I would surely hate to live in a state that required hours...I guess I would create lesson plans that the average child could complete in an hour and if mine did it faster then there ya go...one hour down. On the other hand I would take an hour as an hour real time if we are talking about subjects that student was slow in. We are required to count days. yipee. so if it is a school day then I count it. even if it is a "field trip" on saturday. Or whatever. I also tend to save stuff up...like we stop at a historical site and have a discussion...then on a completely different day maybe we watch a educational film...plus do some grocery shopping in which I have the kids "tally" the groceries up and see who is closes to the actual amount. plus free reading which is done pretty regular and for all of that, maybe done on seperate days...I will count a "day" of school. plus I save much of thier work. But I don't keep a book list (except curriculum books) or movie list...I suck at organizing. In the end the more traditional vs the eclectic or almost unschooler arguement is unproductive. I won't convince you that my way is better nor vice versa. Whenever one uses language saying "thats ok for YOU, but I would feel uncomfortable with that position" people get defensive. That being said I do chafe at the idea that the government gets much say at all in my educational choices. I been to thier schools and they did me no favors.
yeah, back in the day they had that for us. I was given a list of how many hours to use according to the school district lessons. My friend who used tohome school with public school help because they had done one of those go check them out and show what they are not doing. She had 5 kids and was trying to teach two of them being unique learners and two being easy learners.. on her own it was a lot to handle. Anyway she handed me the paper when I started so I set up the lesson plans for that schedule. Mostly we have an hour for math, English and 45 mins for science and history and extras go on top of that. but now this year we are sloppily getting through the work as we feel like it for the past monthor so, and then eventually I will feel better and we will go back to my strict teach and learn,do the lessons on the list etc stuff lol
Step up and do your part DAD with homeschooling your kids. You can do math at night or something. Maybe she is overloaded. Do you help with laundry, cooking, etc? I am not bashing you as I know your income is very important. It is hard staying home and doing it all too. Go on educational field trips, watch tv shows on school subjects (those can be gotten at your local library), etc.
No one is saying that unschooling vs eclectic or traditional is better than another. I am just saying that some states have specific amounts of time that have to be filled with school work, not just saying you did lesson or completed something. Even unschoolers should be able to estimate a specific amount of time in a day or week that their child learned core curriculum or extra curricular subjects. If a state doesn't require any set amount of time for a child to spend on school, then they basically aren't requiring school? or am I misunderstanding that? I know most homeschoolers would not take advantage of that, as we mostly want what is best for our kids. But there are always exceptions to that. I know a woman up the road from me that is too lazy to get her kids on the school bus every day, and after they missed who knows how many days, the state put them in foster. I mean come on, how lazy is that? free breakfast, free lunch, and a place to send her kids for the whole day out of her hair, but she simply won't get out of bed to get them there. There are those kind in the homeschool community too, not just PS unfortunately.
Yes I'd say you are misunderstanding. In Texas there are no set hours, days and nobody to report to. That does not mean that you just don't have to do anything. I do not have to report to anyone or figure out and keep track of how much time it took my dd7 to do math, reading, whatever. That does not mean she doesn't do math or read it just means I do not have to explain myself to some official. Some people will take advantage of anything or lie in any situation. A lazy person can just as easily lie about hours in a state where they are required to report hours. I don't think unschoolers should need to estimate a specific amount of time their child worked on anything. I don't think I need to either and I am not an unschooler, but relaxed Charlotte Mason schooler if you want to put a lable on it. Neither the government or anyone else including people here on this board should have any right to say how someone educates their own children. You do it your way and I will do it mine. Until somebody is paying my bills, cleaning my home and taking care of my family they can stay out of my business.
