On homeschooling: An interview with Marowe Sanchez

Homeschooling is something that is near and dear to me, so I like sharing stories about how our family discovered it, and how other homeschooling families did so, too. It may not be for everyone, but it’s certainly worth exploring.

Here, I share with you an interview I did with Marowe Sanchez, the wife of well-known lay preacher, author and speaker, Bo Sanchez. They started Catholic Filipino Academy (CFA), a local homeschooling program, in 2005.

Tina: Please tell us a little bit about how you started with your homeschooling journey. What made you decide to homeschool?

Marowe: 14 years ago I had our first baby. Being a new mom meant the whole world to me. I wanted to give him the best. And with the quest of giving him the best, the question about his education slowly came to fore.

One time while we were in our favorite date place — the bookstore — Bo found the book, How to Teach Your Baby to Read by Glen Doman. We both got excited and bought the book.

I immediately set about applying the techniques the book taught. Bene was only 21/2 years old when he started to read!

Photo: The Sanchezes in 2008

That was also the same time when Bo casually mentioned to me the concept of homeschool. He was gently nudging me to explore this “new” way of schooling. But I was resisting it. At that time, Ate Tina, Bo’s sister, was part of a group of homeschooling families and they were giving a seminar/orientation about what homeschool is all about.

I was very reluctant to attend this seminar but being the obedient wife that I am, I struck a bargain with God. I told Him that I would attend the seminar with an open mind and heart but He needs to make it plain and clear if this is for us.

During the whole seminar, God’s will became clear in my heart. Even before it ended, I knew that this was the path He wanted us to take.

Tina: How old are your kids now? How long have you been homeschooling?

Marowe: Bene is 14 and Francis is 9 years old. I realized that I had already started homeschooling Bene when I taught him how to read using Glen Doman’s philosophy. So we have been homeschooling for about 12 years.

Photo: Bene and 34 other homeschoolers from Catholic Filipino Academy received the Sacrament of Confirmation last month.

After the Homeschool Seminar, I devoured all the available resources I could get hold of. We then decided to use Catholic Heritage Curricula, an American Catholic homeschool curriculum), for Bene in 2004 since our priority was to use a Catholic-based curriculum that was user-friendly. This was before we started CFA, of course.

Tina: What are the benefits of homeschooling to your family?

Marowe: Too many to mention. Here are a few:

Photo: Learning time with Francis, way back in 2009

a. Quantity and quality time together helped in building our relationships with one another

b. The privilege to experience firsthand our children’s triumphs and challenges

c. The privilege to train and influence them in all areas of their life

Photo: Bene has grown to be an active youth and worship leader, serving the Lord like his parents.

Tina: Pls. share your top 5 tips on how to homeschool "successfully" that other families may benefit from. 

Marowe: Here are my tips:

a. Pray.

This is our first tool and weapon as a mom and teacher. We need to be connected to the Source of all things. We need to receive God’s refreshing grace daily.

b. Clarity.

Your reasons for homeschooling should be crystal clear in your mind and heart. When things get hard, you need this anchor so that you won’t burn out.

c. Ask for help.

Please do not do it alone. Your husband, your parent coach (we have parent coaches in CFA), and other homeschooling moms and dads are a rich source of support and love.

Photo: The team behind Catholic Filipino Academy, earlier this year

A lot of the families who stopped homeschooling are those who isolate themselves and don’t connect with their support groups. This is sad because we definitely need all the encouragement we can get.

d. Reading.

I believe this is one of the most important skills you need to focus on. This will lead your child to become a more confident and independent student.

e. Discipline and Structure.

Yes, we need these but I believe that flexibility is equally important. This is one of our aces in homeschool. We need to listen to the verbal and non-verbal cues of our child.

One time, Francis, our youngest, told me that he was tired of homeschooling that day. In my mind I was panicking because we were a few weeks behind in our lessons. But I knew that he was more important and that I needed to be flexible. So I asked him what he wanted to do. He just wanted to have cuddle time.

So we plopped down on the mat and cuddled. Then I couldn’t resist and started asking him about things that we were learning that week. And he willingly answered my questions.

Next, I asked him if he wanted to hear a story about indigenous Filipino families. And he said yes! We had a great time that afternoon — cuddling and learning at the same time.

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Do you have questions about homeschooling? If you do, I’d like to invite you to The Learning Basket’s Community Fair on December 7, 2014. There will be an opportunity for you to talk to other homeschooling parents there. You can also leave me a message here.