Lisa Marchiano

Why I Homeschool Part 4: Resources

If you are considering homeschooling your children, here are some resources that I referenced in my previous articles on homeschooling (Part 1, 2, 3) or that I recommend in general.  This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it’s a good place to start. For general information about homeschooling in Pennsylvania: Ask Pauline Drop-off programs: Talking Stick Learning Center Open...

Lisa Marchiano

Why I Homeschool Part 3: Socialization

Homeschooling offers another social advantage for us. While we have some activities that we stick with all year long and therefore see the same kids each week, we also participate in lots of classes, workshops, and clubs where my children will not know any other kids. My children therefore get plenty of practice in being thrown into new social situations.

Lisa Marchiano

Why I Homeschool Part 2: Curriculum

Where does the “school” part of homeschooling come in?  Here is where we get to what I imagine other parents are thinking of when they say “I could never do that.”  In their minds, I imagine, my children are hunched over workbooks at the kitchen table while I quiz them on phonics rules, or demand that they recite their times tables.  More than one parent has told me that they thought about...

Len Lipkin

Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, I Hope

To balance the recent scandals involving misuse of funds at some Philadelphia charter schools, it was great to see the Inquirer reporting earlier this week that a new group was formed to promote Philadelphia charter schools. This new group, “Philadelphia Charters for Excellence” (PCE) will be composed of Philadelphia charter schools who “meet strict ethical standards.” ...

Lisa Marchiano

Why I Homeschool Part 1: Time and Fun

“I could never do that!” That is the single most common response I get when I tell people that I homeschool.  It perplexes me.  “Why?”  I sometimes want to ask.  What is that they think I am doing that feels impossible for them to do to?  Of course, homeschooling is not for everyone.  School choice is a very personal and complex decision, and homeschooling is not even an option for most...

Len Lipkin

Get Ready for Kindergarten [Video]

For parents and kids starting kindergarten soon. Sorry for posting the broken video embed...

Len Lipkin

When School Choice is Not About School

I have written about the factors involved in my family’s school choice extensively.  Still, trying to figure out the best school is a decision that doesn’t take place in a vacuum of school characteristics.  A slew of other factors have to be accounted for, especially when adding a potential relocation into the mix.  Financial considerations, commute length, neighborhoods, buying/selling/renting a...

Len Lipkin

Friends Schools Mystique Part 1: An Outsider’s Perspective

If you are from Philadelphia, you probably know about the Quaker-backed Friends Schools.  Depending on how widely you define the Philadelphia area, there are about 30 Friends Schools here, I believe among the highest concentration of Quaker schools in the world.  Growing up, the closest one to my house was Moorestown Friends. Though I did not attend, I did take music lessons from one of their teachers...