Getting Started with KMA
Welcome to Keswick Midhurst Academy!
Whether you are researching homeschooling, have decided to take the plunge, or are a seasoned homeschooling family we are here to support you all the way.
Looking beyond curriculum
We believe that every child has a right to an excellent education, and to be educated at his or her own pace, using curriculum that works for that child and for that unique family.
This is why KMA emphasizes not only curriculum, but an overall framework for education.
Homeschooling is an opportunity for a child to learn far more than simple academics. It is an opportunity for each child to become a lifelong learner and to view each day and experience as an educational opportunity. It is an opportunity for each child to learn how to think well, to pursue truth, to ask thoughtful questions, to learn about real problems and real solutions, to be creative, to learn responsibility, and to engage with the world and think about others.
Deschooling
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school. It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education" - Albert Einstein
If your child has been in "regular" school, or your only experience with education is "regular" school, we highly recommend taking some time to deschool.
Deschooling is a time of decompression and learning to look at education holistically. In school, many children have learned to find short cuts to correct answers with a goal of getting the learning over with. Often emphasis is placed on extracurriculars, recess, and free time as the important things, and learning is looked on with distate. Many children have been taught conformity and lost their innate sense of curiosity and ability to ask good questions. They may have anxiety or think they are not smart, or have received negative feedback because they are bored and misbehave.
Homeschooling seeks to inspire children, to ignite their curiosity and help them make meaningful connections to the knowledge they acquire. In order to do this, we, and they, need to look at education in an entirely different way. Deschooling is a step into learning that new way of looking at education.
Deschooling is also an opportunity to learn the rhythms of your family and to observe how your children learn when they are engaged in something of interest to them. This will help you with your particular curriculum choices and identifying your family's best schedule.
A deschooling schedule
We recommend the following for deschooling.
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Read aloud to your children (yes, even if they are in middle or upper school years)
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Begin with Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
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Daily tasks
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Read a book
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Have a conversation
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Spend time outside
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Do something creative
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After a week to a month, depending on how much time your child needs, start requiring your child to tell a parent at least one new thing he or she learned that day.
Homeschooling mindset
"Each time one prematurely teaches a child something he could have discovered by himself, that child is kept from inventing it, and consequently from understanding it completely."
- John Piaget
It can be very intimidating to be entirely responsible for your child's education. However, focusing exclusively on formal academics will cause your child and family to miss out on all the other opportunities homeschooling affords. It can also be tempting to compare what your child and family is doing to others. Comparison is the thief of joy! In homeschooling, there is no such thing as "behind" or "ahead". Each child is simply where he or she is at and is free to learn at his or her own level and pace.
To make the most of homeschooling, remember that learning is the product of the learner. As parents and teachers, we facilitate resources and experiences, but it is up to our children to do the learning and experiencing. Since children are naturally wired to learn, this is great news! We can abandon the trappings of "regular school" and harness the energy of home.
Learning takes many forms.
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Board games
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Podcasts
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Documentaries
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Nature days
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Museum visits
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Playing sports
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Creating
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Reading for fun
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Cooking & baking
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Playing instruments
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Drawing & painting
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Photography
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Budgeting
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LEGO building