Why is there so much home schooling?
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We homeschool our daughter. My husband and I are more educated and more intelligent than the teachers at the public school to which my child is zoned. We are not Christians. My husband does most of my daughter's homeschooling.0
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Also, I teach in the way my kids are tailored to learn. Agree that the word socialization is a joke among homeschoolers while still being a concern to those against homeschooling.0
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...because we don't want them fed a bunch of rewritten history...
Yup
Every history book I've ever seen in public school curriculum is a joke. Revisionist history straight from Kindergarten through graduate courses. It's no wonder most graduates now barely have a basic understanding of reality, history, and economics. They were taught about a world that never existed.0 -
If I was in the US, I would homeschool my kid. I would not want my kid being shot up by some psychotic person while getting a mediocre education.
I am Canadian though.
While it's true that we have had a higher rate of these incidents in the US then the rest of the world combined, and we are falling behind most of the rest of the civilized world in our quality of education, it's actually a far greater risk to your child to simply walk out the front door of your home then it is to be in a school in the US.I'd just like to point out that the chances of your child being shot in school are far less than them being killed in a car accident, or choking to death, or shot by a gun in the home, or pretty much any other way they might be killed. Purely from a statistical perspective, school is one of the safest places they can be- physically, at least (mentally is another issue altogether). If you don't believe me, feel free to look up the stats yourself.
^^^Exactly.0 -
All the people I know that homeschool or unschool do an excellent job at it. Some are Christian, others are spiritual in a different way, and others are secular. Mostly Americans and I understand because I went through the American school system myself. Although homeschooling would have been worse since I was growing up in an abusive home.
I very much enjoyed the homeschooling in the preschool years and took my daughters with me for dancing and took them to science world weekly, and found learning opportunities in everyday life.
I live In Canada. My kids are school age now. The school my children go to is fantastic, with fantastic resources (accommodating both challenged and gifted children), they love it, and it helps them socially. I don't have any family or support, so it is good for us that I get a break and can continue with my own life endeavors (I am a happy, well rounded, and productive mother). I am glad they get to interact with other adults, and with children. The teachers and I are in regular communication. I even volunteer at the school to help teach dance for the dance club (along with my daughter's wonderful teacher, and she is also the head teacher at the school). It's a community school (so very good resources and community involvement). The Canadian school system is much better than in the States, but it may just be that I am in a good area.0 -
I was home schooled and plan on homeschooling my little ones. There was and is no religious basis for homeschooling. I have plenty of reasons for why I decided to home school, mainly government interference on how I raise my children. Along with that, the fact that our educational system is a joke amongst most industrialized nations. I have a cousin who is, for the lack of a more PC term, retarded. Seriously. He operates on a 3rd grade level at best, yet somehow he has a HS diploma from a public school. Really? I also went to college with a man who is now homeschooling his girls. They begged him to let them try public school, so he allowed it and within a month he said they got the worst attitudes and he took them right out again. I don't feel a stranger can teach my children any better than I can so why use this glorified daycare?0
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My niece, who is homeschooled, has Asberger and slight ADD, this allows her to be in an environment where she can learn.0
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Other than religious reasons, here are some common reasons that people I know have chosen to homeschool.
1) Substandard academics. In some cases this in conflated with outright racism -- one person I know pulled her (minority) kid after she was told that they wouldn't assign her to the honors class, yet white students with lower test scores were put in.
2) Children who are both gifted and have learning disabilities -- like a high IQ and being dyslexic or dysgraphic. Very frequently these students are getting C's in classes, which makes the school reluctant to provide them with accommodations, and yet not achieving anywhere near their potential.
3) Bullying, gang, or drug problems at the local public school.
4) A child with strong and passionate interests in a specific area -- sometimes academic, sometimes non-academic such as gymnastics, sports, dance, music, or volunteer work. In these cases, homeschooling allowed the child to do grade-level work in unrelated areas while advancing significantly further in their chosen area.0 -
This might be really ignorant, so please, forgive me:
I like the whole idea of higher IQ kids being able to go at a faster pace, that's a legitimate reason for homeschooling, as are some of the others I've read here ... but are any of you homeschooling because you don't "believe in evolution"? ... I've heard that people give this as a reason for homeschooling ... Just curious ... I would be suspect of the education such a child would receive, being that they aren't being taught actual science(You know, what's going to happen to them when the go to college?) ...
ETA: Personally, I think we should have more specialized high schools ... ones that cater to careers, not just vo-tech and mainstream high school ...0 -
1. Yes, there are many "secular" homeschoolers. There are also Christian homeschoolers who chose homeschooling for non-religious reasons.
2. Not all public schools are "that bad". Some of us just feel that homeschooling is "that good".
3. Socialization is a red herring. Spending time with family, friends, neighbors, and community members offers ample practice at coping skills and self mastery.
It seems to be a trend, but I wouldn't call it a fad as it has always existed (children educated in their home by parents or somebody chosen by them). And I hope it isn't "the way of the future" because parents need choices. Not everybody can or should homeschool.
I am not a parent but I totally agree with these responses!!
I have seen good and bad homeschoolers over the years.
I used to manage an educational supply store where tons of homeschoolers bought their curriculum and supplementary materials. Some of them seemed so in control and on the ball. I could tell they were passionate about teaching, and open to getting outside help or resources when their abilities were pushed to the limit in one area or another... Others not so much. The worst was a woman who allowed her son (around age 7 or 8) to choose his own curriculum. When he selected a TEACHER'S MANUAL for 6th grade arithmetic, she said that was fine and that would be his math curriculum. Meanwhile the boy did not yet know basic addition & subtraction and she asked for flash cards for that. Wow.
I was a "gifted kid" and INCREDIBLY bored in school, especially K-6 - but all the way through K-12. I had major anxiety issues which were completely masked but quite miserable. I had loads of friends, made straight A's, etc...but I spent a good part of my time worrying obsessively about things like whether I'd catch the bus after school or lose my lunch money or find a partner in gym class. I would cry almost every morning before school about this sort of thing, until 4th or 5th grade when I internalized more of the stress and worries. Even though things generally went my way, I was often a nervous wreck while I was at school and it was exacerbated by my extreme boredom and lack of challenges in the classroom.
At home, I read obsessively and researched topics that we were not studying in school. My parents took me on vacation to historical spots that further fueled my need to learn! At school, I was often the teacher's helper and spent hours of my day grading my peers' work or helping other kids with their work (which I deeply resented). I remember being forced to watch movies (not educational movies) for hours and "recess" was a joke. Really only time and maturity helped with my anxiety. I think I would have been a LOT happier being homeschooled and still would have had ample socialization. A friend of mine who was also a "gifted kid" as they called it in the 80's and early 90's, was homeschooled and obtained her GED at 16. I would have loved that option!!! High school was a huge waste of time for me and I don't feel I learned anything in grades 8-12 that would have helped prepare me for college more than my K-7 education already had. So just another "take" on it...0 -
US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.0
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I am a Christian, but that is only part of the reason I chose to home educate my son. My son has autism and is considered "untestable" because of the severity of it. However, this does not mean unteachable. The last public school he attended chose not to agree with that statement. If he slept the majority of the time (which could and did happen because of some medication he was on at the time) he got to stay at school. If he was awake he was highly active and at least 3 out of the five school days I'd get a phone call. Come get him. We can't do anything with him. Amazing how they could manage to hold off that phone call until exactly 5 minutes after he was officially counted present for the day. Here's a hint: If your child has a parent in the military, the school gets extra funds. If the child has special needs, the school gets extra funds. And yet they come up with the excuse of "no funding" when asked to provide a one on one aide for said child. When that excuse doesn't fly, they come up with the even more lame :The class already has two aides. We aren't allowed to have more than that in the class room. Uh huh. Because he was sent home most of the time anyway, I chose to keep him home. Lo and behold, he could be taught!
With common core and other things I'm seeing and not liking, if we had other children, the decision would be to home educate.0 -
Bump0
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We began homeschooling because hubby was in the Army. Both hubby and I were military brats and hated having to switch schools all the time. We wanted to maximize the time we had together as a family. You never know when the military will deploy you. We have continued with homeschooling since leaving the Army because we now live 30 minutes from town up the side of a mountain. I don't trust these roads during the winter plus the kids like our school program.0
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My best friend is from a family of 5 kids that homeschooled. They aren't your stereotypical homeschooling family that's super conservative and religious- if anything, the very opposite. If anything, the texts and stuff aren't liberal enough for them.
Each kid had the choice of either continuing or going to public school when they got older. Some did and some didn't.
They are all very talented and smart. The oldest son got a full ride scholarship and is getting his PhD in laser engineering or something like that that I totally don't understand.
It's not an undertaking I'd really want to pursue but it was a godsend for them. Aforementioned kid probably would have been labeled as having all sorts of behavioral problems when he was younger. He wouldn't have done well in a classroom.0 -
We scrimp to send out son to a private school, but if one wasn't available, I would probably homeschool.
With No Child Left Behind teachers are teaching to the test..and much of class time is spent on drilling..not learning concepts, just memorizing. Teachers are rewarded for having a certain percentage of kids at a certain test level, which means that they have to allocate their time to support kids who can hit those scores..and kids who may need more support are left to fend for themselves.
First graders come home with 30 to 60 minutes of homework daily..worksheets. With budget cuts, art/music/gym have been drastically reduced and some classrooms have as many as 36 kids.
Our son has a learning disability, and he is 3 years behind in grade level when we looked at our local school. Our local "good" school said that they would accomodate him by putting him in the front of grade level classroom of 32 kids and giving him half a hour of speech therapy a week (he doesn't have speech issues.)
I spend 10 hours a week transporting him to/from his private school, where he is in a classroom with 8 other kids. He's made enormous strides, and in his public school he'd just be a statistic.0 -
There are those that homeschool to ensure that evolution is not taught to their children.
Ironically, one of the reasons we homeschool is to ensure that evolution is introduced early in her Science topics. We reside in Alabama and evolution is very much danced around within the public school setting.This might be really ignorant, so please, forgive me:
I like the whole idea of higher IQ kids being able to go at a faster pace, that's a legitimate reason for homeschooling, as are some of the others I've read here ... but are any of you homeschooling because you don't "believe in evolution"? ... I've heard that people give this as a reason for homeschooling ... Just curious ... I would be suspect of the education such a child would receive, being that they aren't being taught actual science(You know, what's going to happen to them when the go to college?) ...
ETA: Personally, I think we should have more specialized high schools ... ones that cater to careers, not just vo-tech and mainstream high school ...0 -
It's pretty common in my state outside of major cities. Like some of the other posters have mentioned for their states, there are areas here in the southeast that have severely, SEVERELY inadequate public schools. There's an area in my state called the "corridor of shame" where some of the schools districts can't afford adequate plumbing, air conditioning repairs (we have 7 months of summer), and are using 30+ year old textbooks (or what's left of them). PLUMBING, ffs. Economic and social stratifications are pretty wide here, and schools are funded by the immediate local area's taxes - which means that areas that are poorer or less densely populated are basically SOL for public schooling, and it only traps kids in a cycle of poverty. My parents chose to move to one of the very few decent school districts rather than homeschool, but that's not an option for a lot of young families. It's very sad.
We're also in the bible belt, and a lot of people probably just want to teach their kids young-earth creationism, I guess.0 -
This might be really ignorant, so please, forgive me:
I like the whole idea of higher IQ kids being able to go at a faster pace, that's a legitimate reason for homeschooling, as are some of the others I've read here ... but are any of you homeschooling because you don't "believe in evolution"? ... I've heard that people give this as a reason for homeschooling ... Just curious ... I would be suspect of the education such a child would receive, being that they aren't being taught actual science(You know, what's going to happen to them when the go to college?) ...
ETA: Personally, I think we should have more specialized high schools ... ones that cater to careers, not just vo-tech and mainstream high school ...
I don't believe in evolution BUT taught it as a theory to my kids. I teach my children to think for themselves. They can not make an informed decision if they are not informed of the options.0 -
I've been away from The States for a few years, and am fascinated by this discussion. Thanks OP for posting!0
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US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.
What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?0 -
Because kids get bullied, shot, or corrupted in public schools... my daughter is one and I'm terrified for her to go to school!!!0
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I would have preferred to be homeschooled. Teachers at my high school usually taught at the speed best for the slowest students in the room. I was at the top of my class. It was mind numbing.0
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US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.
What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?
Required immunizations most likely.0 -
US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.
What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?
I know of schools that vaccinate without parental consent and give out condoms. Not sure if that is what they meant but those things bother me.0 -
it may be a good idea to home school. I am up with my 9 year old until 10pm with homework every night.....0
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The new "trend" of bullying is having a lot to do with it. Plus, school shootings aren't exactly helping matters.
As for the socializing aspect, if you have art museums, local parks, craft stores and shops, etc, check into their homeschooling programs. In my area, we have a TON of places that have certain days where homeschooled children come in for socializing, and also for arts, crafts, gyms, etc. Like a local YMCA has weekly swimming classes for home schooled children only. And what's great is that parents can mark that down as their PE for their requirements.
Plus, I know the school district I live in allows home schooled students to join the music programs (band), and sports, but they still need to follow academic criteria to be allowed to participate.
I'm sure it varies from state to state, but my husband and I have seriously talked about it when we have kids.
I agree with this. The bullying is horrible. Watch CNN.com if you think this poster is not speaking the truth. Just this week two more shootings and there were two more bullying and suicide cases.0 -
I am Christian but I school for non-Christian reasons and I prefer neutral science and history books. I don't like a lot of what goes on in public schools, with mandatory testing and teaching to the test, kids not allowed to go at their own pace or their own learning style, bullying, and just flat out kids I don't want my kids hanging around with. We have a co-op and he has friends in his neighborhood he plays with it, so he has positive socializing. If I ever get into a school program they will have to go to a charter school for a while which is ok, but until then I am happy to teach them at home and we greatly enjoy it.0
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US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.
What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?
They are now able to legally take your middle school daughter in for an abortion without any parental consent. It's law here in Florida. How do people NOT know this? Yeah, no aspirin, but an abortion is fine. Sadly, I am not kidding. Out.0 -
We homeschool because I was told by two public school teachers who taught my son that I needed to get him out of public education. Both ladies said that he would get bored with the slow pace and even the "accelerated" classes would not be enough for him. Glad we listened to them. He has taken two years of Spanish, a year of Latin, Computer Programming, Biology, and many other classes that would not have been available to him in middle school. On his last standardized exams (the Stanford Achievement Test) taken in May, he tested post-high school level in everything and he was in 8th grade.
As far as socialization goes, he is in a homeschool band, a homeschool co-op group, two different homeschool associations, a chess club, church youth group, and volunteers at a homeless organization and an animal shelter. He has also been part of a basketball team, soccer teams, and took tae kwan do for five years. Most of the time, I wish he wasn't so socialized! But he's happy and we don't have to deal with bullying, drama, and peer pressure like he would experience in public or private school.0
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