With the COVID-19 pandemic putting homeschooling on the minds of some Lloydminster parents, a local mom is hoping to help get people on the right track for success should they choose to do it.
With some parents concerned about the possibility of their children getting sick should they return to class, Janelle Reinhardt says she’s had people reach out to her because they’re curious about the homeschooling process, and she was vocal about her experience teaching her own kids.
In response, she created Homeschooling & Raising World Changers as a comprehensive channel for all these questions. The site lets parents ask questions, discuss ideas and learn more about homeschool possibilities in their own lives.
Reinhardt explains that in normal times, parents give a lot of time and thought into homeschooling before doing it, but weighing choices has had to be sped up this year.
“These parents have had to make this choice relatively quickly, and so a lot of them are panicking, a lot of them are scared, a lot of them are really unsure if they can do this. Part of this [page], a big part of this, I just want to be a cheerleader for them, I just want to say ‘Hey, you can do it, and we’ll hold your hand through the whole process. ”
Reinhardt has homeschooled her four of seven school-aged children all their lives. It was originally because she and her husband are professional musicians, and life on tour made it so that they had to pick up the teacher role in their kids’ lives. Since then, she says, she’s enjoyed the flexibility and creativity that homeschooling allows for.
On her new Facebook page, she outlines for parents how to develop a curriculum, how to choose a homeschooling board and how funding models work for homeschools.
Also detailed are the three types of homeschooling, which include parent-lead homeschooling, where the parent dictates the curriculum. There’s also school-directed, where the child’s registered school provides books and learning materials. A shared direction model also exists, which is a blend of both.
Reinhardt hopes the page helps put parents at ease and clear concerns about homeschooling, showing it as something accessible for all families.
“It feels like jumping off a cliff, but you’re just really going into a ditch, it’s not that scary. I think what happens is there’s just a ton of misconceptions about homeschooling, and if we start debunking those, and slash down those myths, everything becomes a little clearer, a little more achievable and a little more possible.”
The Homeschooling & Raising World Changers page is available to join on Facebook.