Home Schooling? - Laguna Niguel, CA

My former husband is a private school teacher. His experience was that when home-schooled children entered his classroom for the first time, they were 2-3 years behind in social skills (how they interact with other children, with the teacher, ability to handle multiple tasks/circumstances). From the standpoint of "book" education level, some were behind and some were ahead of the other students. Probably depends on the home parent doing the home schooling. : )

db

I homeschool all three of my children and they're all a year ahead of their peers. I've been homeschooling for nine years. My daughter went to school one year because she needed the change but now she doesn't want to go back! There are so many kids being homeschooled out there; there are park days and field trips and classes...they don't miss out on anything, if anything, they have a better school experience. Homeschooling is not for everyone but it's right for us. You know what they're learning and it keeps them innocent for a while longer than their public school peers.

Look into Connections Academy, its a state run virtual school, you'll need a computer. My daughter used it through junior high and missed out on all the drama of bullying and what to wear. However, socialization is important, and there are field trips with this school. But if you're child isn't ready for a brick and mortar school for any reason, this is a great school. My daughter is now excited to get back into the social scene at the local h.s. Most of the kids at this school were either sportsmen, sick, or just didn't fit in at a regular school...sometimes because they were too smart.

We absolutely looove it (ahem, and yes, we so have bad days/weeks here and there) we are so NOT the "everything is wonderful all the time" homeschooling family. Haha! But I have hope. It's unrealistic, but it's hope none the less ;) One thing to note...you certainly don't have to "know everything" in order to teach. Half the value of NOT knowing is watching your child watching YOU learn, and how to research, not to be afraid of asking hard questions, of learning that not everyone has an answer all the time..and how to go about FINDING those answers. Wheee fun. There's also the plain and simple, signing them up for classes. I speak 3 languages. None of them are spanish. My son wanted to learn spanish...so he has a spanish teacher and he uses PowerSpeak and Rosetta stone. Me? Nada. Well...as good as. I don't think 50 words counts. Some of the classes we sign our son up for are for things we don't have an interest in learning/teaching...others are because we're "too close". Our son is in music lessons...but his dad is a professional musician. All of the outside classes/sports ALSO provide a medium in which our son gets to learn to relate to other kids and adults without mum & dad. Most of us homeschoolers don't actually lock ourselves away in a cupboard and hide from society.

In my experience the pros and cons are usually one and the same...which create something new...a hurdle to be surmounted:

(Just a teensy few of) the common pro/con Examples

* Individualized lesson planning

Pro: You child gets to learn at their own rate. This means you can have a 2nd grader doing 5th grade math, but reading at a first grade level...no problem. They want to study outer space for 3 months? Have at. You can do math/science/reading/history/spelling/field trips/art/home ec/ all'uva'that'an'more set against a background theme of space. Or dinosaurs. Or chocolate truffles. Or pirates. Or cars. Pick an intrest and you've got every subject you can think of wrapped up in it. You get to pick all of the non-core things you want. You want music, art, languages, circus arts, baking, dolphin training, footbal, gymnastics, sheesh...pick an extra curricular, and you get the option of that being offered for your child through their school.

Con: <laughing> You actually have to figure OUT where they're at and do the durn lesson planning and then you have to be flexible to boot! There is NO such thing as a complete curriculum (school in a box) if you're going by your child's actual strengths and weaknesses. Most of us end up borrowing this curriculum from these people for this subject, that curriculum for that subject, these books for reading (hello library!) To top it off...we all have a lesson that sounds fantastic in our heads that just flops like a dead fish in real life...or the 5 minute quicke thing we were just going to mention in passing that becomes a two week affair that you have study like crazy to go into half as much depth as your child wants. Gack. It's not as bad as all that, but flexibility...and learning when to scrap idea "x" is key. So is figuring out how to pay for stuff. There are gazillions of HS discounts out there, special rates, special classes...but same as with the lesson planning...you actually have to DO it and find them.

* Many (if not most) homeschooled kids are done with highschool by 14/15.

Pro:
Duh.

Con:
Yikes!

* Time with other kids
Pro: You can set up their schedule so that they have a lot or a little,. Activites & playdates out the wazoo...or more time solo. . For example: my son last year had at least an hour to 3 hours a day with between 4 & 30 kids. We found that it was too much and too little. He did tons of ACTIVITIES with a lot of other kids (classes, sports, camps)...but he didn't have a lot do downtime/silly time with other kids. So this year we're making academics less of a focus, so we can focus more on letting him grow some relationships. (We live on a busy street, and he's an only...so it's not built in by geography). We're a few years ahead of his grade reqs at this point, (ahem, and I'm not as freaked out), so even if we slip back a bit we'll be fine. My friends who've been doing this awhile though, say that when they did the same thing...if anything...their kids went through their academics faster. Sheesh. We'll see. You also know by and large who they're spending time with. If someone's a bully you can choose to let your child work it out, or you can pull them from the situation as you deem best. Your child isn't "stuck" with Moe for the next 10 months, unless YOU choose for them to be. And yes. I have done both.

Con: It's not built in by default by a 7-8 hour day with the same 30 kids all year. You don't have to arrange facetime between you and your child if you're homeschooling, but you DO have to arrange it with other kids. That is, if you want them to develop those skills & relationships.

* Time for yourself
Con: You have to arrange that time.
Pro: You can arrange it when YOU want it (by and large). Sure it's not a 7 hour block that you can depend on 5 days a week (I take that back, it could be if you arranged it that way). How we all take our time for ourselves varies family by family. Some have a spouse that they trade off with, other's do it via classes and camps, some just take half an hour of quiet time after lessons, some set up movies during lunch, some trade babysitting, some trade teaching, some have a part time nanny, some use after-school-care like the Y or elsewhere, some, some...

* The time & work involved
Con: Self explanatory

Pro: You get to schedule that time when, where, and how you like it. Whether it's lesson planning or actual teaching or transporting to/from outside lessons or activites you are (mostly) in control of every aspect of scheduling. You can call school on account of good weather one day and go to the beach...or bring your books & projects with you and do beach school that day, you can do year round school, you can take vacations when you want them, conversely you can stay on an interesting subject for and stay in school an extra few weeks. You can do travel school. You can, you can, you can...the scheduling options are pretty unlimited. And there's no parent conference trying to figure out what's been going on that quarter...you know exactly what's going on.

Anyhow...I could go on and on and on...and these are only a few of the most common pros and cons in my experience. Some great resources with better writers than myself:

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/
http://www.hsc.org/
http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Take-Deep-Breath-This...

* * *

Incedentally....It's hard to wrap our heads around sometimes...but the current educational model is reeeeally new. Like the past 75-100 years. It's hard to wrap our heads around because WE all did it, and our PARENTS all did it. (Kind of like driving cars. While we may know intellectually that our grandparents didn't have them...it's kind of hard to FEEL that in our gut) Most of our grandparents though were in multiage classrooms or had private tutors (& or governesses). For the past several thousand years the vast majority of schooling (child-wise) was done in the home. A person had to be very very LUCKY to be educated...but those that were...let's see here: The Greeks, The Romans...any famous mathematical, scientific, military, philosophical thinkers there? Hmmmm....

Here's a very very short list of famous more modern people though (you can find much longer lists online...Heaven forbid we just lump them all into "Marge, they're just weird...how could they ever have been properly socialized?" because they didn't go to modern day public school ;) :

Famous Homeschoolers

Educators

Frank Vandiver (President - Texas A&M)
Fred Terman (President - Stanford)
William Samuel Johnson (President Columbia)
John Witherspoon (President of Princeton)

Generals

Stonewall Jackson
Robert E. Lee
Douglas MacArthur
George Patton

Inventors

Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
Cyrus McCormick
Orville Wright & Wilbur Wright

Artists

Claude Monet
Leonardo da Vinci
Jamie Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth
John Singleton Copley

Presidents

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
Abraham Lincoln
Theordore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Scientists

George Washington Carver
Pierre Curie
Albert Einstein
Booker T. Washington
Blaise Pascal

Statesmen

Konrad Adenauer
Winston Churchill
Benjamin Franklin
Patrick Henry
William Penn
Henry Clay

United States Supreme Court Judges

John Jay
John Marshall
John Rutledge

Composers

Irving Berlin
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Anton Bruckner
Felix Mendelssohn
Francis Poulenc

Writers

Hans Christian Anderson
Charles Dickens
Brett Harte
Mark Twain
Sean O'Casey
Phillis Wheatley
Mercy Warren
Pearl S. Buck
Agatha Christie
C.S. Lewis
George Bernard Shaw

Religious leaders

Joan of Arc
Brigham Young
John & Charles Wesley
Jonathan Edwards
John Owen
William Cary
Dwight L. Moody
John Newton

Others

Charles Chaplin - Actor
George Rogers Clark - Explorer
Andrew Carnegie - Industrialist
Noel Coward - Playwright
John Burroughs - Naturalist
Bill Ridell - Newspaperman
Will Rogers - Humorist
Albert Schweitzer - Physician
Tamara McKinney - World Cup Skier
Jim Ryan - World Runner
Ansel Adams - Photographer
Charles Louis Montesquieu - philosopher
John Stuart Mill - Economist
John Paul Jones - father of the American Navy
Florence Nightingale - nurse
Clara Barton - started the Red Cross
Abigail Adams - wife of John Adams
Martha Washington - wife of George W.
Constitutional Convention Delegates
George Washington - 1st President of the U.S.
James Madison - 4th President of the U.S.
John Witherspoon - President of Princeton U.
Benjamin Franklin - inventor and statesman
William S. Johnson - President of Columbia C.
George Clymer - U.S. Representative
Charles Pickney III - Governor of S. Carolina
John Francis Mercer - U.S. Representative
George Wythe - Justice of Virginia High Court
William Blount - U.S. Senator
Richard D. Spaight - Governor of N. Carolina
John Rutledge - Chief Justice U.S. Supr Court
William Livingston - Governor of New Jersey
Richard Basset - Governor of Delaware
William Houston - lawyer
William Few - U.S. Senato

I am laughing at most of these responses... "Lack of socialization" is one of the biggest homeschooling myths out there! None of the homeschooled kids I have met (and I have met many) are any better or worse than any schooled child. Kids are not "socialzed" at school, they are indoctrinated. Big difference

The reason why homeschooled kids appear to be "behind" when they enter public school is because it is a totally different "culture," if you will. It has nothing to do with them being socially awkward. There will always be socially awkward kids who are schooled out of AND in the home.

As far as the "real world" - school is not reality. In the "real world" there are no bells telling you when to stop your work and move to the next thing. There are no grades, punishments - you are responsible for yourself and your own survival. Homeschooled kids are in "the real world" every day, in "real world" situations - going to the bank, the store, watching (and perhaps helping) mom and dad pay bills.

Read John Taylor Gatto's Work. He is a former NYC "teacher of the year" who now promotes homeschooling.
If you decide to take the homeschooling route, look into John Holt - but definitely start with Gatto, as it will be a more enlightening and interesting initial read.

It's probably obvious where I stand on the issue, but I don't feel that anyone must necessarily feel the same as I.
Just make an *informed*, *educated* argument for or against and quit spewing junk about "socializing" and "the real world."

Do lots of research for yourself and you will be able to make the choice that is right for your kids and your family. Good luck with whatever path you choose!

You will get lots of responses - pros and cons. Ultimately it's your decision to do what's best for you child. However, I don't think it's a good idea.
1) Teachers are educated and trained to teach your child. Do you have those credentials?
2) Children learn from each other - from their questions, experiences and literally explaining a concept in terms they can understand
3) Different teachers have different expectations and grading standards, not unlike the real world. If you're the only one grading & judging their work, how will they get this concept? And, can you really be unbiased on an essay, art project, etc?
4) Children in school learn that it's not all about them, that others sometimes come first, get a turn, have a say, etc. They may not even get a say. If they're the only student in class, they don't learn this.
5) Other students naturally foster a sense of competition and goal to achieve. If they're the only student, they have no benchmark and no one to compete with.
6) It's good for students to hear other views on things and to be able to hear all sides of something and to develop their own opinion and thoughts, not just mimic yours. Even if you don't agree with what they come up with, it's important that they be their own person.

Yes, there are lots of pros. But every home-schooled child I've ever met just didn't seem to know how to fit in with the other kids, sometimes even seeming socially backward. Going to school is about more than feeding the brain some knowledge.

If you want to be more involved and have more control and say - then research the schools in your area (public & private) and find the right one. And, then get involved at the school and participate in all of your childs education and activities.

I attend all sporting events, church activities, assist in homework, vocalize my values and beliefs and back them up with reasoning, help research and fully debate topics of interest that maybe we don't agree upon or that they've heard about and have questions.

Good luck - you obviously care - so you'll grow amazing children I'm sure!

Hey A,
I was a teacher for 17 years and as a teacher I will tell you that educating a child is not for the weak. It requires a lot of work and planning. The plus side is that your child will not be exposed to other children's (and families) values...or lack thereof. Additionally, you will have all that valuable time with your child to assure that he or she is on par academically (as you are the one who will be monitoring his academic development).
I am expecting my first in January and I will be homeschooling him. There are a number of great homeschool programs out there. One of the biggest in Orange County is Saddleback Christian Academy. They offer a multitude of extracurricular activities with other homeschooled children and their parents. If this is not local to you, there are many other homeschool programs around just cruise the internet. It may require some research for you to find one that meets your needs, but the resources are endless, so you should be able to find something.
There is yet another great resource that gives loads of great information on your legal rights, resources, etc. That website is HSLDA.org
Also, I recently purchased a book on the subject by Lisa Whelchel (of Facts of Life) called "So You're thinking About Homeschooling". This book gives the experiences of 15 different families and what worked for them. This may be a great starting point if you are not confident that this is the way you want to go.
From my honest perception all the homeschooled children seem farther along academically and usually have the most incredible manners. Additionally, all my friends kids that have graduated from high school ALL got academic and sports scholarships. This is impressive to me as I know about 13 families that all homeschool their children.
As for socialization, you will have to be proactive to encourage his growth in this area, especially if your child is shy and I would start sooner than later. Some suggestions to meet that need are: get involved in a community playgroup, enroll your child in a sport or neighborhood activity, put your son in Boy Scouts, or you could always get involved at a local church which usually has activities available for children during the school year (such as MOPS, Awana, VBS, etc).
I sincerely hope this helps. It's always wonderful for me to see parents take an active roll in their child's education. I always found that the students that were most successful were the ones that parents were involved and interested.

I was homeschooled and my parents would probably be considered some of the "pioneers" of homeschooling. They were considered pretty weird, if not mean, to pull us out of school at that time.

There are so many groups and activities for homeschoolers now. I can't imagine your kids would miss out on anything.
We didn't have as much going on back then, but we were still able to be involved in the local schools for field trips, football games, prom, etc. Plus we didn't have to waste our days in school learning what we could catch on to in a couple of hours or less a day. We had plenty of time for extra-curricular activities and so many learning opportunities that kids in school didn't. Not to mention, the strong values we were taught and self-discipline we acquired by having to allocate time for our studies.

We didn't know it at the time but we were so lucky to have such great parents who loved us enough to give up their freedom.

I turned out perfectly normal, graduated from college afterwards and even have pretty good social skills. ;)

Good luck and good for you!!!!!!!

I would also like to say that most people I know who were homeschooled resented their parents for doing so. I know it works for some families, but you really have to consider the pros and cons for your family. A great list below. I went to High School with many children that were homeschooled until then. They begged their parents to please let them go to school and socialize! My best friend and her sister were homeschooled until graduation. They are both now just experiencing the world and feel they've missed so much from being somewhat "sheltered". They had playdates and the likes, but it still wasn't the same as attending school. My husbands best friend also homeschooled and he's a little strange LOL married the first girl he met, now getting a divorce. He never experienced dating and socializing and having friends who were girls. Anyways, I wasn't homeschooled so I cannot tell you the pros. Seems like many cons, I can tell you I would have rebeled in a serious way if my parents homeschooled me. I ENJOYED my school years with my peers, and sometimes wish I could do it all over again. I had a great time, and I couldn't have had a great time stuck at home and having my "play" time arranged with kids I may not of liked, but were also other homeschoolers. YIKES!

Goodluck!

Hi! WOW what a hot topic! LOL
Ok So I am a homeschool mom. My daughter is 12 we have been homeschooling for 3 years! Before that she went to public school! I can only say for my family that this is the BEST decision we ever made. We use a virtual school which I think is the best of both worlds. I am considered the learning coach and we have a Credentialed teacher checking up on us. If your child has special needs in any way they can provide service for that as they are a public school. With being a public school I don't have to buy anything!!

The virtual school has MANY outings and field trips all over my state we can go too.

When your child is in a classroom outside your home there is so much pressure to fit in. Plus you have bullies that really take it too far theses days. I am very grateful my daughter didn't have to deal with a bully but I worked in the schools so I saw it.
I have had MANY people criticize me for taking my daughter out of a "great school", It has only made us better for each other. We had a great relationship before and now we are closer on a different level.
I have heard people ask stupid questions about socialization! My daughter was never shy! She still isn't shy! It is my job to make sure that she is involved in everything she needs to be,to be a successful member of our society.
Plus we get done with our school work in about 4 hours cause we don't have a classroom of kids misbehaving or anything like that. Then we have more time for extracurricular activities.
Like I said the best decision I ever made, My daughter will tell you that too! The one thing she wishes was different is that her best friend from her old school is no longer friends with her cause they don't see each other anymore. That also has to do with the fact that we moved.
If you have any questions for me please ask!

It matters what you mean by "miss out". Sure they won't be with their peers every day, but then again they won't be bullied, or learn cussing on the playground, or be taught things that you think are not age appropriate.

If you are worried about social life you can always look up K-12. This is a "public" school (hence paid for by the state) but at home. You can contact other families in the school and form field trips during school hours.

I know it's a sensitive issue, but I feel really strongly that kids should be in school outside the home whenever possible. I'm an elementary teacher so I'm biased, but I'm also knowledgeable. Schools have so many resources (specialists, materials, enrichment classes) that would be so hard to make up for a home. I do agree that you can certainly move through the curriculum much more quickly and give much more indivdualized attention when you have just one or two students, but there's so much you learn in school besides academics.
My sister in law asked me about homeschooling her kids and, I don't know you so I can't say, but with her I said that I really couldn't imagine her sticking to the kind of routine required for successful schooling. I see you have a toddler as well. Won't it be hard to meet his needs, all the demands of parenting, AND be in charge of planning and instruction for your older child? Even as a trained teacher I wouldn't do it. I also think it would be hard to play teacher and mom- to draw the line between loving mom time and school time which requires school behavior of kids.
I would recommend at least trying school for kindergarten and just trying to be really involved- volunteer in the classroom, supplement the learning at home after school and with family field trips, and see how it goes.

I'm thinking of homeschooling as well. Every homeschooled kid I've ever met has been fantastic...interesting, mature and smart. They don't seem to have that same kind of annoying socialization that other kids do. You know that kind where they can't make a decision without their peers' approval?

I love the idea of being on a flexible schedule. Schooling at the park, the beach, the aquarium, the beach, a cafe, while travelling, etc. I think there is too much homework and too much of an emphasis on academics and testing at such a young age these days. And yet the schools suck at the same time. I also like the idea of getting together a homeschooling group with like-minded people. It's like finding your "tribe". I know a woman who checks out books on tape from the library and listens to them in the car everywhere they go. You can also get videos on so many interesting subjects on Netflix. Another friend spends a significant amount of time with her kids outside learning about nature and doing crafts. You could even plant an organic garden and spend each day harvesting it and making lunch together and talking about nutrition. I just think the possibilities of imaginative learning are endless!

When kids get a bit older they can take lots of classes at community colleges. You can even take them with them if you like.

In my dream world, my son would go to a more structured school 2 days a week and spend the rest of the time learning what we want at our own pace.

I would imagine those people who were sheltered homeschool students were Christian schooled, as opposed to alternatively schooled. That would make one turn around and rebel immediately!

I know I could never do it. The only serious negative is social. Kids need social interaction, and they need to learn to take instruction from various people. As long as you know you are capable of teaching everything they need to know, and that you have the patience, you can do it.

I don't have any experience with homeschooling, but I have done a lot of thinking about it lately as I have a four year old too! I have a friend who is a high school teacher who has told me that LOTS of homeschool kids come to public school in high school for various reasons, and that they just never quite get the hang of being a normal kid and fitting in - which seems to affect them well after graduation. So the more I thought about it, I realized that my reason for wanting to homeschool is that I want to protect my son from all the bad things that COULD happen while he is away from my care... NOT a good enough reason. I also came to the realization that I LOVED school all the way from Kinder through college - yes, there were a few tough years, a few teachers I didn't mesh with, a few kids I was scared of... but I wouldn't give up the friends I made (all by myself), the pride I felt in winning awards, the joy of running around the playground virtually unsupervised (or so it felt at the age of 10), and the independence of riding my bike to and from school every day. These are "muscles" I never would have developed while being homeschooled by my very protective mom - and those that my son won't either, if I homeschool him for my own selfish reasons. With that said, we have decided to send our son to pulic school - but make sure it is the best school in the district, and be super involved, know his teachers, visit often, have the kids and parents over from his class, and pray for him every day! I hope you come to the decision that is right for you and your children - it is easier said than done :)

In response to Christine D's post - she described some people who were lacking socially because of home schooling? Well, to be very honest, I've seen so many more come out of our school districts not knowing how to handle life, relationships, jobs, etc... Schools do not teach about how to have a proper relationship - parents are supposed to do that! Schools do not teach how to hold a job - parents instill work ethic at home, even if kids go to public school this is the parent's job, not the school's (discipline and consequences for not doing school work is really done in the home). Kids aren't even really taught how to handle money, that is also something they must learn about at home (how to save, spend, etc). There are so many things that we need to consider here, not just whether a kid will be so-called "anti-social", there are things being taught to our kids in public schools that, I believe, if we were more aware we'd be completely shocked. I used to home-school, my kids were far more advanced than the other students in their new public school when I was forced by my ex to quit home-schooling to go back to work. My daughter, for example, knew how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, read fluently, and many other very helpful things. My kids are all straight A students in public school but I attribute that to being able to give a really great start at home, if I could be I'd still be home schooling them! Kids are only as socially skilled as their parents allow, home schooled or not!

home schooling can be a great thing! I was home schooled part of the time. There are plenty of activities that you can put them in so they aren't alone all the time. You can even do a group home school where there are 3 or 4 kids all taught by the same teacher in their home. There are home schooling programs where you follow a curriculum and turn in your work and go on field trips with other home schooled kids. Most kids who are home schooled usually have higher test scores and go onto college even a little earlier than others. So, I think it's a great thing!

Kathleen R. and Suzanne G. had great, educated responses. I will just add a few commnents on my experiences with family friends who have homeschooled and in my job when I work with school districts.
We have several family friends that home school. They do this for different reasons (religious, feel the district can't provide the education they can, wanting to protect their child from negative values/bullies/etc.) I have never seen it turn out positively in the end. The parents have the best of intentions, but the children end up lacking in areas that they need to be better in when they are adults in the real world. Even the ones that go to college still struggle.

A few examples: my husband's coworker had a homeshooled student in his college class at a very prestigious college that he was a professor at. He liked the kid and kept in touch with him. After graduation, the kid could not keep a job. He didn't understand the social boundaries needed in a workplace and stepped over the bounds too many times. Innocently, he thought he was doing nothing wrong, but he didn't understand because he didn't have the experience of the classroom, where he is not the center of attention and where he is not allowed to use whatever he wants whenever he wants. Another family that homeschools has several children. Their kids are all, except for perhaps one, socially clueless. One daughter is still just trying to move out (at over 20 years old), just got her driver's license, and really doesn't know how to initiate and keep a relationship with the opposite sex. Her siblings have all hade strange personal relationships as well and social awkwardness. One last example: my husband's friend from graduate school (obviously well educated with a PhD and more than qualified to teach upper subjects) and his wife homeschooled their son. When I first met the son, he was a teenager. He is now in college. The boy really just does not fit in and is very awkward socially. I feel bad that he will probably have a tough time now that he is older and be trying to start a life or have a relationship on his own and not know how to do that.

Don't get me wrong, I work with school districts at times through my job and see a lot of problems with how they are run. I think it is our job as parents to make sure we put our child in a school that will work for them (public or private), get a good teacher, and stay INVOLVED. Volunteering in the class, chaperoning on field trips, talking with your child, etc. Several of our friends that homeschool belong to groups where one parent may teach the group a certain subject that they are more qualified in and that they get together for certain activities. If you think about it, that is essentially what a neighborhood public school is. The teachers usually live in the neighborhood and have kids that attend the schools. They are the experts in the field they teach. So, essentially, sending your child to the neighborhood school is just a more qualified way of dooing what you intend as a homeschooler.

A. A

It depends on the state you live in on what the pro/cons are. I have known many children who have had homeschooling and these children were very smart, however, these children also have to learn how to behave socially. This is sometimes not healthy for children, they don't learn coping skills in the real world. Their expectations for their personal and social world are not realistic. This is just my take on this situation, good luck with your decision. I know you will make the right decision for your children.

Hello, Keep in mind that there is a lot of criteria in teaching children whether at home or in a classroom. I worked teaching children English as a Second Language for several years and was an Instructional Assistant in a classrom for 13. I still would not attempt to teach any of our grandchildren at home. Some children need to be kept at home due to illness and therefore home schooling is very important. Also, keep in mind that if you should decide to home school your children, not only do you need to be consistent, but your children will also need extra activities to interract with other children.
I know one family who has a child with chronic illness and her and her brother are home schooled. They are very bright articulate children. Their mother is very devoted to this. However, my daughter hires young people at a local attraction and has said that the biggest group of young people who fail in the working world are the home schooled.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.

The Vine Prep Academy in Laguna Niguel is another great option. It combines the home school and private school experience. So the kids get the community, healthy competition, and fun that group field trips, and activities, while still being in a small homelike environment; and the parent is responsible for three days of home school

www.vineprep.com

I am not sure where you are located but have you looked into charter schools that have hoem schooling as an option. Alot that do have classes that are offered to kids who are home schooled so they get socialization with other kids. They also have field trips set up with other parents and kids. You should look into some of these programs.

Good luck with it it sounds like you guys are on the right track for education.

I'm gathering as much information as possible about homeschooling as well and was wondering.... out off those of you who chose to homeschool, did you take your kids out of school or did you start from Kindergarten on? Also, what were your primary reasons for choosing to homeschool?

now that i've read all the misinformation on HS - i need to add - you can go and see lots of homeschooling children on local gatherging and surely at the Expo - hundreds. go to teens evens, do they look odd? you'll be able to sense if this is for your family or not.
if you are in So Bay here is a local organization that will give you a lot of info for free (they all will), i just used this one:
http://sbhn.50megs.com/
some other homeschooling links:
http://enchantedmusing.blogspot.com/
www.HomeSchoolLA.org
and if you are really adventurous - this weekend in Ontario, CA homeschooling expo is taking place.
www.Californiahomeschool.net
many homeshooling families will be there all 3 days 7/31-8/2. you can do "vendor's hall" for $10 admission fee and just stop people shopping in there and talk to them. if you want to go all out and spend regular admission, you can attend session that include basic info like Homeschooling 101.if you skip expo this year, plan to go to the next as it really pays off and helps you make an informed decision.

Good Luck!
V.

Sorry, this is a day or two late, but also another fact you might find interesting is that when the homeschooled child takes the sat's and gets the EXACT same score as a child that went to a regular high school, the college will look more closely at the homeschooled child as a better canidate for the college because of the discipline he exhibited in studying just at home, and not having the regiment that the high school has. Also, considering 35 plus kids in a classroom, really how much one on one does the child in the classroom get, as compared to the child who is homeschooled and gets totally a one-on-one education?

My sister homeschooled her kids after having them in a public school with her children just getting by and barely reading. After she started homeschooling them, that is where they really learned to read and do the math. And MOST importantly, you get to decide what you want your children to learn is right and NOT right, as is SOCIAL AGENDAS THAT THE ACLU want to incorporate in the educational system.

Hello Amy,

We made the decision to homschool a few years ago. It was tough in the beginning. We did okay. My son is in high school now which created a new set of challenges. I was worried about teaching him Math especially. We were lucky enough to find a great program online that is all online and has a teacher for each course. It is rigorous and I have no worries he will be ready for college.

We've been homeschooling for 4 years now. Our older kids went to public school. (We have 4 kids.) We SO MUCH prefer homeschooling! Our kids met TONS of new friends through co-ops, PE groups (that meet at a park) and field trip groups, too, so they don't miss out on being with other kids.

Hi,
Where are you located? I have my 11 year old enrolled in an awesome program that for us is the best of both worlds. Teacher supervision. All materials supplied. Socialization, Extracurricular activities, and I get lots of time with my daughter. It's perfect for us. But since our move to palm desert, I am not finding a similar program, so she will miss those socialization and extra fun things unless I can make up for it some other way...

I have loved reading all these responses you have been given some great resources to research. I think the major question is why do you want to home school. it seems to me when looking at different families who have home schooled the ones who have done it to help their children learn, grow and discover new things have done well the ones who have been home schooled to be controlled and kept sheltered form bad experiences or "bad people" have suffered.
i think the city has great extra curricular programs as well as sports. get involved with the community and these great home school resources. you are not alone lots of people debate this issue and if you don't feel ready to take this on this year but want to try in the future that is fine. nothing is written that you have to have your child home schooled right from the start you might enjoy public school or it may strengthen your resolve to teach your child yourself along with a supportive home school network. if you do decide to use public school be as involved as possible!! I learned this lesson the hard way. volunteer at least once a week not only to help the teacher but to observe her and your child. i have been shocked at the way my sons kindergarten teacher spoke to her students. she was an efficient teacher but i think she got a little tired of 5 year olds. I realized the new sassy attitude my son had developed had come from His teacher!
good luck