Sanibel Offers a Great Home Schooling Model

The world has changed.

We telecommute to work.

We shop on line.

And we home school.

Now, if you did not know how significant a trend home schooling is, consider that in the state of Florida alone there were 56,000 children learning at home in 2007, up from 10,039 in the 1991-92 school year.

There are controversial aspects to home schooling. Many towns and cities in Florida and across the country complain about the loss of per pupil funding. Educators point to the "brain drain" with some of the most affluent and articulate parents no longer involved in public education. Others challenge whether parents as a whole have the skills to teach. And social scientists question whether the home school environment sufficiently prepares children for the diversity of democratic living or adequately socializes them for main stream USA.

But according to a study done at the University of Florida for the home schooled child there is much to gain.

The study found home schoolers were generally more patient and less competitive. They tended to introduce themselves to one another more; they didn't fight as much. And the home schoolers were much more prone to exchange addresses and phone numbers.For now, home schooling is still growing, and it's no longer confined to a fringe that may never have believed in the idea of public education. People from all political and social strata are discovering the benefits of home schooling.Of course, home schooling is not for every family.

The necessity of at least one parent being home for the concept to work would eliminate the opportunity for many moms and dads who work out of the home. And no doubt there are an enormous amount of resources required for home schooling to function well.

But the benefits are numerous, including the opportunity for the family not to be tied to summer months or winter holidays to vacation. And off season vacations are generally less expensive, so there is cost savings as well as flexibility built into the holiday.

We have had several home school families stay at our vacation rental properties on Sanibel for anywhere from a week to several months. Those who stayed for extended periods were able to do so as the parents worked from home. But both groups wrote back to say how wonderful the experience was. In a few instances the experience was so good that the families decided to make Sanibel their home, and bought their own properties.

Sanibel is a small community and for the home schooling family, it is easy to meet other home schoolers who can become part of a play group or study group.In addition, there are many organizations on the Island that have classes, projects and courses that are available all year round during the week as well as week-ends. The learning that takes place in these venues become a study unit of great interest to both the student and parent.

And, of course, for home schoolers or any one visiting the island, the environment provides for spontaneous and natural learning. Children and adults exploring Sanibel are guaranteed to find a wealth of discovery on a daily basis.