Comments on: Homeschooling Expat Children: Perfect Solution Or Missed Opportunity?

By: Brianna

Brianna — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:38:12 +0000

Hello,
I am currently doing some research into schooling options as my husband and I approach a possible year in Bavaria, Germany. International school is not an option, as we cannot afford the tuition for our two daughters, aged 7 and 9. I have read that homeschooling is not an option in Germany except in rare occasions, but I am very, very reluctant to send them to the local German school since we do not speak German at all. We are beginning to learn it now, but will be nowhere near fluent by the time we arrive. I was wondering if you know what the local German school might do with a child who only speaks English. Do they have programs for German as a second language in their schools? Thank you for this website. I have only just now found it, and look forward to delving into all the material as we approach our year abroad.

By: Emmanuelle Archer

Emmanuelle Archer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:07:54 +0000

Hi again M.,

An ESL teacher friend of mine gave me a few pointers regarding English language arts materials.
I am sending you an email with more comprehensive details, but I thought I would post her general advice here, in case other expat parents find it helpful:

- Contact your local American University. They probably maintain their own resource centre; if not, they can refer you to local bookshops that carry homeschooling materials in English

- If necessary, talk to several staff members / salespeople until you find one who understands your specific needs and asks enough questions to gauge your children’s level

- Hire an experienced English tutor to assess your children’s level and tell you what materials to get.

I hope this helps – all the best to you and your family!
Emmanuelle

By: Emmanuelle Archer

Emmanuelle Archer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:56:32 +0000

Hi Jeramiah,

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. It’s always great to hear from people who know firsthand what it is like – and with 4 homeschooled children, it sounds like you definitely have a lot of practice!

Are there big age gaps between your children? I can imagine that it must be quite the commitment in terms of time and energy to homeschool several children who are learning at different paces and with different materials according to their respective grade.

Have a great evening,
Emmanuelle

By: Jeramiah

Jeramiah — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:41:56 +0000

Hi, I’m a homeschooling father of 4 (soon to be 5)and wanted to chime in.

The reasons people homeschool are various. Some of the main benefits is that the children are (almost)always dealing with adults who are proficient in communicating and in their given skills. Even in a foreign environment the children will gain a greater knowledge and experience through home education because their involvement will be largely with adults.

Any homeschool family has a greater opportunity to live an introverted lifestyle, but from personal experience I can say that the introverted homeschool family is the worst stereo type I’ve ever heard. Most homeschool families deal with being too busy (Yes, much more busy than public school families) because they are not constrained by the public school schedule.

As for supplementary English materials – I suggest just finding English books and spending time reading.

My best to you.

By: Emmanuelle Archer

Emmanuelle Archer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:56:39 +0000

Hello M., and thank you for your comment.

It’s great that you’re willing to devote the time to work with your children on their English skills. I understand your concern – having gone through the French curriculum, I can attest that Southern European countries don’t do a good job of teaching English to children.

I don’t have firsthand experience with homeschooling materials, so I am putting your question out to my newsletter readers and on Twitter. I will keep you posted as soon as I have some recommendations to pass on.

Have a great evening / day,
Emmanuelle

By: M.

M. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:07:45 +0000

I’m currently just beginning to learn about homeschooling in general. I’m a US citizen married to an Italian man and we’ve lived in Italy for the last 14 years. We have 3 children, ages 7, 5, and 2. They have double citizenship and my older 2 attend the local public Italian preschool and elementary school. I’d very much like to supplement my kids’ education with extra English/language arts material, because I know that if I leave it to the Italian public school system, my kids will not develop good reading and writing skills in the English language. We do not live near any international schools. I hope someone could direct me to some good supplementary English language arts materials that I can use with my own children in the afternoons.