Religious beliefs motivate family to choose home schooling

When Lisa Bergmann started home-schooling her children about 10 years ago, she wasn’t too sure of herself. Her husband Tom was somewhat cool to the idea.

But they decided they wanted more control over their children’s education and took the plunge. Now they are convinced it was the right decision. They continue to home-school their eight children — ages 16, 14, 11 (twins), 8, 6, 4 and 1 1/2), and have co-founded a home-schooling support group in Shawano.

They are motivated largely by religious beliefs.

“We see children as blessings from God, and we are invested by God to nurture and train them,” Lisa said.

Their first child attended public school until second grade, and by that time they knew some home-schoolers and had started talking about home schooling.

A “good touch/bad touch” lesson in their child’s second grade class was a turning point.

“We decided parents should choose when and how to approach that,” Lisa said.

They felt the same about sex and drug education and were concerned that prayer and Christian values were omitted or downplayed in school.

“We want to make sure the kids have a Godly character and strong moral foundation, along with the ability to think for themselves, confidence to stand up for themselves and not be influenced unduly by peers,” she said. “When children are away from home six or seven hours a day, it’s hard to know what they are being taught.”

Lack of interaction with other children is often brought up as a reason not to home-school, but Lisa said her children have many opportunities for socialization.

“Healthy socialization starts at home. Children need to interact with people of all ages. We don’t believe that it’s healthy for kids to spend all day with a lot of kids their own age.”

The Bergmanns also thought home schooling was a good way to strengthen their family, and they say it has.

“We see healthy relationships. My children really like each other. My teens talk to me and trust me to discuss important issues. … I’m not seeing a disconnect or rebellion” Lisa said. “We know our children intimately, so if there’s an issue, we can address it right then and there.”

The children also are strong individuals, Lisa said.

“My older kids can stand on their own, know what they believe in and can articulate it. The older kids are independent learners. If they don’t know something, they’ll look it up, and they love to read. That was one big goal,” she said.

The couple believes more one-on-one tutorials, lessons tailored to each child’s needs, and the ability to take advantage of teachable moments help their children to achieve academic excellence.

Curriculum and scheduling

In Wisconsin, 875 hours of instruction are required for home-schoolers and the program must provide a “… sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health,” according to the DPI website. Parents register with the state and are encouraged to document their work, but the state provides no curriculum or direct oversight.

Lisa is the main teacher, and Tom, a nurse, handles math in the evenings.

Juggling the demands of homemaker and teacher is challenging, and having a routine for herself and the children is essential, Lisa said.

A schedule is posted. There is a lesson plan for each child for the week. The day usually starts with a Bible lesson, singing and prayer.

Then Lisa works more directly with the younger children, taking them through lessons and taking turns with them. There is a designated schoolroom, but the older kids usually study independently and often “spread out all over the house,” Lisa said. Sometimes they help the younger ones and everyone works around the toddler.

Most instruction is done by lunchtime.

“That gives the children more time to explore play and explore their interests,” Lisa said.

Science and Spanish lessons come after lunch, along with reading or playing outside while she catches up on grading and household chores. The kids also have a list of daily chores. Some of the kids have music lessons outside the home, too. The oldest is in the Shawano High School orchestra.

Unlike at school, home-schoolers can have lessons anytime of the day, any day of the year, but the Bergmanns roughly follow the traditional school year, starting in late August and taking a summer break. However, they might take more time off at Christmas or schedule a September vacation, if that’s when Tom can get time off work, Lisa said.

Preparation and resources

Preparation for Lisa is ongoing.

Though “grappling with self-confidence,” at first, Lisa said she educated herself by talking with home-schooling families and reading.

“It’s an ongoing process,” she said. “I keep learning each year.”

She finds the “biggest help” is parent-to-parent support, including information on blogs.

There are lots of philosophies and academic approaches and talking to parents with experience is very helpful, she said, especially in light of an explosion in home-schooling materials.

“Twenty years ago, when home-schooling was being resurrected, curriculum choices were limited,” Lisa said. “Now it’s a huge market.”

The Bergmanns decided a “textbook approach” was not for them. Instead, Lisa custom picks materials, including aids like computer-based Spanish lessons. For the younger kids, she can combine subjects like history, Bible study, science, art and music.

The library is a well-used resource and some lessons come from activities like grocery shopping and service projects.

The family is involved in church, Scouts, with neighbors, and with Wolf River Home Schoolers, who organize field trips, get-togethers, sports, an annual musical and much more.

But they try not to overdo planned activities.

“It’s so easy to over schedule which can lead to a stressful lifestyle. … We don’t do everything, but if we think it’s of value, we’ll join in. We simplify our lives so we can do the important things.”

Challenges

Home schooling takes money, commitment, lifestyle changes and time adjustments, Lisa said, and there are sacrifices, like access to fewer sports opportunities.

One of their sons wanted to play football and sent a letter to the WIAA requesting he be allowed to play, but was told that violated the organization’s rules.

And sometimes people challenge parents’ qualifications to teach, but Lisa cites research by Dr. Brian Ray showing home-schooled children perform the same on standardized achievement tests whether parents have degrees or not.

In addition, the military and colleges have become more accepting of home-schooled children. Some schools even recruit them, noting their maturity and ability to learn independently.

“The stigma is being erased, Lisa said.

For some parent-teachers, too much time with the children can be an issue, but Lisa said it is not for her.

“The Lord has taught me to be more content at home,” she said, and she finds time alone reading calms her, when things get stressful.

“It’s been a wonderful journey this far … fun and challenging,” she said.

She looks forward to her first child’s graduation.

“That will be a big thing.”

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Religious beliefs motivate family to choose home schooling

When Lisa Bergmann started home-schooling her children about 10 years ago, she wasn’t too sure of herself. Her husband Tom was somewhat cool to the idea.

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