Homeschooling Abroad

[Belleweather]

I'm hoping some been-there, done-that mamas can help me clarify my thinking and find resources on homeschooling abroad.

Barring major disaster, I'll be joining the US Foreign Service sometime in the next 18 months. What that means is that we're going to be serving in a different foreign country every 2-4 years for the rest of my career. The department provides a lot of help as far as finding schools for our children wherever we're sent, but the reality is that we're just not going to have the kind of choices educationally that we'd have in the US. We're also worried about continuity for the kids, making sure that they're getting US history, literature and culture, and about not having an appropriate school available -- either because they sent us to the back end of beyond, or because the limited options just are not working for our kids.

We didn't set out to be a homeschooling family, and probably wouldn't be outside of these conditions. But at this point I think it's something we've got to explore -- even if it just ends up being our Plan B. There are limited opportunities for my husband to work, so he'll be available as the at-home parent. He's not exactly the crown prince of organization or motivation and I'm worried that we won't manage to do right by our kids educationally. I'm also worried about socialization -- my understanding is that the sort of homeschool coops and groups that most people rely on in the US probably aren't going to exist (or be as big or organized) in Burkina Faso.

On the other hand, there's a part of me that LOVES the idea of homeschooling while we're abroad. I hate the idea that we'd be in India and the kids would be stuck studying the French Revolution from old books instead of learning the history and culture of where they are. I love that we would be able to do a TON of experiential education that just wouldn't be possible anywhere else. And I know that we'd do that stuff no matter how our kids were schooled, but I love the idea of being able to dedicate tons of time to that kind of work.

I guess what I'm looking for is any basic books, articles, primers, or other information about nuts and bolts of homeschooling outside of the US infrastructure that you guys could point me to and that I could share with DH. We're both enormous newbies to even the concept of homeschooling, so please be gentle!

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by Belleweather

IWe're also worried about continuity for the kids, making sure that they're getting US history, literature and culture, --

I don't think you have to worry too much about access to US history, literature and culture. It's pretty pervasive around the globe. In fact, it's a commonly heard concern in many countries. Parents, educators and politicians in other countries are worried that, thanks to television and the internet, their children are being indoctrinated with US history and cultural traditions, and neglecting their own. I suppose if you are living in a place without internet, television and libraries, it will be more difficult.

We homeschooled when we traveled overseas. We focused on learning about the history, geography, political system and arts and culture of our host country. We visited historical sites and museums and used local school books and reference materials. I would often then draw comparisons to home, so that we could understand the differences and similarities. One thing that was interesting was to draw comparative timelines - when a social or political event was happening in our host country, what was happening at home at the time? Language could be a real bar to this approach though, if there aren't sufficient English language materials for you.

Socialization can be difficult, especially at first. Luckily, my dc adjust well and make friends fairly easily. Most people were really welcoming and eager to adopt us though, so it didn't take too long to adjust.

I'm afraid I don't have resources to recommend to you - we sort of made it up as we went along. It worked well though, and it was a fantastic experience for our entire family. Best wishes and congratulations!

[calynde]

This is us, too, (different government) and we homeschool. The opportunities for experiential learning are phenomenal, and if you are motivated, it is a decision that could enhance all of your lives in countless ways! Personally, I love the freedom and flexibility it provides.

I would say that the main issue is that of socializing with same-age kids (not socialization!). It's fairly easy to make friends with a wide-range of other expats from any number of other countries...but your kids *may* end up more often in multigenerational social situations (i think of this as extremely positive), as the kids of your friends may be different ages. Also, you can count on pretty much all of the other expats sending their kids to the closest international school and all of their social engagements are set up through that...so it can feel isolating if you're not organized. None of that stuff is even remotely appealing to me, so it has been a non-issue thus far. I imagine this would be MUCH harder in a remote posting, as there may literally not be anywhere else to be social. We've decided just to cross that bridge if we ever come to it!

I seem to remember from another foreign service family that the US foreign service supports use of the Calvert homeschool curriculum and may even provide allowances for its use...something to look into if you want to follow a US-recognized curriculum.

good luck!

[Bird Girl]

I know there are plenty of homeschooling families who use Sonlight curriculum and who are based overseas. The Sonlight forums may have more been-there-done-that information.Forums

[Belleweather]

Aout US Culture: I guess what I'm most worried about isn't the culture as in TV shows and movies, but basic stuff. Our kids will probably never be in American schools, so they'll literally never learn about even basic American History in school. (Basic like "Who the Pilgrims are" stuff, even) Regardless of whether we homeschool, we'll have to do 100% of the American History or Literature (and, to some extent Government) education that our kids get, and it's stuff they probably will need to know since they'll be living in the US as adults, and understanding our history goes a long way toward understanding politics and culture here. So that was more what I was talking about.

Calynde It's awesome to hear from another Diplomatic family! You totally hit the nail on the head about worries about socializing with same-aged kids, and being able to be a part of the community if we're homeschooling and every other expat is using the local international school. On the other hand, a part of why we're looking into it is so we can chose to go to some out-of-the-way places where there aren't a lot of schools.

The State Department's website on education talks about the Calvert curriculum, but we got an allowance to help pay for curriculum costs and can pick with curriculum we used -- it doesn't have to be Calvert. I sent off for their catalog, but I'd love to know what the other big-name options are. Is there somewhere I can look that up? (Sorry, I know... I'm a total newb at this and looking at Google is like drinking from a firehose!)

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by Belleweather

Aout US Culture: I guess what I'm most worried about isn't the culture as in TV shows and movies, but basic stuff. Our kids will probably never be in American schools, so they'll literally never learn about even basic American History in school. (Basic like "Who the Pilgrims are" stuff, even) Regardless of whether we homeschool, we'll have to do 100% of the American History or Literature (and, to some extent Government) education that our kids get, and it's stuff they probably will need to know since they'll be living in the US as adults, and understanding our history goes a long way toward understanding politics and culture here. So that was more what I was talking about.

You may be surprised. I know I was when I found out that the local Year 10 history curriculum, which focused on 20th century history, included a unit on the Kennedy assassination and another on the Vietnam War. Some of the children in some of the countries we've lived in would be hard pressed to discuss more than one or two of their political leaders, but they know Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy, Bush, Obama....

The 2008 presidential election was covered in depth in the media - with detailed explanations of the US political system. I recall the same thing happening when the Bush v. Gore debacle occurred - lots of explanations about the electoral college.