Good for you! Your brave! I thought about doing it but I just dont have the time nor the patience to do it.

I was home school from the second semester of 9th grade till I graduated 2 yrs later.

Good Luck!!!

I really don't believe in homeschooling. I think children need the school surroundings for social interaction and growth. I am sorry that you feel that your school system has let you down. I know quite a few teachers and most attend my church. I like our school system where I live. I keep a close eye on my kids education and talk with my kids teachers about their progress quite frequently. If homeschooling is what you choose, then good luck to you and your family. Not every situation is good for everyone.

We are lucky to have a great school system plus I don't know if I would be a great teacher-I wasn't a great student.  I am sure if the need arouse I would rise to the challenge!

As for the social aspect I would not worry about that I know there are alot of Homeschool organizations in cities and towns- I see them out all the time- groups of families at museums and out at the park for team sports- homeschooling parents I know seem to involve ALOT of socialization.

I am always amazed at the many ways to educate a child- and alot of what schools use now were techniques devolped by homeschool and researchers opposed to public education.

WOW!

I have to say I agreed with some of your points!

However my children will be attending public schools, I did. I am still an individual with all my nonconformist ways I had in IEP in elem. school and I don't think it was to hinder me in any way, it truly did help. I was labeled dyslexic, and because of that got the help I needed to learn to work with my brain and so didn't my teachers

Had I not been tested in the public schools and helped in the public schools I may have never learned and enjoyed reading...gasp... thank god I did!

My kids are in private school and will never be in public school.  but my reasons have nothing with complying to rules.  I was abused by my 1st grade teacher, I chose than that my kids would never be in a place like that.  My kids go to our church school, I graduated from there, everyone is like family.   They love it and get upset if we talk about them going to public school.  I will get 3 jobs if I have to to keep them where they are at.

Information is power capagirl and I love how you researched and gained information to find the best way to educate your children.  I also have to say I applaud you for noticing that one child did great in the school system and let him spread his wings. 

There are so many options out there to educate your children, and each child learn in his/her own way. And as parents it is us who have to take more of an active role in our kids education, weather it is a school, or home. 

When I send N off to pre-k summer school I went right up to the teachers at least 2-3 times a week, if not more, and asked how it was going- swap ideas and follow-up.  

(step off soapbox) 

I plan on homeschooling as well. I have a two year old and a two month old, though, so I'm not to that point yet, but I have been studying a great deal and doing planning to prepare for doing homeschooling. You mentioned that you are more of an unschooler. Are you basing your stuff on the work of John Holt? I have studied some of his stuff and would love to base my homeschooling on his principles.

I think that the best John Holt book is "How Children Learn." I think it's a must read for every parent, even if they don't choose to teach their kids at home, simply because he has such wonderful ideas about encouraging the natural learning of children. I found reading that book so enlightening and eye opening and helpful and comforting, and I would highly recommend it.

It sounds like you are doing a great job with your homeschooling! It's so much about adapting to the needs of your kids based on what they need and how they learn best I think, and I think that's the great advantage to homeschooling is that you really can adapt to your child. It's so great that you have a huge collection of books at home to choose from. I am working on building my home library, and of course I plan on using the public library a lot and outside activities as well. I don't think I can have everything just here at home and plan on participating in home schooling groups and using outside activities to be more well rounded. I think I will only homeschool through the elementar years and then probably around junior high school or high school, when they are ready, I'll have my kids incorporate into the school system so that they can adapt better to the college environment.

I plan on using an eclectic approach as well. I want to base my homeschooling on John Holt, and on a great book called "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver De Mille as well as the companion book for that book. I also will probably use the series from Ed Hirsch, "What Your First Grader Needs to Know", etc., because they are excellent with lots of great information on all of the topics that should be covered. These are my plans now, but I'm sure I will be adapting based on the needs of my kids. I'm not sure yet how things will need to be changed based on them, of course. For now, I am just preparing by reading a lot myself to be a good example to them of wanting to learn, and I read to my two year old a lot. He loves reading and we read sometimes up to 20 or 30 books a day, so that's our beginning. 

WOW  This forum thread is SOO MOMMY TALK at its BEST!!   What an awesome , informative , sincere share of feelings, ideas and indo!!!! All sweet , nice , polite and INTERESTING!!!! I Have to APPLUAD  all involveed in this discussion!!! WTG and Blessed , Happy  Home Schooling  !!! I Wanted too but when my kids kids.... it was more for well educated parents  only.... rest of us with little or no college were too scared to do ...

Wow, I totally agree!  What an awesome thread!  I think this is great to get some really good information about this subject.  At this point we are really happy with our school district, but it is really nice to have more information.  My sil homeschools my niece and nephew and that has been going really well.  Best wishes to all, however you teach your kiddos!

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.  For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." -Psalm 57:9-11. 

 

glitter-graphics.com ...

I was homeschooled. I would never homeschool my kids.

If you are going to do it, please do it the right way! During elementary and middle school my mom was unorganized, to put it at best, but in high school, with younger siblings in different grades, my education got very sketchy.

I didn't have a foreign language, science, chemistry, biology, home ec, or much history. I had an above-average SAT score, especially considering that I took the test at 15 and entered college at 16. But because I didn't have an official high school transcript, or really any transcript at all, I was not able to go to an accredited college. I do have a four-year college degree and graduated with honors, but since my degree is unaccredited, it's sadly not worth much in the real world as far as being able to get into graduate school, teach, or obtain employment with government agencies because all of these things require an accredited degree. One of my siblings, who is brilliant and now headed to law school, had to take a full year of remedial classes her freshman college year despite her stellar SAT score just so she could attend an accredited college. (I am a lot older than she and was not afforded that option.)

I also feel that I missed out on friendships, 4-H, school clubs, band trips, and the whole school experience. We were active in church, but it's hard not to feel left out when all the other kids talk about is what happened at school. Homeschooling was what my parents thought was "best" but from being on the receiving end of it, it's not what I am going to do with my kids. If nothing else, I don't want them to experience the lack of college/employment choices that continue to follow me.

I'm also against homeschooling. Most of the parents who "teach" their children at home are not qualified teachers. I do feel that children need to socialize. They need the benefit of learning from different teachers. They need the friendships they form. By staying at home, they miss the simplest thing of just getting away from their parents for six hours and developing into their own person. They miss the proms, the football games, the clubs, the chance to represent their school at debates, etc. They miss the lunchtime and the recess with other kids.

Fortunately, NJ has a wonderful public school system. My daughter starts kindergarten next year. I'm so excited for her!

Here at MommyTalk, you are encouraged to post your thoughts and feelings. By saying that we disagree with your post is just our thoughts. You have not been "targeted" by anyone. Many times, somone has disagreed with what I have said or visa versa. This is part of the America that I am proud to be a part of......freedom of speech and everything that represents. I am sorry if your feelings have been hurt, that was not my intension, I just posted that I disagreed with the post.

This has been such a lovely thread , And part of discussing agreat topic as this is that there are many thoughts on this .. I dont think its wrong to teach at home or at school.. Though I honestly wish Id have been brave enuff to tackle Home School w at least my eldest .. I see pros and cons in certain areas.. ages , ect  circumstancees ..  But I DONT see it as anyone here making judgement calls.... Its not a topic Necessary to judge ones choices.... Its a HEALTHY  topic   and some FANTASTIC info shared ... So lets just share and remeber   its not PERSONAL  if our feelings are differant here  just shares of other thoughts ... While it IS A PERSONAL CHOICE!!  Its not  killing anyone nor harming anyone ...Its not harmful to teach at home , Kids cant be  suspended for drugs  for sharing Certs .. Yes Was in news yesterday ... I think I had GREAT  Expieriences in Primary schools  as a child I ADORED my teachers   and values were  pretty close  back then ... Kindergarteners  werent Held back  then that I knew of ,, Tho by time my kids started school   I found out was possable to fail Kindergarten  This from a child w medical abcences ... So   again  there are MANY VALID thoughts on the subject  Both sides  worthy of consideration .. 

Capagrl I can see your frustration.  I think were it might get lost is people don't look at the original post but the 2 or three before their own- and the original intent of the post gets lost.  You have enlightened all here.

Maybe we can start another forum post on the different education choices we make for our children.