I haven't officially started homeschooling yet...still trying to decide if this is something that is right for our family. I have 2 kids, my daughter is 4 and my son is 2. My daughter is currently in preschool but is already reading at about a 3rd grade+ level...and is somewhat quirky. I am worried that she will have a hard time fitting in or getting what she needs from a public school. My daughter insists that she wants to go to kindergarten next year. Should I insist that she stay home or let her go and hope that she decides she doesn't like it?
First..Hi and Welcome. I am new here too! Everyone's reason for homeschooling is different. You have to do what is best for your family. My husband and I discussed it in great length and even if my daughter wanted to return to public school we would not let that be "her" choice. We feel homeschooling is the best option for us (for many reasons)and as parents she has to trust us to make these choices for her right now. With her being in preschool you have some time on your side to do a lot of reading on homeschooling, check out local groups, and talk to your husband/family. Good luck!
I agree with jstx5. Only you can decide what's best for your family, and, I, too, believe it's important that your children understand this is a parental decision. In our house, we try to make sure our children know their thoughts are heard, but with the understanding that their father and I make the final decisions, by which we all abide.
Yes, a PARENTAL decision! If your daughter is already that far ahead, what will she be learning in Kindergarten? Keep in mind that teaching is usually done to the MIDDLE. Those who are advanced have to slow down (But supposedly it doesn't matter, as they already know the stuff, so they're still getting "A's", and those at the bottom are drug along, whether they have mastered it or not. Of course, they often put those higher learners with the lower ones, hoping the higher ones will 'rub off' on the others....) Often times, those high achievers are bored, and will find "creative ways" of filling their time, which usually tends to upset the teachers.
She'll be bored stiff if she's already reading super well. Now she might enjoy the other aspects (art, circle time, calendar time, recess, etc.) but is it worth sheer boredom when several of the kids still don't know their ABCs? Only you can answer that. If you are truly pondering K, I would definitely talk to the school and see if they gifted services at the K level or are willing to adapt her reading program to meet her level, etc. Ultimately, it is your decision as her parent. Better to have all the info before she's at the school and bored. My girls' both attended a great Dept of Defense school before we started homeschooling in March 2007. I don't regret sending them because hubby was deployed for 3 of 4 years and I had a baby too. It was the right school at the right time. Homeschooling is now the best decision even though DH will probably deploy in late winter/early spring. Our kids are older now and doing so well at home.....not gonna rock the boat and it allows each of them the extra help they need or the extra time to work at their pace (my oldest is on the gifted spectrum and the middle has processing deficits). Rhonda
I say yes go for it, but it's not my child it has to be up to your and dh. Everyone has there own reason for hs.
I would say homeschool. I was stuck in the same spot, but then sent my now 7 yr old because at the time, everyone was doing it, I felt bad for not doing it, 5 yrs old is a difficult age, etc. He too was very advanced. He loved school basically, except for the academics. They were doing letter of the week and hundreds tables when he was ready for multiplication and reading 3rd grade level when he was tested 6 months before kinder. The worst part was, he wanted to continue in school for 1st grade! Once you start, it is much harder to stop. He has not even experiences the wonderful life of homeschooling and the school pretty much called homeschooling "not going to school" so it seems like missing out rather than doing something different.
I think thats my biggest fear...that she will feel like she is missing out. She loves school now but I think its just getting together with all her friends....and all the teachers talk about is 'next year in kindergarten...' so she can't wait to go. At first I figured I would just send her and talk to her teachers about making sure she is challenged....and if it didn't work out then no big deal, I'd just homeschool. But after doing all my research I don't want to send her at all. We're taking an afternoon class in January with other homeschooling families so I am hoping that if we build a little hs community that she'll decide on her own that she'd rather be home with us.
She won't miss what she never knows! My kids have never gone to a school. They do NOT "miss out". Yes, there are some things they say would be nice to experience "just once"...believe it or not, one of those things is riding a bus to school, lol!!! But they don't feel like they've "missed out". They are now 9, 12, and 14, and they realize (especially the oldest one) that it's a trade-off. They may have "missed" some things, but they also got to do stuff the "schooled" kids "miss".
Make a list of the the things you think your child will miss out on. Then make a list of how many of these things she can do at home, with a homeschool group, or elsewhere. We have two daughters who graduated from public school. We homeschool our youngest. I do not see anything that our youngest is missing out on that our older girls were able to do. In fact, we take far more fieldtrips, Ems has more friends and true friends, she is learning at her pace, and what she learns expands beyond anything our older girls learned. Homeschooling opens up doors that just can't be opened in the public school because of funds or the number of children per class. If the parent is willing to take the time, there is much to learn through homeschooling and it all isn't from bookwork.
Welcome! There have been excellent comments here so far. It is a parents decision and every family has their own set of reasons. When I sent my youngest to school, she had LOVED preschool, was reading, and couldn't wait to go to K like her big sister. After being there about 2 weeks she cried every day and hated it. She was bored to tears...literally. As far as "gifted" programs for advanced kids, most systems don't test for that until at least the end of the first grade. My stress level was through the roof because even thought I tried to volunteer to help with kids who were already reading, it just wasn't enough. (And I'm a former ps teacher, I should have known!) She is mostly the reason we started hs'ing both our kids. The older one probably would have done fine in school, but I couldn't be happier that they are both home. When she was in school, my older one was a good student, but she has excelled even more since being home. Best wishes.
