Has school destroyed your creativity and self-confidence? I'm working on a book called Recovering From School, to help you heal the damage caused. Join the Patreon or Newsletter to be notified about updates. Paid Patreon members will get early draft previews, as well as a free digital copy when it's done.

New resource for homeschoolers in Portsmouth

Necessity may be the mother of invention and in this case, it's a joint product of mom and dad.

Home schooling is an option that combines family togetherness and learning, a choice that is increasing in popularity, but finding resources and like-minded people to support that choice can be difficult.

Enter Carrie Whalen-Morrin and her husband, Jonathon Morrin, who have opened The Village Garden Alternative Education Centre in Portsmouth Village.

Located in an old limestone church at 716 King St. West, the centre offers resources and information about home schooling as well as two group activities. The Games Club meets every Tuesday from 2 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. and is open to all ages, and every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m.-noon there is a family play group for stay at home parents of babies/toddlers/preschoolers. There are plans for more programs at The Village Garden to be phased in over the next year as the membership grows.

Whalen-Morrin, who runs Young Artists of Kingston art programs during the summer, March break and school P.A. days, home schools her 8-year-old son Darragh. She and Jonathon also have a 20-month-old daughter Aoife, and a third child due any day which they also plan to home school.

Whalen-Morrin said she was getting frustrated because there really wasn't enough for her son to do in the community with other home-schooled children. There were a couple of other organizations for home schooled children but transportation was an issue, she said.

"We cycle everywhere so we couldn't really get out into the country to some of the activities happening in the other home school groups so we decided that we were going to do programs here and make them accessible and free."

Whalen-Morrin has always been interested in alternative education, and because she works seasonally, it works out well for her.

"I can spend my time at home with my kids which is what I want to do now," she said.

There are several different ways to home school and it is up to a families individual choice how they want to do it, whether it is following a curriculum or letting kids learn from life, she says.

"A lot of people un-school and they don't do any curriculum at all, which is really popular."

As far as the law is concerned, you only have to be providing adequate education, she said. She and her husband have chosen to follow the government curriculum and sit down and do an hour of bookwork each day with Darragh. They also keep in contact with Centennial Public School and meet with the principal every two months to check Darragh's progress and discuss suggestions.

The games club has been running for a month and a half and there are quite a varied group of kids that come.

"We have about six teenagers who come and play role-playing games while the younger kids play simpler games or play with the toys," said Whalen-Morrin.

The kids clearly love being able to socialize and play with other kids their age.

Victor Kaduck, 11, from Kingston, has been home schooled since December because he has trouble learning in mainstream schools.

"It's very freeing, I can learn what I want to learn, and I'm not programmed to colour inside of the lines," he said.

His brother Anton, 15, has autism. He is high-functioning but said he learns differently from other classmates. He found that the public school system didn't accommodate his different learning style. For him home schooling is proving successful.

"I think I have learned more than I did in all of elementary school."

For more information about the centre or to join the centre visit http://www.yakingston.com/ and click on the face book link for more info.

Source

Posted in: News on December 17, 2009 @ 2:14 AM

Tags: Alternatives, Homeschooling, School

If you like what we're doing here, you can become a Patron and sign up for our newsletter!