40 AUGUST 2017 ARCAD A NEWS By Katie Mayer W hen Arcadia mom Nicole Wood placed her son, Oliver, in preschool, the experience did not go as she had hoped. A bright, social and active young boy who was also experiencing some sensory issues, Oliver struggled with everything from a loud fire alarm to being expected to sit and work alone with little student interaction. He attended two preschools and was even kicked out of one. “He was just a little boy,” Wood said. “He needed to play and be outside.” So Wood, a former teacher, made what she calls a “radical” decision. She took Oliver out of school and decided to work with him at home. Beginning with occupational therapy to address Oliver’s sensory issues, Wood began instructing her son. “We thought, ‘We can work on what’s important to us,’” she said. “We can overcome the sensory issues and just work on our biggest priorities.” Today, Oliver is a thriving 8-year-old, who is homeschooled full-time, along with his sister Victoria, 6. His youngest sister Fiona, 3, is also beginning homeschooling. For the Wood family, homeschooling the children provides the ability to work on subjects at each child’s pace plus have flexibility in schedules and spend more time together as a family. Oliver is also happier than ever, Wood said. “All the things that make my son special – he is so curious and like a little scientist – I feel like those could all get squashed out in (traditional) school,” Wood said. “When they are one- on-one, they are getting a custom education and can be themselves and pursue those interests.” Although Arizona does not track real-time data on the number of home-educated students in Arizona, homeschooling is growing nationally. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of home educated students increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 3.4 percent in 2012. And because Arizona has minimal regulation for homeschool families, it is a popular place for those who choose to homeschool. “The only paperwork or procedure required (in Arizona) is to submit an affidavit of intent to homeschool to your county superintendent, along with your child’s birth certificate,” said Cindy Duell, Arizona Families for Home Education board member. “By doing so, the parent assumes full responsibility for the child’s education, and is required to provide instruction in reading, grammar, math, science and social studies.” There are many different ways families choose to go about homeschooling. Some do it all on their own, while others join co-ops or homeschooling support groups. Some adhere strictly to grade-level work, while others are more open-ended. One particular group, which is more controversial, advocates “unschooling,” which allows the child to direct his or her own learning through participating in regular life experiences and learning what interests him or her. Supporters of homeschooling say their children are happier, able to learn grade levels ahead, have more maturity through spending more time around adults and better self-organization skills, while opponents of homeschooling worry that students are missing out on the opportunity to socialize with diverse populations, to be exposed to more subject areas and to learn skills such as compromise and conflict resolution. But the data is favorable when it comes to academics. According to a recent article posted online by the Home      "#       Continued on page 42 1840 1852 1870 1900 1918 1960 1977 1980 1983 1993 HOMESCHOOL HISTORY 55% of children attended primary school while the rest were educated in the home or by tutors. All states had free primary schools. 72% of children attended primary school. “Growing Without Schooling” magazine was published, marking a shift from trying to reform public education to abandoning it. Changes in tax law forced many Christian schools to close which led to soaring homeschooling rates. The “Common School” model became popular and Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory attendance law. Once compulsory attendance laws became effective, America eventually relied entirely on public and private schools for educating children. Homeschooling then became something only practiced by extremely rural families, and within Amish communities. 34 states had compulsory attendance laws. &      # '!  '*    Homeschooling was illegal in 30 states. Homeschooling become legal in all 50 states and saw annual growth rates of 15-20%. PHOTO BY NICOLE WOOD

Speaking of moves , we’ve moved to a new location: 4454 East Thomas Rd. Thank you for helping us grow over the years. Stop by and experience our new design showroom! 4454 East Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 602.508.0800 liwindow.com 5,>36*(;065