Homeschooling - Am I doing it for the right reasons?

[His_helpmeet]

Leaving religion aside, studies have shown that homeschooled children score as well or better than children in regular schools. However…obviously homeschooled children are a self-selected, elite group. As all sorts of studies have shown, academic success correlates best with family income, no matter where the students go to school. I suspect that most parents who homeschool are above average in income–if not, the mother would be working!!! So the real question should be: would homeschooled children do better academically if they were in regular schools? No way to test that. Do they do as well in isolation as they might if they were competing with others? I personally am very, very skeptical of the studies that suggest homeschooled children do as well or better–not because they don’t have high scores, but because they should have high scores. The real question is would they have higher scores if they were in regular schools?

I’ve always marvelled at homeschool parents who do the teaching! How on earth did they get so smart??? Maybe we could all teach grades 1 and 2, but 9-12? Really?
And without any teacher training whatsoever (unless you happened to be a teacher)?

As for socialization, some of the studies are based on questionnaires filled out by parents. If would be the rare parent who would rate his/her children as deficient in socialization skills. None of us would admit to that! Other questionnaires given to children may or may not reflect the actual situation. Virtually no studies have been done on actual behavior: for example, does the child have friends from the immediate neighborhood, or from a wider area? Does the child have friends of different racial, economic, or social backgrounds? Compare homeschooled to regular schooled children on that one.

And, unless mommy or daddy owns a business, your child will have to go out into the bad, bad world and compete and interact with a vast range of people. How’s that going to work out?

If someone can point to good studies that answer my arguments, please share them. But please don’t simply write back that Susie or Johnny is this or that–they are self-selected, and of course they are superior…that’s my point.

Let me tell you about my family. Six kids, all homeschooled, but not all of them homeschooled all the way through (will indicate below).

Me - oldest, public school K-3, homeschooled 4-8, cyber school for 9-12. Graduated valedictorian. Bachelor of Nursing with Distinction, Master of Nursing. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Young Canadians Challenge Gold Award. Nursing instructor at a college. Married x 5 years with 11-year-old stepdaughter.

Sis - public school K-1, homeschooled 2-8, cyber school for 9-12. Certificate (Level 2) in Early Childhood Education, Married x 7 years with three children. SAHM.

Bro1: homeschooled K-6, cyber school for 7-12. Graduated valedictorian. Bachelor of Music (Viola Performance & Composition). Played in National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Employed freelance as a professional musician and music teacher. Common-law married for 2-3 years.

Bro2: homeschooled K-7, cyber school for 8-12. Graduated valedictorian. Received highest school award (St. Gabe’s Award - given to the student they feel best exemplifies the spirit of the school) in Grade 12. Bachelor of Music (Viola Performance). Employed freelance as a professional musician and music teacher.

Bro3: homeschooled K-7, cyber school for 8-12. Graduated valedictorian. Received Rosebowl Award for violin performance in Grade 12 and considered for it in Grade 11 (given to the student who has the best performance in the entire Kiwanis Music Festival for that area - this encompasses solo and ensemble music and speech arts performances); also received the trophy for best violin performance 2-3 times. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Young Canadians Challenge Silver Award. Bachelor of Music (Violin Performance) and Performer’s Certificate (Violin Performance). Employed as a music teacher by a conservatory. Married x 4 years with first child expected in December.

Bro4: homeschooled K-7, cyber school for 8-9, public school 10-12. Teachers consistently said he had the best citizenship skills in the class. In second year of Police Studies diploma, wants to become a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.

We kids had many opportunities for socialization. We were consistently involved in community groups - Scouting and Guiding (as youth members and leaders), parish activities, homeschool group activities, sports teams, music ensembles, and other activities.

 

[lax16]

Well, your cons list has very easy solutions. Most homeschoolers have more social interactions with a much wider variety of people than those in traditional schools. Especially if you plan to travel as you state on your pros list. Traditional school interactions are pretty scripted, restricted, and mostly same age/sex socialization. Homeschooler interactions tend to be much more natural. They are involved with people of various ages and stages in life.

Some of the cons I would add to your list:

Lack of free time for parents, especially the main teacher parent

Choosing to let housework slide on school days

Keeping not only kids but yourself focused and not bored

Change in family/educational dynamic that at times takes 2-3 years to overcome. During the first year or two it is common for things to be stressful, learning to slow down, and fighting to increase. I often think if it as growing pains and usually the families that stick with it are glad they did once they get past those first couple of years. But that time is very hard for many families and a lot choose not to stick with the changes

Finding the right balance of school, work, family time

Accepting that the type of education we desire for our kids might not be the best education for THEM. It’s important to base our teaching on our children’s learning style and not our own belief of what education should be. Each child is unique and doing school at home tends not to work as well as homeschooling does. (I currently have 6 full time homeschoolers and a preschooler at home. The schooldays are different for each of the kids. Some are more “unschooled,” my oldest daughter has a classical curriculum, and some are very structured with curriculum similar to their last regular school. I wanted all to have the same classical education, but this works best in order to make learning happen for each one)

The biggest reason I homeschool and something I would add to your pro list:

I’m spending more time getting my kids into heaven. My focus is on teaching them our faith and helping them learn to live it out.

A few other pros:

Family bonds are cemented

Getting to know one another in very different ways than most “school families” since we are deeper involved with aspects they tend to leave to other people

Not being tied to a certain spot/location/schedule

Freedom to learn in a very hands on way. Most of us tend to learn better through living and doing rather than reading or being told.

Whatever you decide, remember it doesn’t have to be permanent. You can switch back and forth between traditional schools, homes schooling, and even change educational styles and curriculums multiple times. Nothing needs to be a one time decision. All pros have cons, and all cons have solutions. Find what works for your family. Be brave enough to try what you feel is best and wise enough to know your limits. If something isn’t working, find solutions even if those solutions are different than your desires. Have the confidence to know you are capable of making whatever choice work. Your desire to do what is best for your child shows you are a good parent. Continue to pray for guidance even after a decision is made. May God bless you and your family.

So much here. Thank you, I really need to hear that whatever I do, it does not have to be permanent.

You are right, I need to take her learning style into account, not mine.

I would have to drag her along to all of my doctor appointments because I have nobody to watch her. Fortunately, I don’t need to go as often as I used to.

It would be nice to visit grandparents in California and siblings away at college. Even a trip to Disneyland - she’s been asking to go for as long as I can remember. There’s also a pilgrimage to the California missions coming up that Patrick Madrid is hosting that would be great to do.

Thanks so much for the (name removed by moderator)ut - you have no idea how much it means to me.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

Most of your post seemed, well rather negative about homeschooling in general. Then you challenged people here to produce studies refuting your claims. With all Christian charity, I am not sure how this is useful to the original poster?

Because the original poster seemed to accept on face value that home schooling was superior. I’m not so sure. It’s like saying students are Harvard are smarter than students at the local community college. Sure they are–but it’s not necessarily because they’re getting a better education. They started out smarter. If I were considering home schooling, I would look at some studies, but I would also go beyond that to me and my own children–would I honestly believe I could do a better job than an experienced teacher? If I were having a conversation with the poster, that’s what I would ask her.

This part of your post stood out for me. You basically accused homeschool parents of being completely dishonest when they participated in studies regarding their children. If your stance is that homeschool parents are lying then giving you more data about them and studies about them really would not make much difference.

I wouldn’t use the word “dishonest.” I would use the word “biased.” Plus “ignorant” --how do you rate a child’s socialization skills? That sounds pretty complicated to me. Even if you are observing your child all the time, the issue is really comparative: would my child be better off being home schooled or in a regular school? Since you can’t clone your children and do an experiment, I think that’s a hard question.

I was a homeschool mom, a Catholic school mom and also a public school mom. Were my children well-socialized? Yes but some of them still lacked social skills. I can tell you that the primary drive behind a well-socialized child is the temperament God gave the child. Some are naturally shy, some are naturally outgoing. You could take my shy child and put them in a public school with 10 playdates a week and they would still be primarily shy, you could take my most outgoing daughter (who was homeschooled) and she would be at a party where she knew NO one and she had a friend within five minutes. We still tried to push our children to be the best they could be, that’s what parents need to do but had to recognize our children were who they were.

I agree. It seems to me that the child’s natural disposition would trump any given environment. But I could imagine that given certain settings (not just “homeschool” vs. “regular school”) a certain child might blossom or wither, but it would be very hard to predict or manipulate the optimal setting. And that’s not the way the world works, anyway. You have to make the best of what you’ve got.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

Let me tell you about my family.

You didn’t read my last sentence: "But please don’t simply write back that Susie or Johnny is this or that–they are self-selected, and of course they are superior…that’s my point."

It sounds like you have exceptional children. That’s great, and good for you and them. But my point was–and is–that your children would have been exceptional in any setting. There’s no way to know if they would have been better off in a regular school. So it’s not a valid argument to say, “Look at my kids, they turned out great!”

And I’m going out on a limb and guessing that you play a musical instrument, probably quite well. But what if you didn’t know anything at all about music? Would your children have turned out the same way? Even if you had tried your best to teach them? Versus a trained music teacher?

Take a look at the Olympics: how often did you hear “So-and-so has taken swimming lessons / gymnastics / track & field / etc. since they were 4. His/her father was also a gold-medal winning Olympian / NFL player / lifelong athlete.” It would be tough for those kids NOT to be excellent athletes. The same goes for actors–how often do you look into their backgrounds and find our their parents were actors, directors, or writers? A LOT of the time. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it would be silly for those parents to generalize from their own children’s success to a general recommendation for all children.

 

[bitterhope]

So much here. Thank you, I really need to hear that whatever I do, it does not have to be permanent.

You are right, I need to take her learning style into account, not mine.

I would have to drag her along to all of my doctor appointments because I have nobody to watch her. Fortunately, I don’t need to go as often as I used to.

It would be nice to visit grandparents in California and siblings away at college. Even a trip to Disneyland - she’s been asking to go for as long as I can remember. There’s also a pilgrimage to the California missions coming up that Patrick Madrid is hosting that would be great to do.

Thanks so much for the (name removed by moderator)ut - you have no idea how much it means to me.

We’ve got dr appts regularly here too. One thing that helps with us is bringing their favorite class to work on while waiting in the waiting room. They read in the car (the appts tend to be about 80 miles away), we eat a snack, then head up to whichever kid’s appt. It took a while, but they are now in the habit of getting their schoolwork out while we wait. Some of mine can sit out in the waiting room depending on who has an appt (older kids can watch some younger ones, but if it’s their appt we all need to go back). If we all go back, often the kids sit outside the door and continue to work unless we are in a larger exam room that can accommodate us all.

Traveling is a wonderful way for children to learn. It opens their eyes to so many differences and helps them see there are many possibilities in life. Visiting family is a wonderful thing to do. School work is portable and can be tailored to the trip. So many possibilities!

What are your daughter’s thoughts on homeschooling? I feel strongly that it is a parental decision, but at 10 she should be able to make suggestions as well. If she’s on board, the transition will be smoother. It can work regardless of her feelings though.

 

[His_helpmeet]

You didn’t read my last sentence: "But please don’t simply write back that Susie or Johnny is this or that–they are self-selected, and of course they are superior…that’s my point."

It sounds like you have exceptional children. That’s great, and good for you and them. But my point was–and is–that your children would have been exceptional in any setting. There’s no way to know if they would have been better off in a regular school. So it’s not a valid argument to say, “Look at my kids, they turned out great!”

And I’m going out on a limb and guessing that you play a musical instrument, probably quite well. But what if you didn’t know anything at all about music? Would your children have turned out the same way? Even if you had tried your best to teach them? Versus a trained music teacher?

Take a look at the Olympics: how often did you hear “So-and-so has taken swimming lessons / gymnastics / track & field / etc. since they were 4. His/her father was also a gold-medal winning Olympian / NFL player / lifelong athlete.” It would be tough for those kids NOT to be excellent athletes. The same goes for actors–how often do you look into their backgrounds and find our their parents were actors, directors, or writers? A LOT of the time. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it would be silly for those parents to generalize from their own children’s success to a general recommendation for all children.

Actually, I was talking about myself and my siblings. (I have an 11-year-old stepdaughter but no other children.)

My parents made the decision to homeschool because they felt that the school system was not meeting our needs adequately. My mother told me once that my Grade 2 teacher told her, “Your daughter is wasting her time being in this class. She’s incredibly advanced for her age. But I can’t provide a program that adequately meets her needs because such a program would be far beyond the level of the other students.” My brother, who was going into Kindergarten, was assessed by both the principal and the Kindergarten teacher who recommended that he go into Grade 1 and skip Kindergarten altogether. The school board refused. I think that’s what really cemented my parents’ decision.

My belief, FWIW, is that schools, as a rule, teach to the lowest common denominator. The reality is that they MUST. The children who are identified as having special needs often have Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and statements of their needs so that they can be accommodated. The problem is that there are often very few such programs for more gifted children - and the programs that do exist often put such pressure and heavy workloads on children that they are of little benefit. Consequently those children who are highly intelligent may not do as well in the traditional school setting, because a) the program is not geared towards their needs, and b) the teacher is often so thankful that they have mastered the content that they neglect these children in favour of those who do need more help. (This is not meant to disparage teachers. They have a very demanding and often thankless job. The reality is that often they’re stretched to the limit and have to budget their time.) I do not think homeschooling is necessarily the best option for EVERY child. But I also don’t think it’s fair to say that those children who succeed with homeschooling didn’t necessarily derive benefit from it.

 

[bitterhope]

You didn’t read my last sentence: "But please don’t simply write back that Susie or Johnny is this or that–they are self-selected, and of course they are superior…that’s my point."

It sounds like you have exceptional children. That’s great, and good for you and them. But my point was–and is–that your children would have been exceptional in any setting. There’s no way to know if they would have been better off in a regular school. So it’s not a valid argument to say, “Look at my kids, they turned out great!”

And I’m going out on a limb and guessing that you play a musical instrument, probably quite well. But what if you didn’t know anything at all about music? Would your children have turned out the same way? Even if you had tried your best to teach them? Versus a trained music teacher?

Take a look at the Olympics: how often did you hear “So-and-so has taken swimming lessons / gymnastics / track & field / etc. since they were 4. His/her father was also a gold-medal winning Olympian / NFL player / lifelong athlete.” It would be tough for those kids NOT to be excellent athletes. The same goes for actors–how often do you look into their backgrounds and find our their parents were actors, directors, or writers? A LOT of the time. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it would be silly for those parents to generalize from their own children’s success to a general recommendation for all children.

I’m not the poster you were responding to. Here’s how it has worked in my family.

Some of my kids were doing great in traditional school setting, but several were basically being left behind. I had one son that was in fourth grade when I pulled him out of school. He wasn’t reading AT ALL yet. Now he is reading on level. His state testing results were all between 25th and 30th percentile in every subject area with accommodations. Now he takes the same test at a testing center WITHOUT accommodations and is scoring 75th to 80th percentile in all subjects. He’s been homeschooled for three years now. Not all kids are exceptional no matter where they are. Some kids are left behind and forgotten at regular school. Another child of mine was literally forgotten by his teacher on a field trip. Yes, things happen. Several of my kids are very artistic and musical. I don’t play an instrument or sing, I can’t draw anything. Same with my husband. Sometimes kids surprise us with the things they are good at.

I agree that education is not a set in stone, this is always best for everyone type of thing. Each family and each child is different. That is why some children truly do have greater success in certain environments than others. Not all kids will be able to excel in public or private schools, and not all kids do well homeschooling. Nothing in life is truly one size fits all

 

[bitterhope]

Actually, I was talking about myself and my siblings. (I have an 11-year-old stepdaughter but no other children.)

My parents made the decision to homeschool because they felt that the school system was not meeting our needs adequately. My mother told me once that my Grade 2 teacher told her, “Your daughter is wasting her time being in this class. She’s incredibly advanced for her age. But I can’t provide a program that adequately meets her needs because such a program would be far beyond the level of the other students.” My brother, who was going into Kindergarten, was assessed by both the principal and the Kindergarten teacher who recommended that he go into Grade 1 and skip Kindergarten altogether. The school board refused. I think that’s what really cemented my parents’ decision.

My belief, FWIW, is that schools, as a rule, teach to the lowest common denominator. The reality is that they MUST. The children who are identified as having special needs often have Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and statements of their needs so that they can be accommodated. The problem is that there are often very few such programs for more gifted children - and the programs that do exist often put such pressure and heavy workloads on children that they are of little benefit. Consequently those children who are highly intelligent may not do as well in the traditional school setting, because a) the program is not geared towards their needs, and b) the teacher is often so thankful that they have mastered the content that they neglect these children in favour of those who do need more help. (This is not meant to disparage teachers. They have a very demanding and often thankless job. The reality is that often they’re stretched to the limit and have to budget their time.) I do not think homeschooling is necessarily the best option for EVERY child. But I also don’t think it’s fair to say that those children who succeed with homeschooling didn’t necessarily derive benefit from it.

Unfortunately it is often the kids with IEPs and 504 plans that are left behind in schools. It’s more likely most teachers teach to the middle while neglecting both the top and bottom portions of their class.

My kids are a very wide range. Some with learning disabilities, some very average, and then my oldest daughter who is brilliant and a quick learner. She had different problems in regular school (boredom mainly) but that was manageable. It was the kids with IEPs and the other with a 504 plan that were in very bad situation with the schools.

 

[Monica4316]

You can get to know other homeschooling groups to have the social interaction

to be honest, I think being exposed to devices 80% of the day is way too much, I think it’s not healthy for children, physically or mentally. I’d have reservations too. It’s a modern “trend” in education.

 

[AClaire11]

You can get to know other homeschooling groups to have the social interaction

to be honest, I think being exposed to devices 80% of the day is way too much, I think it’s not healthy for children, physically or mentally. I’d have reservations too. It’s a modern “trend” in education.

Plus, then you have to deal with them using them for unauthorized things. My middle school had plenty of safeguards to keep us from using our laptops for AOL Instant Messenger (aaaah early 2000s…) and other things. But every time, someone would find a way around the safeguards and tell everyone else. And are they going to be expected to use these for homework? Then you can’t even make sure they don’t use them at home for bad stuff. Then it’s bad for your eyes, etc.

 

[pianistclare]

I guess people are assuming that these children have unlimited access to wifi?
The school across the way has devices. The kids use software. They are not permitted to go on the internet. The teachers put things up on smart boards, but the devices simply interact.

Homeschooling is really popular. Just don’t do it out of fear. Do it because you are passionate about teaching. Make sure your own network of fellow homeschoolers includes people who are extremely capable for math & sciences.

All the best!

 

[KnitNut]

Pros:

• Flexible plan of study…if a great opportunity pops up, you can move things around to accommodate it. If a method or curriculum isn’t fitting well, it can be changed almost instantly.
• Starts, stops, and breaks when you want. Especially for older kids, the extra sleep in the AM makes a world of difference. (The school bus picks up the kids on our street, in the Boston suburbs, at 6:30AM!) Learning happens any day of the week, any time of the day.
• The option for greater continuity. My children never did well with the “40 minutes of reading, then 40 minutes of math, then 40 minutes of cultural studies” rigidity. If they’re done early, we don’t fill up the time with busywork. If they’re enthusiastically delving into a subject or an assignment, they have the option to continue working, and to move other assignments around to facilitate this.
• The flexibility of taking lessons anywhere. Under an apple tree, at the library, at Starbucks, in the car on a road trip, in the hotel room at a hockey tournament, on the Alaska ferry…
• The option to relate studies to real world events/activities/persons on a daily basis. You can seek out resources all over - visit workplaces, factories, barns, historical monuments, machine shops…so-called “field trips” can be used to enhance learning on a much more frequent basis.
• Lessons are done sooner, in general. There’s much more efficiency in home education, so an equivalent amount of work in the public/private/charter school is completed more quickly, leaving more time for other things, or for expanded study.
• The ability to study beyond a public/private school curriculum. Greek? Latin? Art history? Advanced coding? You’re not held back because “it’s not available”, or “they’ll get to that in later years.”
• No counting “absent days”. The current policies for absence can be very restrictive.
• Testing if and how you want it. No need to “teach to” countless tests.
• Probably one of the biggest: Our household isn’t always sick! You can avoid the Plague of the Month club to a larger extent.

I could go on, but these are some of the high points. You could “afterschool” and get much of them, but with homework/activities/etc, there may not be much time left to get to more schooling. Kids do need downtime.

Cons:

• Too many options, leading to “analysis paralysis.” Every day is basically, “Ooooh, shiny!” There’s always a new curriculum, or a new methodology (Waldorf? Montessori? Unschooling? Classical?..to name a few). It’s VERY easy to get overwhelmed.
• It can be expensive. It’s possible to spend very little, but it’s also possible to spend a whoooooole lot. Budget carefully, shop wisely.
• The regular comparison (and inquisition) of you/your kids by people who don’t understand home education, or who oppose it. A thick skin is helpful. Also, just because you’re home schooling, it doesn’t mean your child is the next tween graduating from MIT. It’s OK for kids to be “just regular kids” and not child prodigies. And you don’t owe anyone in the general public an explanation for your choices, so don’t feel you have to engage in every debate tossed your way.
• The very real potential to get caught behind the 8-ball. If planning and recordkeeping aren’t your things, particularly if you live in a more heavily regulated state, you run the risk of problems with the school district (and the courts). It’s important to understand the laws and rules of your local jurisdiction.
• The fishbowl. Because you’re “different”, you may be under heightened scrutiny for any sign of “neglect or abuse”…again, your local homeschool organization (or a group such as HSLDA) can help you avoid problems.
• The extra time/stress of planning & executing. If you buy a “school in a box” curriculum, you’ll still need to go through it to organize supplies, print stuff, secure library materials (and remember to return them), make/order manipulatives, etc.
• The unspoken tendency to compare it to your personal school experiences and possibly try to replicate that. Lots of people try the “School at Home” thing, complete with lined up desks, a teacher’s desk, and chalkboard. It’s important to be completely honest with yourself about this…are you doing it because it’s “how it was always done” or because it really works for your family.
• The lack of some common touchpoints that the other neighborhood kids/families will have. Your kids will not be in on the jokes about Mrs. Whomever, the 3rd grade teacher. They’ll miss setting up the classroom for Open House. You won’t be a “room mother” or a PTA member. So you’re going to have to find other ways to forge ties, both with homeschooling families/kids, and with the larger community.
• Depending upon where you live, it may be harder to create some learning opportunities. The school can hire a bus to take kids hours away to an event/museum. That may not fit in your family budget, to drive it yourself. Some equipment available at the school may be out of your price range, or outside your comfort level. Local co-ops may be a way to offset this, and sales and Craigslist may also be resources. I have read about some libraries and teaching colleges offering “learning kits” via their lending libraries. States also have cooperative extension offices and other agencies that offer free materials (nutrition, agriculture, all sorts of interesting things). You’ll have to really be creative, if location and budget restrict your opportunities.

For us, homeschooling was a no-brainer. But it’s not an easy solution, and it’s arguably harder than just “going with the flow.” Best wishes in your discernment!

 

[slh3016]

I homeschool (3 kids)and I will be the first to say that it is not for the faint of heart.

Homeschooling is great and it is rewarding.

But it is also hard, hard work.
I am exhausted A LOT.
I am cranky A LOT.
I need coffee A LOT

We have wonderful days and weeks and we have downright awful days and weeks. Life interrupts (sick kids, sick mom, appointments, etc.) A LOT. Some days, I wish my kids were getting on the yellow bus that drives by every morning because I want to curl up in my closet and eat bonbons.

However, I will homeschool as long as there is one ounce of sanity left in me because it truly is best for our family. It may or may not be best for an individual child in my family. I don’t know. I don’t homeschool for academic superiority and honestly, my kids will likely be pretty average and I am okay with that.

We homeschool because my husband works 14-16 hours a day 8+ months of the year and the months he is off are the months my kids would be in public school. They would never spend time with their dad or see him when he isn’t stressed out and burned out from so much work. We couldn’t take family vacations if we didn’t homeschool. I couldn’t stay on my kids about bad character traits that I see them exhibiting and “nip it in the bud.” I couldn’t sit snuggled up with my teenager with a cup of coffee in my pj’s reading aloud from great books (that never see the light of day in a public school) if we didn’t homeschool. I couldn’t see the spark that lights up in my daughters’ eyes when something finally “clicks” that they are learning. We couldn’t stay up late to see meteor showers because we’d have alarm clocks buzzing bright and early the next morning. We couldn’t spend time on our farm that is 2+ hours away. We couldn’t take field trips together to museums, plays, etc. if we didn’t homeschool.

None of these reasons are academic and my kids will never be academic geniuses, nor do I really want them to be. But, if nothing else, my kids will know HOW to learn, how to WORK HARD, and have manners and respect for everyone they meet.

That makes it worth it to me.

As for socialization, my kids have PLENTY of opportunities for socializing! They play sports, take music lessons, play with other homeschooled friends and we also attend a one day tutorial/co-op at our parish that (so far) has been phenomenal. My 13yo 7th grader is taking writing, American History, Algebra 1, Life Science, and literature/English there. All the teachers are highly qualified for their area of expertise. He then completes assignments over the course of the rest of the week. For my girls’, the program is Classically Catholic Memory which provides memory work for History, Science, Math, Latin, Religion, and Literature.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Okay, I have been considering homeschooling our ten year old daughter for a while and would love some advice. I don’t want to use it as a punishment, but I am just so frustrated with schools today I feel like it might come out in my decision to homeschool her.

Tonight at back to school night, the principal announced they were going to a new “prep school model” where the students would be exposed to devices 80% of the day. What?!

I am open to anyone who wants to try and talk some sense into me. Right now I would like to keep her home and teach her with a mix of traditional and classical curriculum materials. Books, math facts, writing…what happened to teaching these in elementary school?

As I see it right now, these are the pros and cons of homeschooling:

Pros: enriched curriculum
lots of math practice
penmanship and writing skills
time to travel

Cons: lack of social connection with peers

Feel free to add to my pros and cons list or to tell me I am reacting too strongly to the principal’s message. Advice needed.

That pro and con list is not exactly what I would have put there.

But here is the long and short of it. If you are homeschooling to provide the best education to your child and to help them achieve heaven then that is the only reason that matters.

 

[lax16]

As a public school teacher, I am right there with you on the frustration! :banghead:

What’s happened to education is that the higher-ups (district administration, and local and state-level politicians) want schools to look good “on paper.” They choose the latest new program – which is usually untested as to validity, reliability, and effectiveness – and then threaten teachers with loss of their jobs if they don’t toe the line.

sigh

So homeschooling is definitely an option for you. Most of my friends homeschool their children and are very successful at it. A couple have gone back and forth with homeschooling and private or charter school.

Depending on where you live and your means, a charter school or a private school may be a better option for your family if you decide not to homeschool. My son attends our parish school, and because it is a low-income area, their technology is way behind. So my son is rarely on devices at school.

Do what you think is best for your daughter. God bless you in your decision!

First the principal was big on Common Core and said anyone not on board with it was believing the propaganda against it. Now I don’t hear anything about CC from him, or anyone else for that matter.

My daughter attends a small Catholic school in a more working class part of town but they somehow just received a large number of brand new computers. They moved half of the books over in the library, put computers out on desks and no longer call it the library - it’s the learning commons.

This is another red flag.

 

[lax16]

We did all three when I was raising my children (homeschool, Catholic school, public schools) depending on the child and the year, circumstances etc.

I could give you a list of pros and cons but you have probably already made one, if not on paper you have made one mentally. I bet you have thought about this dozens if not hundreds of times and are going back and forth!

This is the best advice I can give you: Take your thoughts, worries, frustrations, anxieties and go and sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament and ask Jesus Christ what HIS plans are for your child at this time because He knows what is the best plan right now.

Wonderful advice.

 

[lax16]

I agree with Monica.

Having worked in a Catholic school for 10 years, I can tell you that many of these “innovations” are put into place and demanded by the parents.
Catholic schools long ago abandoned the faith as their primary concern, in an effort to compete with the Private schools. Why? Because we have no more (essentially) free labor. No nuns. The cost of running a school is astronomical. Catholic parents say "if I’m going to spend THIS much, you’d better offer this this this that this this that, like “INSERT TONEY PREP SCHOOL NAME HERE”.

Do what you think is best, and leave it in God’s hands.
Just make sure you have looked at every other traditional school possibility in your area first. I do think that regular school is better for most kids, but that’s only my opinion.

My opinion may not work for your family.
I’ll pray for your discernment.

The principal seems to be leading the way on this idea. Many of the families are Spanish-speaking and others just regular folks. (Although I’m sure there are parents on board with this).

Living in Utah, the school situation is extremely difficult. The Catholic schools are the only option for those wanting to escape the primary culture. I liked her school because it was more down to earth than the others, but obviously the principal has changed the culture of the school since last year.

Thank you for the prayers- I really appreciate it!

 

[lax16]

Can you clarify what you mean by exposed to devices 80% of the day?

I am in email dialogue with the principal trying to get more clarity on what he meant exactly. I will update when I have a clear understanding of the"80% device" comment.

 

[lax16]

I’ve experienced your frustration! It’s maddening!

That said, I have a mix going on in my house; homeschool, private (non-religious) and public. The Catholic schools in the area copy the public schools in curriculum, and unfortunately, after decades of bad catechesis, our archdiocese is still short in teachers that are solidly founded in their faith. It’s getting better, but the religion classes still lack considerably, so I prefer to handle religion at home.

Thanks be to God her school does a very good job imparting the truth of the Catholic faith to the students. I’m very grateful to have a solid Catholic school.

As far as homeschooling, I found my kids to be much better socialized! The kids who only went to schools and never homeschooled are much more stunted in their social skills. They are used to only communicating with their circle of friends. My homeschoolers, on the other hand, are very adept at navigating a room of strangers and making friends quickly. I saw the quick turn around in their behavior as soon as I began homeschooling (with in 4 months) and I never recognized the problem before. It was only after homeschooling that I realized the negative impact the classroom had on socialization. I would never have guessed this would be the case.

Unfortunately, there is a very, very small Catholic homeschool community here in Utah and there are no neighbors or relatives to socialize with either. To make it worse, all three of her older siblings moved away within the last five months.

The primary reason I sent her to school and not homeschooled so far is so she could have friends.

Just because you choose to homeschool this year, does not mean it has to be forever. If it doesn’t suit your family, you can always change your mind. Just be sure to not burn any bridges if you leave your school so you can return if you need to. Look towards the skills your child will need for middle school or high school to determine what you need to focus on. In fifth grade, there should be a lot of reading, some increase in the level of writing ability along with researching a simple subject, math facts should be solid in their minds to prepare for the algebra that they are being introduced to, and a love for the science and arts fostered (i.e.: make that enjoyable, it’s the critical thinking and math skills that will benefit them the most in the upper grades of science.). Vocabulary is also critical to reading skills, but can be done through your choice of classic books and/or vocabulary books. I like Wordly Wise for vocabulary.

Good luck to you in your decision. Do it with a calm head, and prayer will give you the peace you need for your decision.

Thank you for the detailed suggestions for the fifth grade. Yes, I can always change my mind in the future.

 

[lax16]

Additional:

Pro: keep kid from getting corrupted by the current sexual fanaticism in the young generation. Improves their chance of holiness and also getting the **parents **out of Purgatory!

Con: Will be physically exhausting to the parents. Forces them to push the limits of their own learning.

I’d still do it if I had children. Count the cost and go for it.

ICXC NIKA