Am i right for wanting to homeschool?

Question

we had a meeting with the principal at my son's school today about taking him out of school. he is having some behavior problems. nothing academically. he is 6 yrs old in 1st grade and having difficulties. so technically doesn't have to be in school until the age of 7. the principal says it's against the law to take him out once we have already started the school year. I thought homeschooling him will give him more of a chance for 1 on 1, which i believe he needs! the school is now wanting to put him in a program for emotionally challenged kids, where he will be sent to a different school until he can get through behavior problems and then be sent back to his normal school. he has had many evaluations and tests which all come back normal. I don't want him to be labeled. we wanted to hold him back last year and have him do kindergarten again but the principal talked us into letting him move on and that things would be ok in 1st grade, which they aren't. any suggestions or anyone with a similar story? principal gave us until friday to decide...

Answer 1

Can you deal with his behavioral issues?  If yes... consider a good homeschool program.

Rod and Staff (a Menonite program) offers excellent reading, spelling but don't use their math program.  It's not that great.

Get a good science program and a good math program and you should be fine.

Answer 2

take him, he's your kid

Answer 3

As a teacher and a parent, I fully support the right of any parent to educate his/her child in the best way possible.  Schools need students to get the money from the feds, but that doesn't mean that it is the best place for the child.  My children have been in private school all for all of their schooling b/c the public schools just don't work for children who are smart, talented and willing to excel.  You should check what the state says, not what the admin says.  Good luck

Answer 4

Yes, you are right about wanting to put your child in homeschool. Kids learn best on a one on one teaching. Public school is such a headache, its more of politics and mess more than anything. The uniforms are so unnecessary. Besides the principal can't say how your child should be educated. You are doing the right thing for wanting homeschool.

Answer 5

Not being able to withdraw him is bunk - either the principal isn't aware of homeschool law in your state, or he doesn't want to lose the funding that your son brings in.  (If he's issued an IEP, he brings in more funding in many districts.)  Homeschooling is perfectly legal in all 50 states for any reason.

Honestly, it sounds like they're practically willing to run science experiments on him as long as it will keep his funding in their hands.  If it were me, I'd pull him quick.  He likely doesn't have "behavioral problems", he's probably just a 6yo boy who's bored silly with what they're giving him.  He's likely not wired to sit still for 6 hours a day right now - he's wired to explore, learn, discover, and conquer.  His tests came back normal because he *is* normal.

That principal doesn't sound like he has your son's best interest in mind, especially if he's willing to bully you.  Get your son out of their quick and give him the education he deserves.  If you can let us know which state you're in, we'd be happy to provide you with details on how to do so legally.

Answer 6

Hi,

YES!!! You are right for wanting to homeschool your son!

What state do you live in? Find out what your home school laws are (contact someone from a local home school group~the library may be able to help you with this one) as schools routinely give out erroneous information about the law. Do not rely on the principal to give you the right answers! Look into this yourself and see what you can find. Home schooling is legal in all 50 states.

At such a tender age, your son may not be ready for school or the demands placed on him, which could be why he is acting up. He may be too immature, or he may be too mature; you know your son best and whether or not he is mature enough or not.

He may also be having difficulties with other students and not feel comfortable being with them.

Why do we think it is okay to remove our young children from the protection and love of home and place them with strangers? What makes us think our children are ready to leave home for large blocks of time and have their entire day taken up doing things that do not matter yet? And why do we not realize that our children are often vulnerable and need to stay home as long as possible?

We only get one chance with our kids and then they grow up. It is best to err on the side of our kids than on the side of the schools or what society thinks we should do. Society and schools are not raising our kids; we are. And we know our kids best.

I am going to imagine that your son would do best at home with you and his family. You can give him such a richer experience than what he would get in school. DO NOT allow your son to be tested! This is just another way for the schools to gain money (they get federal funds for each child who is not academically ready) and to label your child. Once labeled, it is almost impossible to get your son mainstreamed. I have known many parents who have run into a brick wall with this one.

At age six, your son does not need to be with so many of his peers where you cannot regulate what is going on. He needs to be where you are so you can regulate his friend contacts, what he is exposed to, and how he is being treated. Six year olds still need to be in settings where there is love and warmth, and to be able to explore the world around them; not to be locked up all day with a bunch of their peers learning all their bad habits. At age six, he needs to be playing, going for walks, noticing the natural world around him, and experiencing his community.

So what if he misses out on learning to add 1+1=2. You can easily teach him whatever math he is ready for now. What if he isn't quite ready to read yet, does it matter? Isn't the important thing that he eventually learns to read? When he was a baby you did not have him on a schedule of when he was to crawl, sit up, talk, walk, or be potty-trained. Instead, you allowed him to let you know when he was ready. The same should be recognized for cognitive ability. He may or may not be ready for formal learning. You will know what he is ready for just by working and playing with him on a daily basis. You most likely already know.

I would bring him home, if at all possible! You are his best teacher and have his best interests at heart.

I am a veteran homeschooler of 16 years. I homeschooled 4 of my 8 kids (long story!), and we only have one who is still of school age (16), so that we only have two more years to go. I have had early readers and late readers. And they all "caught up" by the teen years. You cannot tell the late readers from the early readers! The late readers are not "stupid" or behind. And all my kids do well out in the public forum. My kids worked in children's theater, belonged to the Teen Programs at the library, belonged to 4-H, babysat for neighbors and friends, and all had jobs by age 15 1/2. They are social, well-adjusted, intelligent, and well-rounded individuals who each have their own personalities. They are also all leaders in their peer group (as opposed to being followers).

My two late readers would have been labeled "Learning Disabled" by the schools. They were not and are not "learning disabled". They may have learned to read later than most, but read they do. Their cognitive skills just took a bit longer to turn on, kind of like the baby who doesn't walk until age 15-16 months when most other babies walk by a year. Many people want to label babies and say they are "developmentally behind" when they do not follow a prescribed format. Why can 't we allow them to follow their own drum beat and walk when they are ready? I am not talking about those who truly have physical or congenitive problems, but those who are just "lazy" and walk at an older age. Does it matter if a baby walks at seven months (my husband did!) or at fifteen months (one of my daughters did!)? The important thing is that they learn to walk.

This same scenario is played out with our children's readiness for school, for leaving us, for formal learning, and for cognitive ability. If your son is just not ready for school and wants to play instead of lear

Answer 7

I don't blame you for wanting to homeschool him.  I'd definitely want a second or third opinion before my child was sent to a school for the emotionally challenged.  

Honestly... if it was me in that situation I would do a few things.  Boys have been shown to have more emotional problems than girls that they tend to grow out of if left alone, things that schools tend to label.  So I'd want to talk to more experts.  I'd also want to go to this school and look around and see what it's like.  Maybe it's not that bad.  If it doesn't meet your expectations, then talk to the school and others about homeschooling him and what sort of extra help you might need to make sure his emotional issues don't become worse.

Answer 8

Home schooling your child so he gets one on one attention may not be the best solution. I'd suggest allowing him to get assessed to see where his problems stem from. If he needs one on one attention then the school can provide him with someone. It's important at  that age for the child to interact with his peers especially if his behavior problems are social ones.