Miguel Varella-Cid - How to Homeschool: A Guide for Progressive Parents

How to Homeschool: A Guide for Progressive Parents

First published in 2022 by

Panoma Press Ltd

a Rethink Press company

www.rethinkpress.com

www.panomapress.com

Book layout by Neil Coe.

Research Editor: Carlos Queiros.

978-1-784525-71-2

The right of Miguel Varella-Cid to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.

This book is available online and in bookstores.

Copyright 2021 Miguel Varella-Cid

To Yuko, Arina, Akira, and Mark for sharing the greatest wealth of life.

____

Writing this book was something I contemplated for a good number of years but didnt commit to fully until I felt a burning desire to share and make a difference that I could no longer contain nor postpone.

With all the deep responsibilities we take on as parents, and an awareness of a need to protect the children and nurture them with strong values and knowledge of the future we are living into, when ours came into this world, Yuko and I made the conscious choice to be unflinchingly truthful with each of them, and of course with one another.

Although, as almost every homeschool parent, we began with no personal experience, we set out with total commitment and faith we could offer each child a far more nurturing, empowering and inspirational form of learning and freedom through homeschooling. Little did we realize then just how much wed learn and develop together as a family, and how well our children would naturally learn.

We chose to confront and question our own instilled fears and insecurities related to failure. We gave each child the choice to learn at homeif and when theyd become committed to homeschool options, or not...

Together, as a homeschooling family, weve practically explored the pros and cons of homeschooling. There are many names for it: Homeschooling, Unschooling, Free Schooling, to name a few. How our children learn shouldnt be a label; it is a unique process for each child, to be absorbed as and when the best time and opportunities present themselves.

We witnessed our daughter Arinas incredible homeschooling progress unfold, day by day, year by year. Today, we see how she has used her passion and inspiration for learning since the start of her life, and how she has become an amazingly talented, wise, courageous and capable young lady.

It took initially watching and embracing our younger son Akiras discoveries as an excitable but talented and budding engineer. It took learning for ourselves to overcome our fears and instead have faith in his playfulness and affinity for fun. It took me having faith in Yukos naturally gentle attitude, patience, and wisdom to make the right choices as a great and natural mama. We know the best ways to influence them is the simplest: it is by example.

Would you agree that boredom and monotony typically fail to inspire, but can have opposite detrimental effects? Such negative traits, if imposed regularly, carry the danger of quashing a childs natural inquisitiveness and passion for discovery.

In this book I will share how to form homeschooling schedules and curriculums that work for your child.

Homeschooling is a journey on which, traveling together, we cannot possibly fail. Your daughter already has much of what it takes when she is born. The main ingredients you can bring are being committed to their learning freedom and to love them.

A free homeschooling family is able and willing not to be forceful. Because through force and coercion, we are increasingly likely to invite reciprocating resistance, and possibly worse. We are willing to learn to be the best parents we can. Parents that our children will be thankful for and love sharing time with, growing together.

In each of their lasting interests, our goal is to facilitate and inspire, while sharing and discussing modern dangers they may want to avoid, and help the children to honestly navigate the reasons why.

Todays growing young persons addictions to smartphones, tablets, movies, and games is alarming, if not frightening.

The consequences visibly developing in children and young adults surround us in day-to-day life. Many dont understand yet, but they are the victims. Our children will observe and also come to realize:

Using homeschooling examples, we practically illustrate, so youll in turn embrace early development of choice. Listen to, discuss, and exchange your thoughts, so your child becomes articulate. Choice, where there is no danger, is something we embraced from the very beginning for our family. Choice comes from the most powerful resolve and something we encourage parents to bestow on their children as early as possible, even when they first begin free homeschooling.

We instill human life-values through an environment of love, forthrightness, and encouragement, entangled with the inevitable temporary downfalls to be encountered on the natural paths of failure.

Mistakes are the process of discovering the direction for better results. Falling out of trees and bearing scrapes and small wounds strengthens their resolve.

For times of future challenges, failure instills bravery, due caution, and wisdom in a childs character, if not a practical understanding of basic physics.

Of course, homeschooled children benefit greatly from learning and understanding subjects such as sciences and mathematics, but they foster the practice of such subjects directly from experience. While concentrating on projects, math, science skills and knowledge can be absorbed and understood, where children often dont even realize. In making a small simple building from wood, for example, your daughter learns the practical use of arithmetic and trigonometry.

Together, we will explore how a deep understanding of academic subjects can be imbued with alacrity, so your childs learning is a natural joy, rather than being memorized classroom style, only later to be forgotten.

In harmony with Japanese culture, we encourage and immerse our children in situations where they may gain compassion and the consideration of others.

With the essential ingredients of homeschooling freedom and delight, children naturally develop their characters with the great qualities of passion for knowledge and a healthy curiosity for discovery.

In turn, as their self-belief becomes naturally widened and deeper, your children will thereby develop as adults who look forward to their amazing journeys and continued learning through lifewhere learning itself is naturally enjoyable.