Homeschooling

[amberdaydream]

Really? In my opinion, education is education. Whatever you do, there must be education being received. Balanced, factual, true education. The opportunity for flexibility in the curriculum could be either be useful or exploited, depending on the parent / guardian.

It's funny, my dad went to a public school and was taught RE (Religious Education) by a very vehement Christian. I go to a public school and was taught RE by a very open-minded teacher. In terms of the hardcore Christian homeschooling discussed earlier, I guess a son who didn't like being homeschooled by a hyperreligious mother could just quote Timothy 2:12 at her! Bwa hah hah.

I'm atheist but my first ever school was actually very Christian (still a public school) but at home I was never raised with religion so the stuff they said really confused me. Now I'm in a very secular school. Suits me a lot better. No mandatory confusing stuff.

[leahjdw]

I was homeschooled until college - as were my 5 siblings - it was perfect for us. In highschool we did internships and community college classes, until highschool my mom was our primary teacher but we did lessons with others when she didn't have the background to teach us.

Of the 6 of us - My oldest sister just finished her master's degree in wildlife biology, I completed my PhD in genetics a few years ago and work in research at a university, my brother owns his own software consulting business (the only one of us not to finish college), my next sister has a teaching degree and an oboe performance degree - she teaches music and performs in an orchestra, my next sister has an anthropology degree and works at a private research institute, my youngest sister is 21 and will graduate college this spring with a math degree.

As you can see we have all done well academically, socially we thrived as well - we played sports (hockey, soccer and dance), we played instruments (violin, oboe, flute, cello and sax), we were involved in theatre, we had friends, socialized .

As for my own kids - our first is 16 months and my husband is a SAHD, we would love to homeschool her, as we think it has many advantages, however we are open to other alternatives as well. It depends a bit on the schools available to her and her personality and needs.

[leahjdw]

Again, most average intelligent kid can learn how to read and write and be reasonably cultured without a formal education. My brother and I learned to read at age 4 without much guidance, neither at kindergarten nor at home (our grandmothers are elementary school teachers). We picked up English, French and Spanish via movies and television. Most things I know about Literature, History, Geography, Philosophy, Art, Biology, and Computers I didn't learn in the classroom. But there are subjects when you need lots of practise and experimenting in order to learn. I am curious on how your parents can teach you heavily mathematical subjects like Calculus, Economics, Descriptive Geometry, or Chemistry, which rely on practise, repetition, and discipline and can't be thaught just by reading a textbook or watching online videos.

And you will deal with bullies, unnecessary rules, screwed up systems all throught out your life. The sooner you learn to deal with it, the better.

Frankly this type of education seems to fit someone who isn't necessarily interested in going to university, or if so will chose a field within the Humanities or Arts which rely more on culture and good writing (I'm in that area, so I'm not saying those are any easier or less valuable). I have great reservations in imagining a homeschooled kid - unless he has had extensive private tutoring, which I think goes against the "homeschool" concept anyway - studying Medicine, Physics, Economics, or Architecture at a serious level.

As someone who was homeschooled until college and majored in biochemistry and math, then got a masters degree in statistics and a PhD in genetics I have to kinda laugh at this . YOU may have great reservations imagining us, but we're all around you . I know homeschooled kids with PhDs in computer science, physics, math, and chemistry. I know two doctors and a veterinarian - and this is just from the homeschool group I played soccer with as a kid.

Reading through this thread I'm actually pretty surprised by how much homeschoolers are still stereotyped.

[leahjdw]

@ blade - I guess I don't understand what you think homeschooling is? You say if a highschool age student is out taking community college classes, lessons, playing sports etc then they are not homeschooling?? This is what every single homeschooler I've known has done, without exception (although no doubt exceptions do exist). Do you feel as though a "homeschooled" student ought to be sitting at the kitchen table with mom or dad 6 hours a day? I do not know a single person homeschooled in this way (although no doubt it does happen, it is not the "norm"). I think you have a very rigid idea of what homeschooling is. Once past grade school there is very little learning that happens around a kitchen table. In fact one of the largest advantages of homeschooling is that kids have time to pursue interests away from a classroom setting or in a tailored way - such as taking community college classes that fit their interests and level. I would have hated the type of "homeschool" you seem to be picturing, and certain would not choose that for my child.

[jersey_gray]

@MGE28
I am very glad that homeschooling has been such a great experience for you! I think that homeschooling can be the right choice, it varies by child personality. It is also nice to know of a 13 year old with wonderful skills that will benefit you your entire life!

I am a public school teacher and still see the value in homeschooling, as a student, I would have disliked being homeschooled, but that's just me. In any situation, whether it's homeschooling, private, or public schooling student's get out of education what they put into it. Teachers, parents, etc. can offer multiple opportunities for students to learn, however, the student has to choose to learn. Students can choose to learn regardless of whether they are in public school, private school, or if they are homeschooled.

This, exactly. Very well-said.

As to myself, I had a very bad time in public school so I knew I wanted to homeschool my children. However my husband had a very positive experience in public school and is not agreeable to the homeschooling idea at all. He would go along with it, but would prefer the kids just go to public school. Where we do agree is that the most important part of a child's education is the parent. If the parent is not involved the child will be LESS LIKELY to succeed, HOWEVER, as quoted above, the child also has to WANT to learn (whether they are in public, charter, private, or home school). He had parent's far more involved in his schooling and his school than I had but he also wanted to succeed. My parent's were good parent's but were not involved in my school or my schooling, other than to get upset when I failed a class and I did not care about succeeding, just getting out of that hellhole of a school I attended and town I grew up in. I graduated with a 2.something GPA, he graduated with a 4.0. Most likely my daughter will go to public school but I am still considering homeschooling.

Homeschooling is as valid an option as public, private, or charter school. Children are not little robots but individuals who will be better suited to certain types of schooling based on their personality and family situation.

We also have to remember that all you can do is the best by your child. You can guide your child toward being the type of person you want them to be but you cannot control who they will ultimately grow up to be. You just pray, stay involved in their education and social life, and do the best you can. I hope my children will grow to know and love God, to be well-educated, to be clean, kind, and compassionate people who will manage their finances wisely, who won't screw up their lives with drugs and alcohol and promiscuous sex and I will do my best to see that that happens. But I can't guarantee it will.