When Cherie and Tony Schierl's son Zach was 4, they had never considered homeschooling. In fact, they knew very little about it. 

Then Zach taught himself to read. They had given Zach a geography-of-the-United States board game as a present for his fourth birthday. The object of the game was to match up state license plate stickers with the identical plates pictured within each of the states on the game board. The names and locations of the state capitols were also visible. 

"He just loved it," recalls Cherie. 

One day Zach announced to Cherie "I'm going to quiz you on the state capitols." He proceeded to do so. Cherie had many wrong answers. Zach teased her about this. 

Then Cherie reversed sides, saying, "Well, now I'm going to quiz you." Zach only missed about two capitols. 

At about the same time, there was an article about homeschooling in Backwoods Home magazine. The article's portrayal of homeschooling appealed to both of Cherie and Tony. 

Cherie had not been looking forward to giving up her time with Zach while he would be at school. And there were many other reasons for the Schierl's decision to homeschool. The potential for violence at school was a factor. 

Furthermore, "when (Zach) wanted to learn something, he just did it on his own," recalls Cherie. 

Toni adds, "He was so interested in learning things, you hardly had to prod him into anything. Letting him learn the things that were interesting to him seemed like a good way to go." 

Zach is now 10. Cherie and Tony also have a younger son, Nick, who is 5. The family lives in Kachina Village. 

Zach is still interested in geography. He reads quite a lot on the subject. For the last two years he has participated in the National Geographic Geography Bee, consistently reaching the Arizona state-level contest. 

The Schierls make frequent trips to the public library and into the Internet. The family also makes use of the many educational opportunities in Flagstaff and elsewhere, like Lowell Observatory and the Museum of Northern Arizona. Zach and Nick enjoyed their recent visit to the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix. 

Recently, the family began watching the "New York" series on PBS. "Last summer the boys and I went to the East Coast with my mom," says Cherie. "We went to New York for the first time. We came back wanting to know more." The PBS series had perfect timing. 

Tony notes that the documentary includes history, geography and social aspects, providing "a well-rounded observation of that city." 

The Shierls mainly practice a relatively unstructured form of homeschooling often called unschooling. "Most of the things we do just kind of happen or are a natural part of our life," explains Cherie. The process is one of "being aware of what (Zach and Nick's) particular interests are, and then opportunities present themselves and we take advantage of them," such as purchasing applicable books on those subjects. 

"Zach had an interest in volcanoes," recalls Cherie. "We got books about volcanoes. ... We went on a field trip sponsored by the Museum of Northern Arizona." Flagstaff USGS geologist and author Wendell Duffield was the guide. "We looked at volcanoes from a different perspective than before," says Cherie. "It blossomed into a whole interest of Zach's in geology in general ... rocks and minerals and everything else that goes with it. 

"You start off learning about one thing and then all of a sudden six months later it has now become something else," says Cherie. "It just kind of snowballs or changes direction into another whole topic. ... If you're a good reader, there isn't anything you can't learn." Tony adds that "Zach reads voraciously. He reads faster than I do." 

Zach also has exemplary computer skills. He maintains a database of all the books he has ever read and all the field trips he attends and all the activities in which he participates. 

Cherie points out that "when you are really interested in something, you remember it." 

This year, Zach is especially interested in delving further into his interest in astronomy. He is saving his money to buy a telescope. Also this year, Cherie will be teaching her children about world history, beginning with lessons on the first modern humans, who lived about 40,000 B.C. 

Cherie emphasizes that parents need not be concerned about being able to teach their children everything they need to know. While she enjoys the process of learning along with her children, other knowledgeable people in the community often assist in teaching her children during field trips, workshops and other informal interactions. Homeschooling parents are often less their child's teacher than a resource about community options, especially as children grow older. 

Over 80 surveys consistently show that homeschooled children's average scores in reading, language and math on standardized tests are 15 to 30 percent higher than schooled children's average scores. Homeschooled children also generally have a greater breadth and depth of overall knowledge than their schooled peers. This is especially noteworthy when you consider that many homeschooling parents first take their children out of school because of learning difficulties. 

"Socialization" is often a prominent concern of those not familiar with homeschooling. 

"We do have to exert a little extra effort to make sure that they are around other children," admits Cherie. "We enroll them in soccer and bowling and basketball and go on field trips with the (Flagstaff) homeschool group." However, asks Cherie, "Where else in real life, once you get out of school, do you relate only to people of your own age?" Homeschooled children also usually can avoid the peer pressure and the forced conformity often faced by schooled children. 

Research shows that homeschooled children are generally better socially adjusted and more mature for their age than their schooled peers. Zach's social graces and articulate discussions make him seem more like a well-adjusted teenager rather than the 10-year-old he is. 

Nick seems to be showing a different learning style. "He is a completely different child," says Cherie. 

For instance, Nick is more extroverted than Zach. The Schierls hope that homeschooling can provide the social opportunities he needs. Tailoring learning experiences to each child's individual learning style is one of the major advantages of homeschooling. 

Cherie and Tony must juggle their work schedules so that one of them is always at home with the children. This seems to be one of the more difficult aspects of homeschooling for them. However, they both feel it's worth it. 

Zach tried out public school for second grade, just to see what it was like. The family was living in Cornville at the time. Cherie volunteered in Zach's classroom. She notes that though the school was nice and the teacher was nice, opportunities were being missed. Zach's learning potential was not fully tapped. Overall, Cherie says, "It just felt like there was a lot of wasted time." 

Cherie concludes, "It can't hurt to try (homeschooling). It'll either feel like it's worth whatever obstacles you need to overcome, or it'll feel like it's not." She feels that if a family does decide to try it, they need to try it long enough to get a solid sense of how learning happens naturally, and to "decompress" from the school mentality if a child has spent a significant amount of time in school. All in all, Cherie, Tony, Zach and Nick are pleased with their homeschooling experience and recommend it to just about anyone.

Flagstaff Home Educators provides information, the opportunity to learn from other's experiences, and educational opportunities and field trips. The group also keeps members informed of changes in the law. P.O. Box 31236, Flagstaff, AZ 86003, 773-8068.

An 11-year resident of Flagstaff, Lisa Rayner holds an Interpretation of Natural Resources degree from Northern Arizona University. She is a master gardener and permaculture consultant. She is also the author of Growing Food in the Southwest Mountains.