Home Schooling

[Elvengirl]

luck

It can be done. I did five years of schooling in about 3 years. Isn't it great?

[Lief Erikson]

Originally posted by Tessar
... And yet again the wonders of home schooling abound .

So that I can go into colledge with one of my older sisters and keep her company (if you will), I'm going to be whizzing through about 2 and a half years of school in one and a half now.

Wish me luck .

Oh well, it was my idea, and it's nice that I can do that because of the home schooling .

Yeah. Another bonus that I use, because I'm homeschooled, is sometimes to put extra work in and develop "points". What they are is, I do a subject for one day, but then the same day, I do the next day's school work in that topic. Then on a piece of paper, I mark down that I have a point for that day. Then I can continually, slowly gather more points, until I choose to use them. Then I can take time off.

After too much time passes, sometimes I choose to scrap my page of points, because the circumstances have changed. For example, after I'm starting to plan out my new school year, points for the old school year can't count for anything. Also, if I've been a blockhead and ignored my points page for quite a long time (one can get negatives on it too), then I frequently have to scrap it.

[Aralyn]

I love homeschooling 'cause of several reasons.
One, I get one on one attention which I need when it comes to math and history type stuff. I like history but I struggle with it.

Two, I feel safer. Now I don't want to start anything, honest so remember this is my story. At my old school, when I went to a Quote on Quote "Normal" school i.e. public/private, I had several kids plot and plan my murder. In fifth grade. They set up plans to kill me and it totally freaked me out. And the school gave them three freakin' days detention. Whatever, so I feel safer at home.

Three, I DO get social interaction. We have a homeschool group who shares our same values and I take chemistry class with other homeschoolers, so I have a lab partner etc.

Four, I spend more time with my family. Honestly this is the best part.

Oh, and I dot think it depends on the kid and parents capacity and character, If the kid honestly hates it or the parent has no patience, it wont work out.

[samwiselvr2008]

I'm thinking about homeschooling next year, I want to be home schooled because my other chouse is privat school or public school. Private school- we havn't really found one that works for me. Public School- Just don't want to go back to public schooling at all, I hated it when I was in it, and never want to return. Right now, I'm at a Charter school, it's sorda a mix imbatween public schools and private schools, it'spaid for by the goverment, but speasalizes in hands-on learning. it is also private schoolish becasue it has a limit to how many students go there, and so there's no over crowded classes. It has no relion or anything like that, so it's not anything like a Christian school. If you want to know more, then you'll have to PM me, or look it up yourself. Unforchantly, there are no charter schools in my area that have high schools, they all end after middle school is over- at eigth grade. I'm in 8th grade now, so I have to change next year.

Thus, homeschooling seems liket he only place for me to go, and so I want to be homeschooled. My mom will let me be, so It's just a matter of getting it all together and that type of stuff. I am a Christian, but that's not why I'm thinking about homeschooling. I just don't want to go to a public school ever again, not untill senour year, at the best. I hated my life last year so much, because of my teachers, and the other students, and everything when I went to a public school. I just don't want to hate my life again as much as I did last year.

Any sugestions? What books should I use? What do you think?

[Radagast]

Have all the other posters been American home schoolers? As a Brit, thought I'd add my two penny 'orth.

Before I went to Eton, rather than going to a 'primary' (elementary in the US) school I was educated by tutors hired by my parents from home- does that count?

[SamwiseLover2008]

*shrug* I geuss so. How was it?

[Sminty_Smeagol]

Originally posted by Elvengirl
This is an argument that comes up in my family and I want to know your opinions.

Which do you think is better?
A child who homeschools will be growing up in a safe environment. There is no need to worry about bullies, invalidation, drugs, crime, peer pressure, and other negative things that do exist in public schools. He/She won't be influenced by other children, take on other valences, feel like he needs to follow the crowd and fit in with his generation. He will grow up being and individual, strong and independent, and with morals.

Or
If a child goes to a public school and might be exposed to everything I mentioned above or worse. The kid might take drugs, get beaten up, you get the idea. Is it better for a kid to experience these things, learn from them and thier mistakes, and become stronger from it?

Drugs, crime, bullies, etc. , they exist out in the "real world". One will usually become exposed to it at one point in their life. Should a child grow up separate from it and then as an adult face the "world", or should one learn early on what is out there.

So the question is; sooner or later?

I hope this makes sense.

It does depend. A lot. I know personally I benefited from going to school after homeschooling. Tough stuff yeah but now I think I am a stronger individual after being disgusted with so much culture that goes on that I was able to observe living in it.... being rejected by it... giving up on it... being myself... and now, being pretty respected by it.
But so many kids go in with the rest of society and just fall in line without questioning things. Without really thinking about drive and motivation and the ironies and rythms and patterns in acceptance by society and groups and trends and such.
Maybe if I had never homeschooled and had to be exposed to it all and rejected by it all so suddenly then I wouldn't have been able to detach myself from it(while still being among it, but not following it) and observe it and observe myself.
Maybe if I had continued homeschooling I would be even better of than I am now. Not likely but you never know. I certainly wouldn't have come to realizations about our society and understood humans as a group and America as well as I do now, atleast not as quickly.
I don't know how the transition works for other people. I have known many homeschoolers that have begun going to public school and fallen right in line immediatly. I know many homeschoolers who are pretty immature in a way, well not moreso than average kids their age neccessarily but it seems to me a lot of homeschooler guys I know pretend to have what society says is cool or desireable (from what little access to the pop culture they may have) and the girls tend to be more mature bookworm types.
Yeah, exposure to different ages is good. Learning to communicate and connect with adults and people of all ages rather than just your peers is a good thing. But the thing is, a lot of homeschoolers don't really understand the 'common' culture, and they haven't had enough exposure to think about it and form their own opinions. I wish that people would stop trying to find a clique, a belonging, and just be comfortable for who they are and decide their opinions and style on their own.

I don't really understand enough to have a firm opinion about it, but I do know from my own experiences and my experiences from the homeschoolers I know to draw some ideas.

[Lizra]

My neighbor home school all three of her children...all the way. The youngest, a girl, is a bible quoting goodie two shoes, (I'm not trying to be mean, she is very sweet, and has spent the last three years at a Christian college and also doing misssionary work in some former soviet country) and she gives her parents great joy.
The oldest girl married a motorcylce nut and while they are christians, motorcycles seem to be the most important thing in their lives at this time.
I guess the son was "influenced by others". He hung out with "unsavory types", did drugs, and joined the Navy a few years back because he wasn't up for college or a "boring" job. The last time I asked his mom how he was doing, she murmured something about she wasn't sure, he was either avoiding her or in the substance abuse program! I quickly dropped the subject.
Anyway, home schooling is not a guarentee of anything. If you really want to teach your children yourself, and think they will learn more and/or better this way, go ahead! Indulge yourself! But if you only want to homeschool because you think you will protect your children from undesirable influences, I think you might be making a mistake.

[Starr Polish]

I don't think home schooling shoudl be used as a form of "sheltering" a child from outer influences. Sometimes this can spark some very nasty rebellion.

To me, homeschooling should be used when the child isn't learning in the enviroment provided, or there is reason to believe that the child won't be able to learn to their full capacity. A lot of things could be the cause of this, such as condition like ADD, or abuse and threats, as in Aralyn's case. I was teased mercilessly in junior high, and a few of the encounters actually became physical (one of these with no provocation from me at all), and was going to try to convince my mother to homeschool me. I knew it wouldn't work, though, and I think I've turned out okay, even after having gone to a public school.

What is everyone's opinion on "un-schooling"?