"What is best and why?" What do you think is better, homeschooling or public school? I personally think homeschooling is better because as a parent it is my duty to raise my child to be the best they can be and I do not believe the public system in general can do this nor are they qualified. I do not personally care for the agendas that are placed upon them in the name of political correctness. I also believe that the one on one time my child receives far outways the shared time they have in a class of over 25 children. If we need to focus on a problem or certain are, we can do so because we have the time and are not answering up to anybody else. I can make the curriculum work for my daughter in a way that she can learn and understand. As a parent who has attended ps and has had two other daughters in ps, I find homeschooling far surpasses most public schools. There is a lot of hands on learning and any question can be answered at any time, unlike the system, they have to keep moving even if a child does not understand. It allows me more time to watch my child grow and see what she is learning instead of waiting for a teacher to send a piece of paper with her grade. Children spend so much time in one day in school and then they come home to some homework. There is very little time to be children. I know there is so much more but I have to go and take care of somethings around the house. I will post more later. Patty
Well lets see both of my dd's have been to ps and now are hs. I like hs better because I am with them and watching them grow and learn. I just thank the lord I can be at home with them. Yes, I know we could be better off if I work but then where would my dd's be. Some people don't have that choice to do it? I think it all depends on the person chooe and what they have going on in there life. So, I guess I can't really pick.
My dd10 was in ps for 4 years and this is our first year hs'ing. We prefer hs'ing for lots of reasons. I get to use the methods I want and that is best for my children. They don't have to worry about wearing the right clothes or fitting in with the group. They can be who they are and not conform to anything they are not.They can progress at their own level on individual subjects and I can incorporate our christian beliefs into what I teach. I can teach evolution as a theory and not fact. In Texas they do not have to take any form of standardized testing and they have more time to play, get involved in activities and just be happy well adjusted kids who know they are loved.
In California we do not have to have Standardized Testing either, unless you are under option 3, then it depends on whether your program requires you to or not. Patty
We love HS, My daughter went to PS for 1 year until they wanted to put her in Special Ed for a lisp..(which she out grew and the specialist said she would) Plus we found out the school gets more funding for kids in Special Ed so over 1/2 the kids in her class were in it. So thought we would HS for a year and then put her in back, well we loved it and so do the other three that are coming on so we continue. Plus my husband was in the Air Force so traveling with him was always fun on trips.(we just threw a few books in and learned about where we were going while there) In Michigan we do not have any testing or record keeping but I keep records. I just have never had them tested. (maybe one day?) I would and pray to HS the whole time they are with me and I feel Blessed to be able to and have a wonderful husband who stands right next to me through this lesson of life. God is good and faithful Many Blessings Lisa
I think that for us it is better that we HS. I have the temperament for it, am educated well enough to handle it, and am strongly led to do it. Besides, the PS's here have less than a 50% success rate. I am able to (at least so far so good) to afford the cost of staying home. We are making alot of sacrifices, but feel it is better. I see the kids being physically violent on the busses in traffic quite often. I know alot of parents with children that are being bullied. I see the kids of all ages smoking and using drugs in the park across the street from me at night. I could go on and on. There are others who have different circumstances.
Homeschooling gives the opportunity to prepare children to be better citizens of this country and world and of the next.
I guess I think Homeschooling is best when ever possible, with Private schools coming in second, and public/gov schools third at this point in my life.
Currently for my children, homeschooling is best. Now that we have started it, we will probably remain with it no matter where we go. They are just learning so much and it is turning into a wonderful experience. However, I am not one of those who believe HSing is for everyone. There is a reason that the PSs are failing. It isn't all the school system's fault. Many parents don't give a crap about their children. Some parents just do not have it in them, the fiances, the resources, the desire, etc. In those cases, even the public school system is better then no education at all. If you know a teacher, even in the best schools they are lucky to get 50% of the parents truely concerned about their children's educations.
That is very true, Aurie. Many parents just do not care anymore. This makes the ps twice as bad. For us homeschooling has opened up many doors as far as education goes. We are able to see things and learn things we may not have learned otherwise. A trip to grandma's house can turn into a geograghy lesson or a history lesson. Grocery shopping can be a math assignment. Although books are great and serve their purpose, it is exciting to have my child actually put what she is learning into practice. It is exciting to see things actually make sense and for her to desire to learn more on a subject. Even PE, we can focus on something that she is strong in and has a desire to flourish in. With homeschooling, children usually can develop their talents. Patty
I think we're blessed to live in a place where there are so many choices for the education of our children. There is no one answer for everyone, this is proved very well by the families with different children in different educational settings! What I don't care for in our society is the way the majority of people don't give school a second thought. You send your kids to public school because it's just what you're supposed to do. So a lot of parents give a lot of thought to where their baby will be born, what they will name them, what they will dress them in when they come home (if they weren't born at home!), what they will buy them for Christmas, what the nursery theme will be, and on and on and on. But they really don't give much thought to something as important as education! If notsure is reading this, I really do respect that you are exploring your options! There is no one answer that is right for everyone, but I think we should all at least give it some thought.
Standardized tests I'm new here, but my view on standardized testing is negative. The strength of the American education system (whether hs or ps) is not how we can take a test. Not to bring politics into this, but No Child Left Behind is a joke. We will get beat by India and China every time. Rather, our strength is in our ability to be creative and communicators. This is based on real world experience. The days of America dominating (if we ever did) in math and science are long gone. People in other questions have stronger skills and are willing to work long hours. What do others think?
I think that's why homeschooling works. The kids DO learn to work, and often DON'T take the tests. It is VERY hard to be creative in an institutionalized situation, which schools are. They have protocol that has to be followed, so there is not time, or not much, to be creative and try new things! "Just go with the flow!" Homeschoolers have learned to be much more creative, and have experience with many different age levels and groups of people through the different things they do. So they often end up being very good communicators! I know homeschoolers that travel a lot and see different people, different laws, different cultures, rich and poor, different philosophies....and learn well from it. We got the chance to take our family to Fiji for a 3 week mission trip. I was able to go to Kenya for a 3 week mission trip, while the family stayed home and prayed and worked at home. When they went, they learned a lot! It wouldn't have been possible to go if they had been in school. They learned a lot about Africa and the cultures and people there when I went this past summer. That's Global! Hmmmm, am I rambling? I'm tired, so maybe I should stop for now...........
I agree America is a great country. In countries, like Germany, people must go through the state system. Looking at my options, I see public, private, and home. I attended private school, and I don't think that it there is a huge benefit there because I am fortunate to live in a fairly wealthy community and my kids are taught the religious stuff at church and Sunday school. My problem with schools in general is standardized testing. My personal view is that creativity and communication as well as teamwork, tolerance, and sports are more important for success than some of the other items tested on standardized tests. So, my questions are: 1) Do people who homeschool get their children involved in sports? If so, is it as intense at high school? 2) How flexible are parents on standardized tests? 3) Does anyone have statistics on how children adapt to the "real world" after they go to college? I think I saw one study that showed HS vs PS were about the same. To me, that doesn't seem very positive for HS. I welcome more studies. 4) Outside of religion (I was crucified and burned at the stake in another tread for posing questions about religion in another thread), what are rthe easons for homeschooling? I'm looking for hard data, not he said she said or crap that Jon Stossel spews. 5) I hear a lot about people being against the "state" values. Could someone give me examples of "state" values? I'm sure that I'll have many more questions, but those are the ones that come to mind. Thanks!
Our begining to homeschool happened when we went to visit my neighboring grade school. We found a note taped to the window of the door we were anxiously peeking in to see what our son's class would look like for the coming year! ON the sign it basically said " we will teach your child to do what he wants" I say basically becasue it was in more techichal jargon and I do not recall the exact words as much as I do the paraphrase of it that I had asked my husband ( more technically minded) if that is what it was saying> He agreed that it was so. We both decided our five year old boy knew how to do what he wanted, but he needed to learn how to do what he had to even if he didn't want to. Since then I have read reports in our local news paper with the schools 'report card' as for how the teachers were standing up against the rest of the state, then country. Our school here rated last in the city I live in. I found the Jr and Sr high schools here were over crowded and the teachers were not credited even though they were holding possitons that paid them the same as a credited teacher. Over all those were beginings, to us home teaching our children.
1) Do people who homeschool get their children involved in sports? If so, is it as intense at high school? This varies from place to place. I am fortunate to live where my children can get involved in sports, but not through the school. I THINK they can play for the local Christian school, but am not sure. The intensity can vary. Heck, it varies in public school! 2) How flexible are parents on standardized tests? Again, there's no one answer. In my state, children are not required to take standard tests at all. 3) Does anyone have statistics on how children adapt to the "real world" after they go to college? I think I saw one study that showed HS vs PS were about the same. To me, that doesn't seem very positive for HS. I welcome more studies. A study was done recently, but I'm not sure if the results are out yet. Contact HSLDA, and I think they can help you on this one. 4) Outside of religion (I was crucified and burned at the stake in another tread for posing questions about religion in another thread), what are rthe easons for homeschooling? I'm looking for hard data, not he said she said or crap that Jon Stossel spews. Am sorry for the way you were attacked in the other thread. It was uncalled for. However, FOR ME, religion is the main reason I homeschool. Also, I am a former PS teacher, and my DH still teaches high school. The attitudes of the students make it almost impossible in our district for those who want to learn to actually do so. 5) I hear a lot about people being against the "state" values. Could someone give me examples of "state" values? For me "state values" involves a re-writing of history to exclude religion, political correctness, pro-homosexuality, pro-abortion, sex training as opposed to sex education, and an incredibly liberal agenda. At the same time, it undermines academics and true thinking. As my Dh puts it, they're more interested in graduating "trained monkieys", not people who know how to actually think. Tell them what to do, tell them how to do it, and they respond by rote. Give them anything that doesn't fit the mold, and they are stuck because they can't think it through.
The thing I'm liking best about hsing is the lack of the cruelness you see in some ps kids. The worst Jeanne has run into in her hs classes is some snottiness, but it was from just two kids in one class, and they did this to everyone. When I put her in things that are for all kids, like VBS, I see for myself the difference in behavior from the other kids. The one good thing about ps is that there's more opportunities, like band, etc. Unless we join a group Jeanne won't get a chance at certain things.
1) Do people who homeschool get their children involved in sports? If so, is it as intense at high school? My children are in Tae Kwon Do and the seasonal sport, currently basketball. They attend sports camps in the summer as well. Our homeschooling group does not have any organized sports, but the one in the neighboring city does. Their sport's teams compete against the private schools. I think it depends on the area in which you are homeschooling as to how active the sports are for the area. 2) How flexible are parents on standardized tests? I think this depends on the state and the parent. We will be testing our children each year. It is the option we choose with the state. I do not teach to the test, I just teach. My children are advancing now much faster then what they did in PS so I am not worried 3) Does anyone have statistics on how children adapt to the "real world" after they go to college? I think I saw one study that showed HS vs PS were about the same. To me, that doesn't seem very positive for HS. I welcome more studies. I have no stats on this, sorry. I know many homeschool groups have debate teams (ours does) and other social groups, 4-H, Scouts, etc. There are other community activities that children can be part of as well without going through the school system. 4) Outside of religion (I was crucified and burned at the stake in another tread for posing questions about religion in another thread), what are rthe easons for homeschooling? I'm looking for hard data, not he said she said or crap that Jon Stossel spews. We are homeschooling purely for acedemic reasons. We just moved to Louisiana. Louisiana has 67 parishes. The parish we moved into is ranked 64 in the state for education. Louisiana is ranked 49th in the country for education. I really did not believe any school system could be as horrible as those stats suggested. It was my belief that good education in PS was between the teacher and parents not the whole school system. Well the teachers, principal, superintendent, school board and anyone else associated with this school just didn't seem to care. It was awful. My children who loved learning before were coming home crying because school was total chaos and they were doing things they had done nearly 2 years ago in learning. 5) I hear a lot about people being against the "state" values. Could someone give me examples of "state" values? I have no idea on this one. Again, I brought mine home because I figured whatever I could teach them would definately be more then what they were getting locally. I use a state backed (not Louisiana state, but others) curriculum for their education.
I know I've already voiced my opinion before, but I think whatever is best for each family is what is best. It is sad to think there are kids out there who are better off in school than in their own homes. Know what I mean? Not one thing is best for everyone and their circumstances. I think there are pros and cons to both and it all depends on the kid, family, school, and community. If I chose to homeschool my children it would be because it would be the best way for my child to learn. I don't fear about mean kids because that is the real world and how will they learn to cope with conflict when they are older if they don't learn to cope at an earlier age? I don't fear about religion in our school district...YET. Our community is pretty Christian and tolerant of religion, especially the Christian religion. If I lived somewhere that was very "left", I may think differently. I expose and talk to my child(ren) about different religions so he can be tolerant when he is older and know not everyone believes the same as we do, but not to let it influence what we think is TRUTH. I don't think there is a one best way because truthfully and realistically, what I think is best will not always be what is best for everyone.
My children have never been to daycare or public/private schools. My DH and I have homeschooled them since birth. So for us it is no question that homeschool is best. Back in California our school district was horrible, when we moved to North Las Vegas last year it only reaffirmed our belief that homeschooling is best for our children. Not only is Nevada one of the worst states for public education, Las Vegas is out right dangerous. Just yesterday there were 2 teenages gun downed and shot multiple times in the high school parking lot!! They were on their way to early morning AP classes! Then on the news right now the cops just busted a high school heroin drug ring! AT a private christian high school even!! Guns, knives , drugs , 700 teachers SHORT in our county alone (that number is not for the state that is just for LAS VEGAS CITY)..its a daily news story here. It happens at the elementary school level also. Just last week a 7 year old brought a knife to school so he could stab someone that was looking at him wrong!! So I will NOT be putting my children in a school system that has these problems. We are active in martial arts, we have park day 2-3 a week when the weathers nice ( to do school work and exercise), and we are constantly going on trips as a family. The library is our second home , we have had a 4 week class on Magic Tricks, a Titantic exhibit/class was great, rubberstamping, 6 weeks of childrens choir, 8 weeks of band (all free instruments) and right now my two dd's are taking a 7 week childrens book illustrater course. All of this is free through our library! These are just a few of the activities that my children are involved in. So I have no worries that my children are "well rounded". I would like to reccommend 2 books that you all might be intrested in: Dumbing us down by John Taylor Gatto and Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto. Here is a link to a FREE e-book copy of Underground History of American Education: http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters John Taylor Gatto was a public school teacher for over 30 years and was a multiple-year winner of New York City and State Teacher of the Year. These books will really open your eyes.
