Anyone who has home schooled thier child?

Question

is home schooling a good idea? is it very expensive....do you suggest home schoooling for 9th grade and up. Anything you know please share. Thank you.

Answer 1

I think that you would be making a wise decision to homeschool your child. There are so many opportunities during High School that kids miss out on because they are stuck in a classroom all day. Homeschooling can be free if you want it to. All you need is your local library and a connection to the internet. Or you can use some curriculum. What Ive found is that a lot of people use an eclectic style where they use curriculum, the library, the internet, and they find stuff from book stores or wherever they can find things that work with the topics they are studying. You have to be committed and flexible because what works today may not work tomorrow. Another thing to remember is that real homeschooling is not "School at home" unless you are using a program from the school system or even some of the online schools. There is a lot of information on the internet about homeschooling. I suggest that you do a search for "Homeschool" and the area that you are in. Take a look at the links to get an idea of what you should look for.

Hope that helps!

Edited to add - California has not banned homeschool. Look at HSLDA's website to find out more.

Answer 2

I think it is a wonderful idea!  

Children learn better when they receive a customized education, tailored to fit their individual learning styles.  Homeschooling is, throughout history, how education takes place.  School is a new, artificial environment.

Homeschooling is successful for younger students as well as high school.  There are no materials available to teachers that are not available to homeschool parents, and we spend a lot of time researching various materials and methods, etc. (since we are not forced to use a cookie cutter as the public schools require).

Contrary to the first response, homeschoolers do not miss out socially either.  We are out living in the real world, rather than just reading about it.  It is a common stereotype, that while annoying-I guess if that is the only negative the anti-homeschoolers come up with, then we are doing pretty good because that is easily countered.  My homeschooled children are in 4H, Scouts, baseball.  They play with children in our family, circle of friends, and community.  They attend co-op classes, visit the park, etc.  They also know how to socialize with the librarian, the butcher, the mailman, the clerk at the store, etc.  Socialization is NOT an issue-except making sure you leave the schedule open enough for lessons.

Answer 3

home schooling is a joke. the piont of education,more then any thing else is to be able to socialise with your peers while learning something besides  a+ or d-. it's cheap.

Answer 4

Please don't listen to the misinformation in some of the other answers.

First off, homeschooling does not cause any problems with a child's social life - homeschool kids, especially teens, have enormous opportunities to learn in the real world, rather than being trapped in a classroom all day.

Secondly - homeschooling IS legal in California.  It is legal in all fifty states.  There are various regulations in different states and you want to make sure you are complying with the laws of your particular state.  This is easy to do do - just learn the laws as they pertain to you.

The first thing you need to do is find out the laws of your state:

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/dire...

Next, you have some learning to do regarding homeschooling itself:  http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/  Read as many, if not all, the articles on this page, paying particular attention to the concept of "schooling."

There are many, many ways to home school - through your district, by devising your own curriculum, buying a curriculum, or unschooling, also known as "interest lead learning."  The best method is the one that works for your child.  You can homeschool for free by going through your district or by using the Internet and library.  

Finally, you and your teen have a wonderful resource - a real must-read for teens - learn about the book at this site:http://lowryhousepublishers.com/TeenageL...

Be well.  Have fun.

Answer 5

I was homeschooled my senior year of high school because my parents had a big issue with the public school in our town (it was a "C" school that had a HUGE problem with teenage pregnancies and methamphetamine usage) and the Christian schools sucked. Going to either the unaccredited Christian school (with like 3 people in each grade-- no kidding) or the public school would have been an issue with the college I wanted to get into. Plus, I only had 3 classes, so I finished every day at noon.

I see perks and downfalls to homeschooling.

*Perks*

>Your kids won't be"held back" because of another kid in class because of the "No Child Left Behind" BS.

>You don't have to drive them to school, or worry about them when they're there.

>There are often community homeschooling groups so that your kids will be good at social development and still have a chance to have friends

>If you disagree with things (like evolution, loose s*x ed, etc) that public school tries to force down kids' throats, you wouldn't have to teach it in homeschool.

>A LOT of different curriculums now days have pre-video taped lessons that were made in a real classroom  in a real school (usually only a year or two old). So you don't even have to "teach", just grade homework and mail out their tests to be graded.

*Downfalls*

>It can be expensive, depending on which curriculum you use.

>Some curriculums and some states (A Beka curriculum and the state of TN for example) require that the parent doing the homeschooling has a bachelor's degree.

>Kids have a stronger chance of being social outcasts or antisocial.

>You won't have professional teachers teaching your kids, so if they have a question you don't understand, they either completely miss the idea, or they have to call a 1-800 number and try explaining their problem over the phone to a complete stranger.

>Some states (California) have made homeschool illegal. Others, like Florida do not give a high school diploma to homeschool graduates, but rather, a GED.

>It can be harder to get scholarships to college.

>You can't protect your kids from everything by pulling them out of public schools. If they want to rebel, they'll find a way (as I did). Drinking, drugs, you name it. They'll probably try even harder to fit in since they don't go to a "normal" school and already feel they have to prove themselves for that.

You have to weigh the perks and disadvantages yourself and choose the lesser of two evils, or so to speak. Talk to some different companies. Get in touch with some homeschooling families in your neighborhoods. Contrary to popular opinions, it does not "make" a child "depressed, lonely, antisocial". There are plenty of other ways to have friends (neighborhood kids, church, 4-H, sports, etc.). Kids shouldn't be socializing in class anyway.

I personally would like my kids to go to public school for elementary school and see how they handle it. If the schools where we live suck and I think I can do a better job of teaching them than the schools can, I'll homeschool.

Answer 6

I think it is one of the worst things you can do to a child. They make basically no friends and can become very depressed and lonely. They need to experence school and life and not sit at home all day. Please dont do that to ur child.

Live. Laugh. Love. -Cutie

Answer 7

It is different for every family that does it, and often even for every individual child. As stated above, some people do online school which means you have teachers you corespond with over the internet. The online school sends you your materials and you complete the work and get a grade, just like regular school, only done on the computer from home or the library or the road if you travel a lot.

Some people homeschool through a private school or school of corespondance that sends them their books and materials for assignments, labs, projects, etc through the mail. With this type of home schooling, you usually send a report to the base school at set intervals.

Some people attend charter schools that let them go in to school once or twice a week, collect work, turn in work, and get help if they need it, though this isn't really what most consider to be homeschooling. Neither is online school to some people.

Some people take full responsibility for their own/their child's education by doing more traditional homeschooling. The parents and children choose their own curriculumk, text books, work books, lab equipment, videos, software, and any other materials they wish to use. They also choose their own subjects based on the child's individual interests and goals, for example, if the child wishes to go on to university, they will study the important core subjects that universities look for on transcripts as well as a variety of electives based on individual interests, needs, and goals. I personally am interested in robotics, animation, creative writing, and music, so this year I've been studying Programming and Robotics with various books and robotics/electronics kits for labs, 3D Animation with computer software, and creative writing with a textbook and books frokm the library. I also takek music lessons in the community and I am a member of a band. In this form of homeschooling, the state may require that you take a yearly standardized test to show that you are performing at or above grade level. In the states that are a bit more strict about homeschooling, your parents may need to send in a quarterly report, just like a report card in a way. Your parents may also give you tests at home if you all agree that this is what will be best for you, but it isn't required.You may also get grades like you do in school, or you may be on a Pass/Fail system, or you may have a totally unique grading system, or no grades at all. I take tests, but not for grades. When I take a test in a subject it is only to determine how far along I've come in that subject. The "grade" is never final because I homeschool to learn, not to just get by with a passing grade. If, for example, I took a test on a chapter I did in Algebra and I didn't do well on a few questions, instead of just going on to the next chapter, I go back and review the stuff I didn't get right on the test and then take the test again before moving on. For me, all tests are for is to tell me when I can move on to something more challenging. For me, and many others, tests aren't always in the same format as they are in public school. Sometimes in certain subjects, I'm tested by being given an extensive project or presentation to do to show my understanding of the topic cover, or asked to write a paper on it, or give a mock lesson on it as if I were the teacher. You know you truly understand something when you can accurately and confidently teach it to someone else. Often my mother, adult friends, or friends closer to my age who are in college or who have already mastered te subject will act as audience durring presentations or re-teaching activities, checking me if I don't seem to understand something. I only do this for certain subjects and topics though.

Homeschoolers sometimes do a lot of the things you may do in public school, but sometimes they do more as well. Many homeschoolers do a lot of hands-on activities like labs in science. This year, I am taking Chemistry, and I have all the same lab equipment you would use in a public high school chemistry class, just on a smaller scale, and with lab instructions specific to homeschooling (not requiring large groups of students, or very-hard-to-obtain chemicals). It was the same in Biology and in Physical Science. I have homeschooled friends who take thier science classes in a co-op group (kind of a homeschool class where parents and community volunteers act as teachers for each subject), and still other homeschool friends who take all of their highschool science classes (and some other classes) at the local community college as duel-enrollment students (just like regular highschool duel enrollment).

Homeschoolers don't miss out on the social aspects of school either. They certainly do not spend all of their time inside the house. Homeschoolers spend a lot of their time is spent out in the community, learning and experiencing life in the real world instead of in a house or in a classroom alone. Many homeschoolers take classes offered in the community such as art classes at an art studio or museum, musical instrument or voice lessons as well as band or chorus classes for homeschoolers at local music stores or schools, fencing lessons, swimming lessons, horseback riding lessons, classes and programs offered through local childrens museums, science museums, or history museums, classes or programs offered through the library, community/youth center, YMCA, or other Parks and Rec programs, dance class, and so on. Naturally, these are great opportnities for homeschoolers to interact with others of all ages, homeschoolers and public schoolers alike. There are also clubs outside of the regular public schools such as riding clubs, clubs offered through libraries and community centers, drama clubs at local theaters, boy scouts, girl scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, youth group for those who are into the church scene, OM, academic teams, community sports, individual sports like martial arts, tennis, fencing, swimming, etc, and much much more. Many cities or counties also have homeschool organizations or co-ops where, as stated above, homeschoolers can take classes with other homeschoolers as well as go on frequent feild trips (though any homeschool parent or group of parents can arrange a feild trip when they want to), join clubs sponsored by the group (as many as can be thought of and started by the members), work on a yearbook or newspaper staff, attend dances or holiday parties (most groups have something along the lines of a Not-Back-To-School party each fall where the homeschoolers may go to a theme park or some other sort of outing) volunteer service projects, prom and graduation ceremonies for older students, outings on weekends, park days where younger kids meet up to spend an afternoon playing and pic-nicking in the park (uwsually weekly or monthly) and so on. Some even participate in private school sports competitions as well as regional and state science fairs and spelling/geography bee. There is no lack of social interaction.

The last form of homeschooling I can think of is unschooling. In this kind of home education, there is no structured school day, no tests (unless the child wants them), no grades. All of the learning and "school work" is directed by the child. This is usually best when started at an early age so that the child's natural desire to learn remains in tact and the child doesn't just become lazy or unmotivated. I am what I like to call a homeschool/unschooler because my schooling is all self-directed, but I still choose to do the book work and testing along with the creative hands-on stuff because I feel it is in my own, individual best interest.

I hope this answers your questions

Answer 8

I think homeschooling is a wonderful idea!  I, myself, was homeschooled my Sophomore year.  I liked it very much.  I was able to concentrate more on the subjects I struggled with and I didn't have all the distractions that are found in public classrooms. I don't believe that It's very expensive.  You basically buy your curriculum and It's like a text book.  You can use it over and over again.  Some subjects require lifepacks (they are paper-back booklets that you can write in) but you buy them for the whole year so, I don't think it gets expensive.  Unfortunetly, I am currently in public school, but my best friend has been homeschooled all her life and she is currently a Junior.  As long as you think you would be able to help your children or that your children will be able to read their lessons and try to comprehend it, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to homeschool for 9th grade and up.

Answer 9

I've been homeschooling for 16 years and have found it to be a wonderful lifestyle.  My children have thrived in the environment and have accomplished so many things that they wouldn't have had time to do had they spent so much time in a traditional classroom.

Homeschooling opens up opportunities and time for them.  There are more people to meet and places to go than you can interact with in the world.  

No, homeschooling isn't very expensive.  You can spend what you like.  If money is tight, you just have to be more creative and make use of resources in whatever ways you can.  

I highly recommend unschooling, because it provides a learning friendly environment for kids.  Creating a loving, respectful atmosphere is idea for learning and growing.  

Good luck :D