https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:56:20 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled/page/2#post-1156647 Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:21:15 +0000 Alassë 1156647@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks to everyone for your comments! I took the weekend off from internet but enjoyed reading everyone's perspective when I came back. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled/page/2#post-1155578 Sun, 02 Feb 2014 05:34:55 +0000 qfbrenda 1155578@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It was fun catching up on this thread.&nbsp; I was out of town for a couple of days and was surprised to see how many people had responded to it.&nbsp; :)</p> <p>I can't type too long, but our big reasons for choosing homeschooling include:</p> <p>**religious reasons... Though we don't shelter our boys overly much, we do want to be the primary people involved in the shaping of their thinking.&nbsp; </p> <p>**quality of education... Research has shown homeschooling to be of very high quality and I haven't been that impressed with much of the curriculum chosen in our local public schools.</p> <p>**freedom... with our schedules, reading materials, vacation days, etc.</p> <p>**letting the boys learn at their own pace... We have mostly late readers who would have been put down the path of special education classes unnecessarily if they had been in a public school.&nbsp; They just needed time to grow up and mature.&nbsp; Our four oldest have had reading get easy at 7.5 yrs, 8 yrs, 9 yrs, and 9 yrs respectively.&nbsp; They each went from sounding out every word to reading The Hobbit, or something similar, within a month or two.&nbsp; It was wonderful to let them learn at their own pace and watch the reading "light" go on.</p> <p>As far as separating parenting and teaching roles, I wouldn't know how to do that.&nbsp; I've been teaching my boys since the day they were born.&nbsp; How to tie their shoes, to say please and thank you, why the sky is blue, how to make their bed, why I vote the way I do, why the argument they made is illogical.... it's never ending.&nbsp; Homeschooling is just an extension of that.&nbsp; And just as I expect them to obey when I ask them to make their bed, I expect them to obey when I ask them to do their math.&nbsp; It's all parenting and all teaching, all wrapped into one.</p> <p>For the record, we're all for having others teach the boys.&nbsp; We've purposely kept doing piano lessons, even though at times it makes me nuts, to maintain another teacher in their lives.&nbsp; Frankly, if we had a Classical Christian school locally and we could afford it, we would consider it if only for a few classes.&nbsp; But we don't have one near us and private school would be prohibitively expensive.&nbsp; So homeschooling is the option we have chosen. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled/page/2#post-1155455 Sun, 02 Feb 2014 02:40:33 +0000 Beth Ann 1155455@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I didn't know your story -- thanks for sharing, Kim.&nbsp; What a terrific example of the different styles of home schooling.&nbsp; My kids seem to be more comfortable with established schedules and lesson plans.&nbsp; While I find comfort in that strutcture, my challenge is to make sure they keep their curiousity and engagement in learning.&nbsp; It sounds like you and your kids did this beautifully!&nbsp; They're fortunate to have such a caring Mom!</p> <p>And Angie it is indeed a marvel how many ways their are to educate our children.&nbsp; I grew up on literature full of "boarding schools."&nbsp; They always seemed so fascinating and exotic.&nbsp; I think the uniform would have been a deal breaker for me, lol! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1155412 Sun, 02 Feb 2014 01:45:34 +0000 Angie 1155412@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting discussion.&nbsp;</p> <p>I had never <b>ever</b> heard of homeschooling until I came to live in America. The concept is extremely foreign to me, and I am ignorant of its pros and cons.&nbsp;I was brought up in a British schooling&nbsp;culture where sending kids off to&nbsp;boarding school was common. The opposite of homeschooling I guess. I did not want to go to boarding school because I didn't want to leave my Mummy (I was a Mama's Girl). But my older brother quite liked the idea, and his son - who is 14 and lives in London - desperately wanted to go to boarding school a few years ago. Cultures really do differ, and it's eye opening to learn about how they vary.&nbsp;</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1155407 Sun, 02 Feb 2014 01:20:07 +0000 Kim 1155407@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I started at as a "school at home" homeschooler, but with 3 active kids only 4 years apart, and endless homeschooling opportunities,&nbsp;that quickly changed. We ended our homeschooling adventure as dedicated unschoolers, (interest led learning) and now they are grown, and successful adults. &nbsp;I'd say we succeeded.</p> <p>I took the kids out of school when they were in grades K, 2 and 5. &nbsp;We homeschooled all of them through to grade 12. &nbsp;All of them have some college or university now, and are looking forward to their futures. &nbsp; The funniest thing about them being homeschooled is that no one at their various work places can tell that they were! &nbsp;They often get told by co-workers "I didn't even KNOW you were homeschooled, you seem so....normal..." LOL &nbsp;</p> <p>They are normal, and they are smart, successful, kind, and thoughtful people, who have learned how to follow their own interests and learn independently. &nbsp; They defy the average persons idea of a geeky kid who has no social skills, and spends all their time with Mom and Dad, reading encyclopedias for fun! &nbsp; We used to joke as homeschoolers that we had so much socialization that we ought to rename it "car schooling" as we spent a lot of time in the car (listening to books on tape, of course!) while we went from one thing to another following our children's interests! &nbsp;</p> <p>I don't know about them, but I learned a lot!!! LOL</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1154276 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:33:26 +0000 Beth Ann 1154276@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maia just finished Spanish asked asked to watch "educational video."&nbsp; Right.&nbsp; The new "One Direction" video.&nbsp; Uploaded, as she said, "9 minutes ago!"&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1154231 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:02:37 +0000 Beth Ann 1154231@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ornella:&nbsp; There are lots of ways to manage the schoolwork.&nbsp; Some families are proponents of "Unschooling," which is somewhat controversial.&nbsp; Basically, you follow the child's interests -- letting them read what interests them, learn from nature, learning hands-on skills (many of these kids learn computer programming, for example) and avoiding testing entirely.&nbsp; At my university, I have seen some students actually do well in college, although the idea of deadlines and doing the same a assignment as 50 other students takes some getting used to.&nbsp; Homeschooled college students generally do very well.&nbsp; Sometimes the social element can be a shock --- and, if we continue all the way through, we will have to make sure we don't shelter or cater to the kids too much.&nbsp; Mostly, though, these students are self-directed and confident. </p> <p>In our home, we can personalize the curriculum -- one of the biggest advantages.&nbsp; I chose a math curriculum that would work for two children, not a whole school district.&nbsp; For example, I have one child who would benefit from a "gifted" program, and there is nothing, and I do mean nothing, available in my local school system until high school.&nbsp; He's doing math 2-3 grades higher than his level, and I just basically hand him the book. DH helps him with some of the "honors" supplements we give him.&nbsp; DD does the same program, and is a level behind her brother, but she's thriving because the curriculum is "mastery" based rather than "spiral" -- the terms aren't important, because, truthfully, children are all different and either approach can work.&nbsp; The point is that I can purchase a well-established, tested curriculum that works best for us and supplement where needed, skip sections when it seems best, and, as I did last year, change curriculum when it's not working.&nbsp; I spend about $500 per year on curriculum --- which is high -- you could spend less if you bought everything used.&nbsp; My kids do share textbooks, though, since they're just a year apart in age.</p> <p>My DS has some sort of "grammar chip" in his brain and he needs no instruction in this area, however his reading is slower than average and he stresses over writing, even though his product is lovely.&nbsp; So, my DD gets more spelling and grammar activities, and he gets more writing assignments.&nbsp; They complain, but it works!&nbsp; They use the iPad for writing projects and Spanish instruction.&nbsp; We also supplement our science with videos from YouTube channels like "Veritasium" and "SmarterEveryDay".&nbsp; </p> <p>When the kids are younger, the activities are easier, but the teacher is much more hands on.&nbsp; My kids are schooling in the house with me now -- Eric is on his top bunk reading "Lord of the Rings," and he'll have a character analysis do do on Legolas later.&nbsp; Maia is in the living room, at a table by the window, doing a honors math assignment.&nbsp; DH is giving her help at the moment --- something about common numerators!&nbsp; If I'm lucky, I'll get through this email, then grade math (they have to correct mistakes the same day).&nbsp; I'll go the gym, since I don't teach voice lessons on Fridays, and when I come back, we'll do a science experiment and I'll finish grading. It's a short day today, since I pushed the pace earlier in the week, when other kids were out of school due to the extreme cold.&nbsp; I'm surprising them by taking them to a movie (Frozen -- how appropriate) at 1:30pm.</p> <p>Today I'll spend about 90 minutes giving feedback, assistance and grading.&nbsp; It averages 1-2 hours each day.&nbsp; If they were 6 or 7, I'd be spending more time "hands on," but I wouldn't have to look up answers!&nbsp; You should know there are lot of resources to help with that -- there are local and online tutors, but also amazing web resources -- some connected to the curriculum itself.&nbsp; There is Khan Academy for math, for example, although I also love the "Mahalo Math" tutorials on YouTube, and the grammar apps, yep, apps, that the kids have used.&nbsp; I get a lot of writing rubrics that help me evaluate their writing from Pinterest and a site where teachers post their lesson plans --- sometimes for free, sometimes for a small fee.&nbsp; </p> <p>This weekend I'll spend about 1.5 hours setting up next week's lessons and entering grades.&nbsp; Next Monday, Eric resumes his Lego Mindstorms programming class and I'm a "helper" to the other homeschool mom who is actually a programmer (but a disorganized one, hence her need for help).&nbsp; 10 boys in her living room.&nbsp; Lawdy!</p> <p>I do understand why some people are nervous about homeschooling.&nbsp; In my state, Illinois, despite the big state government, there are no laws regarding reporting progress.&nbsp; Parents who choose homeschooling out of fear, but with out putting in the work to educate, would face no accountability.&nbsp; Other states have laws that are ridiculously intrusive, holding homeschoolers to the line when their school systems are failing.&nbsp; Even in my state, however, the graduation rates and college success for homeschoolers are overall a lot higher than the same figures for public school.&nbsp; Parental involvement is a part of all schooling, after all.&nbsp; I spent at least an hour a day helping with homework when they were in school.&nbsp; And it was harder --- because I never hear the original lesson or had access to their textbooks.</p> <p>Well ... off to grade....... oh, and after the gym I'll try to get dressed in something fab.&nbsp; My closet is boring me at the moment..... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1154173 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:02:03 +0000 ManidipaM 1154173@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a good friend who is a single mum (always been) and homeschools. Also works as a journalist. Let's just say a separation of roles is a practical impossibility for her. Her young man regards life as a non-stop adventure where nothing can be taken for granted. I know how children are supposed to need routine and predictability and grpundednrss to thrive... but his only solid unshakeable foundation is the unwavering support and acceptance his mother and grandparents provide him. She recently left him with her folks to keep studying independently while she went to work in Afghanistan for 2.5 years. That is a demonstration of belief and trust most schoolchildren may never experience. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1154035 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:07:55 +0000 Ornella 1154035@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you for the detailed answers and giving me further points in understanding the concept better. I have a zillion other questions, of course, but may, or not,&nbsp;come back to them later or the answers may be given through other comments anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p>For now, what interest me the most is how the family dynamics work, given that the parent(s) are both raising AND educating the children. How does one successfully separate those roles - and is there a need for separating them at all? How is the day organised? Hats down for running the household AND taking care of the child's educational needs.&nbsp;I may look at this form my own limited perspective, as those roles were always very clearly separated to me&nbsp;simply because that was the common practice in my environments.&nbsp;</p> <p>I will continue to read the thread with great interest.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153976 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 05:06:42 +0000 anne 1153976@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was just flicking through a newspaper for work and a spokesperson for &nbsp;homeschool group in my state said that a recent increase in homeschooling here was largely due to families taking their kids out of conventional school due to bullying (the state education department disagreed, saying it was because they have recently added an extra year to compulsory education) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153835 Fri, 31 Jan 2014 01:58:55 +0000 rachylou 1153835@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, yes. We have to broaden our horizons, and I suspect we should start as early as possible. But it's interesting how other people respond to <i>us</i>. For example, my first job offers were all from English people, and I wasn't in England. The one I accepted - well my boss even told me eventually it was because I had a certain button-down quality and we had a lot in common tribally.</p> <p>If money were no object, I'd be torn as to what to do to be honest. I'm not so arrogant as to think I'm the bees knees, from my lips to god's ears, but boy oh boy. I think folks are living in a total state of unreality around me. I wouldn't want them selling it to my kids. E.g., I've got a neighbor who's doing a doctorate in food security (meaning she teaches) and she thinks a trap-and-release program for the neighborhood skunks, because they give her an oogie feeling, is a sensible idea. </p> <p>I mean, if you're examining food security, don't you have to know something about farming? And if you have to know something about farming, shouldn't you know something about animal control? And if you're studying policy, shouldn't you have a brass-tacks grasp that you have to buy traps, hire someone to set and check them, and there's no funding to even fetch a stray dog? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153718 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 23:47:56 +0000 Beth Ann 1153718@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mandipa:&nbsp; Securing a good, balanced education is clearly a high priority that is difficult to achieve across the globe.&nbsp; You babe is fortunate that you are already thinking about giving him the best start you can!</p> <p>Rachylou -- I attended a public high school, but it was unusual in that 60% of my fellow students had Purdue professors for parents.&nbsp; It was intense academically, but small by city standards, and not as "rough and tumble" as some.&nbsp; I think even in the best situations, we have to go out into adult life and continue to grow deeper and broader.&nbsp; I try to teach my children that education doesn't end with graduation.&nbsp; Of course, their dad finishing his PhD at 49 taught them that! (poor dears).&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153715 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 23:46:35 +0000 April 1153715@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I did some research on homeschooling when I was a grad student, and I would add a third reason to those listed by Aziraphale: there are those who feel the public school system is *too* restrictive. &nbsp;Too "color inside the lines" narrow-minded. &nbsp;Not conducive to fostering the hunger for learning.</p> <p>In my part of the country, some&nbsp;homeschooling parents do so for religious reasons and&nbsp;some have children with disabilities whom the school system didn't serve well, but just as many feel that public schools are too rigid, test-oriented, and focused on conformity.</p> <p>As you can imagine, this makes members of&nbsp;the homeschooling community wildly strange bedfellows. &nbsp;:) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153651 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 22:22:10 +0000 rachylou 1153651@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I thought I'd come back and mention something: I finished up my own schooling in a private school. On the one hand, I may not have survived public school (very large and disorienting to me). On the other, it's clear to me that my networks, the connections that I make now, etc. - they're all deeply influenced by having gone to private school. The world after graduation from public school is much larger in a way; the paths open to me are fewer and more narrow. There's a lot I don't get, and most of the assumptions that I'd make about people are totally unsafe to make. When I was 19, I had some hilariously ridiculous meltdowns about how much people read and what they read... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153637 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:50:38 +0000 ManidipaM 1153637@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting discussion. It is illegal to NOT send a child to one of the various educational-boards-administered schools (from government to religious) in India. Yet there are those who still homeschool and we are giving it serious thought.</p> <p>Schools that interest and excite and engage the child are NOT the norm in India. Teaching methodology is heavily biased towards rote learning and all teaching is pitched to the lowest common denominator. Remedial lessons for those needing extra encouragement or help as well as nurturing of the talented and gifted both equally non-existent. </p> <p>Classrooms are huge and unwieldy... the teacher can really only survive his or her career by severely curtailing all excitement and initiative in the classroom of 60-odd children. Each class year is over a 100 kids divided up into 'sections' fir a classroom. Some larger schools have 20 or 30 sections/classrooms per class. Impersonality and slipping through the cracks is normative. To compensate there is private coaching, expensive and corrupt.</p> <p>There is a frightful degree of reliance on homework too. Under some boards a child of 5 or 6 has over 2 hours' homework each day. School hours are long. Typically from 7am to 2pm. Many schools frown on extracurricular activities such as debates, music, art etc. Sports is encouraged at some but not regulated or taught... often a melee on an unkempt field with zero supervision, forget training. And note that this is about 120 kids at once in say a basketball court-sized yard. Others make a very competitive virtue of these. The child ends up having a very long day between homework and any activities or play parents may allow after school and the evening coaching classes that may be several. And the child has a stressful time of it with the pressure to excel in this overcrowded country of not enough jobs. Even holidays are crammed with homework and coaching classes and scheduled activities if the parents can afford these.</p> <p>Deep pockets and luck can get you a more well-rounded or less stressful experience in a very few places. Boarding schools that are expensive. Or alternative schools in the very few biggest cities... but often you are by law constrained to be within a few miles of the school to gain a place. Does not work out for many. So some brave and lucky folks homeschool and affiliate themselves to a specific board for exams at 10th grade upwards (age 14 or so).</p> <p>But they may be severely restricted in higher education opportunity due to their ersatz background these children!</p> <p>Parents must choose between high risk.of burnout or dropouts vs poor hogher ed or career opportunities! Most bet on the first route the only legal one. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153635 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:47:04 +0000 ironkurtin 1153635@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Alasse, I don't homeschool and have never considered it. I think school is important to expose children to other people, ways of life, ways of thinking, and ways of interacting. That includes frustrations and obstacles. Also, I firmly believe children need other children as peers and other adults as role models and to dream dreams I would not or could not share. I am my daughter's mother, which to me does not make me her sole instructor nor her equal. She needs a place to explore that is separate from me. Also, I am not a terribly social person, but my daughter is, and I saw the real benefits of her nanny giving her intensive time with other children. She learned to play nicely, be empathetic, share, and open her heart to others with a kind and loving - but not naive - spirit. I believe these things were always part of her but her structured socialization set them firmly. As someone who comes from a rigorously scientific family, I know the benefits and downsides to schooling, and for children I am firmly for it if a good school is to be had. I feel the benefits outweigh the rest. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153627 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:38:26 +0000 giddyup 1153627@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know families who have chosen to homeschool simply because they did think they could do it better.&nbsp;None of them did it for religious reasons or to shelter their children. IN fact, quite the opposite, they did it to expand their children's learning experiences. One family just returned from a year long sailing trip. In some areas there are amazing community or cooperative homeschooling resources. None of these kids suffer from lack of socializing. Their emotional intelligence would shock some adults. Of course, that is a reflection of their parents.&nbsp;There are some public school classrooms in the US, that quite frankly, would be depressing to have to endure day after day. I am not sure how that enhances a child's wellbeing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153521 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 19:36:15 +0000 Alassë 1153521@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for weighing in, Aziraphale! I love the discussions possible here. You perfectly articulated both the faith reason &amp; the for the good of the child reason (the latter being one I sometimes forget).</p> <p>Would you mind elaborating on the valuable social lessons you noticed the children picking up?</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153501 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 19:21:52 +0000 Aziraphale 1153501@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wasn't homeschooled (as a child, I wasn't even aware that such a thing existed)&nbsp;and&nbsp;I don't homeschool my own, but the homeschooling movement is a slowly growing phenomenon here, so I've had the conversation with a few people. From what I gather, parents in our area&nbsp;choose to homeschool their children for one of two reasons:</p> <p>1. They want their children to have a more sheltered educational experience that is in line with the family's religious beliefs. They want to minimize secular/pop culture influences.</p> <p>2. Their child is learning disabled and is having a disastrous experience in the&nbsp;public school system, and they cannot afford private school or&nbsp;professional tutoring.</p> <p>Both are valid reasons, I think, to undertake the challenge of homeschooling. Interestingly, no one seems to choose homeschooling simply because they feel they can do a better job than the public school system. Either the family belongs to one of the more zealous churches, or it does not&nbsp;but their child is struggling in school and homeschooling is the most affordable solution.</p> <p>The only bit of advice I can offer is to make every effort to arrange lots of interaction between other children. If there are many&nbsp;families homeschooling in your area, this is easier. There are networks. But having been a teacher, I know that more than half of the useful lessons that children learn at school are not the academic ones -- they are the social ones. The adults I know who are really successful in life are so because they know how to work harmoniously with other people.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153427 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:21:39 +0000 Alassë 1153427@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you for coming back to this thread, Beth Ann. I really learn a lot from older homeschoolers. I can't believe I forgot to mention the faith aspect when listing my reasons for homeschooling - thank you for bringing that out.&nbsp;Oh, and I like the idea of letting your kids pick some of the literature books. I loved reading ahead of the curriculum, but so often didn't like the choices.</p> <p>Also&nbsp;thanks for mentioning how run-of-the-mill public school classrooms reduce each child's&nbsp;potential for excelling. That's another reason for homeschooling that I forgot.&nbsp;It may be different in other parts of the US/world, but Arizona did not have a good school system when I volunteered. It was fun to help out, but sad to think about from the perspective of the child's education.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153274 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:39:16 +0000 Beth Ann 1153274@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The whys and hows of homeschooling are myriad, but, I'll give it a go!</p> <p>Our kids were doing well in our public elementary school for the first years, but it was definitely a "one size fits all" curriculum.&nbsp; Average in ranking, but falling behind a bit each year.&nbsp; My DS is gifted, but has ADHD and is a bit "quirky professor."&nbsp; Again, his early teachers were fabulous, but there were no programs to challenge him and budget cuts were slashing the services he had through a speech therapist in the area of social pragmatics (reading nonverbal skills -- every male should get this training, IMHO!).&nbsp; My DD was a model student, quiet and good.&nbsp; She went from the top of her class to the solid middle, not a big deal, but it felt more like she was being "institutionalized" rather than receiving a vibrant education.&nbsp; Teachers have less freedom to use their own initiative and ideas, and many who stay in teaching feel "Insitutionalized," too.&nbsp; And I live in Illinois.&nbsp; For those of you out of the US --- the state government is one of the most troubled (and broke) in the the nation, and the schools suffer for it.</p> <p>Was our faith a consideration?&nbsp; Sure.&nbsp; We love having the opportunity to integrate these areas of life into education.&nbsp; We did examine the Christian school option, but it would have cost us 10,000-15,000 a year (yikes), the schools were 30 minutes away, and their academics were only OK.&nbsp; I work part time, and DH is a college professor working entirely online from home (Liberty U.)&nbsp; He goes from teaching the concept of a thesis statement to college students to walking out of the study and teaching his own children the same concept.&nbsp; He does math.&nbsp; A man who takes care of the math is so very sexy!&nbsp; </p> <p>There are a million ways to homeschool.&nbsp; I choose curriculum each spring -- in my case I do my own reading and lit activities --- using standard book lists, allowing the kids to choose every other book, and getting activities from the web (pinterest is a mecca for homeschoolers).&nbsp; I purchase science curriculum (we have cool experiments), math, history and Spanish.&nbsp; Some of the curriculum does lesson planning for you, but I map it all using Scholaric software, which tracks grades and other metrics for $2 per month.&nbsp; My state doesn't require this, but I can give account for the material they cover and their mastery of it.</p> <p>We participate in a homeschool group, like many homeschoolers.&nbsp; There are three to choose from in my community, and we have a local "Junior College," which has amazing programs for homeschoolers, even in elementary grades.&nbsp; If, and it's a big if, I decide to stick with it for high school, they could take classes at the college and get at least a year (or 2) of college credit by high school graduation.&nbsp; DS love his Lego Mindstorms group!&nbsp; DD and DS play basketball and soccer, attend a Jr. High church youth group and summer camp.&nbsp; They have piano, and next year, DD will participate in a band in the nearest Christian school.</p> <p>The kids would want me to tell you the best part --- no "homework" until 10pm.&nbsp; They get up around 8, and work hard all morning, usually finishing around 1pm.&nbsp; Yep.&nbsp; They are thriving academically.&nbsp; Their standardized tests scores (we do one of these in the spring to check progress) are higher.&nbsp; We test to make sure weren't not missing something and because it would make integration back into a local high school far easier.&nbsp; </p> <p>I support all schooling choices --- if we had a great magnet or charter school nearby, my kids would likely have stayed there.&nbsp; If we continue into high school, it will be more time consuming to homeschool, with more driving to lab classes, language classes, and more money investment. I'm expecting that I will need to work more to put aside funds for college.</p> <p>I think we all have to make the best choices for our families, but I am so grateful for the time I have now with my kids.&nbsp; If they went back to school tomorrow, I would feel so much better equipped to guide them and help them academically, emotionally and spiritually.&nbsp; I must add that I'm lucky to have a husband who teaches alongside me --- I might not be able to manage it otherwise!</p> <p>Whew!&nbsp; Sorry this was so long! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153267 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:33:14 +0000 Alassë 1153267@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you to Tina, qfbrenda, TraceyLiz65,&nbsp;Janet,&nbsp;lyn*, Astrid,&nbsp;and anne for commenting. </p> <p>Rachylou, that's such a neat way of looking at your daughter's mind! <i>Morte d'Arthur</i>&nbsp;was an interesting read in college.</p> <p>Beth Ann, in your experience what are the benefits &amp; drawbacks of public, private, and homeschooling routes? I'm interested to hear your thoughts.</p> <p>Ornella, you do have a lot of basic questions, and I'm not the best one to answer since I just have a kindergartener - hopefully qfbrenda will chime in with more real-world experience. But maybe I can get you started a little. :)</p> <p>I happen to like the organization/planning aspects of life, so that is more of a large project to tackle each year than an overwhelming burden. Bear in mind that I haven't had to delve into curriculum choosing yet! (My mother brings up resources for me at this point since she went back to teaching after she was done with us.)</p> <p>In the US &amp; Canada there are standardized tests that measure what a student knows by grade level, so there's no worry in terms of gaps in knowledge. The curriculum I used as a child was built around chapter tests, so there was regular assessment just as there would be in a school - only the work was completed at home. It's just like distance learning except that your mother (or&nbsp;father) is your grader &amp; tutor. (I don't know if you have options to complete university coursework at home in Germany; that is among our options here, and occasionally at elementary school levels as Janet attested.) I'm sure if such a test revealed that the student did not know the material, we would have to repeat in order to ensure mastery.</p> <p>Some people have others help by attending homeschool co-ops, where homeschooling parents effectively teach a class of homeschoolers a particular subject. This blurs the line between traditionally thought-of homeschooling and the school's classroom environment, in my opinion. Another way of having outside assistance is to complete a video curriculum - your child sits in front of the TV, watches a classroom teacher, and then does the homework himself. That's sort of like taped distance learning.</p> <p>As far as planning what to teach, I'm a big believer in curriculum that picks things for me since I would go nuts trying to come up with lessons on my own. I plan to simply choose a solid curriculum and more or less follow what it prescribes (says the 1st year homeschooler). Apparently most homeschooling parents regularly tweak their curricula, so I'm sure I will do the same as I gain more experience. (Probably like cooking - first you follow the recipe, then you gain the courage to add a dash of this or that&nbsp;because you like the flavor.)</p> <p>Yes, I expect to be able to cover everything myself. Provided I successfully teach them to be independent learners, as I was, they can learn higher math from the textbook/computer/etc. and ask their father to help tutor. Or there are always community college courses that high schoolers can take, providing valuable dual credit as high school &amp; university courses at the same time.</p> <p>My children are too young to have much opinion on amount of time spent with other children. I know this will change as they age and hope to provide them with enough friend-forming opportunities to nourish their social life. I did it through church involvement, later adding a couple extra-curricular activities, so that is my current plan for them.</p> <p>And last, your most important question: why did I choose this route? I chose it because I had a good experience with it; my husband had a successful outcome with it; I was regularly told I would be a good homeschooling mother; it can be a fairly low cost option (compared to private schools); I have assisted my parents extensively in public school classrooms and seen how gifted or low reader&nbsp;children fall through the cracks;&nbsp;I believe it is a beneficial way of learning for many different children; in short, I believe that it will be successful and intend to give it a try.</p> <p>And thanks for reading this epistle! Whew. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153137 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:45:39 +0000 anne 1153137@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wasn't, and don't, but my sister does and I have several friends who<br /> do (at least for some of the time). Interestingly they (the mothers) are<br /> mostly people who are creative and&nbsp; vibrant, people who are real assets<br /> to have around. They are also pretty assured of their discipline with their kids.<br />Their reasons include: so they can travel, for more flexibility, to do more individualised things, to avoid the time wasting inherent in a classroom setting (as I have done plenty of parent help, I can really identify with that reason) and to put more emphasis on character development.<br />Personally I wouldn't do it except in an extreme situation, as my children love school and benefit from having someone other than their mother teaching them ( I taught my daughter piano for 2 years. DD would get all emotional while I was trying to teach her.She improved with leaps and bounds when she got a different teacher!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1153000 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:41:12 +0000 Astrid 1153000@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Like Ornella said, homeschooling isn't permitted in Germany. You can get some exception for religious reasons like not letting your child attend religion classes and taking some ethics instead, but you have to get by within the school system otherwise. I'd also be interested to hear more about the reasons why you decided to homeschool. It's a curious concept to me, probably because the only people leaving their children out of school here do it for extreme reasons that make the headline. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1152961 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 08:00:06 +0000 Ornella 1152961@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is a great question and I hope you wont' mind me asking a few more in order to learn, well, more :-)&nbsp;I'd love to hear about why people choose to homeschool. It's not the concept that exists in Germany and I'm interested in many aspects of it.</p> <p>From my perspective, it must take a lot of courage and a huge amount of discipline and organisation to homeschool. I guess that would be a starter.&nbsp;</p> <p>Why did you choose this route?&nbsp;How do you plan what you'll teach your child(ren)? Can you cover everything yourself? Do you have other people helping?&nbsp;There is the inevitable question of what the authorities expect one 12- or&nbsp;16-year old to know in terms of academic knowledge, do you somehow asses that to know if your plan needs changing and&nbsp;fine-tuning? How do you measure progress, if you o it?&nbsp;Does your child miss the social aspect of the mainstream&nbsp;school life? In which way do they get to interact with the peers?</p> <p>I am sure there are endless websites out there which do provide answers to these questions, but getting more familiar with the concept from this community (which I know and trust)&nbsp;is hopefully getting to the right sort of information in a more efficient manner. One can say I know no other way but education being about going to some other building where the professionals take care of the rest and parents being involved in the ways which are about adding additional and/or different content to the child's life and learning about the world.&nbsp;I want to (begin to)&nbsp;understand the motivations, approach&nbsp;and experiences of the homeschoolers too.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1152782 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 02:59:50 +0000 Beth Ann 1152782@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Another homeschooler!&nbsp; My kids were in public school through 4th and 5th grade, and we're halfway through year two at home.&nbsp; I work at a university 2 days a week, and teach voice at home another 10 hours a week, so this is manageable because DH works from home.&nbsp; I plan, set them up, supervise piano and experiments and do the grading at night.&nbsp; DH loves the math.&nbsp; Whew!</p> <p>I don't know what we'll do about highschool.&nbsp; I'm just really grateful to be in the position to have the choice at the moment.&nbsp; I think every parent thinks the same way -- evaluating the schooling options and the family resources against the needs of each child.&nbsp; Teaching at a college that has its fair share of public, private and homeschooled students, I can see the benefits and drawbacks of all the choices.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1152655 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 01:06:14 +0000 lyn* 1152655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm surprised but none of my colleagues are home schooled. I really REALLY wanted to be home schooled when I was school aged, but my parents couldn't make it work with one income.</p> <p>Not much advice, but just wanted to say bravo for taking the time to do this! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1152464 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:54:31 +0000 Janet 1152464@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I worked for almost ten years for an independent school that has a home-schooling division (Calvert School). I was pretty much clueless about home schooling before I started there but learned a lot about it. I was much more involved with the day school than the home instruction division, but we had students all over the world using our curricula and advisory teaching service. My hat is off to anyone who home schools! It's a tremendous commitment but I know it's well worthwhile for many people. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1152336 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 20:10:53 +0000 rachylou 1152336@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In the summers, I had a bargain with my mother: If I didn't want to go to camp (which I did not), I would have to submit to summer homeschool. I remember a very long book on Wilma Rudolph and accompanying paper :)</p> <p>I did the same with my own daughter. There was also some extras during the school year as she has some extra challenges (eye-related). We read Malory's <i>Morte D'Arthur</i> for one thing. That was very gratifying and informative. We'd read aloud, but she went and finished the thousand pages on her own. What was interesting was how well she could parse that old free-form English. She has a mind set up for a bardic, poetic cadence. The modern, stripped-down way we do English now is more difficult for her. Really, she was so much faster than myself sorting out Malory's word strings than myself, finding the pauses and the clauses with no commas to show you where. I was just there as the dictionary </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/so-whos-homeschoolinghomeschooled#post-1152274 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:58:37 +0000 TraceyLiz65 1152274@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am in year 3 of homeschooling my 13 year old son after he finished elementary school... They said he had a learning disability in reading, but he decided after just 4 lessons on the "Back on the Right Track" &nbsp;reading program that the school had a teaching disablity.... My only wish is that I had done this sooner as his writing levles don't match his intelligence .... Just got Dragon software and he is loving this so there is hope!!!!!</p> <p>He is my youngest child and the only one I've homeschooled... I have two in college and one a senior in high school this year! &nbsp; </p>