Homeschooling Makes The Grade

WMBD/WYZZ-TV—PEORIA--More families are choosing to home-school these days.

 The Department of Education says nationwide more than two million children are educated at home.

   At only 15 years old, Sarah Dremann, of Dunlap is quite the Renaissance woman. Though her parents teach her most of what she's learning as a high school freshman she leads a very active life.

  “I get up and we go to the gym...violin lessons at 12 or 12:20...I try to get as much school as I can done and then leave for orchestra,” she described as a typical day.

  Already, Sarah has traveled to three continents and speaks French.

 “It’s wonderful and then being at home with my parents is another big thing,” she nodded.

    Al Dremann, an Engineer,  handles her Math and Science lessons. Joyce Dreeman, a nurse, teaches her literature. Both say the bond it builds is only one benefit.

“We had some goals for our children that we would rather meet instead of having someone else meet for them; lie in the area of spiritual, physical, and mental and emotional and social,” said Al.

“We wanted to make learning fun for our children, we didn't necessarily want them to just sit down and just do school, we wanted school to be a way of life for them,” said Joyce.  

   The Dremanns aren't alone.

“I think it's good because the parents learn right a long with the children,” said Liz Forthofer, a former public school teacher who now home-schools two children.

Her 14-year-old son,  Daniel Forthofer, said, “I get to go to more field trips because I can take school work with me,” as he compared his life to his traditionally-schooled friends.

And for those wondering if having parents as school teachers adds extra pressure to making the grade,

   “Mothers and fathers to me are suppose to be teachers...it's not a pressure. You want to do your best and they encourage me instead of force me,” said Sarah.

Both families are apart of APACHE.

A home schooling  group that provides resources for more than 300 local families.