What do you think of homeschooling (K-12)?

I know a family who homeschools because they like to go to Disney several times a year and they can't take the kids out of stick-and-brick school for vacations. Really good reason to homeschool, huh?

My granddaughter was a nationally-ranked athlete who frequently competed out of the area and quite often out of state in grade school and middle school. Luckily, she went to a school that was liberal with their excused absences parameters as many of her friends in the sport had to be home-schooled for that reason. You'll find that most "serious" child athletes have to be homeschooled for that reason. By the time she was in high school, she was competing only on a collegiate level in order to keep her amateur status protected so as to qualify for a NCAA Div I college scholarship, which she got, thank goodness.
 

Homeschooling isn't really an issue, it will vary based on the individuals involved as to whether a problem evolves.. Generally many who were, are homeschooled do as well and if not better than the general population on many levels. They get their socialization in various ways including being active in community activism, they play with neighborhood kids and participate in various other community activities. Not all, not even most, people who homeschool fall under the extremes which are seen in some headlines pointing out fanaticism.

Lets not forget some people are extreme introverts anyway and no amount of socialization will change their preferring their own company to the company of others. Some people go into a cold sweat at the thought of sharing space with others for too long a period of time talk about extremes depending on how one looks at things. I think for some kids, homeschooling would probably be beneficial under certain circumstances.
 
There is also another optionso the regular school model - my son attended an alternative school for a few years and did exceptionally well. Alternative schools here are also under the Board of Ed, but have a more flexible style of teaching and classes.
 
Then there's the "unschooling" method of home schooling where the child is not "directed" in his/her learning and there is no curriculum. The child learns what he wants to learn with the belief that he will "want" to learn math, reading, writing, history, geography, etc. and will gravitate there on his own with minimum to none involvement on the part of the parent. Wouldn't have worked for me......all I wanted to do was read Nancy Drew books and play with my dolls. I'd be even worse at math than I am and still wouldn't be able to write legibly or know where Poland is on the map.
 
Warrigal said:
Alexander Graham Bell was home schooled by his nearly deaf mother.
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Also home schooled were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Garfield, Andrew Jackson, Abe Lincoln, Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Florence Nightingale, Taylor Swift, J.R.R. Tolkien, Emma Watson, Virginia Woolf ...

Tell me THEY are all low-achieving failures with no social skills ...
 
jujube said:
Then there's the "unschooling" method of home schooling where the child is not "directed" in his/her learning and there is no curriculum. The child learns what he wants to learn with the belief that he will "want" to learn math, reading, writing, history, geography, etc. and will gravitate there on his own with minimum to none involvement on the part of the parent. Wouldn't have worked for me......all I wanted to do was read Nancy Drew books and play with my dolls. I'd be even worse at math than I am and still wouldn't be able to write legibly or know where Poland is on the map.
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Yeah, we looked at that approach in the beginning and it just didn't seem the right fit. That being said, we were constrained by the required State syllabus and had to spend most of our time on that. We had precious few hours to let our son do what he wanted, but those hours DID pay off eventually. He always had a love of math, and now he's studying stuff I can't even pronounce let alone grasp. :rolleyes:
 
Phil, Your son is doing great and you have every right to be very very proud of him. Same with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Garfield, Andrew Jackson, Abe Lincoln, Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Florence Nightingale, Taylor Swift, J.R.R. Tolkien, Emma Watson, Virginia Woolf ... and the manager of a local large store who I know very well, there are thousands and maybe MILLIONS of great home schooled persons who fit in well in society and are normal. But on this forum people speak of what they know personally, I happen to know (Or USED to know, I stay the heck away from them now) more of the weirdo, doomsday, lets stock up on guns, ammo and food, it's us against the world type of people so THAT is what I talk about when I am referring to home schooling. Because that is what I know and I know a LOT of them, we talk about what we know. All of us on here are like that. I also know currently some very strict "I won't say the name of the church" people who don't want their kids around worldly children and they home school them. And UNLESS these children are allowed to socialize some they will grow up to always feel like they are different and don't fit in. The ones I am referring to the girl (and her mom) have NEVER been allowed to wear pants, only skirts. So when she is out playing soccer with their church friends (and the parents do have them socialize with other of their faith on the week ends) and all the other girls are in skirts that is fine. But when she is around (and she is 16 now) other young ladies playing soccer and they are all wearing pants and she isn't, how will she feel?? You know a lot of them will make fun of her. Of course, that's a religious thing and not necessarily a home school problem as she can't wear make up, watch TV or cut her hair either. Oh well, never mind, I'm getting off topic here.
 
Linda said:
Phil, Your son is doing great and you have every right to be very very proud of him. Same with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Garfield, Andrew Jackson, Abe Lincoln, Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Florence Nightingale, Taylor Swift, J.R.R. Tolkien, Emma Watson, Virginia Woolf ... and the manager of a local large store who I know very well, there are thousands and maybe MILLIONS of great home schooled persons who fit in well in society and are normal. But on this forum people speak of what they know personally, I happen to know (Or USED to know, I stay the heck away from them now) more of the weirdo, doomsday, lets stock up on guns, ammo and food, it's us against the world type of people so THAT is what I talk about when I am referring to home schooling. Because that is what I know and I know a LOT of them, we talk about what we know. All of us on here are like that. I also know currently some very strict "I won't say the name of the church" people who don't want their kids around worldly children and they home school them. And UNLESS these children are allowed to socialize some they will grow up to always feel like they are different and don't fit in. The ones I am referring to the girl (and her mom) have NEVER been allowed to wear pants, only skirts. So when she is out playing soccer with their church friends (and the parents do have them socialize with other of their faith on the week ends) and all the other girls are in skirts that is fine. But when she is around (and she is 16 now) other young ladies playing soccer and they are all wearing pants and she isn't, how will she feel?? You know a lot of them will make fun of her. Of course, that's a religious thing and not necessarily a home school problem as she can't wear make up, watch TV or cut her hair either. Oh well, never mind, I'm getting off topic here.
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Thank you, Linda. Those are certainly the kids and parents, that I am talking about. As for most of the famous people mentioned. Most lived in a different time and culture, with a different upbringing. I doubt that any of them were being deliberately taught at home never to listen to anyone else because that person may be speaking with the voice of the Devil.
 
I agree Underrock1 but I do see Phil's side of it too. He and his wife obviously put a lot of thought and love into teaching their son at home and they did a great job, it sounds like. So maybe he felt someone (me?) was putting down what he had done with his son or even putting down what kind of a person his son has turned out to be. I get sensitive sometimes about my kids, grand kids, my honey or even, God forbid, myself sometimes too. :)
 
I think the school system should not be a 'one size fits all' kind of thing, spitting out a mass produced product that fits into a society of identical clones that can't think for themselves -- which is why there should be other options for educating children. Home schooling is one such option, alternative schools are another. We need more options and need to consider children as individual unique people with individual and unique needs. Individual needs are not often taken into consideration in the school system, unfortunately, no wonder the kids are mad.
 
Linda said:
I agree Underrock1 but I do see Phil's side of it too. He and his wife obviously put a lot of thought and love into teaching their son at home and they did a great job, it sounds like. So maybe he felt someone (me?) was putting down what he had done with his son or even putting down what kind of a person his son has turned out to be. I get sensitive sometimes about my kids, grand kids, my honey or even, God forbid, myself sometimes too. :)
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I agree, Linda. What Phil is talking about and what I am taking about are two different things. I guess I am the one who is off the main topic. The title is all inclusive. Simply "Home Schooling." There are certainly many excellent examples to its credit. I slipped off into a rant about the Evangelical version. They are a hot button issue with me. I honestly think they are responsible for many of the social issues we have in this country.
So; sorry Phil. Your success in raising your son is an irrefutable argument. :thumbsup:
 
Linda, Underock -

Thanks for clarifying your positions. I never took offense at what either of you said because I also know of many examples - quite scary ones - where "home-schooling" becomes more like a cult activity. I would certainly never condone that kind of thing, but sadly it DOES go on even to this day.

No, I'm more of the mind of Cookie's post, where in the educational system one size does NOT fit all, and it's good to have alternatives.

And thank you for your kind words about my son, but I can't take too much credit in how he turned out - like a good hunting dog, we just pointed him in the right direction and let him off the leash. :)

It was one of those fortuitous things that he would have done well no matter where he was - we just like to think that he did so much better at home.

Unfortunately, by the time my second son came along my wife and I were totally burned out on the idea of home-schooling him, and he seemed to take to the public schooling much better than my first son, so we were actually happy it turned out that way. Done properly, home-schooling DOES take a massive investment of time and money, something not everyone can afford.

Funny talking about the religious groups ... I just watched an old episode of Bonanza where one girl in a group of traveling Mormons (I think they were) was thought to be the Devil's Maiden. Gradually the group first shunned her, then stoned her and finally tried to burn her. Dysentery had killed several members of the group and they took this as Her work. She had had her education back East, though, and knew the real cause of the deaths was bad water. But because of their closed minds and superstitious beliefs they wanted to blame her for everything.

Of course, Mr. Cartwright and the boys saved her at the last minute and they finally listened to her advice to boil everything, but it showed the danger of having closed minds and cult-like responses to the world.
 
Glad you aren't mad Phil. I saw the same Bonanza a few months ago as my husband still likes those old reruns. As far as religious cults go I spent 30 or 35 years in one (They didn't really count me in till I was baptized) but I don't talk about it much as some people take it to mean I am putting down religion or Christianity per say. And also, I shouldn't be living in the past but looking forward. That is one reason why these forums are good for me as I can learn how to get along with normal people --- or I guess you guys are normal?? :)
 
Linda said:
Glad you aren't mad Phil. I saw the same Bonanza a few months ago as my husband still likes those old reruns. As far as religious cults go I spent 30 or 35 years in one (They didn't really count me in till I was baptized) but I don't talk about it much as some people take it to mean I am putting down religion or Christianity per say. And also, I shouldn't be living in the past but looking forward. That is one reason why these forums are good for me as I can learn how to get along with normal people --- or I guess you guys are normal?? :)
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That question. :D
 
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