SOPHIA: BEING HOMESCHOOLED

Reader Sophia sheds light on what it's like to be homeschooled... 

Sophia says:

Friends: ‘Primary school was so much fun!..Which primary school did you go to?’

Me: ‘Umm..’

Friends:’Oh yeah! You were homeschooled, I almost forgot!, So, what was it like?..’

That’s an average conversation for me; I was homeschooled for six years of my life, until the age of eleven when I started Secondary School. My dad taught my sister Nadia and I at home; he had been a teacher for twenty years and now he’s a tutor. He prepared me my whole life for the entrance exam for certain schools - the 11+, because he wanted me to have the best chance of going to a good school and I had to study very hard! I studied Maths, English, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning, all to prepare me for the one exam which would determine which secondary school I’d go to. I was a very sociable child and always eager to make friends - I spoke to everyone I met! I had many hobbies; I loved writing and have kept a diary from a young age. I used to write stories about characters whom I invented! I also loved playing with dolls, I used to make them talk to each other! I loved to read, I kept a reading journal and as I look back on it now, I realise I mostly read Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson books, which were my utmost favourite!

Being an extremely sociable child meant that I had to make friends, and because I didn’t attend a primary school, this was a little harder. Thankfully, some of my mum’s close friends had children who were around about the same age as me and we made friends and we still are today! I also attended Swimming, Pottery, Arabic, Gymnastics and Piano lessons weekly, and on top of that I was (and still am) a keen baker. Oh, and I also enjoy singing!

I was a very busy person! When I was younger I had always wanted to be a farmer or an author - I have no idea why being a farmer appealed to me so much, although I do love animals. Being an author was always a dream of mine and I still love writing today, although I’m not so sure about being a farmer! I loved being homeschooled and I am extremely grateful to my dad for helping me prepare for the 11+ exam. Thankfully I passed it, and now I go to wonderful secondary school where I am very happy! I have made lots of friends and I still participate in any extracurricular activities.

I hope that after reading this you’ll understand what it means to be homeschooled!

Photograph by Nes Rine, with many thanks!

Cathy says: 

It's so great to hear your experience of homeschooling. People often assume it can be quite a lonely way to grow up, but that's rarely the case. Were YOU homeschooled? How was it for YOU? COMMENT BELOW...