Show of Hands

I agree. However, I don't think public school can ever surpass most homeschooling that I've seen, due to the lower teacher/student ratio, the ability to advance at your own pace (and accelerate if you so wish), the lack of disciplinary issues when a teacher has to deal with 30+ students, the fact that a homeschooler can knock out a full day of schoolwork in 4 hours so that they can spend the rest of the day doing community service or internships, etc.

.

That's great to hear! I've been exposed to a lot of homeschool families and have only ever seen one in which it didn't seem to be that the students excelled.

Do you know what curriculum she uses, Don?

Started with Bill Bennett k-12 then changed to Rand Paul Curriculum because the focus was more on proper writing.

I'm not familiar with either one of those curriculums. Are they fairly new? I haven't homeschooled in about 10 years.

I found this web site that you might look up.
www.ronpaulhomeschool.com/

Thanks, Don! I looked at it, and I really like some of the elements--this would be one that could work with both parents working and I also love the no textbook, original sources idea!

We did a lot of library books to supplement history. I've always felt that well researched historical fiction puts you into the time period and helps you learn it--not just to regurgitate on the test, but to actually remember it the rest of your life. I've learned SO much more history doing that than I ever learned from textbooks in school.

We also had some curriculum which taught what was happening all over the world at the same time period. That is a fascinating way to learn, and you are shocked to find out which person from Asia was a contemporary of someone in the US, for example!

I really believe in timelines for doing this also, and had them all the way around our room on the walls, along with world and US maps. Geography is something that public school is woefully inadequate in teaching!

.

We like it very much.
We are able to follow our grandkids' progress and writings on line and give kudos when appropriate.
Don

That's great! I tried one DVD program called SOS--Switched on Schoolhouse. But I tried it right as it was first released, and it had a lot of bugs. I heard that it got better.

I agree with all you've said, ptellini!

You are a wise woman 😉

Lol Thanks, ptellini!

I think you're posting in the wrong poll. This poll is about a 14 yo that just graduated from college.

Then you definitely shouldn't! Lol It's a LOT of work, and you have regular discipline problems, plus having to deal with making them do schoolwork, so it's not for the feint of heart, for sure! Lol

Check out this article for that:

www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college

I've never seen ANY homeschooled kids that couldn't fit in socially because they've spent their days interacting with people from all walks of life, of all ages, instead of just their peers.

They do community, charity and volunteer work, internships, 4-H, scouting, sports, etc.

They're NOT lacking in social interaction as the public or the media would try to portray them!

.

Here's another article. Doesn't seem like these young adults are hurting socially:

www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2014/0506/Homeschool-teen-graduates-college-at-15

.

All of the homeschooled kids I've ever met have been leaps and bounds ahead of public schooled kids on maturity level. Why? Because they interact daily with a variety of people of all different ages, not just their peers the same age.

I once had a lady at a jewelry counter look at me and ask, "How old IS this kid?" She was talking about my son, whom she had been carrying on adult convo with.

While other kids are cooped up in school, homeschoolers are out in the community, interacting, volunteering, doing charity and community work, scouting, 4-H, sports, etc.

.

Btw, this is not the first time a 14 yo has graduated from college. I've seen a good many stories like this. Did you ever hear of the tv show Doogie Howser, M.D.? Lol

4JC you provide two very good points. Yet, not everyone has the ability to homeschool their children let alone take them out in the community often enough to be on the same social level of PS kids who interact daily 6 hours a day at least. Plus not many children are genetically rigged for a hard home schooling and community interaction on that level.

I'm in NO WAY advocating that this is for everyone or even for most families. It takes a LOT of dedication, energy, and time. I believe it is ONLY for those that feel very strongly they should do so.

.

Thanks, voc! Yeah, the smartest, most well spoken, well behaved kids I've ever met have been homeschooled kids.

Most homeschooled kids are both of those things, contrary to what the public seems to think! Lol

That's great, RT! What are your favorite things about homeschooling? I LOVED that we could sleep in (I am REALLY sick in the mornings) and do homeschool in the afternoon or evening, and even in our jammies! Lol

I also loved spending that time with my kids, and seeing the excitement when they "got" a new concept! And we did a LOT or reading (checking out 100+ books at a time from the library), which I always enjoy.

.

I like working at my own pace. I can breeze through my required stuff. Get bogged down in math and then still get done early and focus on ESL and independent study. Today we went to a funeral of a neighbor we had for several months when we moved here and then she went into a nursing home. It's was very interesting. I had never been to an American funeral before.
I also like the quiet. I'm doing so much better my mother might continue it. We have my IEP on Friday. She was against it but says I've said more to strangers since October then I ever did my first 14 years total. It's just much less stressful. School was loud and I was in special ed. Edik and Erik are together. Tema is in a low functioning class and not mainstreamed at all. Sergei is mostly mainstreamed. I was only mainstreamed for a few classes because I did not speak and the English was hard. I struggle more than the others. It was chaos at school and sometimes chaos at home. I need quiet.

I can certainly understand that! Every year, at our Homeschool Convention, there would be a speaker that would hold a class on homeschooling special ed kids. It is the best environment for them, imho, because you can individualize everything. I worked in special ed, and it can be very overwhelming to a teacher trying to deal with a classroom of kids, each with an IEP, trying to juggle it all.

So are you the only one in your family that is homeschooling? Did I read that right?

And what did you find interesting about the funeral? How was it different from those in Russia? Had you only been to those for Jews in Russia and was this for someone that is not a Jew?

.

I've only met one family in which it was not optimal.

The cases in which it goes bad are those extremist families that use it to indoctrinate their kids, and keep them from other views, so they can grow up extremist.

Assuming you're talking about Christians here? Every parent has the right to raise their children in their belief system.

I see it the other way around--that public school tries to indoctrinate children in a liberal belief system.

Having said that, we didn't ONLY homeschool as some families did. Our oldest two never homeschooled. Our youngest two did public school, then homeschool, then public school.

.

Any extremist faction anywhere, but yes, specifically fringe groups like WBC.

Ok. When you put it that way, I would agree they are extremist. There are some people that think that ANY Christians are extremist, and I thought that was where you're coming from. I didn't realize that WBC home schools their kids. It makes sense, though.

The homeschooling movement was started by Christians that disagreed with the government trying to indoctrinate their kids against their beliefs, after all!

Of course, now there are all kinds of homeschoolers, not just Christians. I've even talked to Wiccan homeschoolers in AL! Lol

.

Yeah, overall, I like homeschooling.

Yes, read the article, and the ones I posted below, and you'll see that most homeschoolers are very well adjusted, and socially adept. In fact, most of the ones I've interacted with are very much more so, because they don't just socialize most of the day with kids their own age.

Most have homeschool groups that they meet for sports, 4-H, scouts, and other activities.

.

Awesome for them then. What are they going to do when they get out of college at 14? Who would hire a 14 year old, even with a degree?

Did you not read the article? Here:

"According to TCU, Carson came to the private coeducational university as an 11-year-old student after graduating as co-valedictorian of his senior class. He scored 1770 on his SAT (the average was 1083 for college-bound students in 2016), and now plans to go to graduate school to work on a master’s degree in physics."

So off to grad school it is! By the time he gets through there (which often takes 5 years) he will be an adult and employable.

Check out another article that I linked below. This family is from AL:

www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2014/0506/Homeschool-teen-graduates-college-at-15

You'll notice that one of them is a 22 yo physician!

Even if he wasn't going to grad school, many homeschoolers do internships. I can imagine that there would be plenty of employers that would be highly impressed with someone of this caliber that would be willing to at least offer him an internship.

.

I'm really puzzled about your attitude on this one, NKarta. I thought that you, as a student of a specialized private school, would be all in favor of alternative educational experiences!

.

Sorry, im not trying to be sarcastic. I am actually wondering what a 14-year-old with a college degree would do. And no, I didn't read the article, cause I can't use links on my phone.

I'm not anti homeschooling at all. I was just asking some questions.

Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you couldn't read links. Why can't you?

Did I answer your questions sufficiently?

.

If you'll read my articles below, you'll see that the vast majority of homeschoolers have all of the stuff that you mentioned they lack.

Most of them are MUCH more socially adept, as they deal with people of all generations every day, instead of just kids their age. They have homeschool groups, where they interact with kids & adults of all ages, hanging out at the park, going on field trips, doing sports, scouts, 4-H, etc.

While other kids are stuck in school all day, these kids can be out in the community, & many of them serve in apprenticeships in the community during their high school years. They do community outreach & charity work also, & have MUCH more time to do so, as they're not stuck in a classroom all day.

More...

.

Part 2. When I homeschooled, I found that we could knock out an entire day's school work in about 4 hrs because you don't have to stop for restroom breaks, with kids standing in line waiting. One teacher can interact with just a few students instead of 30, cutting down on the time it takes to get the work done, also.

.

We couldn't "afford" it, but did it any way. We used the library a LOT, checking out 100 books at a time! Lol

There are also a lot of ways to make it cheaper--most homeschool groups have used book sales every year.

.

We also found that in some ways it could be cheaper than public school. We didn't have to buy supplies at the beginning of the year for all the other students and teachers (toilet paper, paper towels, copy paper, etc.).

There were no school fees, we could do our own school pics, etc.

.

Well, in most households I'm aware of there needs to be two parents working thus making it harder for homeschooling because one would most likely need to make enough of an income for the other to stay home and school the children, but good on you for making it work, more power to you.

Thanks! We know how to make do and do without some of the things that a lot of people take for granted. We made good use of yard sales and thrift and consignment shops, also! Lol

There ARE, however, some homeschoolers that both parents work, and make it work, either through opposite shifts, or online curriculum, CD curriculum for high schoolers that self educate, satellite school through a Christian college, etc.

.

I just looked back over your original comment and have to agree with you--I felt the same way in school--especially when the honors English teacher was going over what a noun was in the 11th grade and students couldn't figure it out! ARRGGH!

I learned MUCH more about history after graduating, by reading well researched historical fiction novels. A novel puts you into the history and it's like you're living that history, imho!

I learned even more about history when I was homeschooling the kids! I think you always learn more when you're teaching than when you're the student! Lol

.

I meant to also say that we're very low income and have been our entire lives, due to hubby being in the ministry. But one of our kids was having daily migraines and the school system refused to work with us and called us before the truancy board, even though I had doctor's excuses. I decided it would be easier to homeschool them.

So I prayed that if God wanted us to homeschool them, He would send us the money. Not long after this we received a check for several thousand dollars in the mail. Apparently we had over paid our taxes! When does that EVER happen? I can tell you it had never happened before and it hasn't happened since! Lol

I used that money to get us started with good products that would last several years.

.

Certainly a good use of the money.

I'm glad you were able to do that for your children. The school system can be very frustrating, especially when in certain districts good teachers can be found few and far between; best teaching is done at home in my opinion and now the majority of it can for your children. Good on you.

Thanks so much, Finney! I really appreciate that! Our son that I homeschooled had been in public school, scored 20 on the ACT in 7th grade. I homeschooled him a few years, and then he scored 27 when entering a high school for the gifted! He is now an engineer.

Here are some other great stories about homeschooling:

www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2014/0506/Homeschool-teen-graduates-college-at-15

www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college

.