I notice a lot of parents homeschool their children. I am wondering how long this lasts? Do you home school until grade 12? I've never heard of any home schooled kids going to college in my area. There may be some, but I have not heard of any.
Two of my friends have home schooled their kids. One is still homeschooling one of her high school kids, and the other kid went back to regular school and was way behind grade level. Another friend had 2 girls she was homeschooling and they went back to public school and they were both behind in their grades.
This makes me wonder about homeschooling in their middle and high school years. Is it a good thing? Do the kids excel and do they go on to college and graduate and go to grad school and become professionals?
I guess I am wondering if they get the same chances as kids in public school. What are your experiences with home shcooling, and do you have young adult kids you are teaching?
[question posted by OreoCookie3]
responses and comments:
I guess it depends on the family. Here in BC, home schooled children are part of the Distance Learning through the BC Ministry of Education. And many parents who home school use the 'paces' provided by the A.C.E. program. (Accelerated Christian Education) ACE is a good program academically but is not so good for children with learning issues. Most children that use the ACE program here are far ahead of their public school contemporaries. And kids that attend church schools also have the benefit of social interaction. That social interaction is something that many home schooled children miss unless they have a large family. For me, the MS means limited mobility and Jason is deprived of socializing with children his own age. And because he will not potty train, he again does not get to go to a daycare for that social interaction either. For me this worrisome. But I am afforded few other choices at this time so i have to make do I guess. [freebc]
Now that you mention it, I remember when my daughter was attending the Christian Academy she was taking ACE classes.. they were learn at your own pace.. if we are talking about the same things. We didn't stay in Athens, so we put her back into public school. I wonder if home schooling is the same ACE program, or if there are other programs. My friend's kids didn't do well, but that may be because the parents didn't get too involved with them either... who knows? I don't have MS but I don't get out much either. If I had any little kids to raise I couldn't do it. I worry about kids not getting the social interaction.. but as you say in a church school there would be if they attend there. [OreoCookie3]
I personally would send my kids to school. I would want them to interact with other kids and I know that if my kids wanted to do a subject like honours maths for their final secondary school (equivalent of high school) exam I simply wouldn't be able to give them the help they required. I think while the parents and children may enjoy the homeschooling experience, I think in the majority of cases that the parent just can't teach their children the level or range of knowledge that their peers will have. [emisle]
I sent mine to school. I just feel that something is missed by home schooling in some cases. I have seen it too often. The kids don't get socialized around groups of people.. at least those kids I know have this experience. They all have fallen behind. And when parents don't want to follow a curriculum, what base is there to build on when they go to college? There are certain things in education the professors expect every student to have basic knowledge of when in college. I just wonder about the futures of some of the students... the ones with parents that can devote much time into the education may do fine. I just have not seen this experience. It takes dedication and persistence. [OreoCookie3]
Judging from what is narrated above, it seems that definitely it is not a good idea to home school children but send them to real schools as they fall behind the grade levels once they go to school for further education unless the parents are capable of teaching all of the subjects as well as school teachers and give frequent exams. Besides at school children can learn more team work and spirit. They can learn much more what they cannot at home. Accordingly it is still better to have kids study at school. [williamjisir]
I don't personally home school but I have known a lot of moms that have. I am very torn on this subject because I think they lean at an advantage because they have one on one, and any mom I know that has homeschooled has gotten there kids to graduate upto a year early. But on the other hand, they didn't get that good interaction with kids and it showed. They didn't have many friends and they had trouble interacting in big groups of kids their age. I guess you just have to weigh the options. [house_sittin]
Im not sure we have homeschooling here, but if we did...I wish I could have done it..i mean after all its like i did since none of what i know comes from school knowledge but from self learning either alone or with my aunt who used to help me with homeworks and studying when I was younger...besides, being always bullied at school for being quite a shy nerdy girl, ireally wish i could have been spared all that the only example i have of someone who was tutored at home is my girlfriend...she could not attend public schools (she's canadian tho, im italian)so she was tutored at home...she's quite a genious herself really so she actually finished her first university degree before she was even 20...i definetely hope she will homeschool our children when we have them because i know she would be the best tutor they could have...i think it all depends on the teachers, the programs and teh kids...if thtey wanna learn, theywill and be at same pace or even more than the ones who go to public schools, otherwise theywill be left behind...justmy thoughts tho [valyushah]
The guy that comes to my house to help me or my mom when we have computer problems homeschools his 4 girls. People that are home schooled can still have a lot of friends because they can go to day camps or be part of church youth groups. Mr. Rodney from Friendly Computers who homeschools his four girls has his girls be part of church youth groups or other activities so they interact with other kids a lot. I think that is good. My former elementary school teacher homeschooled her kids and her son Josh was 13 and already at high school level. He was ahead in school. My mom and I ran into them at Burger king like during the month of October and we saw these kids and wondering why they weren't in school. I was never homeschooled. I guess that is why it is my dream to work at home because I could never go to school at home. [carebears]
That is good IF the parent is active in church with the kids but some parents don't go to church and dont send their kids to church. Some parents don't do much with their kids at all because they have jobs and not a whole lot of money to put the kids in camp. There are kids that fall through the cracks with this system. I guess not system is perfect. [OreoCookie3]
I homeschool my kids, my oldest almost 14 is behind in Language Arts and math but on target with everything else, my 11 year old is a year behind, and I held him back to repeat the 4th grade, My 9 year old I'm starting to accelerate but its hard to focus her to get work done, but she is smart and I'm giving her 5th to 6th grade work...she is about half a year behind on math and social studies. my 12 year old is well the one that is special needs, and well she has been tested by the public schools, and psychologists, and well needless to say the opinions are as different as night and day. I do know many kids that go to college that are homeschooled.... My kids most likely will NOT go to college, actually only one has a good shot at college. my 11 year old has a very good sense of speaking but can not put down on paper what he wants to say....find a way to get him excited about learning and he learns....so I need ot figure out more ways to incorporate Nascar into his learning. The schools here in Maryland, STINK, I have nothing nice to say about any of them. Mooch [oneandonemakesix]
My husband was homeschooled all through school and I was homeschooled for 3 years (the rest of my years were spent in Christian Academy) Both of us have gone onto college and graduated. I personally prefer a Christian Academy, but if a good one is not available, Homeschooling is the only other alternative in my opinion. The Public School system leaves much to be desired and I will never send my kids there. There are many different Homeschooling curriculumns out there to be used. Here is just a few: A Beka, ACE, Alpha & Omega, Rod & Staff, and Bob Jones. Those are just a few of many that are out there. I would agree that there are many parents who children would be better off in public school for all the more the parents are educating them, but that is not the story for all Homeschoolers. There are many successful adults in our world that were homeschooled so I know it can be done. [susanna80]
i really shouldn't be commenting on this subject because i don't have children. i will have children maybe in the future, if god is willing. if i were smart and have a degree of some sort from a university or a college about teaching, then i would homeschool my child until the rest of their 12th grade but this would be a problem because i have a life too. i can't stay all day in the house teaching my child about history, math, etc. i have work to do, chores that needs to done. a lot of things can be happening instead of teaching my child at home. this is the job of teachers at school. that's is why they are here because, they are here to teach students. i would leave the teaching to them and be on my way to freedom! [maxsee212]
i don't have any kids yet. but i have tutoring experience. i think i can afford to have my (future) children in their first few years. i want to see them have steady and stable basic knowledge. i think i can do my best for them. [abbamoney]
Where I live it is not done unless there is a serious medical problem or something like that. But I would not want to school my kids at home. First of all I find it very important that they get to socialize with other children also of other races etc. Plus I work at home and I love it when they are not around for a few hours haha, that sort of gives me a break of them too. LOL! [mistissa]
That is exactly why I don't think homeschooling is best. I teach at the college level, and believe me...very few people can adequately homeschool. I know a lady locally who homeschooled her children and they did fine in college, however one must understand, she was a bonafide teacher by profession! She was a highschool teacher who decided not to work until her children were in college!! To home-teach the junior high and high school curriculum is a very challanging role. [crazynurse]
Many of my friends homeschool their children. Its very common here in Pa. Most of them are involved in church or other home school groups. Our local YMCAs have homeschool "gym" times so the kids can interact and get physical education type classes (that the parents lead). I could not do it myself though. I'm just not that organized and frankly my 10th grader is beyong my comprehension in math already! My sil and her two brothers were all homeschooled and went on to very good colleges. [r3sunz]
I was wanting to homeschool my son because of all the bad things that have happened in schools the past few years.(ie. bombs, school shootings, teachers molesting students). It makes me sick to think of that happening to my son. I do believe homeschooling is a great idea. I have a few friends who were homeschooled and they loved it. They are great people who have a heart of gold, and they are very smart. One of them is currently homeschooling her daughter because she loved the experience so much as a child, she wanted the same experience for her children. I've never heard any homeschooled child say that it didn't do them any good, or they didn't learn as much. [AdTe23]