What's the deal with homeschooling?

Question

Can someone please explain to me why someone would choose to home school their children? How would a parent have a hope of teaching their children to a high standard unless they were teachers themselves?

I guess what I'm really asking is how do parents ensure that they maintain a level of quality in their teaching, if they are not necessarily professionally trained to do so.

Answer 1

It's a bit of a paradox.  Often times, the children lack the required social skills to thrive in public schools.  The parents compound the problem by pulling them out of public school and teaching them at home.

As for qualifications to teach... pretty much anybody who is somewhat familiar with the subject matter can teach it effectively.  The lesson plans and assignments are pre-prepared, and anybody can grade a paper if they have the answer key.

[edit]  The anecdotes that people give for why they homeschooled their children prove the point I'm making.  Knowing Latin or Chinese isn't going to help a kid socialize with other kids unless they are either a Roman citizen (not likely) or part of the roughly 1/6 of the world that actually does speak Chinese.  If little Johnny gets beat up at school, maybe its because he is a spaz.  The social order of the playground is a training ground that cannot be duplicated by mommy and daddy at home.

Any child can be an academic overacheiver if their mommy is grading their papers.  This is the same across the board - the slow kids who can't grasp the simplest of concepts, the normal kids who can't control their behavior, or the advanced children who, above all other groups, need to learn social skills.

Parents who homeschool their children have convinced themselves that what they are doing is right and that they have not compromised their child's education.  The truth is that they have robbed them of the reward of triumph over their difficulties.

Answer 2

It seems to me the way values are now that parents feel they can teach their children better than going to school. Not to mention the fact of over crowding in the schools, how much time can a teacher actually spend one on one with the students. I am a little mixed on homeschooling, My mom taught my younger brothers at home, and that seemed to work out fine, But i have a niece that is home schooled and I feel she would do a lot better off if she went to a public school.

Answer 3

I home-school because we live in a rural area and private school is both a long way away and expensive. I pick and choose from many available curriculum, and teach all four at the same time.  We do individual math and language arts, but science and history and art, etc we all do together, with different levels of expectation for quality of work based on age.  I have no desire to send my children to a public school because I feel that the government already has too much control over our lives.  I do not own a television for the same reason.  In our little tiny town, they ask you to sign in twice to drop off a lunch, forgotten homework, or homeschooling paperwork.   As if you are a criminal, it seems.  I feel that this sends a message to my children that they need to be protected from their parents by a govt. figure.  It is the beginning of brainwashing.  We are continually being told that all these rules are for our own safety, and we give up our privacy, and our freedoms too easily.  Ben Franklin had it right when he said that "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety  deserve neither liberty nor safety.".   If there is a FEMA declared emergency, they can take your kids to an undisclosed location for up to 3 weeks, of course, this is for their own safety.    The kids are taught to obey mindlessly, to move when a bell rings, to be good little sheeple.   Some people may feel that they can counter this at home, but for us, the respectful, kind, calm children became foul mouthed little monsters after first grade.  My son came home after "healthy" snack time at kindergarten (Little Debbie snacks)  buzzing and crabby.  I was guessing that next they would tell me he needed Ritalin or something to calm him down after his junk food induced mania.  This just didn't work for our family.    

The kids seemed to get along fine with the other kids, in fact, we still have most of the same friends, and play sports and chess club and other activities, but just not that all day servitude.  They also took the same grade level state standardized tests as their former classmates, and did very well.

I realize that I may sound a little crazy to some, but honestly, I am the very average American, a farmer, a small business owner, a mom, and yes, I went to public school part of that time.

I wish the anti homeschooler could meet some of the kids that are supposedly unable to deal with facing problems.  Most of these kids are being taught to think "outside of the box" and will be our future problem solvers and leaders.

Answer 4

Why would I choose to homeschool my kids? Why not? I had them, I love them, I love being with them; why should I think that I need to send them somewhere else?

You know that teachers in  most private schools, up until recently (an increasing number are requiring degrees for who knows what reason), were not professionally trained teachers? But they tend to have very high standards and quality education, don't they? Professional training has NOTHING to do with high standards and quality teaching. Professional training for education is about meeting government standards to teach in government schools. I have a teaching degree; it has not helped me in terms of actually teaching my kids. Oh, sure, I've got some great information on learning styles, except the bulk of what I learned about learning styles was AFTER my teaching degree and I took it upon myself to learn more about them. I've also learned some great things about child development and psychology, but I can't say that it applies to my teaching, for the most part, and most programs that homeschooling parents use already recognize a child's development. Half or more than half of my teaching degree courses, not counting my practicum, were not even about teaching. I took three years of German, and I took calculus and sociology and anthropology... My actual teaching courses were aimed at familiarizing ourselves with the curriculum, looking at ways to engage *groups of 20-30 kids*, assessing those 20-30 kids, planning out curriculum to make sure it was all accomplished in a single year... How I was shown to teach a group is not at all how I teach my kids. I don't have 30 kids.

I just finished reading "Wuthering Heights" which reminded me of how things used to be: children didn't go off to school in many cases as they were tutored at home by their parents or by a hired tutor. The hired tutor was usually not because the parents were incapable of teaching them, but because they didn't want to do it themselves. They still got a high level of education. Benjamin Franklin was a very highly educated man; he only went to school for 2 or 3 years and from the age of 10 on, he educated himself. Thomas Edison was in school less than half a year; his mother pulled him out, taught him the basics then left him to his own devices for the most part. He, too, was self-taught from the age of roughly 10, I believe.

All to say that you don't need to be a highly trained teacher for your children to meet high standards. There are amazing resources out there for the parent who is directing his/her child's studies, or for the student learning on his/her own.  

Answer 5

I can explain it by comparing it to having a baby and raising that baby to age 5.  Most people understand that concept.

Many mothers who have never had children before are able to go through the childbirth.  Most, in our culture, have a doctor in attendance but the work is done by the mother.  The doctor coaches and has someone in his staff clean the baby and hand the baby to a mother who is not certified nor experienced.  This mother manages to feed the baby, enjoy the baby and take the baby home within 24 hours.   This child is taken into a home that has not been approved nor accredited by any agency.  

The child learns to communicate, interact, and play within a few months.  In the next 5 years, the child is taught by a mom who has not been trained professionally.  No one every questions the wisdom in her being in charge of her child's education until the child reaches 'school age'.     Why, all of a sudden, at the magic age of 5, she needs to worry about someone else's standard for her child?

Parents have more interest in their own children than an employee of the state.   They know their children better and are more interested in their welfare.  

I maintain a level of quality because I know the level of quality.  I work in the public school system as a classified employee.  I see the results.   Homeschool works for us.  

Answer 6

We chose to homeschool our child after a classmate tried to murder her.  She was ten years old at the time.  This was her second school.  We removed her from her first school after two years with an abusive teacher.  All of this occurred in one of the top districts in the country, one in which people yearn to enroll their children.

As to professional training....a teaching credential does not train a person how to teach.  A teaching credential is training in crowd control.  There are many fine credentialed teachers, but their credential did not make them so.  There are also incredible teachers who don't hold a credential and never had one moment of training in "how to" become a teacher.  My child's science teacher is one such person.  He has a degree in robotics engineering and started science classes for homeschoolers after hearing his own daughter tell stories of the abysmal state of science education in her school.  (Homeschoolers take plenty of classes.)

Why do we homeschool?  There are not "high standards" in school.  We lag far behind other industrialized nations in our education standards.

Why do we homeschool?  We would rather be learning than taking yet another standardized test.

Why do we homeschool?  So our child can study marine biology at the age of twelve.

What I would ask parents of kids in brick and mortar schools is this:  How do you ensure your child is getting a quality of education when you turn them over to strangers every day, and depend on the state to decide what they need to know?

All the best.

Answer 7

Parents choose to home school their children because it offers them the best education.  The standards in the public school system may have been high at one time, but just look at it today and you will see how they have lowered their standards.  Home school children far outscore their public school peers in standard testing.  Does a parent have to be a teacher to teach their child how to walk, talk, potty train, or to know the difference from right and wrong?  Yes, teachers are "trained" but are you aware that most of their training is about how to control crowds and not how to teach?  Home school students are on average far superior in the area of socialization also, as home school offers real socialization, not forced socialization.  Children who are home schooled often are more confidant and have better self esteem.  They are able to learn at their own pace rather than having to lag behind because they have to wait for the class or being left behind because they don't understand something.  Public schools have no level of quality to their education; many just pass the kids along, where home schooled kids actually learn how to think and problem solve.

Answer 8

ok, heree my question to you, why would yo usend your child/children to public or private school? Knowingthatthe teachers they hav there dont have a clue how to work with our kids, or how to handle them?

We know our kids better then anyone else does.

I homeschool for the simple fact that the schools here dont believei n helping those with sever learnign disablities, plus my son is on a feedign pump every 3 hours. And the simple fact, that do yo uever yehar on the news that a homeschool has been held up by a gun. Have you every heard of ANY homeschooling shootings?? No you havnt!!

If you dont like homeschooling, my suggetion is you need to get out of this area & back off of those of us who do believe in it! Leave us alone, & we'll leave you alone!

let me guess your either a teacher or a chidl of ateacher, & feel like you have to put us homeschoolers down!  

Face the fact, theres nothing you can do to stop homeschooling anybody!  So back off & step down. Maybe you yourself needs to be schooled in the proper way to scocialize with peopel, & the best way to keep your mouth shut on topics your obviously not educated in!!!

Answer 9

My children are educated to a standard above and beyond the public school's scope.  The professional training that teacher's receive is more in line with crowd control than it is with actual education.  They do not have any special knowledge that homeschoolers can not access.  Personally, I have chosen to take part in many educational classes and clinics that I have felt would benefit me and my children.  It is wanting them to be taught to a high standard that led to us homeschooling.  

Some homeschooler's use the same curriculum as the public school, complete with a teacher's edition.  The teacher's edition gives the directions for the lessons, the answer's to the questions, etc.  The curriculum I use has those teacher's editions available for those that want to use them-it even tells you word for word what to say.  The curriculum we use is an "advanced" scope used by a lot of private schools.  I go without the teacher's edition, though.

Also, you are under the assumption that homeschooling means the parent is doing ALL of the teaching.  That is not necessarily so.  Homeschooling parents are more like facilitators-they find the right resorces for their child.  That might include tutors, coop classes, community classes, etc.  I know many high school age homeschoolers that take their advanced classes at the local community college, as dual enrollment students.  They receive credit for high school and college simultaneously.

Did you know that many current and professional teachers homeschool their children?  Did you know that a lot of private schools do not hire certified teachers, but still get results better than the public schools?  That degree means little as to whether a teacher is going to be a good teacher or not.

Brick and mortar schools are unable, no matter how much training they have, to give every child the individual attention s/he needs and deserves.  They are unable to use a curriculum that will match each child's individual learning style.  They are unable to work at a child's pace, whether it be ahead, behind, or a mix of the two.

My children are elementary aged, and they are learning Latin and Mandarin (Chinese).  Not only are these languages usually not offered in a public school setting, but what foreign languages ARE offered are not available until high school.  This is even though study after study shows that second languages are better learned early.  It is a waste of time and money to teach them because they are not mastered, nor are they maintaned.   Guess what?  I did not speak Latin or Mandarin so I chose to learn aright along with my children, perhaps a little ahead of them.  I found resources at two universities that offer these, as well as DVD lessons, etc.

Answer 10

I choose to homeschool because the laws in my state won't allow my son to be accelerated.  I choose to homeschool because the highly educated, certified teachers in our district would sooner medicate a highly gifted child than challenge him.  I choose to homeschool because he begged me to - and because he thrives in it.

My parents are National Board Certified public school teachers; I grew up working in their classrooms and I've looked through a lot of their coursework.  Do you know what's on it?  Crowd control, working with administrations, and bringing a group of 30+ kids to a point that they can all pass the same test.  Quite frankly, none of that applies to a homeschool.

Have you taken a look at what teachers prep from?  Teacher's manuals are scheduled out and scripted.  Yes, you have to prepare, and yes, you have to know what you're talking about, but it's not rocket science.

I've been working in classrooms for most of my life and I've taken pedagogy and Ed Psych courses.  I did actually pass his classes myself, and I can actually read.  Teaching 1 child (or 2, or 3) is nothing like teaching 25-35 for 6 class periods per day.  It's a whole 'nother world, one that a teaching degree does NOT prepare you for.

Actually, many of my homeschooling friends are certified teachers, and every one of them has said that their education did absolutely nothing to prepare them for teaching their own kids.

I maintain a high level of quality in my teaching by working directly with my son every day, something that a classroom teacher just plain isn't able to do.  I look through state standards and I review my lesson plans and manuals before teaching to make sure that he is receiving the information that he's supposed to...and because homeschooling doesn't take but a fraction of the time that classroom schooling does, we're able to go far beyond the education that he would receive in a classroom.

Answer 11

there are studies that show that home school children and teens

actually are more well rounded and have higher GPAs than public school students.

Answer 12

Parents are the ones who have a vested interest in kids their child's succeeding. If you read some of my answers in my profile you will get an idea of my own personal experience, I don't have time to retype it as we are heading out to our first class of Co op! My kids I can tell you test well above their public school counterparts because we insure they are actually learning the material, not just being prepped for tests. My oldest, 16, actually starts classes at our local college next week. Not to shabby from a Mom with a simple High School diploma. I would be happy to add more later if you have questions.

added:

Mup, please, the old "socialization" excuse is lame. My kids have tons of friends, both public and home schooled. I have seen a lot of anti social kids at our local high school and at our church youth group. I have seen a lot of activity I do not want my kids to think is "the real world." High school is hardly the real world. Do some research.

Answer 13

Well, here's the thing: beyond the elementary grades, it's very, very rare to have a parent teach their child or children.

Also, I don't think many people realize what a teaching degree actually is. Most teachers aren't experts in their subjects. My cousin is a teacher, and she said most of what she learned was how to manage a classroom full of rowdy kids- and how often do homeschooling parents need to make 30 kids sit down and shut up? My third grade teacher -I've been homeschooled since fourth grade- pronounced debris, 'debriss'. My sister's third grade teacher misspelled her vocabulary words. Being a teacher doesn't make you a flawless expert in everything.

To be honest, I think that my homeschooling was a bit botched. We had so many obstacles to overcome that we really only figured out what we're doing now, when my twin sister and I are in eleventh grade. With the exception of math and piano, I have not completed a course in anything since the fifth grade. We never finished the books, for one reason or another. Yet, the lowest percentile I've ever been in on a standardized test was the 94th. That was when I took the PSAT. I got perfect language scores and scored in the 54th percentile for math, even though the math I was doing wasn't being tested on the PSAT.

Homeschooling is simply a more efficient way to spend your time. A while ago I read that in school, you only spend a few hours a day actually doing academic things. Most of the school day is eaten up with administrative tasks; classroom discipline, collecting homework, moving from class to class...homeschooling lets you just get your work done. If you took two people with identical IQs, put one in school, and homeschooled the other, the homeschooler would be more advanced. Not because of any innate superiority, but because the homeschooled kid could get more done in less time.

As far as I know, by the time a homeschooled kid reaches high school, his parents aren't his teachers anymore. It's either independent study, with the parents as answer checkers, dual enrollment in college, or online classes. I'm doing a mix of both. Here's my subject breakdown:

Math: Saxon Algebra 2, teaching myself. I'm accelerating through it so I can do Advanced Math this year.

History: Online AP US history through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers

English: Online AP English Literature and Composition through PA Homeschoolers

Science: Chemistry and Biology with lectures from The Teaching Company

Language: Teaching myself Latin with Wheelock's. I found the answer key online.

My parents aren't teaching me a thing, academically speaking. They haven't given me a lesson since fifth grade.

When you leave us alone, we want to learn stuff. What we object to, especially us teenagers, is being taught. Especially being taught someone else's way, at someone else's time, on someone else's schedule. Look at how much energy we put in to learning to skateboard, or memorizing maps in Halo 3, or learning how to play our favorite songs...the difference between a lesson and a hobby is that your hobby is pursued your own way, on your own time. I'd hate playing Oblivion if someone was standing over my shoulder telling me I had to turn in three quests and learn a new Alteration spell before I could go fight in the Arena.

I'm not a particularly smart person. I'm not a sickeningly saccharine kid who eagerly sits at the kitchen table, smiling at my family, wondering what will happen today on my fun-filled learning adventure. What I am is a normal teenager who's been left alone to follow my interests. It's worked pretty well.

Right, I forgot about the socialization thing.

I have a boyfriend. I've been with him for almost two years. My mom didn't set us up.

I have friends, and only one is imaginary. His name is Hoppy. He's my personal Easter Bunny.

As a teenager, I enjoy going outside and hanging out with other people. Surprisingly enough, hanging out is a common teenaged interest. Somehow, I manage to get the socialization I want and need.

Most people assume I'm going to an advanced high school. Once they find out I'm homeschooled, they decide I'm weird.

Answer 14

Why would I choose to home school? The reason is simple. My oldest couldn't subtract after a year and a half of second grade. Should I have allowed them to hold her back again? No way! I pulled her to teach her in a way she can understand. Should I have left her in a school that will just push her on because she can't be taught? Should I have left her in a school that would do nothing about her getting beat up 3 times? The kid that did it didn't even get in trouble! Why would any sane parent leave their child in that situation?  Can I teach her at the same level of a high school teacher? You bet I can! No I'm not a teacher. Heck I'm not even a college grad. With the program we use I can teach her through graduation without a problem!

Should I have left my son in a school that wanted him sedated? They told us a month after he started Pre K that he needed to be on ADHD meds. He is developmentally delayed not ADHD! yet he needed the meds according to his teacher! My son had just turned 4 at the time. ADHD isn't tested until 5 years old. When we did have him tested there was no ADHD detected!



Are you one of those that believes that teachers are specialized in the course they are teaching? Guess what they are NOT specialized! Most of the science teacher I had in high school were there to coach a sport not teach science. There were only 2 out of a dozen teachers that were actually scientists and their classes were reserved for honors classes.

Answer 15

Why? Because school is a mind numbing, soul destroying waste of 11 years my child won't get back. Because I take my legal and moral duty to provide her with a good education seriously. Because doing a much better job than school is laughably easy.

Teachers are trained for crowd control and to attempt to motivate 30 children they hardly know and who have different interests and abilities to study things which some government officials have decided are important.

Parents who home educate don't have to teach. Teaching is a red herring. What is important is that children learn and they don't need teachers to do that, in fact teachers often stand in the way.

You're asking the wrong questions because you've been conditioned to believe the great lie of compulsory schooling.

Answer 16

my kids are homesschooled by my mom and aunt. which were former teachers......and they have 8 kids this year which is pretty good for out of their home. my kids were tormented in shcool, they are only 6 and 8 . my daughter has adhd and was mistreated. my son would come home everyday saying people were mean to him. and my mom and aunt have great teaching skills and use only legal, approved, books for teach them out of. and the most important part to me.........they get to learna bout god in their school. i don't see public praying anymore. and having that means the world to me.