Kelda Poynot, homeschooling consultant, author, and educator has helped hundreds of families navigate the maze of options for schooling their children. She homeschooled her own children over the past 20 years and just graduated her youngest child in May this year. She joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey and share the many benefits of homeschooling.

Kelda was a middle school math and language teacher for seven years and also worked as a school counselor, having earned a BA in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Counseling from Louisiana Tech. She discovered the world of homeschooling when she attended a workshop on behalf of her sister; she left the meeting feeling like she "had been in a tent revival," charged up in realizing how this simple method of teaching offered a wonderful alternative to traditional teaching methods. She never dreamed that homeschooling would become her niche.

Kelda Poynot pictured with her family. All of her children were homeschooled throughout elementary, middle school, and high school, with the exception of her oldest son who attended high school at the Early College Academy at SLCC in Lafayette and who just graduated with an MBA.

While typically 3.3% of the U. S. considers homeschooling a viable choice in educating their children, several surveys have found that over 40% of American families are considering homeschooling during the 2020-2021 school year given the COVID-19 shutdown.

Experts advise that homeschooling is not for everyone, and Poynot concurs and says, "I do not ascribe to the notion that homeschooling is for everyone. There are too many factors to consider, and I don't believe that one size fits all." But for those for whom it works, it is a viable and rewarding path that affords families flexibility in scheduling their time and allows a child to learn at his or her own pace.

Transitioning to homeschooling from traditional schooling takes time, but for many children it's a relief from stress and anxiety. The pace slows down, but the academic structure and curriculums are solid. Poynot shared anecdotes of students who were anxious, almost to the point of being hospitalized when they switched to homeschooling; it typically takes about six months, but predictably, students will slow down their pace, relax and thrive in their schooling.

Poynot stressed that people shouldn't worry about proper socializing of their children if they don't attend traditional public school. Her own kids were very engaged in sports, scouts, church, volunteer activities and clubs. And she said, "When you think about it, when do you hang out with everyone that's the same age at any other time than in school? Once you get out of school, that's never how it is."

Homeschooling is different from the online public school curriculum that Louisiana school districts are offering in that the parents or caretakers take the reins and are responsible for the curriculum.

In Louisiana, children who are homeschooled must be registered with the Department of Education by the time they reach 7 years of age. According to the department's website, ttps://www.louisianabelieves.com/, approximately 20,000 families choose homeschooling each year. You do not need teacher certification to educate your child at home.

There are two homeschool education options to choose from in Louisiana: (1) Non-public school (not seeking state approval or accreditation) where the parents agree to home school for 180 days for the school year and are responsible for the curriculum. You submit a letter or email annually to the Department of Education with your intent to homeschool.  The disadvantage of this first option is that children under this program are not el...