Home Schooling?

[Sunstone]

A friend of mine has home schooled one of her children, while sending her other child to public school. (A difference between the children is that the home schooled child is much more self-motivated than the public school child, and so, better able to take advantage of home schooling than the public school child.)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling? Would you consider it for your own children? Is home schooling too often used to isolate a child from controversial ideas, such as evolution? If so, what are the consequences of that for the child?

 

[pdoel]

I for one, am against home schooling. If it's due to a certain belief taught in the schools that you disagree with, there are many options. The school disctrict your child would go to can change by a simple move. (Most future parents typically pick a community based on the school system). There's also private schools, religious schools, etc. So you can typically find a school system that follows your beliefs.

The biggest cons against home schooling, as I see it, is the lack of interaction. Interacting with other children is crucial to a child's development. So much is learned just by being around other children, how to interact with other children, etc.

In addition, schools have much more money, many more resources, etc. for teaching, than a typical parent would have. Your child would get a much more rounded education than they would at home.

I would love to see some studies of how people who were home schooled do in the "real world" once they are finished. How they are able to interact with other people at work, how their education compares to others once they hit college, etc.

Also, I've known a few parents who home schooled their children, and REALLY took advantage of the system. A French Teacher I had taught her child at home. People would always mention that when they were out, they'd run into her. At the zoo, out to eat, always with the child who was supposed to be at home being schooled.

 

[jewscout]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling? Would you consider it for your own children? Is home schooling too often used to isolate a child from controversial ideas, such as evolution? If so, what are the consequences of that for the child?

you know it's funny you bring this up because my g-ddaughter's mother wants to homeschool her when she gets older the exact opposite reason, for fear of the school system putting in I.D. in science classes.

can't say i blame her.

 

[Aqualung]

I think both are good means. I was public schooled, and one of my best friends was home schooled. We're both intelligent critical thinkers, and I am probably more uncomfortable socially than he is. The only way I would home school my children is if I thought the schools, for whatever reason, were doing a bad job of teaching, or if I thought they were just teaching the wrong stuff. If my child kept having teachers that were "teaching to the test" for whatever NCLB test there was, I would definitely consider home schooling.

 

[Sunstone]

Is it a good idea to use home schooling to isolate children from controversial ideas, such as evolution?

 

[Aqualung]

Is it a good idea to use home schooling to isolate children from controversial ideas, such as evolution?

No. I think that's one of the worst things you could do to a child. It deprives them of critical thinking skills and the ability to make important choices.

 

[jeffrey]

My wife home schools all 3 of our kids. They get 1 on 1 attention. We buy our own books, which is not cheap. Home schooled kids score much higher on tests, studies have shown. In public schools, a child can only progress in studies as what the class progresses, but home schooling they can progress as fast as they learn. It's like having your own private tutor.

 

[jeffrey]

When my wife started home schooling, our son, age 9 at the time, was getting D's and F's. Now he's getting A's and is ahead of his grade. Our daughter, age 5 at the time, didn't even know the alphabet. But now she's reading a little above her grade level.

 

[jeffrey]

Is it a good idea to use home schooling to isolate children from controversial ideas, such as evolution?

Ours get tought both. It's up to them to decide what they want to believe. But we can teach the Bible and evolution, which public schools cannot.

 

[Sunstone]

When my wife started home schooling, our son, age 9 at the time, was getting D's and F's. Now he's getting A's and is ahead of his grade. Our daughter, age 5 at the time, didn't even know the alphabet. But now she's reading a little above her grade level.

Your wife is a very talented teacher and tutor!

 

[jeffrey]

Your wife is a very talented teacher and tutor!

I think so, but I'm sure she would disagree! LOL. It's the hands-on attention. They can't goof off. There is no set time as in public schools, you might only get an hour of math. But home schooling, it's how ever long it takes.

 

[Green Gaia]

I considered homeschooling my kids for about 2 minutes... then I came to my senses. Don't get me wrong, I think homeschooling is great if done for the right reasons and the parents and kids are motivated to make it work. I just don't think I could do it properly and my kids would end up missing out on something important.

 

[Linus]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling?

I think the major disadvantage of homeschooling is the social sapect. When children are homeschooled, they miss out on many big opportunities for social interaction and growth. That is not to say that all homeschoolers are social retards, but they definitely miss a big part of their teen years. That is, being around others their own age.

A big advantage of homeschooling is that it is probably more effective. I know a few homeschooled kids, and they tend to get better grades and be much smarter overall.

Would you consider it for your own children?

I would consider it. Especially seeing how High school kids act these days. But I think that unless something significant changed between now and the time I have kids, I would say no. I think the social aspect is such a big part of their lives that I wouldn't want to deprive them of it.

Is home schooling too often used to isolate a child from controversial ideas, such as evolution?

Perhaps it could be. I can definitely see why it would be. But that one is a little harder to answer for me because I don't know the motivation of every parent.

If so, what are the consequences of that for the child?

Like I said, I think it puts them at a social disadvantage. But, in the end, every child is different. So, some turn out fine, some turn out a little, shall we say, "socially inept."

 

[jeffrey]

Linus, yep, they miss out on all the drugs, porn, school shootings, bullying, fights, drinking, lackluster teachers. Silly me. thinking a quality education was more important.

There are other ways for kids to mingle with other kids, other then school.​

 

[Darkdale]

Home Schooling is something I think everyone who can do it, should do it. Most of the brightest students I met at college were home schooled. The advantage is increased personal attention and a closer examination of a childs progress, and of their strengths and weaknesses. The parents are personally involved and invested, and therefore have a complete understanding of what is being taught to their children and they can avoid the socialization of the state, if they feel that such a socialization is immoral, dangerous or undesirable. Teaching your children at home can also create stronger relationships within the family.

The only disadvantage to home schooling is that the schooling is only as good as the parent... there is no way to control what the parents teach and I can understand why that would scare the hell out of people, but it doesn't bother me.

 

[Evenstar]

My kids learn a multitude of subjects and religions, which are not taught in public schools.

I have extremely polite and well mannered children. NOT taught in public schools these days.​

They all have different personalities, not run of the mill... off the public school conveyer belt. They are very open minded, and bright eyed kids.

Best thing about homeschooling is YOU learn with them​

Every day Im learning with them. We have great fun in our lessons.

 

[jeffrey]

Frubals to you Darkdale. Nicely put.

It's time consuming on the parent, but the parent learns with the child. And it is very rewarding! Just ask Evenstar! She can teach Christian, Wicca, Pagan, etc, etc. and let them choose the path they want to follow.​

 

[anders]

Is it a good idea to use home schooling to isolate children from controversial ideas, such as evolution?

You won't find evolution a controversial idea in Sweden. In the extremely rare cases my sister, the biology teacher, has an indoctrinated Jehova's Witnesses child in her class, she just tells it "You're entitled to your opinion, but this is the way I teach the subject, and if you want a pass, you'd better learn it that way", to adhere to the national curriculum; otherwise, she would be out of her job pretty quick.

Home schooling in Sweden is restricted to cases when a child because of for example severe allergies can't attend normal classes. In those very rare cases, the tuition is, of course, supplied by the normal certified teachers from the community. Where would you find parents capable of teaching maths as well as chemistry and religion (in an unbiased way, conducive to mutual understanding) and physical education and arts and music? Besides, there are the requirements here that school teach children cooperation and societal norms and lots of other things. It's rather heavy even for educated and certified professional teachers.

 

[Green Gaia]

I wish I had the confidence to homeschool my kids, but I'm too afraid of screwing it up. But we still learn together and read, especially about religions, which the kids learn about also at church.

 

[jeffrey]

Frubals to you Darkdale. Nicely put.

It's time consuming on the parent, but the parent learns with the child. And it is very rewarding! Just ask Evenstar! She can teach Christian, Wicca, Pagan, etc, etc. and let them choose the path they want to follow.​