Does homeschooling have set standards? ?

Question

Just curious because I asked my homeschooled cousin to sign a birthday card for our grandma, and he (aged 13) printed his name instead of signing it. I asked why, and he said because he forgot how to write in cursive?!?! He is 13! Doesn't homeschooling have standards the kids have to follow? Is being 13 and not being able to sign your name acceptable?

Answer 1

No, there's not a set "you have to do this at such and such an age".  Quite frankly, I attended public school K-12 and didn't use cursive after 6th grade, as I wasn't required to.  I don't use it now, and I'm mid-thirties and have gone through college.  I didn't use it in college, in the office, or in my daily life.  It's really not a widely-used life skill anymore.

I don't require it of my son, since he'll never be required to use it.  He does know how to sign his name in cursive when he has to, but that's really all he'll ever need it for.  He prints faster than he writes cursive, so he uses printing for note-taking.  It's really not a big deal.

He knows how to type, how to print clearly, legibly, and quickly, and how to work the internet and his computer.  He knows how to research from books, magazines, reference materials, and the internet.  These are now vital life skills, just as cursive was 30 years ago.  

Yes, being 13 and not being able to sign your name is acceptable, just as being 16 and not able to count change or alphabetize is apparently acceptable in schools these days.  (My 10yo can do both quite easily.)  Kids learn things at all different ages, and require different skill sets for what their futures hold.  If you asked your cousin about what he's been studying, you'd probably be amazed at what he knows.

Answer 2

> Doesn't homeschooling have standards the kids have to follow?

No, generally not. Most jurisdictions require that you are recieving an 'appropriate education' but few define what that means. Few, if any, authorities require homeschooling to bear any direct comparison with a conventional school-based education.

> Is being 13 and not being able to sign your name acceptable?

Yes, it depends wholly on the individual. I've certainly known Educational Welfare Officers assess as appropriate (and therefore totally acceptable & legal) the home-education of various 15 year olds who can neither read nor write anything, in any style, but who have developed their skills in other areas.

Answer 3

In most states there is not set standard for homeschooling but they have to take placement tests to get into high school or college. There are several states including Maryland and Mississippi that require the students information to be reviewed regularly to prove that they are learning but these states are in the minority. I am a homeschooler and I have also forgotten cursive. I am 16. When I sign my name I use elements of cursive but for the most part I use printing. I personally believe that homeschooling is a viable option and that many people have benefitted from it. The two most important factors that determine what kind of education a homeschooler will get is what their teacher is like and their personal motivation. Your cousins parent may have just chosen to focus on more important skills.  

Answer 4

Aren't you just the little charmer.

Handwriting is not the big deal that it was back in the dark days before computers, thank goodness. Anyway there is no rule that says you have to sign in cursive.

As for homeschool 'standards' thankfully most places don't have any such thing.

Answer 5

ugh leave the poor kid alone he has to homeschool... isnt that enough... lol

Answer 6

I have a 16 year old who still prints.   He can write in cursive because I taught him  after we brought him home from public school in the 8th grade, but he prefers to print.  He types very well.

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Have you ever read "Pretties"?  It is a futuristic science fiction book and the people there do not even print.   They text message.   Writing with a pencil may  someday be a 'lost art' and totally unnecessary.

Public school has standards that  mean very little.   Students in public school  are  passed from grade to grade regardless of whether they meet the standards.  

Here is some more information on cursive writing:

http://www.wisegeek.com/should-people-st...

http://www.writerswrite.com/wblog.php?wb...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/li...

Answer 7

Standards vary by state and homeschool.

Our homeschool has a rule - if you can write legibly, you can print or write cursive.  

Being 13 and unable to write cursive is perfectly acceptable.  I am wondering, however - did you offer to show your cousin how to write his name in cursive?  Or did you just come up with a a way to be critical?

All the best.

Answer 8

Okay, in NO way is cursive handwriting a standard in public school. If it was then maybe highschoolers would have more legible writing, and signing your name doesn't necessarily mean writing in cursive. Every signature is different and it is unique to the individual. His handwriting might be neater and easier for both him and her the person teaching him to read when he writes in print and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. He could write in print and still be years ahead of you in Math, English, Science, and History.