Over the last 10 years, we have seen a new breed of homeschooling family. In the past, homeschooling was largely reserved for families who were devoutly religious, lived in secluded, rural communities, or resisted exposing their children to the local school system. In this generation, the concept of the typical homeschooling family has expanded to include a much wider array of students and circumstances. While Partners with Parents continues to provide full-year curricula for some homeschooled students, many of the families we work with are doing it to bridge a gap, a short-term solution for a temporary situation such as physical or mental illness, relocation in the middle of the school year, or suspension/expulsion. Sometimes, given the nature of the academic calendar, families just need an at-home education for a few months so they don't fall behind while figuring out their options for the next September.
Many of the homeschool families that work with Partners with Parents value the traditional school environment and have the eventual goal of returning to it. We find the most successful transitions happen when the school that the student has left and/or will be attending can be involved in the process. In some cases, when a student has no choice but to be out of school, he or she remains matriculated while our tutors teach the school's curriculum. That way, the student can return to school once they have recovered or become otherwise able to attend. It also avoids having to go through the bureaucracy and paperwork that the state requires for homeschooled students. When that is not an option, there is a certain degree of manageable red tape in New York (as well as New Jersey and Connecticut) that you will have to endure. The most time-consuming tasks will likely be developing a curriculum and creating an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) which must be submitted to the Department of Education. There are many pre-designed age appropriate curricula that follow state guidelines available (some good, some bad) if the prospect of creating your own is daunting.
We, as parents, want a measure of control over our children's education and seek solutions that work better for our kids. Educating your child at home even for a short time can have multiple benefits. One of the beauties of living in and around New York City is that we have many options. NYC has literally thousands of resources and prospects for unconventional learning experiences. You have the opportunity to tailor the learning environment to your child's particular learning style, addressing individual needs. One-one-one instruction, whether with an outside tutor or within the family, allows for engaging and meaningful learning. This usually results in improved academic self-confidence and performance. Often short-term homeschooled students reenter school better prepared to deal with its rigors after a short time away working independently.
Please visit our new expanded homeschooling page for more on requirements, curricula, and other useful information on the process of homeschooling in New York.? If you are from another state, contact us to find out more.
