When did you know that homeschooling was the right choice for your family?

Question

I just took my oldest child in for a check-up at the doctor's office. Part of the exam, involved the doctor asking her questions about simple shapes, writing her name, jumping on one foot. It was an analysis of her development and learning. My daughter will be 6 in September. She completed the Florida Voluntary Pre-K program at a local charter school last week. I was very disappointed with the results of the end year report. As I suspected, She didn't actually learn any new information. She played the entire school year, and lost skills she began the Pre-K program having mastered. For instance, she could write her name and knew more than basic shapes. She actually knew the difference between a a hexagon and octogan. In the exam today, she wrote her name upside down and couldn't distinguish a square from a rectangle. I'll admit that over the school year I only read to her at night. I didn't have the time or the energy to teach her the things I sent her to school to learn.

Answer 1

i dont think your over reacting at all.

my father put me in home schooling when he saw my grades drop from straight A's to straight F's.

(in louisiana i had all A's when we moved back to california they dropped to F's.)

he put me in home school because of my grades and wanted to see if they would change.

and they did, i dont have straight A's but i have almost straight B's.

i hope your kids do well.

good luck.

Answer 2

When my child had been in public school for several years, still wasn't reading, and was falling further behind in all subject areas (the Matthew Effect), I figured I couldn't do ANY WORSE than the public school.  Much to my shock, surprise, and delight, my child made four grade levels of academic progress in each year of homeschooling, and is now far AHEAD of grade-level.  The point I KNEW homeschooling was the RIGHT decision was after our first year and we did our standardized testing.  The results were more awesome than I had ever dreamed they would be!!

Even parents with NO teaching experience can help their child out pace children taught by teachers with Master's degrees in a typical classroom environment.  In the study, children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were studied in the public school setting (taught by teachers with Master's Degrees) and homeschool settings (taught by parents with High School Diplomas). The study results showed the “homeschool students were academically engaged about two times as often as public school students and experienced more reading and math gains” (Delquadri, Duval, & Ward, 2004, p. 140). While the students in the homeschool setting out-paced their public school counterparts, the study observes “the low student-teacher ratio in homeschools, and not specialized training, apparently enabled parents to create effective instructional environments” (Delquadri et al., 2004, p. 153). This observation indicates parents who are actively involved in their child's education can help their child learn more simply because of the one-on-one teaching, regardless of the parents' lack of a formal teaching certificate!

Answer 3

I knew it was right when my son's 1st grade teacher, on the second day of school no less, *demanded* that he be medicated if he was to remain in her classroom.  Because he already knew everything she was going to teach that year (having transferred in from another state with higher standards), he was bored silly.  Having known him for a grand total of 6 hours, she "diagnosed" him as "a severe problem child" and "extremely ADHD".  Yeah.

Honestly, I'd second glurpy's advice.  Why not just start homeschooling this year?  With Pre-K and K, it would take you all of 30-60 minutes a day and you would be well aware of your kids' development.  You could teach them what they're actually ready for, rather than what the school's lesson plan says they need to.

Because you've worked with them up until now, they're already ahead.  The things you described - writing her name, distinguishing similar shapes, etc. - are all things that are likely to be taught in K-1st grade.  That means that she would spend 1-2 years being bored and likely regressing in her skills.

JMHO!

Answer 4

I knew before I even had children so I don't think you are overreacting at all. Over the years, I've come to see schools as alternatives to parents homeschooling their children. The law requires an education--we have various options to meet that law. If a parent is willing and able to take on the responsibility, why send them to school? Schools have always been about providing something the parents couldn't or wouldn't.

Personally, I would recommend you consider homeschooling next year. What do you expect out of the schools that you can't offer them at home? Think of it: your K child will learn more by being around you with a baby and toddler at home, while you give her little things here and there, sing songs, read books to them while you feed the baby, etc., play counting games as you change the diaper and more, PLUS have ample time to play if the child stays home with you instead of going to school.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: why send them to school?

Answer 5

When I was in 5th or 6th grade I watched a TV show that featured a homeschooling family.  Like most people, I had not known before seeing that show that homeschooling was a legal option.  Actually it was not legal in most states at that time, but it was in the state that family lived in.

I think deep inside I made the choice right then, but of course it took awhile for me to think it through, and voice that decision, and even more time before I researched it and found out what would need to be done.

If you want to know why I decided on it, here is my answer to a similar question a few days ago:

1. I chose to homeschool for a variety of reasons. First, I hated school as a child. The last grade I enjoyed was Kindergarten, it was downhill from there, worse every year. I didn't hate the work so much as the environment. I loved to read, and in 5th grade I even read most of an entire set of Encyclopedias on my own (I skipped through some things that didn't interest me, but most of the content was interesting). Ironically, I never felt like I had enough time to read when I was in school. I was always being given some stupid worksheet to fill in the blanks on.

I was abused physically be my second grade teacher, publicly humiliated by my third grade teacher, and I liked my fourth grade teacher until one day when I was in 5th grade I stopped back by her classroom to say "hi" after school. She yelled at me and said she didn't have time to talk to me all of the time. Then she said, "I am not your friend, I am not even your teacher anymore, why don't you leave me alone!" Keep in mind, I did not hang around her classroom every day, at most I usually waved and said, "Hi Miss Berg!" This was the first day since moving into 5th grade that I ever actually stopped and tried to talked. There was no reason for her to treat me like that, she probably had no idea how much she hurt my feelings, I went home and cried for about an hour. The next day I went to her room and said, "Miss Berg, I am sorry about yesterday, you'll never have to worry about it again. I'll never make the mistake of thinking you are friend, ever." And I walked out. She reported me to my regular teacher and I had to stay after school writing 100 times, "I will treat my teachers with respect." I added to the 100th one, "Whether they deserve it or not." I don't know if anyone even noticed, I think they just checked to see that the total sentences equaled 100.

My Fifth grade teacher was great, and I cried when I moved up into Sixth.

In all this time, through all this abuse, no one ever succeeded in teaching me my multiplication tables and I was hopelessly lost in math. I was so far behind in math that I completely stopped trying and just decided I was "Math Stupid."

I dropped out of school for 7th and 8th grade. I went back again and they put into 9th grade at a continuation High School. This school did contract studies where I pretty much taught myself using the books. I completed all of my required subjects with A's and B's, taking record keeping and accounting for my math credits, I had nothing but electives left when they kicked me out because I turned 18, even though I would have been in school until 19 even if I hadn't fallen behind because I started Kindergarten at 6 instead of 5, they wouldn't cut me any slack because they didn't care.

I proceeded to let my life fall apart for about a year, feeling like a failure. Then I accepted Christ as my savior, and He put it back together. I got a 4th grade math book and taught myself math, once I felt like I could tackle it I signed up for Adult High School courses at the Community College. Since all I had to do was earn elective credits, I could choose whatever classes I wanted. I took a Pre-Algebra Course and several English Courses, along with a lot of typical electives.

When I looked ahead to having kids, I knew I could never subject them to what I had been through, so I started reading up on homeschooling. I realized that with homeschooling, not only could I make sure that my kids were treated with care and respect, but I could also freely impart my faith and values to them. So I became determined to homeschool, I even had a rule about dating, if the guy didn't seem receptive of the idea of homeschooling then it could never get serious.

So I decided to homeschool before I had kids, before I was even married.

2. My oldest is in 9th grade and has been homeschooled since Preschool, I am also teaching my Kindergartner and my Second Grader at home.

3. I intended to teach my kids all the way through, and I have, except that my son went to Public Special Needs Preschool because he needed physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

4. Three kids. A daughter 14, a son 8, and another daughter 6.

5. Our style varies a lot. We are very eclectic and we change our approach when we get bored or overworked. There are certain things we adhere to no matter what, like math and phonics for the younger ones, but we change up other things at will. My High Schooler follows a more regular schedule and course load.

6. High School math has been the most challenging. I've had to study ahead, but finally my daughter passed me anyway. We use Teaching Textbooks for math, so really, she doesn't need me to teach her that, the CD Rom that comes with the book completely explains it.

7. Things we do outside the home, Church Youth Group and kids club, swimming lessons, 4H, homeschool co-op, library programs, a church play (which I will NEVER volunteer to help with again!), AWANA's, Missionettes, Rainbow Girls.

8. They seem to enjoy it so far, at the beginning of High School I asked my daughter if she wanted to try Public School for a year. The answer was a resounding "NO."

9. At first I followed the school schedule. My son's special needs cause him to regress too much over summer though, so now my younger kids go year round. My older daughter would have been done for summer next week, but we had a little "issue" this year that resulted in her needing to re-do a lot of work, she will be going on some subjects until mid July, and then have summer break. I try to follow the Public School vacation schedule with her so that she is free to join her friends on vacation, but even she doesn't follow the school's weekly schedule. We homeschool Tuesday through Saturday, so that we have the same days off as my husband.

Answer 6

I knew it was right for us after my daughter was in 2nd grade for a 2nd round. I was sick and tired of the four hour homework marathons everynight. I was tired of sending her to school and her getiing bullied (even beat on a few times). She couldn't subtract after a year and a half of second grade.

My son was 4 at the time and the teacher wanted him on ADHD meds because he is busy. He liked to go from one thing to another. He's been tested and there is no ADHD. Yet medicate him was what we were told to do.

We are now a year and a half later and my daughter can not only subtract but has almost caught up to her PS peers. She reads and writes better than ever. She loves being home schooled.

My son is now 5 and is finishing Kindergarten. He is reading and writing.

I also have a 2 year old who was 8 months when we pulled them from school. It was hard to do at first because we needed to find a rythem. Once we got into it things became easier. Most of our work is done during her afternoon nap while the house is peaceful.

Good Luck and God Bless! Thank You for your service to our great nation!!!

Answer 7

I knew I was going to homeschool my child way before I became a mother.I went to public school in the same county were my son would be going.And I knew the h**l I went through has well has other children I knew.The teaching standards are subpar and the school isn't very safe.Were I am at we have had 8 year olds caught with 9mm hand guns two years running.And all that was done to them is they were suspended for 10 days each.And then placed back in the same classes with the same kids they threatened with the guns.I don't think you are overreacting.I have seen the same thing over and over again.And if I were you I wouldn't wait another year.I would start teaching them at home now.The earlyer you get to them the better.They learn quicker now they they ever will.It doesn't have to be a burden on your already streached schedule.You can get them a computer or if you can afford it.You could get each one a computer.And get them learning softwere. There is lots of fun cds for pre-k a kindergarten.There is a set called jump start they sell them at target and walmart.It doesn't require a lot of effort on your part.You just install the disc and let the computer teach them.My son loved them when he was little.They helped him a lot.

Answer 8

Before sending my son to school I had a lot of respect for teachers (and I still do).  My Father was a public school chemistry teacher and I went to college to be a teacher.

When I sent my son off to school he went like your daughter pretty prepared.  However, I was not prepared for what he would find there.  At first it was little things like the fact that every single day they watched t.v. and then there was the  unprofessional demeanor of the teachers that made me doubt.  Eventually he began to come home with ripped clothes and telling me that he was being choked by another student.  After 8 separate choking incidents and an increasingly condescending attitude from the staff about it, I finally began to take seriously my son's request to be homeschooled.  We began homeschooling in third grade and I was amazed at the change in him.  He began to be the curious happy boy that he was before I sent him to school.  

We have done the same with all 4 of our children and 2 are graduated (the other 2 are in high school).  Our son is finished with college and one daughter is working on a nursing degree.  I do not regret my decision at all.  We have had a lot of fun with our kids and have been blessed with loving respectful relationships with all.