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re: RealTalk: Homeschooling
Posted on 10/28/14 at 12:25 pm to Pavoloco83
Posted on 10/28/14 at 12:25 pm to Pavoloco83
Yeah. I'm thinking of saying give it a go, but with expectations of moving back to the classroom in JH or HS. I sucked in algebra and still have nightmares about my school calling and saying I really failed it and need to come back.
I just can't see it being the best for our kids when they get to teenage years.
I just can't see it being the best for our kids when they get to teenage years.
2
Posted on 10/28/14 at 12:47 pm to 3nOut
First of all: I'm a public school teacher.
Pros:
I'll say this: with online education, khan academy, and the various avenues out there in the modern age, homeschooling is increasingly attractive.
The AAA (Arkansas Athletics Association) just passed a law allowing homeschooled kids to participate in public school athletics. So, you can homeschool your kid and still have them on the local high school sports teams.
I also think there are plenty of homeschool/unschool parenting associations out there that get together for field trips and educational activities. This goes a long way to help with socialization.
Problems:
If they're going to make the transition to public school eventually, it's very important that you, as a parent, have access to and understand the curriculum's scope and sequence. Otherwise, they could enter into public in like 5th grade and not be on grade level (most likely, they'll probably be above grade level, though... but it's possible that the public schools might hold them responsible for some learning that you didn't realize they "needed" to know).
A lot of public school, unfortunately, is about having the right habits and attitudes, moreso than actual intelligence. A lot of homeschooled kids struggle with the transition to public schools due to the amount of busy work, focus on deadlines, and penalization for not completing busy work or meeting deadlines.
As much as I hate standardized testing in general, it does do a good job of ensuring that your kid is "on grade level," especially as they build up their foundation. My youngest son is smart as hell (my oldest has some developemental issues). I've always thought he was a great reader and totally on grade level. Then I found out, through the public school's assessment program, that he actually was behind on his fluency. Without the standardized assessment tools, I wouldn't have realized that and addressed it.
If you have Special Ed kids (I have one), then the right public school can be a miracle worker (the wrong one can also be a destroyer). Our schools have done amazing work with my son and continue to do so. They have the support staff and programs in place that I just couldn't possibly replicate at home. Nor would I have the patience to do so.
Good luck!
Pros:
I'll say this: with online education, khan academy, and the various avenues out there in the modern age, homeschooling is increasingly attractive.
The AAA (Arkansas Athletics Association) just passed a law allowing homeschooled kids to participate in public school athletics. So, you can homeschool your kid and still have them on the local high school sports teams.
I also think there are plenty of homeschool/unschool parenting associations out there that get together for field trips and educational activities. This goes a long way to help with socialization.
Problems:
If they're going to make the transition to public school eventually, it's very important that you, as a parent, have access to and understand the curriculum's scope and sequence. Otherwise, they could enter into public in like 5th grade and not be on grade level (most likely, they'll probably be above grade level, though... but it's possible that the public schools might hold them responsible for some learning that you didn't realize they "needed" to know).
A lot of public school, unfortunately, is about having the right habits and attitudes, moreso than actual intelligence. A lot of homeschooled kids struggle with the transition to public schools due to the amount of busy work, focus on deadlines, and penalization for not completing busy work or meeting deadlines.
As much as I hate standardized testing in general, it does do a good job of ensuring that your kid is "on grade level," especially as they build up their foundation. My youngest son is smart as hell (my oldest has some developemental issues). I've always thought he was a great reader and totally on grade level. Then I found out, through the public school's assessment program, that he actually was behind on his fluency. Without the standardized assessment tools, I wouldn't have realized that and addressed it.
If you have Special Ed kids (I have one), then the right public school can be a miracle worker (the wrong one can also be a destroyer). Our schools have done amazing work with my son and continue to do so. They have the support staff and programs in place that I just couldn't possibly replicate at home. Nor would I have the patience to do so.
Good luck!
Posted on 10/28/14 at 2:41 pm to 3nOut
The thing about homeschooling is it leaves kids with a lot of blindspots.
I dated a "normal" girl who was homeschooled for 2 years but she knew surprisingly little about real world things like parties, drugs, porn, crime, etc.
I know all of those things sound like something you'd want to protect your kid from but at the same time she had no clue how to take care of herself in college if I hadn't done it for her.
I dated a "normal" girl who was homeschooled for 2 years but she knew surprisingly little about real world things like parties, drugs, porn, crime, etc.
I know all of those things sound like something you'd want to protect your kid from but at the same time she had no clue how to take care of herself in college if I hadn't done it for her.
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