Home schooling: What do you think of it?

I theenk it is grate. Wroked gooder for me.

 

You should go and ask what teachers in the public school system think about home schooling. They get to to see the business end of that decision, when parents find out that home schooling was for them.

And for sh*ts and grins, you should also go and ask teachers (and admins) in private schools what they think about vouchers.

 

> when parents find out that home schooling was for them.

should have been

when parents find out that home schooling was not for them.

 

I think there is something to be said for social interaction with other children in an environment where you are there to learn/work, to prepare that child for what life will be like.

Though there are a lot of things you do not want your child to be possibly exposed to, its important for the child to build an identity and know how to interact with different things that are taught in a structured school environment.

 

different strokes for different folks i guess...but to me, there was a lot i learned through the socialization of answering to authority in the classroom and working with classmates that taught a ton. learning how to share...learning how to work together...participating in team sports or other extracurricular activities...that was a big part of my development as a person i think. maybe i'm wrong, but it seems you'd miss that with home schooling.

 

Education- The child can probably get a better education at home

My concern is socialization skills that are learned from being around others. Now I'm sure most home schooled kids can adapt to society, but that would be my biggest concern. I suppose that could be accomplished by still participating in school extra-curriclars (sports, band, etc)

 

Jeff and I don't plan to have children, but if we did I would most likely homeschool, at least part of the time. For kids who are in any way different (gifted, introverted, etc...), public school can be a very difficult experience. Plus, kids are rarely able to get any type of specialized instruction in subjects that really interest them.

Additionally, home-schooled kids kick ass when it comes to spelling and geography. This article is from May 2002:

National 'Bees' buzz with home schoolers
By Vaishali Honawar
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Thirteen-year-old Timothy Mackie knows almost every capital city in the world and can name the largest island in the Netherlands Antilles.

But he has never set foot in a classroom.

Timothy, who will take the stage today as a finalist at the National Geographic Bee, is among a rapidly rising number of home schoolers who are dominating national contests.

This year, 12 of the 55 finalists at the National Geographic Bee are home-schooled, said Ellen Siskind, a spokeswoman for the National Geographic Bee.

"This is an all-time high," she said. "Home schoolers tend to be in a lot of these contests, and we have found that they are very bright."

The contest is for fifth- to eighth-graders and awards a $25,000 college scholarship. National Geographic, which organized the event and changed its name from the National Geography Bee, estimates that as many as 5 million students around the country participated in local- and state-level contests leading up to the finals.

Advocates of home schooling say students who learn at home tend to be more motivated than others in more traditional school settings. The success at national contests "simply reflects the liberating aspect of home schooling which unleashes the potential to do well," said Rob Zeigler of the Home School Legal Defense Association based in Purcellville, Va.

Last year, eight home schoolers made it to the finals of the geography bee. Four home schoolers finished among the top 10, and Jason Ferguson of Dallas came in third. In 1999, David Beihl from Saluda, S.C., became the first home schooler to win the geography bee.

The next year, home schooler George Thampy from Missouri placed second in the contest, a week before he won the National Spelling Bee. His home-schooled sister, Mallika, a top-10 finalist in 1999, is a finalist at the geography bee this year.

The National Spelling Bee, slated to begin May 29, has also seen more participants who were taught at home.

"We first noticed home schoolers participating in 1991," said Paige Kimble, a spokeswoman for the spelling bee, which is slated to begin in the District on May 29. The number increased rapidly in the mid-90s and has been constant during the past three years, she said.

This year, 27 of the 248 finalists are home schoolers — the same number as 2000. One of the seven students participating from Maryland is home schooled, as are two of the eight participating from Virginia.

The percentage of home schoolers in the contests is disproportionately high. Last year, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that 850,000 children, or 1.7 percent, were educated at home.

However, as many as 21.8 percent of the participants in the geography bee this year are home schooled, as are 10.9 percent in the spelling bee.

"Home schoolers are good students. They are focused on what they are doing," said Margaret Shaw of the Virginia Home Education Association, a legislative watchdog and lobbying group for the state's home schoolers. She said those children tend to do better than other students because they usually follow a curriculum tailored to their needs, something that cannot be done in school classrooms.

Timothy Mackie said being taught at home has helped him focus on his areas of interest, such as geography. "It gives me a lot more down time and helps me keep my schedule," he said.

Timothy's mother and father, Maria and David Mackie, home schooled four of their five children.

Mrs. Mackie said there are several advantages to learning at home.

"At school there are peripheral things that can take your mind off work, and there is also peer pressure," she said. "In home school there is a more comfortable environment, and children are physically healthier. Home schooling has really worked for our family."

 

there are a finite number of good, decent and kind people in the world. you and jeff need to have children! that will balance out the scales for my little hoodlum!

 

Thanks, Max! If one shows up in our yard like a stray cat, hey, we'll keep it.

Actually, brilliant minds think alike because I was posting just as Mrs JB was.

Both my parents, career educators, think that home schooling can be an excellent alternative. Truth is, most home schooled kids end up in tremendously good colleges because they get a very good education.

I think there is a socialization aspect, however, many families of home school children band together so that their kids can have social interaction. They will take all their kids ot the park, on a field trip or have them over to one house a few times each week so they can still have normal interaction. There are little leagues and intermural sports, the boy scouts, etc as well. None of these things require a school.

The perception that home schooling is wacko parents who isolate their kids and end up with really stupid children is simply false. All you have to do is look around and read some info on the subject and you'll find that many kids end up very well-adjusted and intellegent. There are TONS of resources on the web for people interested in home schooling.

 

OK, so when the kid gets into high school and does heavy duty stuff like trig and physics, what happens?

 

I've been homeschooled since 3rd grade. When you get to the tough stuff you normally find a tutor, there are many home school groups that get together and have activities for the kids to get the social interaction.

 

Speaking of which .....this sounds like a good idea for a new Simpsons episode (has it been done yet?) ....Homer tried to home school Bart and Lisa

Its gold Jerry!!! GOLD!!!

 

My favorite part about high school was getting laid. It's kinda hard to do that with home schooling outside of Arkansas.

 

Chance, I hear you with one hundred percent of my earballs.

No Worries, I can't believe after 14 hundred posts you don't know about the edit post function. Strange....

 

Oh I see you can't edit, my bad. What I was going to say when I edited is that even after you edited your post, I still couldn't understand it.

 

Bring them to the CC Hangout?

(and MR MEOWGI, nicely done. )

 

You don't need high school to get laid.

 

Well not now silly, I'm married. But it was sure easier back then...

 

You forgot Oklahoma.