go, but the one thing that
will not roll around again is my kids’
childhood. I am blessed to have been
part of it all and I don’t regret spending
this time with them. We make all our
memories together.
Useful sites and groups:
www.homeschool.hk
www.ediversity.org
twitter.com/homeschoolhk
www.howtohomeschool.net
www.homeschool.com
www.thehomeschoolmom.com
Hong Kong Homeschooling
Unschooling 香港自家教育
www.facebook.com/
groups/569264653168691/
Homeschool HK
www.facebook.com/
groups/477583179005648
Homeschool Resources HK
www.facebook.com/
groups/1556570711280981/
Homeschool Hong Kong & Macau
Co-op
www.facebook.com/
Homeschool-Hong-
Kong-Macau-Co-
op-2369962659897965/
HK Homeschool Preschoolers
www.facebook.com/
groups/727504604070387/
U6 Homeschooler
www.facebook.com/
groups/1851652941731136/
The Hong Kong Homeschool
Meetup Group
www.meetup.com/en-AU/
hongkong-homeschool/