Family Spotlight: How Homeschooling Benefits the Whole Family
The Ayalas have been a Visions family for nearly eight years. Mom Sophia and dad Ruben have four boys – Josiah, Isaiah, and twins Ethan and Azariah – and had expectations for their children’s education long before they were students.
While safety and parental choice were high priorities for Sophia, Ruben wanted an educational environment that would go beyond traditional academics and teach his sons communication, cooperation, and life skills. The benefits of Visions’ Home School Academy, including curriculum options, a flexible learning environment, and numerous enrichment activities, was the perfect fit for both parents’ desires.
“I realized that at such a young age, it is necessary to teach our children the fundamental skills that could help them become productive citizens of society. In order to do that, they need to learn how to communicate and contribute to the community,” explains Ruben. “It is important to us to make sure that we teach our children values and principles that they can use every day, now and in the future. We hope that by their example, they encourage others also to contribute to the community and always be good neighbors wherever they may go, and what better place to do this than at home.”
As the Ayalas have adapted to a homeschool environment at Visions, they’ve found that not only are their fundamental needs being met, they are also experiencing countless other benefits of at-home learning. There is more time spent together as a family, the opportunity to meet the unique learning needs of each of their children, and the ability for their boys to give back to the community.
“Our children are gaining the fundamental skills they need to succeed in life, such as reading, writing and math. In addition, they are also learning that in many parts of life they have choices, but it is up to them to take responsibility for themselves so that they can accomplish their goals,” says Ruben. “Also, they are learning to give back to the community through volunteer work which is fulfilling, and they can take these principles and guidelines with them into adulthood to benefit themselves and others.”
Taking Advantage of Visions’ Advantages
In our Home School Academy, our parent partners work with our credentialed teachers to ensure that students stay on track with their education. The Ayalas are supported by CT Annmarie Woehler, who is a guiding light in all things curriculum, standards, and testing for the family.
“We have a fantastic relationship with our CT, Annmarie Woehler. We love her because you can tell she cares about each student and endeavors to work with them individually according to their needs. She is reasonable, communicates well, and has a great listening ear. We couldn’t ask for a better teacher.”
Beyond their academics, Josiah, Isaiah, Azariah and Ethan all love basketball, football, guitar, and ukulele, and the family uses their $3,000 budget to pay for these services from some of our Enrichment Vendors.
“We make good use of enrichment!” says Ruben. “All the boys take music lessons, from ukulele to guitar. In addition, the two older boys have learned to swim through swimming lessons.”
Homeschooling Tips & Tricks
Having homeschooled for eight years now, the Ayalas have certainly found their rhythm, even through teaching four boys in three different grades. With set schedules, go-to teaching methods, and more, Sophia and Ruben have found what works best for their family.
“Preparation for the school day begins the night before, where we make sure that they go to bed on time so that they can feel good in the morning. We have the older two children start school at 8:00am and the twins at 9:00am,” explains Ruben. “Although we make a concerted effort to have a schedule, we also try to be flexible.”
“All our boys start with Language Arts followed by Math and, depending on the day, then do Science or Social Studies. In between we eat lunch and often play basketball and, when the weather is nice, we take a walk in our neighborhood [or] practice music,” Sophia adds.
With regard to teaching methods and learning styles, Sophia prefers to work one-on-one with each child. Doing so benefits each of the boys, who may learn differently from their brothers (even identical twins in the same grade!). Then, Sophia loves bringing them all together for group learning activities.
“I enjoy doing science group projects because it’s fun to work together, and the older children learn to help and include the two younger ones.”
“I also enjoy helping them to learn to work together by learning from each other’s strengths and having them practice together with things like spelling words and math flash cards,” adds Ruben.
At the end of the day, both parents endeavor to teach responsibility in their children. Whether it be through chore charts, daily check-ins, or together time spent completing their school work, their goal continues to be instilling a sense of self-sufficiency in all four boys.
Reaping the Rewards
Although homeschooling can be challenging at times, it’s an endeavor that is more than worth it for Sophia and Ruben. As parents, educational partners, and lifelong learners themselves, Visions is a place where parents and students alike can thrive.
“Homeschooling is a lot of responsibility, but at the end of the day, it’s a joy to see our children grow. They all shine with qualities that really make life special,” says Ruben. “We believe that it is our responsibility to teach our children and feel that it is so important to be with them to see them grow, since we cannot get these years back.”
“Homeschooling four children is very rewarding. It take constant readjusting and teamwork and consistency. As children grow and change, we can rejoice together in their progress and changes in a way we would not see first hand otherwise,” adds Sophia. “The reward comes from knowing we have taken part in our children’s education, and for that we as parents are very proud.”
