Anyone here Homeschool?

[DoubleB]

My wife and I are discussing the possibility of home schooling our children. I was wondering if anyone here did that. I have a few questions and would like to know from someone who is already doing that what the answers may be.

 

[Guest]

Spur can help you. Don't know where he is this morning but PM him and I'm sure he will get back to you. His wife home schools their great kids.

 

[Possum]

Don't do it doubleb, go private if you are considering it for religious reasons. Most students that are homeschooled, although there are exceptions, just don't get the quality of education from a institution, be it private or public.

 

[foodsaver]

Possum,

I beg to differ. I was homeschooled through eighth grade and was ahead of a majority of my class in highschool I was better prepared in most subjects and scored much higher on standardized tests. That was after I was allowed to pretty much teach myself in 7th and 8th grade. That being said if you are going to homeschool your kids you need to make darn sure that you have them involved in social activities so that they will learn to relate to their peers.

 

[Bprice]

My fiance was home schooled until 7th grade, she graduated Top Ten from the largest High School in Alabama, graduated from UA with honors, and received her PharmD from Auburn.  They were disciplined in her studies (which is key) and she excelled.  It is a very viable option... </p>

Of course I went to a subpar school system and ended up just fine though!  So who knows!</p>

As Foodsaver said, yes, keep them involved socially with other children, i.e. church youth groups, youth sports, youth dance, etc...</p>

 

[SeqBass]

There are certainly exceptions. I'm glad that those of you on here that have been homeschooled found it to be a positive experience. However it is not always the case. I happen to be a guidance counselor in the local school system, and I have to say that the majority of the kids that have transfered from homeschool to several of the schools I have worked have been way behind. Most produce very low test scores and often feel the are overwhelmed.
Please make sure you go through an ACCREDITED program. There are programs out there that are just "taking your money" and giving no transferable credit in return. If ever you decide to go back to public school or even attend college, THE CREDIT EARNED HAS TO BE FROM AN ACCREDITED HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM.
Goodluck with you decision, and I hope you decide what's truly best for everyone.

 

[Guest]

My wife is a public school teacher and for nearly 30 years she was fed the propaganda about home schooling being bad. She has seen the rapid downward spiral of the public school system in several areas of the country. She also has seen how children that are properly home schooled by caring parents most often excell later in life. Not that all public schools are bad but most of them have an agenda that is more politically motivated than educationally based. Private schools are a great alternative to the public system but they are very expensive.

 

[SeqBass]

Not saying homeschooling is bad Cheez, simply stating that one must be careful to get in a good program. There are, in fact, great programs out there. One thing you stated is the key--- "caring parents". It all starts right there. The parents who homeschool their kids need to follow through with the program of their choice.
Education is a personal thing, and an individual can get a quality education anywhere. Just have to want to learn. Some of the teachers I got the most from are the ones who did the least. They made "ME" work for the things I learned.

 

[Guest]

Spur needs to chime in here. I'm sure he won't mind me saying that his kids are some of the most well mannered,sharp and intelligent children I have ever been around. Without a doubt their homeschooling is making them the kind of productive citizens that we all should envy. They will do well.

 

[SeqBass]

Exactly. Maybe spur can tell the program he uses with his kids. I have a list of accredited homeschool programs which I have seen work well with some really great kids. I will PM them to you DoubleB. I'll be glad to help in any way.
Getting info to and from is one of the great advantages of this forum. I'm glad to see so many people trying to help out folks regardless of the topic. GOOD JOB !! emoThumbsup

 

[Sunshine]

Hi folks! I saw this thread and thought I would take a moment to say a few words about homeschooling while my son works on his math assignment. Yes, that's right. I'm a homeschool mom. That in itself may set off different emotions across the board as it can be an emotional topic. I won't go into a big speech about this unless the questions are asked of me. I don't believe in craming what is best for my family down other's throats. I don't think our homeschooling makes us better than anybody else. This is our eleventh year. We have always been enrolled in an accredited school who keeps our records/credits.

What I will share is that I believe each family is different with different needs as are the children in that family. Homeschooling was a difficult and scary decision for us. It was not something that Largemouth or I had planned to do when we started our family. I won't go into why we did it except to say that it has been and still is God's will for our "family". Yes, it is a family thing. The greatest success will come with all of you working at it together. There are good days and bad days and each one is a blessing. The decision should be made based on what you know is right for your children -- not their peers, politics, etc. What is right for one may not always be right for another.

DoubleB, I am sending you a PM with my phone number. You and your wife are more than welcome to call anytime. I will be happy to talk with you on the phone or meet with you sometime. I just encourage you to pray about it so that you will be at peace with your decision one way or the other.

emoSun emoSun emoSun emoSun

 

[SeqBass]

Very well said Sunshine. Thanks for the insight. Glad you emphasized "family".

 

[DoubleB]

Sunshine,

I will certainly call you, Thank you!

SeqBass

Please send me the accredited program names.

Thank you all for your comments whether pro or con. It's a big decision and I want info from both sides.

 

[SpurHunter]

<div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Sorry it has taken me so long to respond today, work calls....but here goes.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Possum, I can only guess your a teacher on the federal tax-roll. Teachers are the most ardent opponents to home-schooling, and its mostly unfounded. I don't know what grades you teach, but if you have any the same grade as my kids, I would put their (my kids)  government administered test scores (required by law) up against any of your kids. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Your opinion demonstrates the fallacy that the school system tries to propagate on the public to keep more tax money coming to the schools. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">My wife and I decided to pull our kids from the system 4 years ago, and have never looked back. It was one of the hardest and scariest times of our life as well. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">If you really step back and look at the major problems in the public school system like;</font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Overstuffed classrooms, sub-par teachers, (I don't know you so not accusing you here), out-dated materials, teacher-student trysts becoming the norm, but kids are being expelled for hugging each other now? Add all the problems up, its no wonder that the kids are now doing almost ALL of their work in the form of HOMEWORK, and guess where....at HOME. And where is the "teacher" when they have trouble with an assignment? That's right at home because its 10:30PM, and your crying child doesn't understand the work, and they are worn-out from getting up at 6AM every week-day. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Other problems exist, including ridiculous zero-tolerance policies, self-esteem damaging clicks and bullies run amuck. Unbalanced nutritional options for lunch. They are cutting out Pys ED instead of expanding it!? Cutting music and art programs....this list could go on and on.  </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Try going to the home-school expo at Camp Jordan Arena this summer. You will be educated beyond belief, just as friends and family of ours have been after REALLY looking into home-schooling as an option. There are more resources available to better educate your children than you can possibly imagine. Colleges are now heavily courting HS students, and if you have noticed the National Spelling Bee lately, you can bet your money on ANY HS student winning every single year. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">Are there lazy, un-educated parents schooling their own children today? Sure there are, but its the exception, not the rule. My wife and I actually try and talk most folks out of home-schooling when they say things like, "it would be so much easier if we did it"....or "I don't like getting the kids up that early". It is not a game or a circus. You have to be committed to do it to the best of your abilities. You also have to be wiling to provide opportunities like Scouting, church youth groups, baseball, soccer, basketball, or any other sport. Choirs, music lessons, dance, art, all of which are being tailored to homeschool kids. The YMCA, has a huge program for HS kids with sports, and even foreign languages. Hobby Lobby has several terrific classes just for them. We are involved in a HS Co-op program once a week that greatly increases the amount of materials and substance we can provide. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">No-one should badmouth home-schooling unless they have actually done it, NOT from horror stories from parents that were not committed to doing it right.  Ask any CFF member that has been around my kids, Cheez, DOC1, Fat Albert, Drumking, team-d, and others and ask if they seem uneducated, socially inept or otherwise deficient to tackle the world they live in. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080">We do use an accredited program as well, and I will be glad to provide you with any and all info I have on the subject. You are welcome to come sit down with my wife, and she will tell you the good, the bad, the ugly, the joys, and success of what we go through everyday. </font></div>

 

[DoubleB]

Plese send me the info Spur.

Thanks

 

[DoubleB]

That would be please...

Yea... I did public schools
emoLaugh emoLaugh emoLaugh

 

[Buoy-Master]

We homeschool. Public and Private schools wanted our ADHD kids doped up. </p>

They may have a wild streak in them but homeschooling works great for us!</p>

 

[RangerRob]

This has made for some interesting reading. My son is only 3, but when the time comes he'll likely be going to a private school ... especially for middle thru high school. I've only personally ever known 1 child that was homeschooled and she was brilliant. Brilliant to the point that she was accepted to Duke at 14. Problem was, she couldn't carry on a conversation with a 7 yr old she was so socially backward. foodsaver is normal enough, so he's a good vote for the other side!

There's plenty of good arguements above, but Parker will be in some sort of classroom outside his own house. He attends daycare now, and is already way ahead on a developmental level than some of his cousins who stay at home with their mom. This is a tough one because any parent that cares for their child is going to want the best, but there really is no right or wrong answer here. I think that the most important thing we can do as parents is to educate properly - public, home, or private - as opposed to letting the television, the mall, the wrong crowd, etc educate them.

Get 'em a dog and fishing pole and the rest will work itself out ... emoThumbsup

 

[SpurHunter]

RangerRob - 1/15/2008 6:58 PM This has made for some interesting reading. My son is only 3, but when the time comes he'll likely be going to a private school ... especially for middle thru high school. I've only personally ever known 1 child that was homeschooled and she was brilliant. Brilliant to the point that she was accepted to Duke at 14. Problem was, she couldn't carry on a conversation with a 7 yr old she was so socially backward. foodsaver is normal enough, so he's a good vote for the other side! There's plenty of good arguements above, but Parker will be in some sort of classroom outside his own house. He attends daycare now, and is already way ahead on a developmental level than some of his cousins who stay at home with their mom. This is a tough one because any parent that cares for their child is going to want the best, but there really is no right or wrong answer here. I think that the most important thing we can do as parents is to educate properly - public, home, or private - as opposed to letting the television, the mall, the wrong crowd, etc educate them. Get 'em a dog and fishing pole and the rest will work itself out ... emoThumbsup

</p>



Well said Rob....your wise beyond your years.

</p>

Good luck with your decision when it comes time too.</p>

 

[drumking]

foodsaver - 1/15/2008 12:17 PM

Possum,

I beg to differ. I was homeschooled through eighth grade and was ahead of a majority of my class in highschool I was better prepared in most subjects and scored much higher on standardized tests. That was after I was allowed to pretty much teach myself in 7th and 8th grade. That being said if you are going to homeschool your kids you need to make darn sure that you have them involved in social activities so that they will learn to relate to their peers.

Same with my grandkids in Louisiana. My daughter home schooled them and they scored higher than average of institutional schooling.