Why homeschool?

[bitterhope]

Often the parents are able to use library resources for free. There are online programs for subjects parents aren’t comfortable teaching. Some parents switch out subjects with each other. I teach math to a neighbor’s kids and in turn she teaches music to mine. I do not have a college degree, but that is because I bypassed getting one for motherhood instead. I’m not stupid, but even if I were that would be no one’s business. God trusted me to educate my children and it’s no one else’s business how well I do that. If my kids find full time employment on earth and make it to heaven after that, I’ve done my job. Not all kids are college bound. Homeschooling allows kids to follow their career paths from an earlier age which may help both the kids heading to college and the ones that are seeking a trade. There are an awful lot of traditionally educated college graduates that can’t get jobs, but somehow a homeschooling parent is looked at as bad if their child is the same way.

 

[Jelrak_TB]

We homeschool 4 of our children. The youngest and oldest attend schools of their choosing.

2 of our children are with a very open concept homeschooling option because they have shown to be diligent workers.

2 of our children are in cyber-school because this way they are accountable to an outside force.

We homeschool for a variety of reasons, but primarily we are interested in affording our children the opportunity to avoid wasting time. Our homeschooled children generally finish their studies by about 1:30. Our other children return home from school at about 3:45 and then begin the second phase of schooling: homework. So while our children who are home schooling do occasionally have homework, they tend to manage their time sufficiently well to accomplish what needs to be done during the day when they are still fresh and alert.

This is not to say that homeschooling is without its difficulties. What we have attempted to cultivate among our children by having them alternately attend school and not is to ensure that they do not imagine themselves to be an elite group set aside from society. Nor do we wish for them to become socially deprived or awkward. We simply see value in a truly balanced education.

 

[1990Domer]

Okay I don’t get homeschooling. I get it if one lives in a bad area with horrible schools and the parent is say a teacher. What I don’t get are parents who aren’t educated homeschooling in good areas. My neighbor down the street “homeschools” her kids but really doesn’t. The kids are outside all the time, including in the middle of the night. She then decided to send them back to school and they were at the level much lower than they should. The so called 7th grader reads at a 4th grade and the 4th grader at 1st grade. This is wrong. The schools here are fantastic and this is a conservative area so not as much secular garbage. I feel they need to be far more selective on homeschooling, like give the parents tests to see how smart they are because dumb parents are doing their kids a disservice.

Btw I wasn’t homeschooled but my mom taught us how to read, write and math before kindergarten which helped. My brother is a doctor and I have a Master’s.

I cyber school, so I have a curriculum l have a curriculum set for me. Main reason, son is on autism spectrum, was verbally and physically bullied and had 2 death treats. No discipline for the kids.

We’re lucky because my son is grandfathered Aspergers, but is socially quirky. We can work on that privately. However, he is very smart, with a dad who is much like him. He was bored in school. However, we did hire a tutor to work on writing and reading comprehension–his weaker subjects.

FYI…many teachers don’t know their core subjects either…same for textbooks. So, you can’t always blame the kiddo.

 

[1990Domer]

So the homeschooling parents have college degrees? That makes sense I suppose, but not if they only have a high school diploma or less. My cousin homeschools but she was a teacher and her local schools are horrible.

My best friend from MA is a homeschool SAHM of 5 kids with an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame and a Ph.D. From Champaign-Irbana…both is chem engineering. I think she is qualified. Her DH has the same Ph.D. They met in grad school.

 

[mark_a]

Homeschoolers typically network with other homeschoolers. . We are free to choose who teaches our children, although not all Christians will work with Catholics. We’ve had unbelievable assistance with our own kids.

Part of the appeal of homeschooling is keeping your own kids from being socialized by the culture. I’d rather them be socialized by folks I choose.

If I don’t want them exposed to femiNazis or transgender Catholic Church haters, or lessons about putting on condoms or how to “resopnsibly” take the pill, they don’t have to be.

They can wait til college for that!

 

[1990Domer]

The ones I know do, but I could imagine being a very good homeschooling parent without one. Many college diplomas aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.

Cyber schooling is a good alternative because the district establishes the curriculum. And we supplement with our own religious education.

 

[1990Domer]

More people should report because kids need help. I’ve reported this kid because it is neglect.

Then more kids need to be reported for bullying special needs kids…don’t see that being done.

Before we cyber schooled, we got our son’s standardized tests back. Unlike his IQ-depraved teachers who thought he was retarted, he tested in the gifted range. Imagine that.

I would put our degrees up against any of the teachers in our district. Actually, they used to ask us for help. Nice!

 

[edwest2]

The fact is homeschooled kids on the whole do better on the whole, and if you’re talking about America, well, there’s a bunch of reasons why that is.

If you have a good public school that actually teaches instead of indoctrinates, then that’s a choice for parents.

But I will warn parents and grandparents (having been in the education system myself now for 28 years) that you need to pay attention to what goes on in your kids’ schools, and that includes religion classes.

The worst think you could do as a good Catholic parent is drop your kids off with someone else, dust off your hands and say that you’ve done your job. The American public education system is rife with scandal and under-performance from K-postdoc.

I think nefarious forces out there know that people don’t pay attention and take advantage.

That’s right.

amazon.com/Beyond-Diversity-Day-Curriculum-Sexualities/dp/074252034X

Ed

 

[pensmama87]

Cyber schooling is a good alternative because the district establishes the curriculum. And we supplement with our own religious education.

Yes, I know several parents who use our state’s cyber schooling and they are very happy with it. I also know about online options for Catholic schooling. That’s kind of what I lean toward myself if I were to homeschool, even though I have a MAT and did teach for a couple of years. I like the outside accountability.

 

[1990Domer]

It’s really a proven fact that I don’t think sits well with a lot of academic elites. Reading between the lines, I think some of them are trying to find the silver lining in public education, but realistically it just isn’t there.

In my state, the Brick & Mortar teachers love their salaries, benefits and retirement packages!

 

[pensmama87]

In my state, the Brick & Mortar teachers love their salaries, benefits and retirement packages!

Ha, I just looked and realized we live in the same state.

Yes, compared to other states, public school teachers have it very good here. Comparatively low cost of living plus comparatively high compensation.

 

[1990Domer]

Presumably, if they graduated high school, they can do those things. Aside from that, homeschooling doesn’t always mean that the parent is the direct teacher. The parent is responsible for supervision, but with the internet, there are many courses that are taught and graded by another party, especially for older kids.

And cyber schools in our state start at kindy.

 

[1990Domer]

For example if a parent can’t read, write and do math they shouldn’t be teaching. That’s why testing should be enforced.

Do you monitor their work?

 

[KnitNut]

So the homeschooling parents have college degrees? That makes sense I suppose, but not if they only have a high school diploma or less. My cousin homeschools but she was a teacher and her local schools are horrible.

Carrying this to your logical conclusion, should religious education teachers have advanced theology degrees? After all, presumably faith education is far more important than academics.

If no, why not? How could they possibly be competent, otherwise?

 

[1990Domer]

That’s right.

amazon.com/Beyond-Diversity-Day-Curriculum-Sexualities/dp/074252034X

Ed

Interesting…

 

[1990Domer]

Ha, I just looked and realized we live in the same state.

Yes, compared to other states, public school teachers have it very good here. Comparatively low cost of living plus comparatively high compensation.

Yep…that’s why school scores are falling. Yo much of the budget is to pay benefits…esp pension. Bucks and Montgomery counties are horrible. And then we lead the nation in teacher strikes…lovely!

Not many special Ed teachers being hired but rather overworked…and not following IEPs.

 

[Kelfa28]

I’d say…why not homeschool?

If you can do it, are confident in your abilities as a parent and the abilities of your child…then why not go for it?

I’m in such awe with all of the homeschooling moms I’ve met and spoken to…both online and in real life.

Two of my closest friends homeschool and one homeschooled for a little while and now sends her kids to the same Catholic school we use.

They are all incredible parents, incredible Catholics and know how to teach their kids better then anyone else.

You don’t need some fancy degree to teach. You know your child better then anyone else. You know what their strengths and weaknesses are.
You know what they enjoy and what they dislike and that makes teaching so much easier.

If you play to your child’s strengths they will learn and they will thrive.

They will have one on one instruction and a teacher who knows them better then anyone else and knows exactly how to help them learn.
Public school cannot do that.

This is coming from a mom who has no intention to homeschool and never plans to do so.

 

[TeachCatechism]

Carrying this to your logical conclusion, should religious education teachers have advanced theology degrees? After all, presumably faith education is far more important than academics.

If no, why not? How could they possibly be competent, otherwise?

But what I teach doesn’t have much impact on their future jobs. If they want to do something they usually need college and if they are subpar won’t get into the best colleges. This is why the parents need to be educated if they homeschool. Otherwise they are ensuring middle aged illiterate fast food workers.

 

[maryjk]

I’d say…why not homeschool?

If you can do it, are confident in your abilities as a parent and the abilities of your child…then why not go for it?

I’m in such awe with all of the homeschooling moms I’ve met and spoken to…both online and in real life.

Two of my closest friends homeschool and one homeschooled for a little while and now sends her kids to the same Catholic school we use.

They are all incredible parents, incredible Catholics and know how to teach their kids better then anyone else.

We homeschooled our son through graduation.

This semester, in college, he is taking Chemistry. He didn’t understand something. His professor had gone over it in class, but our son was going to go back in during office hours to get some extra help.

I almost failed high school chemistry. And I never took it in college. To say nothing of the fact that I graduated from high school over 30 years ago.

I took a few minutes to walk our son through a couple of the homework problems. He ended up not needing to go back to see the professor. Our son was just overwhelmed. He needed to calm down and focus. I got him to do that and he got through the homework.

You don’t need a college degree to homeschool your own children.

 

[maryjk]

But what I teach doesn’t have much impact on their future jobs. If they want to do something they usually need college and if they are subpar won’t get into the best colleges. This is why the parents need to be educated if they homeschool. Otherwise they are ensuring middle aged illiterate fast food workers.

You are right. It doesn’t effect their future job.

It only effects where they will spend eternity. I find that much more important. Don’t you?