opinions needed on home schooling

[deannarbender]

How many think home schooling is better than public? my son has been in public school and is now in 7th grade, He said the kids are pushy and a lot of them are bullies and can he be home schooled, I like the fact that he has the responsibility of getting up in the morning  ,attending his classes and having hands on experiments in science ect, field trips,sports also. does anyone know if there is anything offered to kids who are home schooled?

[U2BMATH]

How many think home schooling is better than public? my son has been in public school and is now in 7th grade, He said the kids are pushy and a lot of them are bullies and can he be home schooled, I like the fact that he has the responsibility of getting up in the morning  ,attending his classes and having hands on experiments in science ect, field trips,sports also. does anyone know if there is anything offered to kids who are home schooled?

Hey deannarbender, I've heard good and bad when it comes to public vs homeschooling. I myself was in public all throughout my education. My sister was in a private christian school from elementary to graduation. My younger brother did both. Personally, I think I'm the smartest of the three of us, hehe. But I can also attest to the fact that public school is a LOT MORE CHALLENGING than private, or homeschooling, particularly because Peer Pressure is such a hard battle to win these days.

There are many curriculum out there these days to choose from. Google should be your best avenue for discovery on that. (Or Bing is being widely promoted these days as well).

[Shahrukhlover]

Home schooling is a bad idea.  Even online school is pretty bad.  Children won't get a chance to hone their social skills.  They'll be lost in the real world.  Making friends would be so hard.  Just because there are a couple of bullies in school doesn't mean that the kid will die or anything (unless the bullies are directly threatening your child, then they should leave not him). In the real world, there are people who he may not like.  Just running away from an actual school enivronment is just not right.  

[angelhome]

How many think home schooling is better than public? my son has been in public school and is now in 7th grade, He said the kids are pushy and a lot of them are bullies and can he be home schooled, I like the fact that he has the responsibility of getting up in the morning  ,attending his classes and having hands on experiments in science ect, field trips,sports also. does anyone know if there is anything offered to kids who are home schooled?

I feel it would be up to the parent. If you have the patience and the know how, I feel home school far out weighs public. I have grandchildren that are home schooled who are not yet teens, but because their mother was a Christian teacher, she has really worked with both and they are far smarter than any others I know. They attend public classes to test and both grade out A+ - have other grand children in public school who are subjected to lots of trash and it is all their parents can do to keep them in line - from running with a bad crowd, etc. But these parents do not have patience to home school. many public school teachers today are leaving the schools due to the attitudes of the kids I have 2 daughter in laws that teach in public schools but I am a grand mother. I would not like to teach in public schools today just judging from some kids I've seen and how arrogant they are. but there are good parents who do take task with their kids to make them mind their manners. hard question to answer.

[kapeh12]

Home schooling is a bad idea.  Even online school is pretty bad.  Children won't get a chance to hone their social skills.  They'll be lost in the real world.  Making friends would be so hard...

I respectfully disagree.  With all the other activities children can participate in - from other neighborhood kids, their own siblings, to clubs, to sports, to church groups, jobs for the older kids (babysitting, lawn cutting, paper route, and the like), etc - there are plenty of other ways for home schooled children to learn to socialize.  "Home schooled" doesn't mean "isolated".

My sister chose to home school her children (5 of them) due to the fact the public schools in her area are horrible (guns, gangs, drugs - you name it, they've got it).  Home schooling has grown so much, there are many online communities to support parents getting the materials required for your state - often the state's own educational department will have links for home schooled setups.  Many areas have so many home schooled children, the families get together to coordinate outings, and support for swapping teaching with weaker subjects.

Home schooling has come a long way in the past decade.  If a parent, for whatever reason, chooses to take on the challenge of home schooling, there will be a lot of dedication and work to ensure they can communicate the subjects effectively to their child/children, but know there is a lot of support to guide you along the endeavor.

[mlhnceh]

I too am thinking about homeschooling my children.  I googled homeschooling in Tennessee (where we live) and came up with a lot of good info.  Of the arguments against homeschooling here, I don't see anything negative.  In our town, there are lots of sports, activities for children outside of school.  My daughter is in second grade, I am really concerned that the school is not teaching basics-handwriting, arithmetic, grammer, etc.  My husband mentioned that it is harder to get accepted into college if you are homeschooled, but I found an extensive list of colleges that accept homeschoolers.  I guess what I am rambling about is that I will probably end up homeschooling my kids.  There are lots of curriculums, support groups, and advice available now, and with all the garbage in schools, I don't see any reason not to. 

[ladysurvivor]

I just signed my son up for home schooling. It is actually a Christian Academy that he does at home. He is a junior and he said that he just couldn't take how the school taught, didn't offer more classes and he said that the kids he had grown up with just acted different. He has always been a good student but for the past year he has really been discouraged with the high school he has gone to. I have learned that with this school that not only are the students bullies, but the administration are difficult to deal with. One assistant principal has CONTROL issues. I have confidence that this is the right choice for us. My son has even started to talk and grin more.

The only thing about homeschooling that I learned is that they aren't accredited, even some of the Christian Academy schools. The kids really have to work to maintain a good GPA. I have heard that kids that are doing this score higher on their tests scores.

[Shahrukhlover]

I don't condone home-schooling.  It stumps social skills. It doesn't give  children to experience what they should.  Home schooling might be better because it may be less stressful and you may be able to get ahead more quickly, but what about sports and extra-curricular activities? They have to have the full experience.

[helmera1]

I believe that public schooling is a better option. By doing this your child is getting to expierence the real world and is being put in situations where they are forced to make a right or wrong decision. 

[pepsis]

There are a lot of pros and cons on home schooling.  I see things happening in the public school system and it really worries me and yet I feel if are children don't face these public issues how are they going to act when they are really in the world, working.