Flower Crafts, Spring Break and Homeschool Question
April 11, 2008
I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything new… I’ve been enjoying having the kids home for Spring Break this week and haven’t done a lick of work.
Before we get to the crafts, I wanted to see if I could get your opinions about something.
I’m considering starting to homeschool my kids starting next school year. I know a lot of people homeschool for religious reasons, but my reasons are really because I’m not happy about the education my kids are receiving. They currently go to public school where it is pretty rural. When we moved here, it was supposed to be one of the best school systems in Kentucky (that’s why we bought a house here), but my kids seem bored and unchallenged… not to mention the hours of pointless homework which amounts to nothing more than busy work. We thought about private school, but it’s a good hour drive each way to get to one.
Do any of you have experience homeschooling? What do you like and dislike about it? I would appreciate any and all feedback!
On to the crafts…
Muffin Flower Craft - Materials you’ll need for this simple craft are a printer, glue, scissors, construction paper, and two muffin cups (the paper cups you make muffins or cupcakes in). This one is really easy and a lot of fun!
Flowers Bookmarks - This craft is super simple for kids of all ages. Simply cut out pictures of flowers (we use all those garden catalogs we get in the mail) and glue them onto a bookmark sized piece of paper. We adapted this idea to create our own Spring flower pictures instead of bookmarks. Four year olds just don’t have much use for bookmarks.
Mock Mosaic Flower - Draw a simple flower outline on a piece of construction paper for the child. Glue pieces of colored paper, yarn, feathers, buttons, or whatever you have on hand inside the outline of the flower to make it three dimensional.
Painted Flower Pots - Use a clean terra cotta flower pot for this project. Have each child decorate the flower pot with markers, paint, stamps, or anything else you want to use. The terra cotta soaks up so much of the pigment that you don’t have to worry about the color staying put. If you’re worried about the designs staying place, however, you can always spray the pots with a sealer. Once you get the pots done and dry, then help your child to put a plant in their pot. They can be in charge of watering and taking care of their plant.
If you have any flower craft ideas of your own, drop me a note and I’ll post them next time!
Hello!
My situation is a lot like yours. We moved to a town nearby where my husband was from because it had a better school district. Well, after our first year in Kindergarten, we realized that the school district is really no better than any other and that our daughter was bored and (like yours) unchallenged.
We attempted to ask the teacher to try to challenege her more and yet, she refused! She said she had a state based cirriculum that she is required to teach and that she couldn’t give my daughter more things to do because it would take away from other students.
Now, we have been homeschooling for 5 months and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m not even sure I’m going to try sending my youngest daughter either…I think we’ll just continue homeschooling until they are done or we are unable to do it for whatever reason.
My advice is, don’t fret…just do it! It will be so worth it!
What an exciting time for your family! I was a teacher before I was a mom, but we did not decide to homeschool until the kids were ready for Kindergarten. It just didn’t feel right for our family to put them in school. The schools in California are horrid, really really bad! (at least in our area) The private school I taught at before having kids was very expensive (funny, I could teach there but not afford to send my kids there) and was 45 minutes away. So we thought we’d try our hands at homeschooling.
We take it 1 year at a time, re-evaluating progress and how it fits our family. Our oldest is 7 and our youngest is 4. Our family really enjoys homeschooling. The boys are learning things that interest them so it “sticks” better. They both love science and are excelling like mad through new concepts.
We are able to do things as a family that we would never be able to experience if the kids were “in” school. We just returned from a month long vacation in Hawaii where we learned about volcanoes, coral reefs and Polynesian culture. It was marvelous. We try to travel as much as possible (finances willing) and love that the boys are learning things that interest them, ideas and concepts that are never taught in classrooms.
I also work from home, so the boys have been involved in the “family” business as well. What an amazing learning opportunity for them. I do struggle a bit with time management, but we’re working on it.
We love it. While it is definitely a very personal decision that must be made by each family, it has worked marvelously for us. You can try it out and see if it’s a fit.
Good luck!! *Ü*
How are homeschooled children tested and passed to the next grade level?
Does the school district test them, and if so, how do you know that you’re teaching them what they need to know to pass those tests?
I am so glad you asked this question. I am contimplating homeschooling as well. My daughter is in grade 5 and due to increasing population in our area, the school system can’t keep up and the student to child ratio has gotten too large. She is not receiving the attention she needs to achieve what she is capable of achieving. My son is about to begin pre-school and I am certain we will be experiencing the same problems when he begins mainstream education. We have no private schools within driving distance. My concern with homeschooling is the social aspect. I am not a social person and have difficulties with groups. I do not wish to pass that onto my children and don’t know how to tackle that aspect if they do not attend school. Would love to hear how others tackle that.
thanks
I’ve read that kids do pretty well socially because they learn to interact with all kinds of people in their every day life and with their peers through extra-curricular activities, but I’m still not sure.
I’d hate for them to miss out on sleep overs, birthday parties, school dances, etc. just because we want a better education for them. A regular school would certainly provide a different social learning experience for them… and that seems an important part of growing up too.
Chris,
There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. My view is that if you are conscientious enough to consider hs’ing….you have what it takes to do it and succeed! You are correct in your belief that many school for religious reasons. However; in my experience they are outnumbered by those of us who hs for other reasons. Most families, like ours, actually have many reasons. In our case, we are very rural and I would have to drive my children almost 5 miles to the nearest bus stop and then they’d still have a 45 minute bus ride to school. That is much too long of a time for young children.
Secondly, my children are allergic to antibiotics so if they get sick there is not much I can do other than wait it out. As we all know, public places are a breeding ground for germs. Hs’ing allows me to avoid sickness as much as possible. Does that mean my children are stuck at home? Totally the opposite. “Home”-school is a misnomer for us. We are involved in many different groups and activities. What hs’ing does is give me the opportunity to choose. As mentioned in another comment…public school has a required curriculum that they must adhere to. They have no choice.
A third reason we hs is so I can have more control and input into what my children are taught and how that information is presented to my girls. A 4th reason is I like my kids and I want them around. When you get right down to it, it’s less to do with religion and more to do with what I feel is best for my children.
Some things to consider:
Laws differ from state to state. Find out your states law regarding homeschool. A good site to find that info is here: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/laws/blKY.htm You will also find tons of other great reading material on this site.
What course of study will you pursue? A good source is: http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum they list what the state suggests for each grade. You don’t have to accept this guide, but it can give you some ideas. It is also helpful in showing you if you are overlooking something.
While considering the course of study, you’ll also need to decide the method of instruction. Find out about the different ways homeschoolers teach: montessori, un-schooling, virtual school, co-op,etc…..then identify which one would work best for you and go for it. if it doesn’t go as well as you thought, then re-evaluate and try something different. the first site i mentioned can also help you weed through the different avenues and the language of education.
Networks. I think it’s very important that you associate yourself with a network. Whether that is a large state sponsored group or a private friendly group is up to you. There are many different groups out there. The benefit of a network ranges from personal support from someone who’s been there to being able to take advantage of group discounts for special programs. Some groups will let you join them in activities while you are deciding whether or not to homeschool. Check with your local library and see if your librarian is familiar with any families or networks in your area.
Resources.
As you investigate hs’ing, you will find that we have more resources available to us that we could ever possibly use. Beyond networks are the internet, yahoo groups and such, library’s, museums, clubs such as girl scouts, 4-H, dance and art schools, co-ops….it really is endless and can be very overwhelming at times. All of these groups have something in common that applies to ‘education’. They ‘earn’ different recognitions thru the completion of activities. You can use their requirements as an outline for you classes. The groups can also give you opportunities in field trips and play mates for your children on a regular basis.
A parting thought for you….Who taught your child to hold a spoon, drink from a cup, walk, get dressed, pick up thier toys, etc.? It was not some one you shipped your child off to each day. It was you and your family. You were and ARE thier first teacher. The choice is yours on whether you take it to the next step or give the responsibility to others. And lastly, you can always register your child for public school at any time should life change and you no longer wish to hs.
Feel free to contact me privately with any questions or concerns you might have. Homeschooling is not for everyone, but I do believe that if you are motivated in doing what is best for your child that you can succeed in the endeavor and there are over a million other homeschoolers who will help you.
pj
pbjohnson@gmail.com
I would NEVER homeschool any children!!! Homeschooled children miss out on learning twenty tons of social skills. Sooner or later, they must learn to survive in the real world, and I see it as very unfair to handicap children by not allowing them the very important skills that are part of the traditional schools.
More logical and effective solutions to complaints about local public schools are to ATTEND YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. Very, very, very few parents ever attend these meetings - and even then often do nor voice their opinions to the School Board members, especially BEFORE a vote is taken on a particular issue of interest to them.
Better yet - RUN FOR YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD - and make a difference!!!
And that’s what I have to say about that.
I think it is great that you are concerned enough about you child’s education to consider homeschooling. I have five children aging from 1-7 and I am homeschooling three of them. One is in Second, another in First and another in Kindergarten.
The reason that I have decided to homeschool because I didn’t think my children would get challenged. They wanted to put my daughter in first grade because of her age when she really was at a second grade levelin most subjects and at a third grade level in her reading Talk about a child being bored and unchallenged!!
I have been homeschooling for three years now and love every minute of it. I have the great and wonderful opportunity to see my children challenged and proud of their accomplishments. Homeschooling is a lot of work and does require a lot of your time as a parent/teacher. You need to be well organized and focused. You need to set a schedule and stick to it. For example, make the children do school work when you have set the time for it.
I was a teacher by trade and I will have to agree with the fact that many children are not being challenged as they should be. We now have the No Child Left Behind program that is great is some cases but what about all the children that are above the grade that they are in. As a teacher, you are required to teach the State curriculum but many teachers don’t go above and beyond to help those that are advanced. I believe there are a lot more school drop outs not only those who don’t do well in school but also those who are just simply bored and unchallenged.
You need to do what is best for your children. Think about how homeschooling could benefit them in the long run. Just because you start homeschooling you children now doesn’t mean they can’t go back to a public school or private school later. The first five years of a child’s education is so important. That is the foundation of their education.
Be encouraged!!!
Hello Chris, First I love all your craft ideas. I am home schooling, and I love it. There are different curriculums you can follow. I am not happy with the educational school system we live in nor are my friends. It very versitle, and if we want to have an outing we make it educational. I think your children would really benefit. Elen
We have 4 children all of which are home educated. Our oldest is a Senior and has always been taught at home. We started home educating the children because I was not comfortable sending them to public school even though our district is very good. I did not want to deprogram them from all the nonacademics that they would learn. Private school was not a option financially. We started 1 year at a time, now 13 years later we would not do anything else. I love the fact that we can teach a subject or area of study to the kids until they understand it and not have to go on because we have to get through a certain number of pages in a book.
As to the concern that Doris has on the social aspect of homeschooling, my children have not missed out on much. They are very capable to communicate with all ages of society. (Which is really what they need to be able to do.) They are involved in as many activites as they can handle. They have both homeschool friends as well as public and private schooled friends. My oldest is also going to a local public school Prom with a friend. Many areas have Home School Support Groups along with Home School team sports, debate, speech, coop classes, etc…. They can be as involved or more involved in things as public school kids can. You can also dual enroll the children in public school activities if they want.
I could go on and on about home education…My son tells me I do go overboard. But I do believe that it is a wonderful choice and we would not do anything different.
“”I’d hate for them to miss out on sleep overs, birthday parties, school dances, etc. just because we want a better education for them. A regular school would certainly provide a different social learning experience for them… and that seems an important part of growing up too.”"
Chris, I must disagree with your comment. It is a common misconception that homeschooler’s miss out on socialization.
First…what is socialization? It is not being placed in a room of 25 other children of the same age and told look at the teacher, don’t talk, listen….
Yes, public school will give them a much different ’social’ experience. But being homeschooled does not mean they will miss out on play dates, parties, or involvement in activities. it means they will miss out on the bullies, play ground fights, etc.
My girls are 9 yrs old. They have many invitations to join birthday parties of public schooled kids that they have met through activities such as Scouts and Dance classes. Also, homeschool networks gather on a regular basis for things like park day or swim day.
Keep asking questions!!!
pj
You asked: “”How are homeschooled children tested and passed to the next grade level?
Does the school district test them, and if so, how do you know that you’re teaching them what they need to know to pass those tests?”
Laws vary from state to state. A big concept to keep in mind is when you homeschool YOU become thier teacher, principal, superientendent, and school board. YOU decide what is required for them to “pass” or “fail”. Now, some states do have more specific guidelines that you legally must meet and that’s why it’s important to know your states law.
I am in Arkansas. Legally, I must have my children tested by the state yearly from grade 3-9. However; it is *I* who decides whether my child ‘passes’ to the next grade, not the test results or the state.
Again, I can’t stress enough…know your states law. That will figure into your decisions.
pj
I homeschooled 2 of my sons during middle school, one for 2 years and one for 4 years. There are lots of good materials out there to use. In our area there was a homeschool group that met once a week for sports activities. Check with your state homeschool group and see if there are any area ones in your area. In our area, you had to have them tested but could have them tested yourself or have the school district do it. They are basically general knowledge tests for that grade. Most published materials would cover what they need to know.
Are you wondering if you can teach your child to read? Take a look at this site: http://www.starfall.com It is a free phonics based program who’s objective is to promote, encourage, and reenforce reading from pre-k to grade 3. If you can sit with your child and help them go through this interactive online program—–then you have what it takes to homeschool and teach your child to read!!! At the same time, you will be teaching your child computer skills that they would not receive in public schools until after the 3rd grade.
And this is just one site and one method. There’s much more available.
pj
I home school my daughter right now and will my youngest when the time comes. I do it for two reasons. My husband does geneology research and it takes him on travels all over the states and sometimes to dif. parts of the world. Since I home school, I can take our children with us and turn it into hands on learning. Second, I never wanted to have my kids go to public school and I can’t afford private. I am for private because I went to both as a child. I was totally bored in public and got into more trouble, but was more challenged in private.
Home schooled children don’t miss out on socializing. They have organizations you can join to have reg. school like field trips, PHEd., and such. If you look around you can also find that some places like libraries and museums have homeschooling days. They can join Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. My girls will join American Hearitage Girls. (Also for the religeous, there is church to socialize, like Sunday school and Awana)
And if you are worried about not getting those school pictures, ask at the WalMart photographer shop. They have home schoolers specials. So, unless you are the type of parent that will sit on you butt all day and not get those kids out and experience the world….home schooling is the best for the child in all ways put.
Lori, you jogged my memory. Oh, there is so much to consider and talk about with homeschooling!!
We gave our home school a name, and on the ‘first’ day of each new year, we take a field trip and take “official” school pictures there. One of the networks we belong to also has a “NOT back to school” party. We gather at the local community center and have different activities for the ’students’ to do. Some are science experiements, some are games like dodge ball, we also have some type of art and craft available. We often theme our party to an ethnic group so we can also present ‘diverse cultures’ and social studies into our party.
What is it that Dr. Suess says…”oh the places you will go..oh the things you will do…” Homeschooling …. most days, I love it!
pj
I’m so grateful for the discussion on homeschooling. I too am considering homeschooling my children and have many questions and concerns. My husband is in the military so we move around A LOT. My girls are almost school age so this is going to become an issue very soon. I have already begun teaching my 3 year old preschool at home and ordered some curriculum material online to help me. I have to say, she is doing wonderful. She can already read, write, do simple math, knows sign language, and is currently learning some music theory and more advanced math. So, it is very tempting for me to continue with her because I feel she will be bored and unchallenged in public school…and I never know what the school systems are going to be like where we end up next. I’m getting ready to send her to preschool here on base for 2 half days a week so she can get some socialization and learn some classroom skills. Socialization is a big concern for me too because I tend to keep to myself.
I’ve done some research and found that there are even homeschools online that keep up with assignments, testing, and grading so that you don’t have to and can just concentrate on the teaching aspect of it. They even have teachers assigned as consultants for each class that you can confer with if you want to. It tends to be a little pricey though. Does anyone have any information about these online schools and if they are beneficial? Just trying to get all the info I can before I make a decision.
Thanks for all of the info so far! Been really helpful!
My son had a terrible experience in Kindergarten so we moved him out around Christmas. We spent the first year homeschooling him. There is so much to learn that it’s almost overwhelming, but, as you already know, school doesn’t teach that much anyway. When you homeschool, you can follow your child’s interests and work at his or her own speed. The only drawback can be loneliness. So that’s what to watch out for and remedy if necessary, through community classes and playdates. By the way, I’m not homeschooling for religious reasons either. Just didn’t like the hours, the kids don’t get enough breaks, the busy work, and the whole philosophy of regular public school. We’re lucky to live in an area where homeschooling is very popular and catered to, the Phoenix area in AZ. Good luck.
Hi Chris,
I’ve been homeschooling my 6 year old son for a year now. We have always known that we would homeschool. It has never made any sense to me to send my precious child out of my home to be taught, guided and formed by adults we do not know and to be immersed in a social arena that I can neither observe or supervise. In answer to the many questions and concerns you are likely to run into if you homeschool, simply google something like “effects of homeschooling” or “studies on homeschooled children”. You will find that homeschooling is currently the most studied form of education and all of the studies (even some done by state boards of education) are all showing that homeschooled children consistently outperform their same age peers academically; and typically by a very wide margin. Socially, homeschooled children are found (again in scientific studies) to be independent thinkers who are much less likely to be swayed by peer pressure and are much more likely to speak out against behaviors or activities which they believe are wrong or harmful. They also show the ability to comfortably interact with people of all ages, both younger and older, as opposed to their public schooled peers who through years of same-age placement have only learned to interact with people of their own age.
For the many people like Mary Jane above who will say that your children have to “learn to survive in the real world”, my answer to that is “Not at 6 years old they don’t.”. Throwing our children into unsupervised social interactions with their peers (and we all know children can be cruel) at a time when their self image is still unformed and their self esteem is developmentally fragile is akin to tossing them into a lake and hoping they will swim even though they haven’t had any swim lessons. A select few children would actually swim, most would flounder until someone fishes them out, and a tragic few wiould drown. Social Skills and the ability to deal gracefully with the difficulties of the world in a healthy way are not naturally occuring skills; they must be taught. My son is involved in a variety of activities, all observed by me. He still experiences bullying, rudeness, not being invited to a party that other children were invited to, etc. The difference is that, since I have observed those situations occuring, I have the opportunity to teach to the situation and help him learn to frame that experience in a healthy way and actually teach him the best way to deal with it the next time.
As for starting out in homeschooling Chris I would agree with some others who have posted here and say that if you have the ability to consider doing it, you will have the ability to do so sucessfully. Your first step should be to find out your state laws about homeschooling. You can do this at your states board of education site - you can also go to the site for the Homeschool Legal Defense Association http://www.hslda.org (a site all homeschoolers should be familiar with) and they have homeschool guidelines for all states listed there. Another site that I found immensely useful when I was just starting out is the same reference offered by PJ above http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com - you can also just google the site name which is A to Z Home’s Cool. This site is a treasure trove of information for the beginning homeschooler to help you find out about the various options in homeschooling today. Also be sure to check out if there are any local homeschooling groups in your area, they can be wonderful resources of socialization for both you and your child and support for the choice to homeschool.
Good luck, Chris. I hope you’ll let us all know what you decide.
Connie
“”"More logical and effective solutions to complaints about local public schools are to ATTEND YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD”"”
Miss Maryjane kent….I must point out that you assume that all homeshoolers have a complaint against ‘traditional’ school. I happen to adore our local public school system and both myself and my daughters volunteer our time there on a weekly basis. My 9 yr old daughters tutor younger children in reading, while I help teachers and assist in fundraising.
You also mention a concern that homeschooled children miss out on learning social skills. ..and further must learn to survive in the ‘real world’.
THAT is exactly why I homeschool. To prepare my children to be functional, responsible citizens when they reach adulthood. I expect them to not only have the knowledge but also the SKILLS developed to succeed in our society.
My seven daughters range in age from 35 to 9 yrs. Not all of them have been homeschooled, so I feel I can speak about the educational choices available with out bias. We have experienced public, private, and the home school enviornment. My three homeschooled daughters have not ‘missed’ anything that would positively prepare them for thier lives or making a livelihood for themselves.
My 4th graders are already well versed in many aspects of society. They have bank accounts and understand the reasons of them, how they operate and what they can do with them. They know already how to vote, and why this is not only a priveledge but also a reponsibility of each citizen. They understand how each branch of our government operates and how to make their voices heard. The twins also feel it’s unfair that they can’t vote and ‘be heard’ until they are 18. They have both approached legislators with concerns they have regarding our enviornment, and they have and continue to volunteer thier time and energies to the betterment of our community. i will also mention that they have their own business (seperate from our family business) that they run and operate. they are NINE. Yes, I helped them learn how to develop thier business and occasionally I remind them and bring them back to task, but they fully realize that they are in charge of thier profit margin.
I wish I had of been so well prepared for adulthood upon my graduation from public school. Instead I floundered at university, changing my major several times before identifing ‘what i want to be when i grow up’.
By all means, be aware of what’s happening with your local school board. Be involved! That is a citizen’s responsibility. Being functional in today’s society; however, is not pivotal to spending time in a classroom. On the contrary, it is participating in society.
Respectfully,
pj
I applaud you.. And if your child is not getting fed.. Go for it. I had just the opposite experience. I was a slow learner before they had all these special programs. My teachers from grade 1 thur graduation was great.
They seemed to understand and sensed that I was doing my best. It took me an extra year to graduate, but without those wonderful teachers, It would had taken me much longer, If I even got as far as graduatuon. I
think what helped me, Is I was determined to graduate and I loved learning.. Without my love and determination, I would be nowhere today,
Even now in ny 60’s, I still go on the net and find things to learn. I still love learning, which I attribute to my wonderful concerned teachers.
My sister homeschools her kids and has enjoyed every minute of it. She has 3 kids (4, 7, 11) and loves the flexibility.
I am a teacher, and I see two sides to homeschooling. I see that it can be done very well. In this case, parents ensure their children get a variety of experiences both academic and social.
I worry about how parents can teach their kids as they get older and are working on a variety of more challenging material. I would not be comfortable teaching my child highschool level math for example. That’s not an area I’m strong in, and I would worry constantly about how well I was teaching the material. On the other hand, I know there are many resources available to parents who homeschool their kids. Using these resources will help with academics.
I think the most important thing to keep in mind when homeschooling is the social skills your child is developing. While working in a class with lots of kids is definitley challenging, children are learning how to get along with others. This is an important life skill.
If children are given enough opportunity to make a keep friendships, resolve conflicts with peers, and meet new people as well as learn all they are supposed to learn, homeschooling works very well.
Something to keep in mind…with homeschooling, you are now teacher and parent (obviously!). I’m not sure I would want to try to maintain both kids of relationships my kids.
Chris, I am a home-educating mom of 4. I love the experience and my kids do too. I did a lot of research before undertaking this but really, as parents, you are home-educators already! There are sooo many different styles of doing this, you get to choose what’s right for your family.
As for the social aspects of school - there is never, EVER another point in time in their lives when they will be forced to spend time with 20-30 members of their own age range. Why do we fret so much about them learning how to do that? We are members of our local support group, so my kids get plenty of interaction with kids of ALL ages and their parents. As far as the “socialization” issue goes, I cannot put it better than an article I found recently by Marsha Ransom. It’s lengthy but I feel it’s important enough to share.
HOW TO ANSWER THE SOCIALIZATION QUESTION ONCE AND FOR ALL
“I am beginning to tire of the many articles, essays and responses I keep running across on what has become to be known as the “socialization question”. Homeschooling families, please listen carefully: What people refer to as socialization is a non-issue! It has become a buzz-word among the ‘Official Homeschool Nay Sayers Society’. When someone asks you the question (What about Socialization?), I suggest you begin by asking them. “what do you mean by socialization?” They will more than likely proceed with some variation of the following theme: “You know, having your kids spend time with other kids their age. Hanging out with their friends, stuff like that.” At that point do no, under any circumstances respond with “Oh my little Susie gets plenty of socialization! She’s in r-H and Awanas, and Sunday school and Homeschool band and she volutneers at the nursing home etc. etc. etc. In fact she has so many opportunites for socialization that I hardly have time to teach her some days. yada, yada, yada” Why not? Because this is not what socialization really is!
Here is a more appropriate response: “Oh, I think the word you are looking for is socializing. Socialization is actually defined as the process by which the norms and standards of our society are passed from one generation to the next. I’ve never really thought that a complete strangers six-year old child would be a good source of information on the correct standards of behaviour in our family and in society as a whole. As for socializing, I remember from my school days that it was something you weren’t supposed to be doing during class!”
We do not have to defend homeschooling based on false assumptions, false accusations, and false information.”
Because part of our reason for home educating is due to our Christianity, we prayed about the decision. I will pray for your family as you make your decision.
By the way, love your crafts - I’m on the leadership team of our local support group and have recently started up a craft co-op. A lot of the crafts we do are chosen from your offerings!
Thank you for this resource!!
I decided to homeschool my daughter when she was first born. I KNOW without a doubt she would be bored in a regular classroom setting.
I wanted to be in control in what she was learning, how she was learning it, and that she be taught history from Creation on, not what the teachers and Dept of Education decide what she needs to know. Between music, dance, and playtimes she socializes just fine!
Go for it is my word of advice. We may in the beginning stages but don’t regret it for an instant.
Janelle
Funny thing is, I was raised by Atheist/Buddhist parents in a mostly Catholic country (France), and I’d call myself Unitarian since I had no problems integrating all those different ideas. I’m also very liberal in the sense that I believe very strongly in freedom of speech and religion, or no religion for that matters. I’m not anti-gay or anything like that, actually I’m not even against gay marriage and have no problems with sexual education. My husband and I are married, but my family has a lot of less traditional unions. And we’re mixed blood and of different countries, but I still found a huge discrepancy between the values I want to teach my son and the values taught in a lot of public schools.
I’m not talking about the teachers whom I admire greatly in general, but the environment and atmosphere they have to work in are stifling to say the least. I think that most of the time, what anti-homeschoolers reproach us is truly a lack of socialization, meaning they realize we disapprove of the values instilled in many public schools, and take this personally. I found many schools to be intolerant, and not just of Christian values, and discouraging standing up for oneself, or others, discouraging making personal decisions, and taking responsibility, discouraging being creative and original, discouraging questioning what’s established. They may have different ideas and beliefs from Christians, but they’re no more tolerant and open-minded than the religious people they criticize and feel superior to.
Once again, the strange thing is that I didn’t find much of that in the teachers themselves, but the school system, the institution. I have seen wonderful teachers having to battle the system in order to teach the kids to think for themselves and express their feelings, and satisfy their craving for learning. Frankly, many are amazing people. As a parent, however, I don’t want my children to have to suffer while we try to change the system from the inside.
At the end of the 5 months my son spent in Kindergarten, the child had developed depression! Fortunately, his teacher, who had taught him before in a great private preschool, noticed the change in behavior, became alarmed, and informed us there was something really wrong with him! The fact is, when the values taught at home and the values taught at school are too different, it is highly disturbing for the children. And as long as we’re law abiding citizens, we’re free to have our own values in this country, and that’s a GOOD thing.
Emmanuelle hit it right on the head in the second paragraph. Originally from Frankfort, I moved to the Space Coast of FL in 1997 (long before planning kids). As a nurse working with troubled children and adolescents there, I learned that it was not the educational environment I wanted for my kids, nor the social one. So, I came back to KY the year before my oldest was to start kindergarten, to allow him to adjust to our new environment before completely restructuring his life with school. He started kindergarten, and I quickly realized he was ahead, bored, repressed, and becoming stigmatized for misbehaving because of it. He lost weight, began wetting the bed, having nightmares, and cried every day how he hated it. When I presented my concerns to the school, they threatened me with CPS, saying there must be something going on at home causing this. I was shocked. I was equally shocked to find that they were incorporating uncorroborated (by me or my family, anyway) political opinions into the writing assignments!
We have completed our first year of homeschooling. My child is peaceful, polite and still ahead (we finished “first” grade doing second grade, midyear math, and completing third grade sight words at the beginning of the year), which is absolutely THE BEST thing about homeschooling…you get to play up each child’s strengths, and allow more time for things they feel weak in or unready to approach, in a format that works for each child. My just-turned-4 year old is excelling in kindergarten level activities, loves workbooks, and is a morning person. My six year old HATES workbooks, but is proficient on the computer, in reading, and in practical application, and learns best in the evening. I, unlike a classroom, can accommodate both, without requiring someone adapt to one way of doing things, which allows the formation of strong self esteem and identity. Neither of them are wrong for being different.
Every thing in every day is a learning experience…why not get credit for it? Your crafts teach problem solving, following directions, reading, sometimes math. Recipes are math and chemistry. Holiday crafts are history, culture, and religion, if you choose. Practical application of these things helps the children retain the material, ascertain its value in reality, and apply it in other situations. Socialization? They don’t pick up many negative behaviors as they might in school because I am there to tell them what is and is not acceptable in our home and why, as it is happening, not after they’ve been told by their peers what is cool or required to be their friend.
I won’t tell you that just because I home school, my children won’t still have an occasional tantrum at bedtime from time to time (usually indicating it should have come about half an hour earlier, regardless what the clock says!), or that they have become “Stepford” children. That’s counter to what I would be trying to achieve. I have always valued the ability to critical think and problem solve, to form individual opinions and think for one’s self, to QUESTION, and to seek answers. School most certainly DOES NOT. There are many support groups available, many online. I have many resources, some invaluable. If you would like more information, feel free to email me. In this changing world, I have one thing I would insist upon for any home schooling family, secular or religious: HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association). It’s cheaper than buying snacks for the whole class 15 times a year, school clothes, and the like, and well worth the peace of mind!! They offer cool discounts to many things with membership as well.
Should you decide to home school, talk with some people at length who have done it. You will find you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on materials, curricula, or how-to books. It’s a beautiful thing to be there for your children’s accomplishments, to help them over the hurdles, and to know exactly what is being put into their minds! It is the best decision I ever made for mine. Best of luck, and as I said, feel free to email me!
Hi Chris,
Kust a quick note for you. I think you would be a great homeschooling parent with how dedicated you seem to be to your children and to us (your subscribers). As for the homework, it breaks my hearts to hear my friends talk about their family’s schedule. They get home, hurry up and try to get their kids to finish their homework before their sport or extracurricular lesson, then rush home for dinner (or eat on the way) then finish up the homework before bed (which is often too late for how early they need to get up). We just spend our day leasurely doing our schoolwork often meeting with friends, and we are all done with school before it’s time to start on dinner. Then the evenings are family time with dad and/or sports/extra-curricular time. Good luck with your decision, and keep your eyes open because we see reasons that remind us why we homeschool our children at least once a week.
Hello!
I am a homeschooling mom of an 8 year old daughter and I can tell you that it has been and continues to be a blessing for my family. Several of my friends and associates homeschool for religious reasons, but I too chose to homeschool based on the quality, or lack thereof, of education afforded my daughter at the time she was to begin kindergarten. She is now a healthy thrid grader and I still feel that we have made the right decision for our family. DD can move at her own pace and not be dependent on the educational level of her peers to dictate what she learns and at what pace AND what she spends on any one subject is totally up to her personal progress. We can focus her education and approach her learning based on her personal learning style and she is afforded the opportunity to delve into more creative outlets since she doesn’t have extra “busy work” taking up precious time. She is an outgoing, vivacious, independent, loving individual who is encouraged to be her own person…not “one of the crowd” or “clique-ish” or have her light dimmed from conforming to the masses. There are soooo many options available to you and your family. My suggestion…Take it to the Lord and He shall direct your path…Many of us have chosen this road and contrary to popular belief, it has been my experience that the majority homeschool for reasons other than religion (although, it IS truly a blessing to have the opportunity to share my faith with my daughter).
Good wishes and God Speed in your journey, whatever decision you are led to make…
HI I know many people who homeschool and they all speak great of it! I know that the kids are with others kids once a week in a co-op program.
I think its a great idea! I was a pre-k teacher and I do know how kids are unchallenged and I think this is a great idea and I wish you the best!
Thanks for taking the time to write!
Does anyone know where I can find some statistics that rank school districts on a national level? I’ve found where my state ranks nationally and where my district ranks in the state, but I’d like to know how my public school districts does nationally. Any ideas?
I was also wondering if there are any statistics out there that tell us how homeschoolers stack up against public school students statistically… like the percentage of homeschoolers that earn scholarships, attend college, rankings on their ACT/SAT, etc.
I’m sure I’m about as clear as mud… I’d just like to see if there is any data available that proves that homeschoolers do better academically - as I suspect that they do. Homeschoolers aren’t tracked and tested by state and national agencies in the same way that public schools are, so maybe that’s why I’m not finding anything.
Hi Chris,
You can find lots of great info on how homeschoolers compare academically with public schooled children on the Homeschool Legal Defense Association site. Go to the HSLDA site - http://www.hslda.org - and type into the site search the words “Academic Statistics on Homeschooling” and you will pull up several pages of articles, scientific papers and research about how homeschooled children are doing academically. Additionally, as I mentioned in my earlier post, you can simply google something like “effects of homeschooling” or “studies of homeschooled children” and come up with tons of hits.
Many homeschooled children are in fact tracked and tested by state agencies, either by the request of parents who feel the need to see how their kids are doing compared to public schooled children or, in some states, (such as Tennessee where I live) the state requires periodic standardized testing of homeschooled kids. So the stats are out there, and they are quite impressive. Homeschooled kids consistently outperform their public schooled peers academically.
But please do remember, that the requirements of a standardized education and a standardized level of performance is a huge part of what is wrong with our public schools today. There are a lot of brilliant and passionate teachers out there who are finding their hands tied by their schools requirements to only teach a certain curriculum in a certain way and with certain results. One of the blessings of homeschool is the ability to choose the kind of curriculum and the level of curriculum and the style of teaching that is best for your kids - regardless of what the state has arbitrarily decided they should be learning. State standards are perhaps important to know as a homeschooler, but don’t make the mistake of letting them dictate how and what you teach your kids. You and your children are best equipped to determine that.
Blessings
Connie
What a great discussion about homeschooling. Obviously people are passionate about their feelings regarding this subject. We do live in the San Francisco Bay Area where “good” schools are hard to come by. I have many friends who have decided to homeschool their children for various reasons and I applaud them for it. I too would homeschool my children (4 and almost 2) if I felt I could do just dilligence to my kids.
My daughter at age 3 was “tested” in her Christian preschool and tested at a kindergarden level. Though most public schools in our area are less than desirable, we are blessed to have good private schools. At this point we are confident that these private schools have the bandwidth to challenge our kids while teaching them along our same philosophical beliefs. If time shows our children are not being challenged at their level then we will need to revisit the homeschooling idea.
On and slightly different note my absolute favorite babysitter is a homeschooled 16 year old girl. She is involved in many community activities where she is exposed to social situations. Again, we live in a highly populated area so one is hard pressed to be a hermit, but if you are diligent in your efforts, socialization, in my opinion, should not be a concern for homeschooling.
Hi Chris,
I’m coming in very late but I thought I’d respond. I have two young boys who I will be homeschooling. When I first thought about homeschooling I thought I would be sitting at a table doing workbooks with the boys from 9 to 3 everyday. I was wrong. A young child only needs about 1hr of structured education a day and a yr 10 student about 3 hours. This leaves lots of time to be involved in society, to follow their interests etc. How much time you spend will depend on your style of homeschooling. There are also plenty of people (Moore) who say it’s better not to have formal teaching until at least 8. So find out your state laws and then take your time researching homeschooling, there is plenty of stuff on the web. And don’t worry about year 12 yet, just take it one year at a time. Hope that helps a little.