How many homeschooling families are there on AFF?

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by jfrog

An interested and not soo bright parent might be better off sending kids to public school? or private school depending on the public schools in the area?

I'm not so sure...if a parent is willing to utilize outside resources, and not insist on doing everything alone, it can still be highly successful. Remember, jfrog, the goal of education is not to make sure a child can remember a certain list of facts, but to increase their ability to comprehend facts and function successfully in society for the rest of the lives.

We have co-ops in our area, mainly for high school level students. There may be a parent who excels in science, and another who excels in foreign languages. So these students will get together a couple of times a week for a focused class with an expert tutor, and then work at home the rest of the time. Also, a lot of high schoolers need the flexibility because they're already taking college classes, and/or working jobs.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

I'm not so sure...if a parent is willing to utilize outside resources, and not insist on doing everything alone, it can still be highly successful. Remember, jfrog, the goal of education is not to make sure a child can remember a certain list of facts, but to increase their ability to comprehend facts and function successfully in society for the rest of the lives.

We have co-ops in our area, mainly for high school level students. There may be a parent who excels in science, and another who excels in foreign languages. So these students will get together a couple of times a week for a focused class with an expert tutor, and then work at home the rest of the time. Also, a lot of high schoolers need the flexibility because they're already taking college classes, and/or working jobs.

Well, if someone has to use alot of outside resources I can't see how it would be any better than high school? So why not just do the high school thing then?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Now, my wife and I homeschool, yet, I keep hearing others out there who would like nothing better than to put an end to homeschooling.

Any thoughts about that?

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Now, my wife and I homeschool, yet, I keep hearing others out there who would like nothing better than to put an end to homeschooling.

Any thoughts about that?

I was homeschooled my last two years of high school and loved it! It was NOT easy but I did far better then had I stayed in public school. I also know how well, academically, home schoolers do in life.

Unfortunately, I'm also familiar with people in the other extreme. Just as the Neumons are single handingly helping to remove parental rights in the state of Wisconsin due to letting their daughter die, I know of a couple who will soon change WI law regarding home schooling due to their extreme UNqualification to teach their son.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by jfrog

Well, if someone has to use alot of outside resources I can't see how it would be any better than high school? So why not just do the high school thing then?

Because you retain:

1. The ability to personally guide your children into adulthood. (Which is not about control, btw, but about the parent knowing the child better than any other person, and therefore having the best input into shaping their future.)
2. Flexibility
3. Personal attention in other subjects, even if you need help with teaching one area.
4. The ability to personally supervise your child's academic success, and quickly fix problem areas.
5. A positive, healthy atmosphere.

I don't want my children having a strict, unreasonable schedule, a school-assigned secular counselor, teachers who don't care about them on a personal level, the inability to move past the rest of the class academically, unnecessary peer pressure and social tension.

Therefore, even if I had to outsource a class to get them the level of instruction needed, I would still find it advantageous to retain the homeschooling structure. I haven't encountered this issue yet, but I'm not opposed to it if we run into problems.

I can see many disadvantages to putting my children back into public school just because I might have difficulty teaching one subject. Why would a parent need to do that, when there are so many great resources?

Bottom line, jfrog, this was the right decision for our family. Our children are more than thriving; they are flourishing. Educational value aside, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have a hand in this process. It's so rewarding. It's not only great for the kids, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of it as well--I ♥ teaching them, and take great joy in their achievements.

I wouldn't want a parent to homeschool their children, if they didn't really have an interest, because it wouldn't be in the best interest of the kids. However, I'd challenge anyone with an interest to at least try it--surprises are sure to be in store, and if you do your homework, and use your resources wisely, they'll be pleasant ones.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I was homeschooled my last two years of high school and loved it! It was NOT easy but I did far better then had I stayed in public school. I also know how well, academically, home schoolers do in life.

Unfortunately, I'm also familiar with people in the other extreme. Just as the Neumons are single handingly helping to remove parental rights in the state of Wisconsin due to letting their daughter die, I know of a couple who will soon change WI law regarding home schooling due to their extreme UNqualification to teach their son.

That's so unfortunate. It's too bad that similar changes aren't made in public education everytime an idiot gets a teaching degree and mentally or physically abuses a child.

There are situations where people should NOT be educating their own children. Hopefully preventative laws that are passed will target the anomalies without hurting the families who are successful.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

That's so unfortunate. It's too bad that similar changes aren't made in public education everytime an idiot gets a teaching degree and mentally or physically abuses a child.

There are situations where people should NOT be educating their own children. Hopefully preventative laws that are passed will target the anomalies without hurting the families who are successful.

Home schoolers are held to 10+ times the standards that the public school educators are. How many BAD public school teachers are there that you never hear of? Yet the home schoolers I KNOW about will be in the news within the next 1-3 years (and rightfully so).

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I was homeschooled my last two years of high school and loved it! It was NOT easy but I did far better then had I stayed in public school. I also know how well, academically, home schoolers do in life.

I was home schooled my entire time in high school. It was called the un-school method. I didn't attend, I mean I went to the high school, but I just didn't attend the classes. I hung out with my friends. I did go to shop class, we worked on motorcycles. My school principle found out that I was not staying for my classes, and told my mother, who told my father. I explained to both of them that school was a waste of my precious time, and that I wanted to work on motorcycles, and build my business. They didn't agree, and I continued to cut classes. I became a menace to society, ran my motorcycle shop, and didn't graduate. I regret that, and my shoddy spelling and grammar, hangs around my neck like a scarlet letter. A mind is a terrible thing to have.

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Unfortunately, I'm also familiar with people in the other extreme. Just as the Neumons are single handingly helping to remove parental rights in the state of Wisconsin due to letting their daughter die, I know of a couple who will soon change WI law regarding home schooling due to their extreme UNqualification to teach their son.

Wow, I didn't know all that. I'll have to find out about that. Come to think of it, there is a lot of strange stuff that goes on in Wisconsin. After all isn't that the place where Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, and Daniel Christensen come from?

Yipes!!!!

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Because you retain:

1. The ability to personally guide your children into adulthood. (Which is not about control, btw, but about the parent knowing the child better than any other person, and therefore having the best input into shaping their future.)
2. Flexibility
3. Personal attention in other subjects, even if you need help with teaching one area.
4. The ability to personally supervise your child's academic success, and quickly fix problem areas.
5. A positive, healthy atmosphere.

I don't want my children having a strict, unreasonable schedule, a school-assigned secular counselor, teachers who don't care about them on a personal level, the inability to move past the rest of the class academically, unnecessary peer pressure and social tension.

Therefore, even if I had to outsource a class to get them the level of instruction needed, I would still find it advantageous to retain the homeschooling structure. I haven't encountered this issue yet, but I'm not opposed to it if we run into problems.

I can see many disadvantages to putting my children back into public school just because I might have difficulty teaching one subject. Why would a parent need to do that, when there are so many great resources?

Bottom line, jfrog, this was the right decision for our family. Our children are more than thriving; they are flourishing. Educational value aside, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have a hand in this process. It's so rewarding. It's not only great for the kids, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of it as well--I ♥ teaching them, and take great joy in their achievements.

I wouldn't want a parent to homeschool their children, if they didn't really have an interest, because it wouldn't be in the best interest of the kids. However, I'd challenge anyone with an interest to at least try it--surprises are sure to be in store, and if you do your homework, and use your resources wisely, they'll be pleasant ones.

I'm not implying that is wasn't the right decision for your family MissB, I think it very much was.

However, I wasn't talking about parents not being able to teach all but one subject, I was talking about parents who might if they were lucky be able to teach one subject.

1. There would be much less interaction with the parents and more with the outsourcing so guiding them may prove to be just as difficult in this situation.
2. Flexibility would be limited due to having to schedule around when other people could help the child.
3. Personal attention would still be there to a much greater degree. Which is a very good learning environment, however NONE of our colleges are set up to give students that degree of personal attention. Will a child who is used to that attention and then all of a sudden cut off from it in college still be just as successful?
4. If you are having to outsource because you can't teach the material then supervision in academic areas becomes only slightly better than what a high school could do. It is still better though.
5. High School's aren't positive and healthy atmospheres?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by jfrog

I'm not implying that is wasn't the right decision for your family MissB, I think it very much was.

However, I wasn't talking about parents not being able to teach all but one subject, I was talking about parents who might if they were lucky be able to teach one subject.

1. There would be much less interaction with the parents and more with the outsourcing so guiding them may prove to be just as difficult in this situation.
2. Flexibility would be limited due to having to schedule around when other people could help the child.
3. Personal attention would still be there to a much greater degree. Which is a very good learning environment, however NONE of our colleges are set up to give students that degree of personal attention. Will a child who is used to that attention and then all of a sudden cut off from it in college still be just as successful?
4. If you are having to outsource because you can't teach the material then supervision in academic areas becomes only slightly better than what a high school could do. It is still better though.
5. High School's aren't positive and healthy atmospheres?

However, I wasn't talking about parents not being able to teach all but one subject, I was talking about parents who might if they were lucky be able to teach one subject.

I have no idea what this means - if they were lucky? Do you realize that every curriculum has a detailed teacher's guide?

We used a company, VideoText Interactive, for Algebra and Geometry. The course has actual teachers and visual illustration. The bonus is the toll-free telephone support. The child is able to actually talk to someone if they are having difficulty.

What does that do? It teaches them to be assertive and independent. A big preparation for college. My daughter only attended one quarter of public school during her 8th grade year to see if that is what she wanted to do. She said it was too noisy and you couldn't concentrate. So, actually, the maturity level of college students and the classroom setting is much like a homeschool setting. In my experience, it's great preparation.

I read a quote the other day, which I totally agree with. "Everyone needs to attend college in order to get a High School education." With our academic scores in this country, that statement could not be more true!