Ever had a child-training problem and not know what to do? I have, and I have turned again and again to a wonderful little book entitled, To Train Up A Child by Michael and Debi Pearl. This book has gone worldwide and has helped countless numbers of parents with their child-training questions. The Pearls also happen to be among the pioneers of homeschooling in the early 1970s, during the movement's turbulent beginnings.
We are so pleased to have Rebekah Anast (formerly Rebekah Pearl) with us to let us in on what it was like being a homeschooled child under the tutelage of the infamous Pearls during this breaking movement called home education.
TOS: As pioneers of the homeschooling movement in the 1970s, there were no written educational philosophies as of yet. Rebekah, can you tell us what it was it that directed your parents' steps in deciding their educational ideas and philosophies?
Rebekah: "We're going to teach them at home, Deb..." Dad told Mom, when I was still too young to know what "school" was. Dad had been a student in the inner-city schools of Memphis, Tennessee through high school. Even back then, there was so much junk going on that now Dad didn't want his children to be exposed to the nonsense and filth he was subjected to. My parents had never heard of "homeschooling", but Dad reasoned that public schools had not always been the primary means of education. Some of our finest presidents had studied in their own homes – why not the Pearl children? Mom was – and still is – an enthusiast of any new and radical idea that promotes simplicity and family. She had learning difficulties in her own education, due to extreme hearing problems, but she was willing to start all over again and learn phonics with me, her first student. Their philosophy? Family is what counts! Everything else falls under politics, fads and flesh. They intended to enjoy their children to the fullest, and thank God, they did.
TOS: Sounds like the whole family would benefit from your parents' decision to teach at home. However, there were some struggles. Would you share those with us?
Rebekah: Let's see...I was born in '74. I’d say their biggest struggle was my dyslexia! I saw the world so completely backwards; I had to hold things in front of a mirror to see them correctly. If homeschooling had not been available to me, I'd probably still be riding the short yellow bus to a "special" school. Mom did wonders with my brain by using hands-on learning tools such as finger paint, Play Dough, sand drawing and refrigerator magnets. She turned my "backward" brain around – a fact that has made a huge difference in my life today as a writer and homeschool mother of my own children.
Another struggle they faced was simply explaining themselves to others. "Your children don't go to school???" People thought they were crazy. When Mom and Dad weren't around, friends and relatives would ask me questions like, "Do you know what a noun is?" They were sure we were going to grow up to be cross-eyed country bumpkins without a grain of intelligence.
I'd say the smallest struggle was the actual homeschooling. Since having my own children, I've realized that both learning and teaching are very natural. And if ever there was a natural teacher in this world, it's my mom. Although she could hardly pronounce a long word correctly, she could teach like a genius. I think her secret was her own avid curiosity and joy of learning. She carried us along with her like the ocean tide.
TOS: One of the great joys of homeschooling is when a mother sees one of her strugglers or stragglers going forward and enjoying the ride. Obviously, your mother was the perfect teacher for you regardless of what the state might have thought. Didn't your parents have some negative media attention regarding their decision to homeschool?
Rebekah: Actually, the media wasn't negative. It was a strategic move by my Dad to take the heat off of us. Social Services had gotten wind of our home education, and we were given a court summons. The judge and a few power-hungry and small-minded individuals assured Dad that his children would be taken away from him and put into state care. Dad came home, and within half an hour had three television stations and three newspapers scheduled to do a story on us. They came out to our rather fine home in the Shelby forest and filmed me (eight-year-old Rebekah) playing the piano, my brother Gabriel working in the shop with Dad, and my four-year-old brother Nathan swinging on a rope over the pond. They talked about Dad's Bachelor of Science education, his artwork (he was a professional landscape painter) and showed clips of our schoolroom with posters and desks all tidy and organized. (Actually, we did most of our school in the yard or the kitchen – but it sure looked good.) They put forward the question, why didn't the state just test us, and leave us alone if we tested up to state standards? Dad's strategy more than succeeded. The state let go of us in a panic, and families all over the place started calling us for information about homeschooling. We had started a home education stampede. I was tested at a third-grade level and came out like Shirley Temple in Captain January (she was homeschooled in that film).
TOS: And, like Captain January, those pioneers of homeschooling had to prove themselves to the world that teaching at home was at the very least equal, if not completely superior to, a governmental educational system. Additionally, that home education stampede you mentioned is continuing to grow phenomenally in every state because of its good reputation. Your parents helped pave the way for the future, even though things became scary for them for a while. They even had plans in place if the state would not "leave you alone." Can you tell us about that?
Rebekah: Because the law had not been established yet and the local DHS was doing some really scary threatening, we had a planned escape route with our Nanny and Daddy Bill being willing to take us out of the state.
TOS: Fortunately, it never got that far, and your family was allowed to exercise their freedom to homeschool. What was your parents' educational philosophy, and how did that show itself in your home education?
Rebekah: First of all, have fun. Everything we did was an interesting and fun experiment or game. We had times table games, spelling games and field trips as varied as a tour through the Coca Cola factory, or a three-month bus trip through Mexico and into Central America. Dad's ruling guide was that his own life and career could wait – ours came first now.
Secondly, and just as important, Mom and Dad believed that "teaching and learning" was not a set time spent in the classroom. They talked to us continually. Dad told us stories that tied history together like one big picture. He explained life and nature to us in such relaxed give-and-take conversation that we never knew we were learning advanced science. I remember getting my first science workbook and being shocked at how dumb the questions were. Dad had explained cloud formations, tadpoles and pollination long before we were able to read about it. I think a lot of parents fail to talk to their children, and thus make homeschooling much harder for themselves.
TOS: Talking with our children is more important than we sometimes realize. Thank you for that practical reminder. If we would just talk more, we could spend less on expensive curriculum. Being homeschooling pioneers, there wasn't much on the market to choose from as far as curriculum, was there? What did your parents use before the days of published curriculum?
Rebekah: Dirt, sand, paint and lots of paper. Mom bought old textbooks at second-hand stores and bookstores to help her know what she should be teaching. The library was our second home. We practically lived there during the winter. I remember when a certain Christian company first offered curriculum to individuals. Mom bought the whole third grade, I think. When the box arrived, she just sat down on the carpet and cried. She didn't know how in the world she was going to get me through all those books in one year. It didn't take her long to realize that curriculum, although a nice idea – and often helpful – is not the defining factor of good homeschooling.
TOS: You have notably gained much from "good homeschooling." Rebekah, what are the benefits to you personally of being homeschooled?
Rebekah: I am confident. It never crosses my mind that I can't do or learn whatever life demands of me. My education is not my limitation. My parents taught me HOW TO LEARN. I am not finished with "school"; I am still learning every single day. My life is full of projects – subjects or tasks that I have set out to learn. This week I learned how to make a cough syrup for babies out of anise seeds, wild cherry bark, comfrey and glycerin. It worked! I am presently researching new heat-preserving materials for gardening purposes. I am still being "homeschooled", and I will be forever. Homeschooling trumped all my limitations: mental, emotional and physical. It taught me how to work for what I want, where to look for answers and how to apply every useful bit of knowledge to my daily life. I can't imagine offering anything less to my own children.
TOS: I absolutely agree! You are a shining example of what we can look forward to in our own children as we teach them to teach themselves. Thank you, Rebekah, for sharing with us. We can't wait to continue this conversation next issue!
Rebekah Joy Anast is the daughter of Michael and Debi Pearl, authors of To Train Up a Child. Rebekah is now the wife of Gabriel Anast and mother of three children. She was homeschooled Pre-K through high school and later received a BA in linguistics. More of Rebekah's articles can be seen at www.nogreaterjoy.org.
Deborah Wuehler is the Senior Editor, Chapel Editor, and Devotional Editor for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She resides in Roseville, California with her husband Richard and their seven gifts from heaven. She loves digging for buried treasure in the Word, reading, writing, homeschooling, and dark chocolate!
www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/DevDoorDeborah
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