Homeschooling

Why do you homeschool?

Sheer curiosity, no judgement, etc.  I am a public school teacher and have thought many times of homeschooling but the thought of planning for all of the grades every year and then to do it for everyday feels overwhelming.  I know as a 4th year 4th grade teacher I spend at least 2 hours per day planning out the coming lessons and more hours than I can count in the summer (and thats just for one grade!).  How do you do it?  And, why?  I know the districts around here are awesome so that is an advantage for me that some lack but are there other reasons?  Thanks :)
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Re: Why do you homeschool?

  • I just lurk here since my LO is only 6 months old. However, before trying to get pregnant DH and I decided we would home school. It has nothing to do with the quality of schools in a specific neighborhood but in the overall quality of the public school system. Our reasons break down like this

    1) We don't believe in teaching to the test.

    2) Having attended Universities right out of HS we realized they did nothing to prepare us to succeed in college. We had only learned how to memorize material, not how to interpret it, analyze it, and form articulate opinions. 

    3) I am a SAHM, currently unable to work due to my medical conditions so we cannot cover the expense of the private school we like. 

    4) By the end of this year I will have completed my degree in Sociology with a minor in Child Development. If I am still unable/don't want to work at that time I would feel better about spending all that money for college if I put my degree to use by home schooling. 

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  • ObLaDiObLaDi member

    We are philosophically opposed to the structure of standard schooling: pre-chosen curriculum, sitting in a classroom, grades, etc.

    Our decision is bolstered by the fact that I had an amazing childhood unschooling, and we're very excited to be sharing that experience with our son. 

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  • I was a classroom teacher too, and from what I can tell (we haven't officially started yet) homeschooling can be really different as far as lesson planning and structure. There is a lot more time to work one on one, so lessons can evolve more "organically". It isn't as focused on objectives, assessments and presenting a lesson. Rather it can be more about exploring a topic together.

    That's actually one of the big reasons I want to homeschool. I want to dive into the material and learn/ explore with my kids. Homeschooling also allows more freedom for field trips, travel and deeper investigation out in the world. 

    Another motivation is the social aspect. Socially, school is actually kind of a strange phenomenon. It's not really like adult life. After graduation people don't spend the majority of their day (everyday) with the same 30 people who are all the same age anymore. Plus, I want our family to be the kids' primary influence, not their peers. 

    Then of course I also have feelings about test scores, large class sizes and education funding being cut more and more every year. A while back the district I was working in closed the school libraries because there wasn't enough money to pay the librarians. It's just sad.  

     

    Married 07.07.07. Mom to 3: Ruby 11/08 and Oliver & Austin 12/11
  • I've never really thought much about homeschooling my child before. I do recall someone when I was younger who was homeschooled but would participate in our science fairs. I went to a public school.  She seemed so much more advanced with her schooling than anyone our age.  I imagine the one on one teaching really allows students to excell at their own level.
  • I have so many reasons, but the top ones are these:

    1 - We want our children learning in a Christ-centered environment where they are free to express their faith without judgment or punishment.

    2 - We have a child with anaphylactic food allergies and we do not trust that he is completely safe outside of our care until he is old enough to read and understand food labels himself.

    3 - We view our children as individuals with entirely different educational needs and interests.  We want to tailor their educations to fit those needs and interests.

    4 - I feel like educating my children is one of my Biblical responsibilities.

    5 - I do not like the culture of the public school system - not just academically, but also (and primarily) socially.  I'm not comfortable with the exposure to certain things that my children will receive at a very young age.

        
  • I will be homeschooling because I want to have way more emphasis on math and science, as a science major myself (Nuclear Engineer) I am sad to see so many people who have to take courses like Trig or Chem and strive for a 70%. Most don't succeed either. I know English is essential as well as History, and my son will get a lot of both, but instead of math and science becoming tedious, I want to make it fun.

     

     
     
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  • We will be starting once our daughter finishes Kindergarten at her current school. 

    H and I did not agree with the teacher's and school's approach to teaching, learning isn't a one size fits all. I had always done at home lessons with the kids, and they were never stressed. Makayla has been getting stressed and discouraged. She is a very smart little girl and eager to learn, the teacher's just aren't doing it right.

    Makayla has also expressed her feelings on feeling like she never has time for anything. She is rushed in the morning to get to school, then school rushes her on lunch breaks, and then it's straight to homework dinner, family time and bed early. Rinse and repeat. I desire a more relaxed approach, where time isn't the focus.

    We've also encountered a lot of bully situations. One in which Makayla was punched by a child 3 years older than her. When we informed the school we were told. "it's a public school and bullying happens". If they can't promise my child's safety or better supervise the children at play then I will do it myself.

    In the end, we tried public school and it wasn't a fit for us.

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  • What +adamswife+ said.  Ditto.
    SAHM to Eli, born 11.26.11
  • I identify with many of the reasons pps have mentioned. I think it's important to recognized that teaching 30 kids in a classroom setting is very different from teaching a few, in your home. While classroom teachers may need to spend 2+ hours lesson planning, and grading papers, emailing and responding to parents, trying to figure out what works best for different kids, homeschooling parents don't have to deal with that.

    Presumably, we understand how our children learn as we have already been their primary teachers their whole lives. We can tell when they're struggling and when they've mastered something. It isn't necessary to spend 2 hours a day planning lessons that fit 30 different kids. There is a lot of freedom and many options when it comes to curriculum.

    While I don?t necessarily think all public schools are evil, I do see the advantages to homeschooling. I feel that in my case, homeschooling is really the best option. Studies consistently show that homeschoolers do much better overall than their public schooled peers on standard achievement tests and yet parents aren?t teaching them skills simply so they can pass a test.

    Lessons take as much or as little time as that particular child needs. There?s no sitting around bored waiting for other kids or rushing to finish because it?s time to move on to something else. If my child is struggling we take it slower, take a break, review and work on it when she?s ready to try again. There doesn?t have to be failed tests because if my child doesn?t understand the material we will not move on until she does. The same goes for concepts that are more easily grasped. We don?t need to spend an allotted amount of time on something she understands easily. If she gets it, we move on to something else.

    It bothers me just how little time children in public, and private school for that matter, really have to play. I also think that taking away recess because a child misbehaves is absurd. Children need to run around and spend time with other children playing and exercising.

    Personally, I like the freedom that comes with home schooling. I like that learning to cook lunch and grocery shop can be a lesson. I am excited to help my children pursue their interests and develop curriculum around things they want to learn about rather than teaching them to memorize information in order to pass a standardized test.

    I also like the shelter aspect that comes with homeschooling. There are many things harsh realities in the world that little minds don't need to process. I want my children to learn about the tough things in life under my roof  and my direction where I can explain things correctly and at age appropriate levels.

    I could probably go on and on but I?ll stop here. ;)


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  • We haven't started yet besides doing some basic preschool work with our DD.

    First of all. We're happy where we live we like the rural atmosphere and the fact that we're near family. 

    The only problem is we have public school or religious private school. DH and I both went to the public school we dealt with a lot of bullying and problems with working at our own pace.

    The problem with the bullying is the people we went to school with, for the most part, were the children of the people our parents went to school with and probably be the parents of our children's peers.  We learned from our parents most of the kids who bullied us, their parents were bullies as well. I was bullied severely, like I had my arm burnt just because some kid wanted to see what would happen.

    The other option is religious private school. Dh and I are not religious in any form and do not wish to have our children in that kind of atmosphere. Also we probably could not afford 4 kids in private school.

    Also I like the idea that when my child gets a subject we can zip through it but when we come to a subject that's just hard we can work on it until they truly understand it. 

    I doubt any of my children will learn the same way and I like the idea that I should be able to tailor the learning style to them.

     

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  • 1) Sending my DD to be in someone else's care feels wrong to me, and I had major guilt issues/ Sending my DD into someone else's care meant she spent all her positive energy with them, causing a strain on her relationship

    2)  I want my kids to learn experientially-- I want them to go to a science museum and hear a lecture about DNA, or email a scientist about the nanotechnology exhibit they are interested in (both of which we have done), and I want them to see things growing in botanical gardens and take out their field guide, then draw it in their nature journal, and I want them to know the librarians personally, and I want them to learn to serve others like when we visited the assisted living facility on valentine's day with their homeschool group.

    3) I want my kids to be able to be kids--I want them to be able to get all their extra energy out every day, and play with their friends in the sunshine, and not stress about academic achievement when they are still babies.

    4) I have issues with the current educational system and where it is going. I have a strong distaste for common core.

    5) I want my children to be able to pursue their interests and passions and learn about things that interest them.

    6) Being around my children brings me great joy, and I want to be able to maintain our family unit, and filter out negative influences to the extent that I can. 


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  • I plan on homeschooling my kids, one because I was homeschooled most of my school years, so I know what they will going throw. And second, because I feel its more catered to the child learning. While homeschooled, my mom knew my strengths and weaknesses. I struggled with reading so that is were she focuses a lot of work, and when it came to my talents she let me explore and experiment and express. I saw how hard she worked, and it paid off. I could paint professionally when I was 15. My Brother was doing algebra in 3 grade, and my sister was ready for college at 15.Not to say we didn't have have our struggles. I still suck at math, and my bro is dyslexic, but even  with our weaknesses, we still overcame. My bro can read, and I can balance my budget and business budget very well.

    We excelled, because we had hands on learning and lessons catered to our needs as individuals. I would like to that for my two kids when they are old enough, so they themselves can excel at what they want to be in life.

  • I was a classroom teacher too, and from what I can tell (we haven't officially started yet) homeschooling can be really different as far as lesson planning and structure. There is a lot more time to work one on one, so lessons can evolve more "organically". It isn't as focused on objectives, assessments and presenting a lesson. Rather it can be more about exploring a topic together.

    That's actually one of the big reasons I want to homeschool. I want to dive into the material and learn/ explore with my kids. Homeschooling also allows more freedom for field trips, travel and deeper investigation out in the world. 

    Another motivation is the social aspect. Socially, school is actually kind of a strange phenomenon. It's not really like adult life. After graduation people don't spend the majority of their day (everyday) with the same 30 people who are all the same age anymore. Plus, I want our family to be the kids' primary influence, not their peers. 

    Then of course I also have feelings about test scores, large class sizes and education funding being cut more and more every year. A while back the district I was working in closed the school libraries because there wasn't enough money to pay the librarians. It's just sad.  

     

    This pretty much sums up how we feel.
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  • This is our 1st year (and actually 1st day) of homeschooling PreK. It's not as overwhelming to plan as it sounds. You don't have to teach for 6-8 hrs a day, you can make it as long or as short as you like and for how many days a week you like. We decided to homeschool for different reasons but some are: We want to spend as much time with our child as we can (we don't think it's fair that someone else will get to spend about 6-8 hrs a day with her and experience her first time writing her name, learning her numbers, etc.), We want to ensure she is instilled with Godly values and teachings while she is young so she can use them in her life, We don't like the negative influences in our surrounding schools (we know from experiences because we were former students and we have family who still attend), and We just feel that the Lord blessed us as parents so we can teach our child as much we can without passing her on to someone else to handle. I'm not going to say homeschooling is easy and all rosy but it's like anything else that you feel strongly about, it's only possible if you truly commit and work through everything you face.

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  • This is our 1st year (and actually 1st day) of homeschooling PreK. It's not as overwhelming to plan or do as it may seems. You don't have to teach for 6-8 hrs a day, you can make it as long or short as you want, and you can do it for as many days a week as you want. We decided to homeschool for different reasons but some are: We want to spend as much time with our child as we can (We don't think it's fair that someone else will get to spend 6-8 hrs a day with her and get to experience her writing her name for the 1st time, learning her numbers, etc.), We want to ensure she is instilled with Godly values and teachings at a young age so she can use it in her life, We don't like the negative influences in our surrounding schools (We know from experience because we were former students and have family who still attend), and We feel God blessed us as parents so we can teach our child as much as we can without sending her off to someone else. I'm not going to say homeschooling is easy and all rosy but it's like anything else you feel strongly about, it's only going to be possible if you commit and work through any issues that you may face.

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  • I have so many reasons, but the top ones are these:

    1 - We want our children learning in a Christ-centered environment where they are free to express their faith without judgment or punishment.

    2 - We have a child with anaphylactic food allergies and we do not trust that he is completely safe outside of our care until he is old enough to read and understand food labels himself.

    3 - We view our children as individuals with entirely different educational needs and interests.  We want to tailor their educations to fit those needs and interests.

    4 - I feel like educating my children is one of my Biblical responsibilities.

    5 - I do not like the culture of the public school system - not just academically, but also (and primarily) socially.  I'm not comfortable with the exposure to certain things that my children will receive at a very young age.

     

    This is how DH and I feel as well, except we'd have to probably changed reason #2 to asthma.

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