What do you really want to know about homeschooling?

Question

Hi

This is my first time on Yahoo and on the Yahoo home schooling site. I am putting together the finishing touches to a product on home schooling and I want to make sure that I don't leave anything out.

So will you let me know of your biggest question regarding homeschooling? It could be anything even if you think it is silly.

Thanks

emb

Answer 1

How do find out your class rank? Like say for certain colleges you have to be in the top 20% of your class...So how do you figure that out if you're home schooled.

Answer 2

Best ways to deal with strangers who think their life mission is to make sure your kids:

*are socialized

*know their times tables

*can spell random words they haven't been studying without making a single mistake

*get a balanced perspective on life

*get exposed to the "real world"

*don't get attached to mom and dad

*get a chance to be tempted with drugs

*get to learn how to say no to s*x

*get offered birth control if they find it too hard to say no s*x when everyone around them is doing it.

etc...etc.....etc....etc...

Answer 3

I began thinking in homeschooling just a few weeks ago. I'm so excited that I have been doing research in Internet, asking for books at the library and even buying books.

I'm decided (and also worried and scared) about the project, but I'm not completely sure about it yet. There are still some questions that I have to resolve:

1) Is there a "set of required characteristics" for a child or for a parent that want to be homeschooled/want to homeschool? I ask this because I perceive that kids should be self-regulated, "want" to learn and able to concentrate and finish projects and readings...what if the reason why I want to homeschool is "because" I perceive my child hates learning, has problems with attention and concentration, behavior and even with self-control? I am asking for more trouble? Am I doomed to fail and make him miserable?

2) What if I have two very different children (one that loves to read and learn, and one with behavioral problems that has shown he does not like to read nor learn) and with very different ages (which will need different approaches to knowledge and learning, as their interests and abilities to learn will be different). Do you recomend that I try the older child first, and if it works, I engage the younger too? Or I should try both at the same time?

3) What about secular families? How is the relationship between secular families and homeschooling? Is there any statistics or study? I find that most families that decide to homeschool do so because they have a religion or strong beliefs that they want to teach their children along with all the other subjects.

4) How about tax cuts, financial aid, special credits, etc.? As homeschooling forces at least one of the parents to be at home and dedicate many hours to the child, they can't work outside. They also need many resources that normally would be accesible at school, but for a single family may be prohitive to buy or rent. Any ideas? Suggestions?

5) Are there statistics or studies that show what happen with those children after the homeschooling? How many of them go to College, University, get a good job, etc.? How do they feel about the experience?

6) Any ideas about full-dedicated mom's: how about privacy, some time for us without the children, ideas of how to manage the stress and frustration that will be there sometimes?

Answer 4

Penny - homeschooling doesn't assume that the parent teaches everything.  Homeschooling assumes that the parents are responsible for finding resources and mentors or instructors to meet the child's needs.

Let's see...things that would have been helpful to know my first year of homeschooling:

-What are different methods of homeschooling, and how do you know which one to choose?

-How do I find out what records I'm supposed to keep?

-What are the benefits of joining a support group?

-What should I look for in a support group?

-What is a co op, how do I get involved, what are the benefits, and what should I look for?

-What do I do if my curriculum just isn't working?

-Do I have to do things the same way as they do in schools?

-How do I find social opportunities for my child?

-How do I help my child make the transition from classroom to homeschool?

-How do I keep my sanity during an "off" day?  :-)

-How do I make the transition from having my days free to homeschooling - or from work to homeschooling?

-Where can I find encouragement when I feel like I'm not doing this "right"?

This is what I can remember from our first year...I've found the answers through experience and my friends, but these are things that a lot of new homeschool parents face.

Hope that helps!

Answer 5

Considering the fact you can type "homeschool" in to a basic search engine and come up with a minimum of 12 million websites, my "big" question is:

"What makes one an authority on homeschooling? Is it hands on experience or something else?"

Answer 6

My question would be, "why do you assume that those of us who have made home schooling our way of life, have unanswered questions that you may be able to provide the answers too"?

New home school families, or those considering this option have so much information available to them it would make ones head spin; they ask questions to protect themselves from going into information overload, and get scared off before they get out of the starting blocks  ^_^

Answer 7

Well, I'd turn Penny's question on its head and ask why do people assume home-educated kids have to/ought to be learning the same things as are taught to kids in schools?!?

How many conventionally educated kids are studying Latin? or Ancient Greek? or Classical Studies? Or are choosing to do their (non-language) studying in a foreign language? Or learning to fly as part of their schooling?

Here the government says we neither have to follow the school curriculum, nor receive any 'formal teaching' if we don't want to. Given that such an 'alternative' education is perfectly acceptable to the government and the school boards, why, oh why, do so many non-homeschoolers assume that, as home educated kids, we ought to be learning the exact same subjects and same ideas as kids at school are learning.

GGRrrrrr!!

Answer 8

Ah, exploiting everyone here, eh!

You capitalist you!

Answer 9

Do you get to stay in your PJ's all day? :)

Answer 10

Is it best to teach according to your state's standards--even if they are low--or to teach according to another state's standards if their standards are higher?

How have homeschoolers been able to close the achievement gaps that have always existed in the public school system between Caucasian and African American children?

Those are my questions.

Answer 11

My question at the moment is...

What is your product?

A book? A new magazine?

A less ephemeral question:

Why do non-homeschoolers care at all about how homeschoolers educate and raise their own children?

*** UPDATE

SilviaTic:  You list some interesting questions.  Post some of them here and you will get some helpful answers.

Answer 12

How can one be sure if the child gets a full education in depth in every area - because homeschooling assumes the parents understand everything and can explain things?

(not that all teachers do anyway, haha)

Answer 13

Am I understanding that your question is questioning if we have any questions?