Why homeschool your children?

Question

I'm asking because I was interested in homeschooling my daughter and soon-to-be son. I have 6 days a week free, and I have a Bachelor's in English.

Answer 1

okay you can homeschool them because you feel like you could do a better job, you can also teach your child faster abd have a better hold on their upbringin- the only problem is the socializing - which i dont have the answer to

Answer 2

Think about this...Think about this VERY HARD...

I've been homeschooled all of my life, and i'll tell you right now. I HATE IT.

My mom started out okay, she was a great teacher, but now I'm 16 almost 17 and she has slacked off, which pulled us apart, I can't talk to her like i used to.

And now I have to think about weather or not I want to jump into the junior year at a public school where i don't know anyone, or stay home and hope i learn enough to get my into collage.

I guess i'm being unfair... Homeschooling can have it's ups.

More time off school for sports, or family time, or even trips.

Some kids are fast learners and in homeschooling they can move ahead faster and pass the other's there age.

But please if you start homeschooling, don't EVER start to slack off, you'll only be hurting your kids...

I'm sorry I had very little good to say about this, but right now i'm not to happy with how my school is.

Answer 3

I home schooled my son and it was a wonderful experience.  For one thing, it brought us so much closer as a family.  I am amused by people who think home schooled children are unsocialized, he had so much more social interaction being home schooled than he did when he was in public school. (he even has a t-shirt that says "caution, unsocialized homeschooler)  Why do people think we keep our children locked inside all day long?  There are also so many more educational opportunities.  A trip to the grocery store can become a math or economics lesson.  My son learned to read just walking down the street and sounding out the street signs.  The possibilities are endless.

Answer 4

The first 5 years that we homeschooled were in California, and the *only* time it's difficult is when trying to go through a public funded charter school.

Assuming that you're going to "fly solo", all you have to do is file an R-4 affidavit once a year as a private school (you can access a link to the form on the California Homeschool Network website). That's it. One form. No attendance records. No transcripts (unless your child wants to go to a 4 year college).  Nothing else is required. UNLESS, of course, you enroll your child through a public-school funded "homeschool", in which case you WILL have to abide by all of the rules that the public school puts on you (how many hours of instruction per day, "excused" absences only, yearly state testing, etc. Some even mandate which curriculum you use.)

Answer 5

that's a good reason.  One of the many.

Also you might get her to excell and cover more ground in the same time or go 365.

This summer vaction thing is for the birds because adults don't get it in the real world.

And home school doesn't have to be a drag so why not do it all year round just make it fun and exciting.

Answer 6

Okay cool!

Reasons for homeschooling...

1. Religious reasons - if you want to bring religion into education and if you want your kids not to learn stuff from other religions or evolution which might have a bad impact on them

2. Leisure flexibility - it depends on how you do it of course, but you tend to have a lot of flexibility with leisure so you don't have to work at set times

3. Following interests - it is pretty hard to follow individual interests in school, but with homeschool you can specialise in a subject, i.e music

4. Learning pace - no offense to school people, but kids co-operation and intellegence in schools seem to be fairly slow nowadays and if your child is bright then it could be frustrating for her to be working with kids who are at a slower learning pace, and obviously vice-versa as homeschool is great for people with things like dyslexia

5. Peer pressure - it can be so bad in schools and also they are way more likely to get into stuff like gangs and drugs...

Hope this helps in your decision and good luck!

Answer 7

To be with your kids. Honestly, I like mine and enjoy them and that's the best reason I have for homeschooling.

Others:

My kids have a sense of themselves stronger then what I see in most kids.

They are curious and self-disciplined learners.

I learn with them. I'm a high-school grad and not much of one at that but as my get interested in new things I get carried along with them. Whether it's decoding the periodic table, taking a fresh look at renaissance art  or relearning algebra I'm finding that I'm exploring things I might never have otherwise and turning into a self-directed learner myself.

The lifestyle. You're free. No school schedules or functions or project deadlines.

Your child can learn what interests her.

Your child can learn in much greater depth. Most grade school kids learn a bit about Ancient Egypt in school. Not many ever get to explore the subject enough to tell you who King Tut's father likely was...My daughter could.

You get to do all the museums while all the other kids are in school.

There are lots more.

Answer 8

You have asked 'why' and you have already answered it.  Your reasons are valid reasons.

I am a high school graduate.  I don't remember much from my high school years in terms of scholastics.  I am learning many things as I 'teach' my son.

Our reason for homeschooling was because he was in the 8th grade and was passed from grade to grade without learning the material.  My theory is that an education is more important than a diploma.

At home, we can go over the material until he knows it.  Not until he can pass a test on it, but until he actually KNOWS it. (smile)

By the way, he was probably the type child that causes your daughter to be bored in school.   The teachers would try to help him get a concept and leave your daughter to her own imagination. She would then feel the need to 'correct' your daughter and neither your daughter or my son were getting their educational needs met.  (Oh yea, and add 20 more individual  kids with varied interests,potential and talents to the equation to get a true picture of the classroom.)

Answer 9

I agree with Kitty actually, like her i have been homeschooled my whole life, i am 17. i went in 1st and 4th to public school... i hate it. i had no social life until i was 14 and started working. i am a junior this year and i really wanna graduate in public school so i am going back next year. i cant wait. i know have friends to socialize with and i want the friends to remember thru the years.

Answer 10

Why home school? Why NOT!

My kids love it and so do I! We have so much fun together.

If you have the time and the drive to do it then go for it!

We pulled our oldest out because the school she was in did nothing about the kids that were bulling her. It was so bad that she was even beat up a few times and still nothing was done! We pulled my son out at the same time but for different reasons. He was in preK had been four for less than a month. He has developmental and speech delays (the reason we put him into public school was for special Ed to help him catch up). The teacher told us he didn't need to be evaluated and it would be January before the Special Ed people would get to evaluations for the rest of the students. Lets just forget the fact that he was getting private therapy outside of school he was so delayed in some areas. The teacher wanted him on ADD meds just because he had the patience of a young 3yo. He would change centers and such when he wasn't supposed to. He went from beginning to hate school because he was always in trouble to begging me to do school every day because he wants to learn to read yesterday! He hasn't figured out that reading takes time to learn just that he thinks it will be fun. He wants to learn numbers so he can add because his sister is adding and beginning to multiply! He sits through a science lesson because we're talking about bugs and birds. He's there all day absorbing his big sisters lessons as well as his and amazing his grandfather who happens to be against it! I have learned more doing this than I ever learned in 12 years of public school and we've been at it for a year! Go figure!

I guess my point is that there are so many reasons to consider home schooling but the reason you do it in the end is for your own reasons and every reason to do it is valid!

Answer 11

Your gifted daughter should definitely be homeschooled.  It's the only way to ensure that her intelligence won't go to waste.  The growing trend in public schools nowadays is to keep the gifted students in with the rest of the bunch.  It's for the other kids' best interests, and not the gifted students'.  The result is that they aren't free to learn at their own pace, and have to slow down to conform with the other kids.  Also, she will more than likely be ridiculed for her intelligence (I was).  

I was a gifted child too.  In 2nd grade, I promised myself that I wouldn't read anything below 7th grade reading level...except for in class, when the teacher made me.  It was just 2nd grade, and I was already bored to tears.  In 5th grade I was finally able to attend an "AG" Language Arts class, but it wasn't nearly long enough...and I wasn't given that opportunity in other subjects, such as history and science (which I'd already shown great interest in).  I was only allowed a chance to "get ahead" in that one subject.

Keep your daughter at home.  Find out what her interests are, and then let her explore them to her heart's content!  She will be able to go into great depth, in a way that a public school classroom cannot.  What a wonderful advantage for her to have in life!

Best of luck!  Feel free to email me if you want to chat!  :)

Answer 12

How long are you planning to homeschool?

If your'e planning to homeschool from now until they go to college, and then they're just thrown into college?!

Shudder to think...

Answer 13

In talking to people I've heard a lot of it has to do with controlling the environment and expanding their learning.  Some are able to include religious education.  And apparently there are networks of homeschoolers that work together so that kids do get socialized.  I have a friend who's done it ... and so far as I can tell the education is probably better than if your lumped into a public school.  And these days with bullying and guntoting students - well maybe depending on your local area it really makes sense.

Answer 14

Home schooling is much more than academics alone, it's about our families.

The time with our children, and the great relationships that are formed between parents, and siblings, as well as being able to raise them with our own values are priceless.

Some other reasons:

Educational choice, as well as a choice in our educational philosophy (world view).

Individualized curriculum, and goals.

Freedom to choose the method, and content of the materials used in their education.

Positive social environments, to help develop, and shape their emotional development, attitudes, and habits.

Working at their own pace.

Learning is real, not test based; which is counter productive, and does not lead to mastery of any subject, or skill.

Foster their creativity, and allow them to follow their interests.

Early completion if they choose to do so.

Take college classes prior to graduation sometimes as early as age 15.

Our children are also involved in so many other area's 4H, Civil Air Patrol, clubs, volunteer work, sports, a paid job; they have had the time to do things during the day they would have never had a chance to do being in a conventional school setting.

We use 4H, and other activties for our electives, they have many academic programs from areo space to robotic's, cooking, sewng, you name it it's available.

And so the list can go on; each family will have their own personal reasons for home schooling.

We simply do not believe that a conventional school is the best place for our children to receive a proper education, nor is it a place where they will develop the right life skills.

When young people are grouped together by age and grade level, and have very little or no interaction, or do not work along side adults, how can they become what they need to be, capable, self confident adults?

Young people are very capable when given the chance; place your faith, and trust in them, not a school system; home schooling gives them that opportunity to make it on their own merits without limiting their choices.

One last thing, you do not need any degrees to homeschool your children, I have know many home school families who's parents barely, and some did not finish a traditional high school program, but their children have gone on to college, and did real well.

It is not the parents education level that determines success, but the parents dedication.

EDIT:

Find all the laws that pertain to CA at his web site http://www.hslda.org/

As far as I know in CA home schools are considered private schools, and are registered as such.

This is the web site for the California Home school association, they may be able to answer your questions; give them a call.

http://www.hsc.org/

Answer 15

There are many benefits to homeschooling.  The social interaction that homeschooled kids get CAN be far healthier than what they would get at school.  At school they ONLY interact with kids their own age and one or two adults.  With homeschooling you often notice a 2 year old, 5 year old, 8 year old, and 12 year old all playing together, helping each other, sharing with each other and having fun.  Homeschooled kids also tend to speak more comfortably with adults. Now, I realize their are exceptions, there are some shy homeschooled kids just like their are shy public school kids.

Some of the other benefits, besides the opportunity for healthier social interaction... well, you get to continue to be the main influence in your child's life for a longer period of time.  You can teach the child your values, you can teach the child manners, and polite ways to speak.  One five year old is not equipped to teach another five year old the proper way to relate.  The best way to learn that is from an adult who is more mature.  

Academics is another benefit.  Homeschooled children statistically score higher on standardized tests, get higher grades when they move on to college, and are statistically more likely to finish college.  

Time to just be a kid.  In school kids grow up too fast.  8 year olds are talking about boyfriends, and 12 year olds are experimenting s*xually.  In most homeschool groups the 12 year old girls are still playing with dolls together, and the boys are playing ball.  (Of course, the girls like to play ball too!)  With homeschooling the kids can just be kids and not have pressure to be miniature teenagers at 8 or 9 years old.

Safety, your kids are with you so you can keep an eye on them.  Less chance of abduction, less chance of molestation, less chance of being shot or offered drugs.  You don't have to put them on a school bus without a seat belt.  Not that you are guaranteed safety with homeschooling, accidents can still happen, but there is a greater chance of safety.  Of course, increased safety isn't the main reason for homeschooling, it's just a fringe benefit of it.

Your kids can study what interests them.  Within guidelines that you set, your kids can get "credit" for reading the books they are interested in.  If your child loves horses you can do a unit study on horses where you incorporate science, literature, history, art, and writing around the theme of horses.  Of course, you don't HAVE to do that, but you are free to if you want.

As far as needing teaching credentials, the answer is generally "no".  Very few states require that, and those that do usually have a loophole where you can be supervised by credentialed teacher instead (through weekly or monthly meetings, or phone consultations).  

The school board doesn't usually have a say in whether you homeschool, generally, if you are required to report to anyone it can be done by mail and is a notification, not a request for permission.  

Now, the specific legalities will differ from state to state, so you need to find out about the laws in your state.  Go to http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/default.as... to find out.

I'd love to tell you more, but my power is flickering, I need to go before my answer vanishes!

P.S. I was posting this answer to you previous question, but you removed it, so I copied and pasted.  You are basically asking the same thing again, so it still applies.

EDIT---EDIT----EDIT----EDIT

There are four options for homeschooling in California, check out these two links:

http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/CA/default...

http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Calif...

Answer 16

Short answer: for their academic, social, mental, emotional, physical and other well-being and development. :)