THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120201
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
``MOMMY NEEDS new toys! Mommy needs new toys!,'' chanted Norfolk resident Deborah Antony, as she contemplated several ``for sale'' items at the Pavilion last Saturday.
Antony, who currently teaches two of her four daughters at home, was one of more than 1,000 interested people from all over Hampton Roads who showed up for this year's ``Tidewater Home School Curriculum Fair.''
Sponsored by BEACH (The Beach Educators Association for Creative Homeschooling), the two-day fair hosted representatives from a variety of correspondence schools and publishers. Major corporations, such as Bob Jones University Press and A Beka Book, as well as local businesses, like Moore Expressions and Origin Science Association, set up colorful booths packed with merchandise.
``The purpose of the fair is to provide information and curriculum and resource materials to current and potential home-schoolers,'' said BEACH president Don Plaster.
Besides giving various companies the chance to sell their books, workbooks and activities, the fair featured several target workshops for parents. Home educators learned how to be better teachers with seminars such as ``Teaching Latin'' and ``Designing a Child-centered Kindergarten Program,'' while potential home-schoolers got some advice from ``How To Begin Home Schooling.''
Newport News resident Laura Wilson was one of those parents. She plans to begin home-schooling her daughter, 4-year-old Katie, in the fall.
``I think Mom is the best person to teach her child,'' she said. ``There's nothing like one-on-one interaction.''
Wilson said that although she's been researching home education for the past few years, ``there's always something new to learn.'' She added, ``It can get overwhelming, but it's nice to know that the information and participation is out there.''
Vendors understood what parents were going through as they roamed the two aisles of more than 50 booths. ``They want to see what's available,'' said Best Picks Curriculum representative Linda Trumbo. ``They're trying to see what's going to fit their families' needs.''
Proudly wearing a white T-shirt with the words ``I love to teach'' puff-painted on it, Hampton resident Cheryl Plumeau took the drive across the water to pick up some extras for her home-schooled sons, Shane, 6, and Brandon, 8. Although she will enroll them in Calvary Covenant School in the fall, Plumeau plans to teach the boys through the summer.
``I have thoroughly enjoyed home schooling this year,'' said Plumeau, who decided on the Christian school for next year because of her work schedule and her husband's college class load. ``It's nice to be able to give the extra attention and help when your children need it.''
She said the home-school fair is very helpful for parents because ``it's very informative.'' Plumeau added that she liked the informal, chatty atmosphere and the fact that ``people are so free to answer questions.''
The fair has grown in the past eight years, moving from its fellowship hall beginnings to the roomy Pavilion. This growth is largely due to the increased number of home-schoolers, organizers said.
According to the Virginia Department of Education, between 1984 and 1994, the number of home-schooled students in Virginia rose from about 500 to nearly 8,000. They are still a minority, however, compared with the more than 1 million students in public schools.
In South Hampton Roads, the growth is reflective of the state trend, this year totaling more than 1,200 home-schooled children. Their numbers represent less than 1 percent of the estimated 172,000 public school students in the region.
It is estimated that nationwide, nearly 700,000 school-age children are educated at home.
A number of organizations have been formed as a result of this increasing popularity. In the past decade, nearly a dozen support groups, some with more than 100 parents, have been established in Hampton Roads.
BEACH is the largest locally, with several hundred families. Besides the home school fair, the organization sponsors sporting events, a choir and drama group and a graduation. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by HOLLY WESTER
Brandon, 8, and Shane, 6, who have been home-schooled by their
mother Cheryl Plumeau, check out a display at the ``Tidewater Home
School Curriculum Fair'' at the Pavilion.
KEYWORDS: HOME SCHOOLING by CNB