Rural homeschooling in NZ: the Welch family
Hi Heather, can you tell us a bit about your family, the age of your child, and what prompted you to choose rural homeschooling in NZ?
Blending flexibility and structure
It sounds like home education has been the perfect fit for you! Can you tell us about the mix of flexibility and structure in your timetable?
Our mornings start with structured learning through workbooks, including Start Right Workbooks. Though we review her progress together, our daughter is an early riser and works independently. We also take a morning walk. After a snack and outdoor time, she engages in unit studies, projects, or educational games. Lunchtime is followed by art, music, sports, reading, and language learning, with Irish being her current favourite.
Recently, our daughter completed a beginners' archery course, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Her coach provided her with a training plan to build strength and practice. Together with her dad, she built an outdoor foam archery target we set up in our front paddock. On Saturdays, she has keyboard lessons, and on Sundays, she practices archery.
We follow a year-round learning schedule, viewing each day as an opportunity for growth. Sometimes our routine includes errands, grocery shopping, visiting family, or household chores, which we integrate as learning experiences. Living off the grid with solar power, we plan electricity-intensive activities on sunny days, especially in winter. We've also been able to travel around NZ as well as enjoy our local area thanks to homeschooling. She's been a lot healthier and is a lot happier, feels more supported and is more confident in herself! We're very happy with our decision to homeschool.
Delving deep
She can learn at her own pace and in ways that suit her learning style, making home education a great option for her. She has the time to delve deep into her interests and shape her own learning journey. This was our biggest drawcard for wanting to homeschool.
We also own and manage a company from home, giving my daughter a unique opportunity to see how this works. She often joins me on business-related errands.
Using Start Right Workbooks
She enjoys using the workbooks and loves sharing her interests with us. A standout moment was when the Year 6 Start Right Science workbook prompted us to read One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin. This led to enjoyable conversations about sea travel and exploration. Inspired, she chose Darwin's Dragons as a summer reading reward, and we also explored On the Origin of Species, deepening her fascination with nature and Darwin’s discoveries.
The 'Extra for Experts' projects encourage creative thinking and applying critical skills. Questions throughout the workbooks are phrased in a way that prompts her to engage further and do additional research.LearnWell workbooks have been a part of our journey for five years, and I see them continuing to be essential as we invest in the Year 8 range!
Homeschool hub
I’m genuinely excited about the recent email update from LearnWell regarding the Homeschool Hub! The workbooks are already a fantastic resource, and the development of the Homeschool Hub feels like a meaningful recognition of homeschooling as a valid educational path in NZ. It’s a wonderful initiative that provides valuable support for families like ours. Thank you!
Note about the photos:
In the photo with the Year 7 Start Right Science Workbook, we got the brain model from Kmart along with their other great anatomical models, which have been fantastic hands-on tools to use in conjunction with the LearnWell workbooks! We have a homeschool cart beside her desk that holds workbooks and other resources. Her favourite subject is currently maths!