What are your views on home schooling?

Question

What are your views on home schooling?

Answer 1

well if the child is involved in sports or other community activities then they shouldn't have any trouble and become anit- social they most likely just will have a better education depending on how they are schooled. i personally wouldn't want to be home schooled because school is actually when i do most of my socializing lol but i get very good grades too. i just find it hard to make friends so school makes it easier. homeschooled kids may have more trouble relating to their public schooled friends they won't have the same experiences i reallt think that it should be up to the child how they wish to be taught home schooling is not for everyone

Answer 2

No one should be home schooled the child wont have a proper childhood and wont experience what life is really like.

Answer 3

Not positive!  But these homeschoolers are way insecure. See all the thumbs down people who disagree with homeschooling get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

It is So much Better then Anything! I love it and I  think more people should do it!

Answer 5

I think it is generally better because of the individual attention given to the student. Students can learn at their own pace which is most often more efficient. But of course homeschooling isn't for everyone some students, if left to work at their own pace won't get anything done, they just lack the self discipline and motivation. But homeschooling can be good for even those kind of people if handled the right way

Answer 6

I have always kept an open mind about it. I have a htree year old and another on the way and I am very concerned about the fact that school based education is something which may force the child to conform to society.

If I feel that my child is changing for the worse after a year or two of school, I will pull her out and teach her myself. Its on the rise in the UK anyway because of the state of our council schools....

Answer 7

Well, the odds against get shot by a fellow student are almost nil.  So much for the socialization aspect, school seems to breed anti-social gun slingers.

When homeschool works it works well.  Learned touch typing at home from my mother and it got me an A in Middle School typing, which is when schools teach it in 8th grade.

So you are also getting an advanced education.

College studies show the average homeschooler to be out performing the average public schoolers by 2-3 grades starting at age 8.  They also outperform private school kids.

Most students become more stable, more social, more polite, probably because they aren't following lemmings off a cliff like you do in the school cliques.  

Less get on drugs or make babies under the age of 18.

These are verifyable statistical facts.

The failure rate of home school is far lower than public schools 25% vs 40-60%

The success rate is higher, generally 30-40% vs 10-20%

Some enter college at 16 or 17.

Answer 8

As a mother of three, 8, 6 and 17 months I home school.  I had my children in public school and the system was not working for my kids.  My children love being home schooled, of course there a changes but there are changes with public school as well.  My children are by no means quiet, shy or otherwise.  they are completely opposite.  They have plenty of friends both through our home schooling club and through the public school system.

Homeschooling is what the family makes of it.  You can either let your kids fall into a crack and not be sociable because the parent is not sociable or you can get them in involved in activities outside the home which is great because I don't have to wait till they get out of "regular school" to take them to dance, art, music. etc.  We can take school an the road if we want to take vacation and my kids can do their classes in two hours or five hours it is up to them.

The best part is that I know what is going into their brains and they aren't getting caught up in the "junk" that is going on in the public school system today.

Oh by the way my children are not being "left behind".  In fact my "third grader" is doing "fourth grade" work and reading at an "sixth grade level".

Hmmm... we must be doing something right!

Answer 9

i think it is a good and bad idea as it wont bore them and they'ill learn more but they won,t be socially conected

Answer 10

Homeschooling is great if the parent who will be the teacher actually puts educating their children at the top of priorities.  And the parent must be a patient person and have good communication skills while explaining things to the child(ren).  I love homeschooling my child.  We have a great relationship, and both of us are learning as we go.

Answer 11

I personally don't really like it that much! yea I get to sleep in and work whenever I want and do a lot of stuff that kids and school can't do but I would soooo much rather go back.

I have more things to do at school and I get to see my friends everyday!!!!!!! don't get homeschooled just because you don't like school cause you will miss it the minute you start homeschooling!!! homeschooling is good for certain reasons like if you get picked on at school and things like that or maybe you are really really smart and just like to work ahead.

so other than that homeschooling stinks!!

Answer 12

it's retarded and your kid will not know what to do around people when he/she goes to college--i know a kid that was homeschooled for like 5 years and he came to a regular school and he's g*y--im serious

Answer 13

well we have a new girl at my school and was homeschooled se is quiet, they have less social knowledge i guess ppl who go to like public school have all those people to talk to who are thier own age so yea. i dont think id like to be homeschooled!

Answer 14

I think homeschooling is great! I have 3 kids 9,5,and 16 months. My 9 yo is in third grade doing 4 th grade English and Second grade math. Why because when she was in public school she failed math. They taught the concepts to the smarter kids and left the slower ones behind. When I pulled her out the middle of last school year (Her second round of 2nd grade) she could still barely add let alone subtract. Now she is quickly catching up to her level and the best part is she gets it now. We've had to change her math ciricullium a few times but we found one that works for her. She is a visiual person so she needs to see a problem before she can do it.

So my view is that (at least in our area) public schools are so busy teaching the standardized tests so they can get the funding they want that  thye leave the kids who need the most work behind and teach those who can learn it easily. I think we should do away with standard tests in schools and really take the time to teach all of the kids. That means if some kids are slower to get it then maybe they need a little extra help to understand (notice I did not say extra homework). I think that kids thrive in a homeschool enviroment because as parents with only our kids to teach we can work at thier levels in each area not what a test says they should know.

Answer 15

I think it is great-homeschool kids I know have amazing, mature personalities, are outgoing and eager to help. They are also smarter and able to carry on conversations at higher levels than their publicly educated contemporaries (which might lend some to the myth that they are anti social-from what I have seen, the reality is NOT that they are anti-social, rather they are not used to 'socializing' in a box of kids who are not as mature as they are because they have not had that vast range of REAL socialization opportunities that a homeschooled child has had). They have a good deal of character too, and I can't help but think that must come from having to, every single day, dispel the myths that surround the home educated child.

Answer 16

I think it can be used to enhance any education your child might  be getting.

Answer 17

That question is really like asking, "What are your views on parenting?"

Homeschooling is full-time parenting. How well it works depends entirely on how the parents go about it. Most parents I know do great jobs. A few find it too challenging, realize it's not working out for the best interests of their kids and put them back in school. There are a couple I know who are questionable parents, but there's no denying that their children ARE doing better at home than they were doing at school.

As for the comments already made:

"No one should be home schooled the child wont have a proper childhood and wont experience what life is really like."

Life is really about sitting in a desk with 20-30 other kids the same age, all doing the same thing? Asking permission to use the bathroom or get a drink of water?

It's a shame all those people in the past didn't have "proper" childhoods. Amazing how people had a greater sense of right and wrong and we had fewer social problems back then.

"Anti-Social, having troubles looking at adults and other children my own age in the eye and shaking their hands firmly."

Whether kids turn out anti-social or not doesn't have to have anything to do with where they are schooled--one of the most anti-social, introverted homeschooled kids I know is a former public school student.

I went to public school and I was rather anti-social. I'm far more social now as an adult, being able to choose my interactions rather than being forced into a large group of the same people every day. My kids have no trouble looking at adults (except maybe the doctor and dentist) and especially not other kids their age. They really don't find it a big deal. I do know that homeschooled teens can sometimes be at odds with public schooled teens, but that's because of different mind-sets, not because homeschooled teens are anti-social.

"are outgoing and eager to help. "

I've noticed this. Not that there aren't shy homeschooled kids, but there's just a difference there. My own kids are the out-going, bubbly, eager-to-learn-and-participate ones in their swimming and skating lessons (community lessons, not homeschooling). They DO stick out, but not in a bad way. The instructors love them.

"rather they are not used to 'socializing' in a box of kids who are not as mature as they are because they have not had that vast range of REAL socialization opportunities that a homeschooled child has had"

Well said--I couldn't agree more.

Answer 18

If either parent is employee at an acclaimed creditted educational institution of higher learning.Feel as though they may as well be ALBERT EINSTEIN himself reincarnatted.I feel it useless unless either party IQ level is so high it is off the charts.They want you to be protected but they are going about it the wrong way.Spend more time with your family on trust issues and family talks.Learn to trust one another,if they do not they may as well put a beef steak around your neck.Then throw you to the wolves-I have seen and heard of

many parents try dissolve a problem by essculating it.They are using the wrong approach.

Answer 19

Its awesome...I love Keystone National High School. Do what I want when I want!!!!

Answer 20

Oh I have many. To keep it simple though. It is not for everyone, just as cookie cutter public school does not fit everyone.

Answer 21

Homeschooling is great I think. I went to elementary school, and was homeschooled my middle school through high school years. Looking back, it was a great thing for myself. I matured a lot faster. I still had friends, and joined a music class for homeschooled kids and met some people there. I got a great education at home. Being in elementary school was good for social interaction, but once middle school and high school comes around, there is so much pier pressure. I honestly think that if I would have gone to a public school I more than likely would have gotten into the wrong crowd.

It's very annoying though for people to think that children won't succeed being homeschooled. I'm sure there are some sheltered kids out there, and maybe I was even a little sheltered at a point in my life, but I'm glad I did it.

Answer 22

love it best thing you can do for your child

Answer 23

I think that everyone should go to public school.  I do not think that anyone should ever have an original idea and be able to express it.  I think that all children should be just alike and be expected to learn the same thing in the same way. I think that they should be dressed the same way and continue to dress the same way throughout life. I think all children should grow up to be able to follow instructions, no matter who gives the instructions.

I think that the experience of being with others your own age is the most important thing in life.  I even think that after graduation from high school, that everyone should be institutionalized for the rest of their life, grouped by age and given something meaningful to do, like folding socks, running a machine, or putting things in boxes.

No, people, I am not that stupid to really believe all that I wrote above, but it is what I read in many answers from people who believe that public school is the answer for everybody.

Think about it people.  Don't believe something because it is your only experience and because someone told you that it is the truth.

Answer 24

Contrary to popular opinion, homeschoolers are NOT socially challanged. I know several families who homeschool get multiple compliments on their childrens behavior on a regular basis.They are also often smarter than public schooled children because they get individual attention. Many  homeschool grads have recieved high ACT scores. (I know a girl who got a 32 right out of 9th grade!)

Answer 25

As of tomorrow we will be homeschooling our 3 kids. They've been in public and it is just horrible. This No Child Left Behind isn't working and we live in a small town and gossip is really bad-even the teachers gossip about the kids.

I've known quite a few adults that were homeschooled and they are doing great. One of my friends is in medical school and well rounded.

I'm looking forward to it and so are my kids.

Answer 26

Anti-Social, having troubles looking at adults and other children my own age in the eye and shaking their hands firmly.

Answer 27

Well, since I homeschool my son, I'd have to say my views are very positive.  

I will state that homeschooling is not for everyone; some kids lack structure or discipline at home and need the structure and discipline of a classroom.  There are some amazing teachers out there who truly know how to reach both a child's heart and a child's mind, and I applaud what they do.

Homeschooling, however, works very well for my son, as well as for hundreds of kids in our area (I live in a large city with many suburbs).  The schools in our area are...less than amazing, and my son has academic and health needs that are not easily met in a classroom.  He is both highly gifted and dyslexic; he tends to work anywhere from 3-5 years above grade level in just about everything except for spelling, where he's at grade level.  Because of this, writing can be a chore for him.  He also, at age 9, thinks on a high school level (abstract reasoning and critical thinking) but may respond at times on a 5th grade level (it's just not fair!).  He is starting high school math in the spring and tackling my college theology work with no problem.  He's already had 2 years of Latin, is in his 2nd year of Spanish, and is teaching himself Greek.  His favorite books are The Hobbit, Anne of Green Gables (he thinks Anne's "tragically romantic" monologues are hilarious), and the Redwall series by Brian Jacques - all 8th grade + reading books.  

He'd be bored silly in school; it's like a footrace to keep up with him!  He wakes up some mornings and has actually advanced an entire grade level in one subject or another - not even kidding.  To expect a teacher to keep up with him, while trying to teach 30 other kids, just plain isn't fair to him, the teacher, or the rest of the class.  His last teacher couldn't do it and threatened to recommend him for medication the second day of school (he finished in 5 minutes what she gave 30 for, and being 6, talked).  No thanks.

There's no way I'm turning my son over to a system that, at least in our area, openly refuses to meet his needs.  Homeschooling isn't easy by any means - it's a lot of work - but he's my son.  He's completely worth it.

As for homeschool kids being socially retarded...it is true that some might take a little longer to blend into a group of kids all their own age.  This isn't because the hs kids aren't socialized; it's usually the other way around.  "Socialized" doesn't mean "obey the pecking order of your own age group at all costs".  It means "understanding the norms of society and being able to function within that society".  

Homeschool kids are often able to do this at very young ages, with a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and interests.  They don't expect everyone to be "just like them", and are often a little confused and very annoyed when they get into a group of classroom school kids who don't know how to be themselves.  They sit back and watch groups of kids for a bit to see if the group is worth being a part of - are they respectful? are they kind or mean? are they actual friends, or just a clique?  If the group of kids is exhibiting behaviors that the hs kid doesn't think are worth being around, they have the presence of mind not to get involved - they're perfectly happy amusing themselves.

This isn't anti-social, it's wisdom.  Classroom schools spend a lot of money trying to get kids not to give in to peer pressure...homeschool kids are raised knowing how to not give in to peer pressure.  And then, they're called socially retarded for it.  Nice.

I also teach at a large homeschool co op in town, and most of the kids I teach would warm any teacher's heart.  They choose to take my classes, so they are actually there to learn.  If they forget to do their homework one week, I often get an "I'm sorry" card or email apologizing for the irresponsibility and promising to do better.  I haven't had to hand out more than a handful of grades below a B+ in the years I've been teaching, and everyone of them says "yes ma'am".  (Even the high schoolers.)  Most of the time, their work is way beyond their years.

At co op, I see groups of kids from 6 to 16 happily playing basketball, touch football, etc. in the gym during free periods.  On field trips, I see younger kids approaching older kids (like preschool on up to high school) with some sort of discovery they made, and the older kid happily "discovers" it with them.  Kids of all ages help each other - if someone drops their books, gets hurt, a younger kid can't find mom, or one of the kids (even a stranger) just wants someone to play with.  I've seen high schoolers with a full backpack of books, on their way to get lunch, stop and play basketball with my son (at age 7, 8, 9).  I've also had kids of all ages come up to me to politely ask a question or give me a message from their mom.  I've also had kids of all ages stand quietly by, listening respectfully, while their moms discuss something.  Yep, pretty anti-social, that bunch.

Homeschoolers tend to, by age 13, be about 4 years advanced over their classroom-schooled age mates.  Many enter college classes by age 15 or 16.  They are able to handle the rigors of college, yet are called "anti-social" because they don't live for frat parties.  Silly little homeschool kids, how dare they.  

Homeschooling, like I said above, is not for everyone; not all children are self-motivated enough to be able to thrive in it, and not all parents are physically able (due to illness, work, whatever) to commit to the constant job of homeschooling.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But for those of our children who do thrive in homeschooling, and for those of us who are able to take it on, it can be truly amazing.

Edit - I completely agree with Janis B and glurpy.

Willie...huh?