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up to the public education system; we would give infants 12 months to learn how to walk. If they failed, we would segregate them into a special "remedial walking" class. If after 2 or three months of this, we'd fit them to a wheelchair and say, "Well, Johnny, this is the only way you'll ever keep up with the other children."

The fact is that in almost every case, children learn how to walk. Some take a little longer than others, but everybody gets it. I'm not talking about children with real special needs and or challenges. I'm talking about regular kids. They all learn to walk, talk, tie their shoes, tell time, wipe their bottom and brush their teeth. Every single one of them.

But they learn it through mastery, not taking pop quizzes. As parents, we lavish attention on our children, giving them encouragement, guidance and leadership. And it works. But for some reason, when they get to first grade, we switch up all the rules and start grading on a curve.

Home-school parents have teaching groups, study groups, more field trips than you can imagine and they integrate the child in everyday life. That's how people have been learning for thousands of years. It works.

This brings up the second objection; Socialization. Frankly, if you want to tell me that it' better to put my children in an environment that promotes bullying, drugs, gang violence, promiscuous sex and apathy towards intellectual endeavors... don't waste your time. My children get to interact with a wide range of other children, people from other cultures, different socio-economic strata and they don't have to deal with the crushing weight of peer pressure and blind conformity.

My children get plenty of experience dealing with conflict, negotiation and resolution with each other and their friends. They are not "shut-ins" nor are they outcasts. My seven year old daughter has a social calendar that looks like a pop star's; what with teas, afternoons playing on the jungle-gym, sleep-overs, Barbie's, and other get-togethers. On the other hand, my 10 year old son is more introverted, preferring to spend more time by himself and a few friends. But he's the hit at my health club, where he can intelligently discuss current events and recent scientific breakthroughs with a range of grown men. He is polite, respectful and well spoken.

Our approach to school is what we call, "Integrated Learning". Instead of simply reading about something and taking a test on it, we strive to make it real and alive. For instance, if we were studying Geology, we might go to a cliff and look at the different layers, exploring fossils and such. I say "we" for a purpose; "we" all learn, all the time. If I am curious about the earth and how it is made, then my children are more likely to be as well. So, I lead by example, by learning.

Certainly, if you don't like expanding your knowledge, aren't interested in learning yourself, you probably aren't going to be as successful a home-school parent as you could be. Then again, if you simply get out of your child's way and provide them with some basic tools and resources... and insulate them from the negative aspects of our public education system - you probably can't go too wrong either.

Learn more about this author, Erik Olson.
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