Questions from a reader

Happy Face said...

"I'm curious about homeschooling, and I was wondering a few things.

1. Do you need a license to homeschool your children?
2. Do you make up your own curriculum?
3. Are the hours of learning the same as most kids in school?

Thanks :)

I'm a little curious here, but are your kids half-Desi?"

1. In Ontario, no license is needed to homeschool. This varies by state, region, country, etc. Before homeschooling, you MUST research your local laws and weigh your options.

2. I do make up my own curriculum but I mostly stick with proven programs such as Calvert School and Saxon Phonics, Saxon Math. For the other subjects, I follow the Ontario Ministry of Education's guidelines loosely. I use textbooks for all subjects, including the teacher's manuals, this includes Islamic Studies and Arabic.

3. Because it is one on one, there has never been a need to sit for six hours straight with my children and instruct them. A public school teacher has twenty plus students and it can take time to make sure all of those children are up to speed on each lesson as well as coordinating activities for them all. This also includes recess and lunch. When school is finished, my children play all day so recess is not a part of our school time.

My husband's parents are Canadians from Hyderabad, India. My husband was born in Canada and I am a Black American. So I guess the answer to this is yes, although my husband and I both stress that they are Muslims first, everything else is neither here nor there.