What do you think of home schooling and home schooled kids?

Question

What do you think of home schooling and home schooled kids?

Answer 1

i think home schooling is wrong. how can any parent be qualified enough in every subject to teach their child everything! its ridiculous. I'm sorry but that's my opinion. I'm far from being thick, but i know i couldn't educate my children to the level they needed to be at. i want my children to have the best education available, so i fail to understand how any parent is equipped with all the necessary skills to enable their child to prosper academically. its impossible!

Answer 2

I know some families who homeschool,and give the moms so much credit.There is no way that I'd have the patience for it with my 4 children,who are ages 8,12,13,and 16.The children do socialize often with groups of other homeschoolers,on field trips and such.I see no problem with it--it's just not a good fit for my family.

Answer 3

Up to the age of 11 I'd been to three different public schools and tought from home.  Academically... the home teaching far surpasses the the public because its one to one. But it was me who asked to go back to public schooling.  The reason, I was lonely. I'm an only child I had no one to play with in breaks.  My education went beyond my age level.  Up to that point I had never actually sat down and read a book! The thing is, people who have learning difficulties like me (dyslexic) One on one can be very benificial.  But when you get to high school, it all changes.  Yes I do think social interaction through puberty is vital and plus teaching beyong the junior years needs someone who's qualified to do the job.

Answer 4

i suggest public school untill hight school then they can do homeschool for high school and take college classes at a commnunity college at the same time. community colleges are alot better of atmosphere then high schools

Answer 5

I am a teacher by profession and I think that home schooling is fine.  I am anti schools, they are full of bullies, usually managed by idiots and poorly equipped.  Vast amounts of time and energy are wasted on things like 'uniform' and 'PSHE', and I would reckon with all the wandering about the school, poor behaviour and general nonsense, about 30% of any hour - if you're lucky - is actually spent on learning.

With the comprehensive system there is little choice in schooling, unless you are rich enough to go private,  and consequently you will be in the grip of spiralling standards which, whatever the politicians say, are affecting our schools.  There is wholesale cheatng by schools at exam level, and often general falsification of records.

On the other hand, if your child is a toe-rag or a nutter, taking him out of school is not necessarily going to solve the problem.  I coached a kid for ages, who was basically a shitt, took his mother's money and despite all the work we put in with him, bottled it and did not turn up for any of his exams.  I think basically if Mum is on her own, she's on to a loser raising a teenage boy anyway, and removing him from school is rarely the answer.

As the other answers here suggest, though, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with home schooling.  Most subjects are taught at a very simple level, 80% of the curriculum are hobby subjects like art and drama, and there are vast resources on - line to help.

Answer 6

The socialization aspect is total BS and that is why Johnny can't read and Suzie thinks Demark is a city.

Because they are too busy kissing in the corner and texting each other on side kick.

It's a well documented fact that segregated high schools make girls suddenly do twice as good as co-ed high schools.

Why.  Less socialization and more school work.  Less distractions.

The public school failure rate is 30-60%.  The public school success rate  is 10-15%  The rest are average who won't get into private colleges

The success rate for homeschool is 30-40% the failure rate is 20-30% the rest are average.

College studies show homeschoolers are 2-3 grade ahead of public schoolers by age 8

If you want to see the side effects of Public School socialization look at Detroit and Cleveland in the last month, those have had school shooting by social outcasts who are bad boys and get even.

There was a kid and his parents just arrested in Penn or NY for having 30 pellet guns and two illegal real guns.  His mother is in jail for buying them for him.

He was talking about doing a shooting spree and had home made bomb parts in his room.

This is how your public school kids socialize.

They also deal in drugs and in ALL the big cities there are metal detectors going into the school.

In Los Angeles they are starting to put these into elementary schools.

The average brick high school student in America is below stanine on the Stanford and Minesota tests.

ABC News just did a report on STUPID IN AMERICA

Socialization is a petty price to pay in favor of a good education, which 7 out of 10 students in America are NOT GETTING, probably because there is TOO much socialiazation.

Too many pregnant girls in highschool

Too many Goths and Druggies and Pot Parties and Beer Bong parties interrupting the flow of education.

A teacher, here in the Teacher section, just talked about how a 6'2" Football hero in Highschool whomped him because he gave him an F and the coach said if he didn't get a C or better he'd be off the team.

That teacher is now too busy worrying about that kid, his friends, their socilization skills as line backers to be able to teach his class.

Homeschoolers get to miss all this fun and stay home and learn Trig, Geometry, World History, Biology.

If their parents don't put them into weekend soccer, softball, little league, Karate, gymnastics, dance classes.  That's the parent's short coming.

If the parents don't let them go to the Mall and hang out, that's Parent's shortcoming and the parents will not let them hang out even if they are in brick school.

That is Xenophobia and it can't be cured until a kid reaches the age to leave home in a given state.

School is NOT about socilization it is about learning and until STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS REALZIE THIS AMERICA WILL BE A SECOND RATE, THIRD WORLD COUNTRY with kids who think Demark is a City in America.

Howard Stern proves this ALL the time on air, asking girls with high school diplomas what the Capital of NEw York is and the answer is almost always NEW JERSEY!

Why is this, because they girls are AIRHEADS who are too busy making dates with boys in class instead of paying attention to the lesson.

And that is why GIRLS ONLY public schools work better than CO-ED SCHOOLS

And schools, high schools, with uniforms work better, too!

These are proven facts.

When you let the students run the school the school goes down hill.

When you get rid of the preppie clothes, the goth clothes, the boys all of sudden GRADES GO UP

And this is why homeschooling, as a whole, is working FAR better than brick school.

Homeschool out does Montessori and Catholic School.

Answer 7

I was home schooled for 6 years, I started school in grade 5, it took some time getting used to all the kids that knew swear words, and knew about s*x. My parents decided to completly shelter me those years I was home. But I've turned out fine, after adjusting I grew up to be a normal chick.

Although, I remember the day I started school, I was quoted "not our type" by my soon to be friends. Took them some time to get used to the shy quiet girl who got embaressed when a boy said she was cute.

Answer 8

I am homeschooled and I think it's the best thing ever!

I work full time! That's about 40 hours that I spend outside the house!

I do about 1-2 hours of school work a day.  I also do school work if I'm bored or if my friends aren't home.  I learn more than the average high school student that goes to school.

It makes me mad when people say that my parent's are not qualified to teach me everything I know.  My dad is a Chemist and my mom is the one that teaches me math if I cannot figure it out on my own.  Also, my younger sister is a wiz at English/Literature.  I do not  think that my parents are underqualified to teach me because they have taught me so much.  My aunt and uncle that live down the street from me give me cooking lessons.  I have taught myself how to play 3 different reed instruments.  I am also planning on taking up on another instrument.  I do more than the average public school kid does because I am really out in the real world all day!

Answer 9

I think homeschooling, when done correctly, can be a great choice.

Notice I said, "when done correctly."  Should everybody homeschool?  Nope...but those who do, and are motivated and committed to it, can give their children a great education.

Not all children are suited to learning in a classroom; some children are far ahead or behind academically, and need the individual attention that homeschooling offers.  Some children cannot focus with the distractions of a classroom, and some children have learning styles that are not conducive to a classroom (hence the fact that around 80-90% of Ritalin patients don't actually have ADD/ADHD...they just plain need to move or talk in order to learn).

There are some homeschooled kids who are socially behind, but the same can be said for public and private school kids.  (By the way - socialization has nothing to do with being stuck in a room with your age mates for 6-8 hours per day...it means learning social norms and being able to function in society.  This is best learned by being *in* actual society.  Funny, that.)  Kids all have different temperaments...making them think that they have to be just like each other in order to fit in is not what teaches them to function in society.  Some kids are shy, some are outgoing, some are compliant, and some are rebellious.  This really has little or nothing to do with their method of schooling - it has to do with who the child is and what their lives are like.

I live in a city with many, many homeschooling families (multiple hundreds of families).  Most of the kids I know are great - they are obedient, respectful, hard-working, and playful.  My son can walk into any group, even kids he doesn't know, and just start playing with them, because he knows that they will accept him unless he gives them a reason not to.  He can play with babies, read to toddlers, play or work with kids his own age, join a basketball game with kids from K-12, speak respectfully and intelligently with adults, and function easily around senior citizens.  Want to know why?  Because he's around all of those ages on a regular basis.

I don't think that one choice or another is right for every single student - they're kids, not factory models.  Some kids thrive in a classroom-based school, others thrive with the individual tailoring and attention of homeschooling.  Yes, there are families that turn to what they term "homeschooling" in order to neglect their childrens' educations...but these families are few and far between.  The vast majority of homeschooling families - and children, for that matter - are deeply committed to their education, their social outlets, and their character training.

Please, don't judge homeschool families by stupid stereotypes.  If you choose something other than homeschooling, for whatever reason, that's your prerogative.  The choice to homeschool, and to do it well, is ours.

Answer 10

I think home schooled kids are sheltered from reality.  Home schoolers will say that they have soccer practice or violin lessons with other kids and that's where they get there social interaction, but were only talking a few hours a day.  They also don't learn about how the world is not perfect.  home schoolers don't learn about gang violence and drugs and things like that.  They have a hard time making it out on their own due to being so naive.

Answer 11

I think they are great.

More and more public schools are realizing that they are not the answer for every student.  That is the reason that many schools are finding alternative ways for students to learn.  Many have the provision for students to learn their curriculum at home and/or computer lessons.  This may, or may not, work for students but at least the schools are making an effort to help students who do not learn in traditional classroom situation.  This is not as good as homeschool, but it is a step in the right direction.

The beauty of homeschool is that we are in control of the education of our children.  We know our kids better than the government knows them.  

I drive a bus and work in public school cafeteria.  Students tell me things about themselves that their parents do not know.  I think that is sad.

Answer 12

I home schooled for a few years. My kids are now back at public school and liking it. It is a good thing for many families who don't want to drug their ADD/ADHD kids up in order to sit at their desk. This way if their kid needs to wiggle around they can without repercussion. Some kids have severe allergies to peanuts. Peanut butter sandwiches are abundant at schools. Some families are very religious and feel the only way to properly educate them is in the home. There are many reasons why people home school. They are all in it for their kids. Most of these kids live rich and active lives. I've seen it.   And those kids are just like the public school kids.

Answer 13

I don't think that homeschooling is very good cuz kids need to be around other kids so they fit in and have friends.  Also when school is over it is hard for them to fit in and people think they are weird.  It may not be like this for all home schoolers but for the majority.

Answer 14

i have known a few homeschooled kids who did the whole high school home schooled thing then went to college. they are sooo socially awkward around other students that they seen alien like. i would never home school my kids.

Answer 15

I cannot believe people are still using the "what about socialization" line. Don't they get it, homeschooled kids are far more socialized than public schooled kids, we just cut all that nagative mess out.

My children are both on a soccer team, have many friends, we go to the library, we go on field trips with other homeschooling familes, at least 2-3 times a month-how's that for hands-on learning.

Homeschooling is a far better choice if you are willing to invest the time and effort into your children that they so much deserve. If you are not going to give it all you got, then leave them in school. Homeschooling allows you more family time, more moral teaching time, more in depth learning and projects, you get to go on field trips and have fun during school, you can do work in your pajamas and no back to school rush and having to buy hundreds of dollars of clothing and supplies every year just so the kids will be in fashion and won't be ridiculed because they are wearing wal-mart clothing.

Public school is fine if you want a mediocre education, want your children to be subjected to bullying, teen s*x, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, teen dating scene, teen pregnancies, vulgar language, lack of morals and ethics, teachers who do not care, possible teacher molestations/abuse, and a long list of other negative things.

Answer 16

Home schooled kids seem to graduate faster, but miss the social interactions at public school, but do have less school time.

I vote Public School

Answer 17

How do they learn socialising with their own ages?

Answer 18

I do not like home school because I feel the kids at are, are missing out on so much.  they have to be around other kids their own age to learn how to inter act.  What about all the social and the fun field trips that they will miss out on?  Being able to learn how to be excepting of others and learning how to handle their self is different situations?  I am sure that some parents will always say that home school is safer and better.  But you can not keep the kids sheltered from the outside for ever.  Let them be free to enjoy life to the fullest.

Answer 19

If you ask my daughter she will quickly and emphatically say "Homeschooling ROCKS!" She sums it up so adequately in my opinion.

People are quick to judge homeschool socialization. Let's see Friday my daughter had her Lego club meeting. Saturday & Sunday she played with her public school friends. Monday she hit the books. . .  Tuesday she has a play date at a local park with some homeschool friends. Wednesday we have a library program to attend. Thursday will be hitting the books. Friday she will be finishing an art project with a public schooled child after her work is finished. Hmm... not a lot of socialization there?

Also how many times a day does a public school teacher say "We are not here to socialize! We are here to learn!"

Educationally I think they are far more advanced. One on one tutoring works far better - ask anyone in the educational field.

As far as preparing for real life? My daughter knows far better at her age how to deal with real life than some teenagers. She understands the importance of budgeting and shopping lists (see we shop together). She understands schedules and appointment books.

The only thing her public school friends have taught her were things like profanities, sexuality (and bi-sexuality), drugs and stealing - and this is all things said in front of ME. . . I can just imagine what is being said in school hallways/locker rooms/restrooms.

Homeschooling all the way for me!

Answer 20

My first grader had to write down her number at home to give it to her friends at school because there was no time for them to talk at school. She had recess maybe once a week, if that. She was around other kids if you want to call that socialization. Now we homeschool and are around other kids everyday. We are either at the park or dance class or something else everyday. Socialization is not an issue

Answer 21

i think home schooling is great. my brother has been home schooled for the last six months as he has dyslexia and very very mild asbergers he couldn't deal with the constant change in routine. since starting he has made great progress in his work as he gets the one to one attention with the teacher  with out the constant change in routine and constant disruptions from other students poor behaviour. he also has a much higher self esteem as he now feels that he can learn. also he has joined clubs for the first time as he has a new found interest in learning new skills and meeting new people. in my opinion this is better than going to a school with over crowed classroom and peer pressure every where you look.

Answer 22

Why does this question get asked over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over?

Should all the homeschoolers head to the secondary school section or the adolescent section and and ask

"What do you think of Public School kids"?  

"Are all Public School kids wackos who are going to take a gun to school and kill everybody"?  

I seriously don't get it.  Do you do it to try to get people riled up perhaps?  

The same question has been asked 4x in the last 4 days.

Answer 23

They ussually milder in manner compared to  kids that go to regular schools

Answer 24

I live in England so maybe our schools are different to say USA

ok home school  v primary school

school day approx 6 hours from 8.50am until 15.15

8.50 kids arrive at school remove coats etc settle down for registration

09.00 registration 30 kids

09.15 assembly

10.15 morning break

10.45 English lesson 30 kids10.45 kids come in remove coats settle down at desk text books handed out time 11.00,

Teacher then covers last lesson time 11.20

maybe time for a few questions from kids lucky enough to get picked now it 11.35

11.35 kids copy from white board

12.00 lunch time

13.00 lunch ends

13.00 history

13.00 kids come in remove coats settle down in class texts books handed out gosh its now 13.20

teacher talks to class about last weeks work maybe a few kids get to ask questions by now its 13.35 kids finally settle down to work before next lesson at 14.00

same again lesson ends at 15.00 teacher reads to class for 10 mins then class is dismissed for the day

Now please tell me where do i see one child getting an education????

I see a class of 30 children with different needs having to copy from a board

each aspect of a subject is taught over 4 lesson ie i have 4 lessons to teach 30 kids there times tables

3 kids may get it in tow lessons 10 kids may get it in 3 lessons the rest of the class might get it if i taught to them for longer but must follow curriculum  therefore bright kids get board average kids get to learn it slow kids never get it

Home education is done on a one to one basis the child has more opt unities to learn as much or as little about a subject as they want, then can ask questions when they want there is no set limit to a subject

They can join scouts football teams etc.

On average in the UK a child get 5 mins one to one education a week

a GCSE says i have attended school and worked to the average my goverment set out

Answer 25

Not such a bad idea education wise if there being taught properly but bad on the hole real life getting a job side and realising what people can be like.

Answer 26

i don't think it good for there social development but maybe a bit of both kinds of education would be OK...

Answer 27

Hm, I replied to this and another one last night, but both answers have disappeared. I'll start again!

Your question is like asking "What do you think of parenting and kids who have parents?" It's going to depend a lot on the parent, isn't it?

The same thing goes for homeschooling. There are great homeschooling situations and great homeschooling kids; these are, by far, the ones I know. There are some not-so-great homeschools and homeschooled kids. It would be WRONG to judge all of homeschooling based on these children.

Kids do NOT need to be surrounded by other kids roughly the same age for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week in order to develop decent social skills. In fact, a sociological perspective will show that this arrangement has left us with a sad state of affairs in terms of the social development of our kids.

Some think that homeschoolers don't live in the real world. I say that when raised properly, homeschoolers live in a more real world than do their schooled counterparts. They have the opportunity to be out in the community, interacting with others, instead of stuck in desks for most of the day. Those who think that homeschooled kids don't learn about gangs are the ones who are lacking--my kids understand that there are gangs and there are things called drugs and there are parties called raves and all that. Although we live in a good neighbourhood, we had all kinds of discussions about the drug bust that occurred earlier this year on our street (we could pretty much see the whole thing from our front window). The kids in school didn't know a thing about it, didn't get to learn about this whole aspect of what happens.

Most homeschooled teens I know are NOT naive; the younger kids are innocent (which is good). They are well aware of what's out there but are also glad to not have to be subjected to it on a daily basis.

Answer 28

I'm 13 years old and have been at a public school since the age of 4 and i have now been taken out of it because i cant cope i personally think home schooling is a better form of education,at a public school people get bullied and cant concentrate on there work because you would be called a nerd or geek and have pens flicked at your head.

school sucks i know from experience lol

also it would be easier to learn on a one to one where as with a class of about 30 you have to wait till the other 25 finish yeaterdays work.

Answer 29

People should only be home schooled by a qualified teacher

Answer 30

I think most of the ppl who have answered this question have never met a homeschooler.

It is true that some homeschoolers never socialize and end up socially retarded, which is too bad, but that is certainly not the norm.  About half of my friends are homeschooled adn half public schooled.  More of my homeschooled friends have jobs than my public schooled friends, most of them are happier with their lives, most of them are nicer, and most of them have many more extra-curricular activities.  I, for example, have at least 2 hours of extracurriculars EACH DAY (not each week), and that doesn't count sports.

That said, some of the most annoying ppl I've ever met were homeschoolers.  they have (or had) no concept of what others cared about, they didn't care about what others had to say, didn't care what they interrupted, the point was to say waht they wanted to say and disregard everyone else's feelings.  However, there are public schoolers that are the same way.

Also, the stereotypical homeschooler is a rarity.  When ppl ask where I go to school and I reply (somewhat abashedly) "I'm homeschooled" they say "Really?" plainly surprised, whereas there are those among homeschoolers who get an "Oh" of comprehension (so that's why he's so weird).  Stereotypes are stupid, unless they are used as a joke.

From an academic standpoint, we don't learn everything at home from a parent.  (Tho my parents have 3 distinct degrees between them)  They often have co-ops, church sponsored classes, DVD courses, and other out of home classes.  For example, I took 2 years of Spanish, Biology, Chemistry, and am currently taking Human Physiology from an established home educator and am taking a persuasive research essay class from another.  I am part of HST (home school talents), a theatre group for homeschoolers.

Answer 31

I reckon that if homeschooling was good enough for:

John Quincy Adams; Alexander Graham Bell; Agatha Christie; Abraham Lincoln; Thomas Edison; William Carey; Benjamin Franklin; General Douglas MacArthur; Margaret Mead; Andrew Carnegie; Robert E. Lee;  Wolfgang Mozart; General George Patton; Franklin Roosevelt; Theodore Roosevelt; George Bernard Shaw; Leo Tolstoy; Mark Twain; George Washington; John Wesley; Patrick Henry; Woodrow Wilson; and countless aristocratic and royal families throughout the world...

...then it is good enough for me and my siblings.