To what grade do you homeschool and why?

[Odell]

My wife and I homeschool our kids, oldest being six. At co-op today my wife heard some parents saying they are only homeschooling up to high school. Reasoning behind this is because they want them to get the “experience” while still under their roof. My language they want to throw them to the wolves sooner. Is this wrong? I know they have a right to do as they wish but their rationality behind it makes no sense to me. Personally I like what Dr. Ray has to say. In that he sees no need sending one off to a four year collage right out of high school all you are doing is pilling on more debt. He says why not send them to a community collage with less debt and more time to mature under your roof. You can get all your credits at a community collage anyhow.

What are your suggestions? Is their reasoning as absurd as I’m making it? Are there any studies out there?

 

[Anne72]

Well, the reasons for homeschooling my (5) kids didn’t suddenly change around high school We homeschool because we feel we give our children a better education at home-and we do! My kids are pretty smart! Also, to keep them out of situations that I just don’t think they need to be in-that doesn’t mean we ‘shelter them to the extreme’ or anything. They participate in non religious music and educational programs, etc.

I’m one of those people that shakes my head when I’m told my kids need the ‘real world’ to prepare them. My husband and I talk to our kids, we give straight answers, we don’t shelter them in knowledge-but I don’t think they need to be thrown into rough situations to teach them a lesson, or whatever, you know? They know about real world situations-they have friends who are still in public school and they hear about all the nonsense that goes on, and the unsafe situations (even in safe schools) and they are thrilled to be at home. Why put them in a position where they have to maneuver adult situations while they are trying to pass tests and get a decent education? I just can’t toss them into a bunch of peer nonsense so they ‘learn’ the hard way. I’m not a fan of the public school system-I think a kid being in a room with 30 other kids of the same age all day isn’t a real world situation, anyway.
So, we homeschool straight on through-my oldest just graduated, my two other high schoolers are at home, as is my middle schooler and pre schooler. We don’t plan on sending them to ‘school’. We do fine at home.
I don’t know of any studies, but I will say-the proof is in how the kids turn out and if I have done anything right in my life-it’s been to keep them home, they are great kids, smart kids and I’m glad I didn’t put their education in other hands. Glad I didn’t shove them out into rough waters for ‘experience’ when they were impressionable and all. Public school is a lot harder than the ‘real world’ in many ways in my opinion!!!

 

[Odell]

My thoughts exactly! You did a far better job explaining it though

 

[Eleanor61]

We have five children. The three oldest were homeschooled all the way through high school. They were academically talented and interested and were able to gain college credits by taking AP tests, college language classes, etc. Our fourth child had no interest in school subjects and just wanted to be out of the house and play basketball. We sent him to a conservative, Catholic parent run school, very small, which felt constraining to him but was within our comfort zone as turning our children over to a public or “Catholic” in name only school was not something we could tolerate. He will graduate this year and overall it was the best place for him, but not without frustrations for all of us.
Our youngest has severe learning disabilities although he has excellent social skills. He makes friends easily, but needs the one -on-one tutoring provided by homeschooling, so unless he gets into a vocational program, a long shot with his issues, he will homeschool though high school. This is my 23rd year of homeschooling.

 

[Odell]

We have five children. The three oldest were homeschooled all the way through high school. They were academically talented and interested and were able to gain college credits by taking AP tests, college language classes, etc. Our fourth child had no interest in school subjects and just wanted to be out of the house and play basketball. We sent him to a conservative, Catholic parent run school, very small, which felt constraining to him but was within our comfort zone as turning our children over to a public or “Catholic” in name only school was not something we could tolerate. He will graduate this year and overall it was the best place for him, but not without frustrations for all of us.
Our youngest has severe learning disabilities although he has excellent social skills. He makes friends easily, but needs the one -on-one tutoring provided by homeschooling, so unless he gets into a vocational program, a long shot with his issues, he will homeschool though high school. This is my 23rd year of homeschooling.

What’s a catholic parent run school vs a catholic in name school? I’m with you though most make the decision to homeschool based in the fact they don’t like the public school system. To me the public Highschool is worse.

 

[Eleanor61]

NAPCIS is an umbrella organization of parent-run Catholic schools. They are small, very religious and conservative, some are more successful than others. Catholic in name only schools refers to the large diocesan high schools and private schools where the standards and morals are not significantly different from the public schools and the religious instruction is heterodox.