Home School.. who does it?

[Liz]

Originally Posted by jackblack

sorry but I suck in math .

every kid i know that were home schooled are crazy as hell act like they have lived under a rock..do u always act like a a-- hole

nah just when I have to deal with one. oh n bye...

[Liz]

Originally Posted by cayoterun

Hope my little grateful speech stayed pretty close to subject.

Cayoterun

yes and thank you.

I hate that this thread got weird. I do apologize for that. Thank you to all whom have replied sanely thus far.

[Josh]

I was home schooled. I took the initiative as a kid and actually finished all the course work required for a HS education by the time I was 14. I was actually bored waiting for my friends to come home from school and started this site... So if it wasn't for home schooling we wouldn't even be here to discuss any of this :P


and jackblack, generally home schoolers have better skills and learn more due to the more close personal attention they receive. Hence most of them wouldn't of had an issue with a math question such as that.


The public school system does a fairly good job of educating, but it is wrong and the curriculum the kids are being taught as fact can very easily be argued as incorrect or skewed...

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by jackblack

sorry but I suck

Originally Posted by jackblack

every kid i know that were home schooled are crazy as hell act like they have lived under a rock

Wow, that's a statement of someone who lives under a rock. I know personally 20 kids that are homeschooled and many others that are casual acquaintances. The majority are extremely well mannered, articulate, and courteous as well as smart.

While there are the random odd-balls, you get those with any type of schooling...sometimes you just can't fix weird....or rude.....

[oldblue1968chevy]

i was homeschooled until 5th grade, we had 'coops' where you got to go to parks activites with other homeschoolers. public schools generally dont let homeschooled kids play ball etc for them. no kid I know is crazy as heck and lived under a rock. I have a close friend thats been HS most of his life he is no crazier than myself..LOL

if you can do it i think its a great thing!

[ETsC10]

As several have mentioned, blending your own curriculum, by using the many teaching methods and subject approaches out there, is not only great for tailoring your families teaching style
but it allows you to customize to the needs of each child.
It also sounds like getting involved with a support group will help share the resources gleaned by many.

Mass learning in the public schools can never out teach one-on-one tailored
tutoring in an intelligent and aware home environment.

Your family, being so computer literate, is sure to be a great bonus.
Curiosity breeds learning and, with computer skills, this equals instant self teaching!

Good Luck Liz. I applaud your resolve to take your children's minds beyond the the median.

[Jerry Jones]

I woulda home schooled my kids if I had the means to do so. So it is the work of my wife and I to step it up and fill the gaps.

[68C15]

I commend those who do HS their children. I think it is a good thing. the wife and I would be doing it if we knew for a fact we were capable and competent. our oldest boy (almost 12) would not be so much of a problem. we have contemplated the subject in depth many times. we decided to stay with the public system and watch over things. there are times when we have to step in and veer him back on course. although things are changing now that he is getting older and is in Middle School. he is not challenged and gets bored with the slow pace. I can understand fully as I had the same problem. they decline from putting him in some advanced program, grrrrr.
our youngest boy (7YO with Autism) is a whole different story. we are working on getting him into a special school separate from the public system. funding is the main hurdle. he currently has an assistant with him in Kindergarten, he barely squeeks by...

I better stop now. the rest is irrelevant to the topic at hand.

[panhandler62]

Originally Posted by Liz

They are in public school and have been since kindergarten. I have problems with the school system and specific disability policies that are in place. Unfortunately with the no child left behind laws, some children get sucked into cracks.

My wife is a retired special ed teacher ... she calls it "No child Left Breathing."

[panhandler62]

Home schooling works very well if you have the time, money, drive and community participation to do it properly.

Some people choose to homeschool for absurd reasons (paranoia that the public schools want to turn the kids into Godless communists, etc.) but most long term homeschool comitments are performance based. People who are choosing homeschooling out of ignorance and paranioa generaly find out that homeschooling is a lot of work and the basic laziness that promoted their ignorance in the first place leads them to return the kids to public education. Those who stick it out do so because they have the means, will and comitment to persue a quality, personalized program of education for their children. Home schooling can be far more flexible and individualy oriented but it is a lot of work to do it properly.

I'm resisting the urge to plug into the climate debate because, though it should be nothing but science; it invariably runs to politics. I'll only comment that the major public spokespersons on each side are being very dishonest in their presentations.

[LONGHAIR]

I just wish that there had been something like this when I was a kid. It was un-heard of at that time.
I was extremely bored with school, high school especially. College was out of the question because, as a kid, I just saw it as 4 more years of this boring crap and I have to pay for it? No one saw the error of this thinking or thought to try to direct that energy.
I got into a trade school and learned to be what is now called a "Manual Machinist". Computers were huge and CNC equipment was in it's infancy.
My own natural curiousity has made me essentially self-taught in everything since.

Education requires motivation, who better than the people who know a child best?

[PanelDeland]

I have met many "Home schoioled".Most were more "World Schooled".They spent less time and learned more than public school has time to teach.They also did not get "Trained" to take acheivement tests to show how well the school district was doing.All of the ones I know of used the above mentioned "mixed resources" style and most were set with basic cirriculum stuff and had options on the rest of the learning so that the student could follow specific areas of intrest whether long or short term(usually kids have a mix of things that intrest them just like adults).
They seem to have a better grasp of current events,generally have the ability to make friends without having to be in a PS.take part in church and athletic activities by choice (rather then peer pressure).
On a personal note,I have never met a HS kid who neede "Diversity training/teaching" (If race/ethnicity/culture are never made an issue I guess they never become one).The HS kids also seem to develop the ability to "Think" things out for themselves versus knowing the answer because they were told what it "should be".
Just my thoughts on the HS kids I've met.

BTW I was public schooled with lots of parental oversight(Meaning I did what I needed to do to get the grade or else)

[desertrat]

I would love to discuss this subject indepth but fear this thread would get locked.
We home school and love it, I highly suggest it for familys that have the patients and mentality for it...we use Abeka for the most part.

[Liz]

The thread will not get locked unless folks break rules and such. Feel free to discuss away

[Justin87]

I know a family that has 9 kids and they have all either been or still are being home schooled. These people are some of my best friends and some of the smartest and brightest people I know or have ever met.

[JHT67]

I'm with Longhair, I too was extremely bored with school, A.D.D. or something, I don't know. Anyway, I did graduate from an "inner city " school. Here's the kicker, 18 yrs. old with diploma in hand, I could not read a tape measure, or do anything with a fraction. How does anyone graduate and not be able to read a tape measure. I knew what an inch and a half inch were nothing else. Gas gage was empty, almost empty, half full, almost full, and full. And if someone wants to get smart about it , go ahead because after I graduated I went to the SOHK, and I love numbers and I crunch them well. My whole point is ,home school your babies with honor Liz, at least you'll know how their learning time is spent.


Praise God my kids like school, the boy seems to be a bit of a math wiz, and the daughter loves to read ( they must've gotten it from their mom, SHHH don't tell her I said that).Yep, their in public school, and boy does the idiocy there drive me and the wife nuts. But we can't afford private or home school, so WE will "Train up a child in the way that he should go" (they love this part). Good luck Liz.

[67shortie]

We home school our daughter now, she was in the public schools for the 1st 6 years K-6.

Now not bashing public schools (or my 12yr old daughter) but in 6th grade she was reading/writing/math as a 4th grade sudent. My son who is a senior never really struggled with school, and is about to graduate with an over 3.0GPA so we had kept him in public schools, not so with our daughter.

We have close personal friends that have HS thier 4 kids, with very good results. And with thier guidance we decided this was what we wanted to do with her. We started at the begginning of the school year this year and on top of that we also have her in what's called the 'Huntinton center' that we pay for 3 hours a week to help her even further.

She is now getting caught up to a 7th grade level in all subjects. We are very pleased with the programs we have her in and we hope to continue for the rest of her education.

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by JHT67

I'm with Longhair, I too was extremely bored with school, A.D.D. or something, I don't know.

Not ADD, true bordem. I was one of those kids who "got it" the first time around. Back when I was in school they believed in repitition "ad infinitum". I got it and would be able to repeat it months later w/o doing it a million times.....bored, and I wasn't "playing well" about it.
Teachers and my parents were not encouraging or even acknowledging to me at that point. I think they were afraid of "creating a monster"

[powerdriver 1958]

If you have the resources, Do it.In my situation the money and time wasn't there and I wish now I had home schooled my boys.All of them graduated but I know they could have gotten way more out of the time spent.

Longhair,That boredom thing happened with me also,I would be done with whatever they had for me to do in 1/2 time and was expected to sit there quietly until i was done...........I can't sit still at 51.Was always in trouble that way.

Jay mentioned the Marshall family,Some of the most respectful kids and now adults I have ever met.From the 1st time I met them I liked them.That's saying something from me.

I will leave the safety issues out of it but that's another benefit.

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by jackblack

..do u always act like a a-- hole

....I cringed when he said that...I knew what was next for him Liz
Wondering why he was suspended.....Now I know!!!

Liz...I don't have kids, but have often wondered about home schooling...great info on here once we finally have kiddos....have you put any thought in a christian based or charter based school system??....Don't know much about them either, but hear good things from families we live around over here.....

EDIT:....just re-read the above....wanted to clarify....the "we" i use in the above thought isn't Liz and I....it's my wife and I

[Liz]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

....I cringed when he said that...I knew what was next for him Liz
Wondering why he was suspended.....Now I know!!!

Liz...I don't have kids, but have often wondered about home schooling...great info on here once we finally have kiddos....have you put any thought in a christian based or charter based school system??....Don't know much about them either, but hear good things from families we live around over here.....

EDIT:....just re-read the above....wanted to clarify....the "we" i use in the above thought isn't Liz and I....it's my wife and I

I did look into the private schools here. Two issues here for me with that, silly as they will seem to others, you knowing my kids will understand.

Choice 1. Bad reviews galore, but that can be annoyed people. I also called them to see about setting up a table at their open house for cub scouts. This is a Christian school and scouts are christian based. The reply I got was.... no, we do not allow outside organizations. mmkay.. and they are full uniform.. ie girls in skirts and boys in dress pants.

Choice 2. LOVE that place! but... it only goes through 6th grade, and in their new policy... no trendy hair styles or colors in hair. They however do not have a uniform policy, but you can not wear cartoon, logo or label shirts, must wear tennis shoes etc etc..

knowing my kids, you know either of the above dress codes do not fit.

[old Rusty C10]

you know Liz when i was married to the mother of my kids, I was let down by the public schools here in NYC many times. My Laura was a little slow grasping concepts particularly with reading and math and Chris was ADD ADHD ( then again i think they qualify everyone for some reason). When i moved to NJ the schools there were more interested in warehousing kids as opposed to educating them. Had i had the resources and the time. as i always had to work long hard hours to make ends meet and my wife at the time was a hole in the head i would hae home schooled them as with the proper attention i feel that they would have done better.
I think if youre that unsatisfied with the programs your school is offereing your kids you should definately look into it but be prepared for the state to breathe down your neck..
they did this with a friend of mine until they capitulated back to the regular school
Good luck with whatever you decide

[gcburdic]

Again, my inexperience with this makes me an outsider....just a clarifiaction....I believe a charter school is not really a private school....so no tuition for you to worry about....they do have a lottery every year for the number of kids they'll take.....and I think me living so close to Charlotte they seem to be more abundant here as well....they are K-12 schools here though....I guess your location will determine what they can support.....

BUT....Having met your kiddos at the GOG....they are fun loving free spirited bundles of happiness....i bet they would love to spend more time with their mother

[panhandler62]

When choosing curriculum -- be carefull. Some of the Christian based curriculum can be a little,, well.. *light* on hte sciences. Not really an issue in k-6 but it can become a problem in later grades.

However you feel about science issues; you do your kids no favors if they don't know what the science actualy is (even if they chose to disagree wth it for faith reasons.)

[MacAttack]

Originally Posted by ERASER5

Good parenting will trump social integration any time.

Couldn't disagree more. In my neck of the woods - if you want to be competitive and not "just get along" you'd better know how to navigate your world - with folks of your own age, or you'll get passed over like being hit with a tsunami. You can cruise until you hit about 7, then you best have it together.

Mac.