Anderson Herald Bulletin

Headline: Homeschooling program tonight at Lapel Public Library

by Avon Waters-staff journalist

August 1, 2002

Lapel, - Facts about parents teaching their own children were driven
home as part of a statewide program to answer questions at the Lapel
Public Library on homeschooling.

Indiana law is one of the most liberal of all states for people
wanting to homeschool their children, said Betty Malone, a member of
the Indiana Home Educators Network and the Madison County Contact for
(IHEN).

Reprsentatives from counties in the network are presenting programs
for the public to get answers and guidance on homeschooling. Malone
will present the program again tonight at 6 pm in the library.

"Some people think homeschooling is a new thing", Malone said.
"Actually compulsory public schooling is the new thing. Homeschooling
has been around for millenia."

There are several support groups for families that homeschool in
Madison County. Membership has soared in Malone's group, Home Schools
United from 40 families several years ago to 120 this year.

Statewide homeschooling is gaining popularity, too, Malone said. Each
year the number of people attending the state homeschool convention
increases. 30,000 attended this year compared to the 1,000 that
attended the first convention 17 years ago.

Malone doesn't bash public schools. She sent four of her five
children to public school in Noblesville. Homeschooling isn't for
everyone.

"The reasons people homeschool are varied and different. Twenty years
ago, most homeschooled for religious reasons," she said. "But a reason
we're hearing more recently, is that people homeschool because they
want to see their child get a better education than the public school
can provide."

Jennifer Brown once taught junior high school but already knows she
will homeschool her children.

"I just felt after teaching in the public schools, this wasn't a
place I wanted my children to go."

History and science in public schools do not teach any religious
content. Brown wants her children to also learn about creation theory
from a Christian point of view.

Another problem she experienced in public schools was the difference
in moral values her students had. She does not want her children to
learn moral values from someone else.

Two tables were filled with books on homeschooling and books for
parents on how children learn. There are books on the market that
help parents with lesson plans and programs available for purchase
with day-by-day lesson plans, Malone said. The Indiana state
standards are available free on the Indiana Department of Education
web site.

For Beth Leininger this will be the second year that she will be
homeschooling a nephew. The boy was pulled from the public school as
a seventh-grader because he had special needs.

The bells in school, crowds of students and noises of the public
school were too distracting for her nephew. His grades and
performance were poor.

"The change in him has been amazing once he was brought home for
schooling," Leininger said.


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Betty Malone

IHEN County Contact - Madison County
Indiana Indiana Home Educator's Network:
"Helping Hoosier's Homeschool"
Web: http//www.ihen.org
E-mail: CountyContacts@ihen.org

Life Learning Center in Anderson, IN
bmalone444@hotmail.com
765-734-1783