Originally Posted By wendebird Thank you Road Trip! While I don't have the time right this minute to answer some of the questions everyone has about homeschooling, I would love to. Just have an open mind. Several people have stated success stories, so please keep an open mind. I have to go now though as we start school in a few minutes. Yes, we do year round school. FWIW, I don't think public school is the devil & would never think bad of someone who sent their kids there. We all do what is best for our kids, well, except for jonvn's experience I think for the most part parents want to do the best for their kids. For some it's private school, some it's public, some chose a charter school & others homeschool.
Originally Posted By mele Because of my son's problems we have considered home schooling in the past. Not every person who homeschools is a conservative Christian (which I think is what some people believe.) I've always felt one of the most important things to consider when home schooling is making sure that the kids have social activites with other children so that they learn how to interact with them. (Just my opinion.)
Originally Posted By DlandJB To those who think that some of us are being too judgemental, do you believe it is a healthy attitude to look upon a married couple using birth control as 'selfishness' and a miscarriage as some sort of punishment from God for using the pill?>>> I can't judge them for how they feel about it themselves. Personally, I don't see it that way but I have a different perspective. I would counsel them that they are being very hard on themselves and they are also forgetting about God's loving and forgiving nature. It is my opinion and not a judgement call. I leave that to a higher authority.
Originally Posted By DlandJB I think you're thinking of Lucille Baal.>>> My favorite post of the week.
Originally Posted By DlandJB Not every person who homeschools is a conservative Christian (which I think is what some people believe.) >>> Absolutely. There were quite a few kids I knew through the Unitarian Universalist Church who were being homeschooled. Rules vary by state. In order to be legally homeschooling in Virginia you had to submit a curriculm and the kids took periodic state testing. Also, they were able to join in with athletics and music programs through the schools. My personal observation of homeschooled kids has been a very positive one. Personally I would never do it because I have no facility for teaching.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal The curriculum in CA is suggested, but if the child is going to go on to college then they'd pretty much have to follow it. They take the same college entrance exams, SAT's etc. They have to pass the same English and Math competency exams. I am sure there are parents who homeschool who do not follow it and really don't care. But many people who homeschool not only do the suggested things but add in trips and real life experience to the learning. Many kids in public school do not get as much immersive learning as some kids who are homeschooled. It all depends on the parent who is doing the teaching, and the child's willingness and ability to learn in a home environment. Some kids and some parents are really not cut out for homeschooling.
Originally Posted By x Pirate_Princess x What do these kids put on their college applications? When do they take the SAT or ACT and how do they do? How does the rural, farm mother who has 6 kids and homeschools them, how do they learn Advanced Chemisty or Calculus in high school? What about Spanish, German, French, and of course English? And some people say that these kids are involved in high school sports, clubs, and activities? Where and at what school do they do this? It isn't that way anywhere I've seen. ---------------- My best friend and her brothers (5 total) were home schooled. Their dad was in the military and the mom figured it would just be easier to keep them on track if she did it. I don't know if she had any formal teaching training, BUT, there are "school-through-the-mail" systems that she used. They sent her all the curriculum and they worked on it. They mailed back the tests and that's how they were graded. They took the SATS/ACTS at the local school (anyone can take them, not just the students, you just have to sign up) and yes, they were involved in the activities. She went on field trips and dances with me, and her brother played sports. They all graduated. The her younger brother (now my sister's fiance) and her older brother joined the military, and her oldest owns his own business. She went to college to be a pharmacy tech and was doing that until she decided to stay home with the kids. So it can be done. There are resources out there. Some school districts loan out the curriculum to parents, and then offer the tutoring programs to the homeschooled kids just like the "at school" kids.
Originally Posted By ReadingMom After only lurking on LP and not posting for a long time I feel I just have to say something about homeschooling. First of all, I am a huge advocate of public education. We live in a city where we have a pretty good educational system. Not the best in the state, but certainly good. However, I homeschool my son (the youngest) who is 13 and going into the 8th grade. The only way he was going to be successful in high school was to homeschool him for 7th and 8th grade so that he could have one on one attention. He has learning disabilities and those of you who know us personally know all about it. I do not have a college degree (yet) and do not have any special certification. We are homeschooling through a charter school in our school district. We have an advisory teacher who we meet with every three weeks and she tests my son on the material that we have covered at home. She gives him his grades, not me. He also takes part in grade level writing classes at the charter school as well as field trips. I have access to thousands of textbooks, videos, DVDs and workbooks to assist me in teaching my son. I constantly check the state standards so that I know that I am covering what needs to be covered. My sister-in-law is a teacher in our district and also helps me with ideas and techniques for homeschooling. Our classroom is our kitchen table. My son also participates in the yearly state testing. Homeschooling would not work for my daughter (who is going to be a junior in high school) but it has worked wonderfully for my son. A lot of the time it is difficult and trying but when he has one of those moments where he "gets it" it is all worth it. There's my two cents.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<Because of my son's problems we have considered home schooling in the past.>>> What made you reconsider? Just curious. Does your son have autism or I may have my wires crossed.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad mele that may be someone else, I can't remember. No offense intended if I have that wrong. I recently participated in Vacation Bible School at my church as a "learning partner" for an autistic child. My job was to stay with this 10 year old autistic boy the entire time, each night. Let me tell you, after that experience, I have since done a lot of reading and discovered that Autism has got to be THE most misunderstood thing on the planet. It was a fantastic experience and we became great friends over the week. I got so much more out of the week I think than the students did.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>I'm glad we all now know which religious values are incorrect to instill in children, and those are the religious values of the Duggars. But just know what is bad doesn’t do me much good. I would be interested in seeing a list of the values that are OK.<< We make judgment calls on people's religious beliefs all the time. We just pretend we don't because we live in a culture where when something is cloaked in the name of religion, it usually gets a free pass. For years my church taught children that blacks were inferior because they were descendants of Cain and Ham from the Bible, and they used LDS scripture to justify it. Today, people teach their children that homosexuality is an evil sin, and that people who do it are going to hell. Some parents disown their children for being gay. Are you suggesting we say those religious values are just a-ok to instill in children? Sorry, I'm not joining the "I'm so tolerant, I tolerate intolerance" crowd.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Well RT, you're supposed to have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. We're all about religious freedom in this country, as long as we all approve of your religion. We also don't care what you do behind closed doors, but if we do find out, it has to meet with our approval. Being entitled to privacy and enjoying freedoms has its limits, you know.<< You're smarter than this, SPP. You know damn well the world isn't this black and white. You've spoken quite intelligently and insightfully about gay marriage in the past. Are you now suggesting that teaching bigotry to children is ok, as long as it's done behind closed doors and in the name of religion?
Originally Posted By jonvn I'm not tolerant, and don't pretend to be. It makes it a lot easier to try and mutter my way through stuff. There are some things I think are good, and some are bad. I have my reasons. People need to be able to stick to their ideas of right and wrong, or we all go down the sewer.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder What I'm saying is from a legal perspective, that if we're going to complete freedoms, we take the good with the bad. We can't pick and choose what we like. It's why we have sayings like "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." We all can still disagree with the couple and all their kids here, seeing as how the general perception is that they're straining on the edges of these freedoms. But just the same, if we try and restrict them, it's a slippery slope I don't want any part of. If this thread is any indicator, they're not hurting anyone and moreover, sounds like they're doing a good job of getting marginalized.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I take back everything I've said on this thread. I just went to the Duggar family website. The father's name is JIM BOB. He can't help what his parents named him, but he certainly wouldn't need to use it!! Anyone who goes by the name of Jim Bob should not be allowed to procreate. ;-)
Originally Posted By DlandJB There are some things I think are good, and some are bad. I have my reasons. People need to be able to stick to their ideas of right and wrong, or we all go down the sewer.>>> You and George Bush should go have a beer together sometime. You sound just like him.
Originally Posted By DlandJB For years my church taught children that blacks were inferior because they were descendants of Cain and Ham from the Bible, and they used LDS scripture to justify it. Today, people teach their children that homosexuality is an evil sin, and that people who do it are going to hell. Some parents disown their children for being gay. Are you suggesting we say those religious values are just a-ok to instill in children?>>>> To me this just sounds like a knee jerk reaction to that great unknown boogie man of right wing intolerance that is housed in such folks as Rush and other pundits and passed off as if it is the way all Evangelical Christians view the world. I know a lot of religous people and not one of them listens to Rush. You are right - some people do disown their kids for being gay. But a lot more don't and I would guess a great number of those that still love their kids are Christian too.
Originally Posted By jonvn "You and George Bush should go have a beer together sometime. You sound just like him." And your mother wears army boots. There is a difference between him and me. First, he's really rich. Ok, there are several. But otherwise, I'm able to change my mind about something when given reason and evidence to do so.
Originally Posted By mele Thanks for asking, DVC. We're not really sure what's going on with my son. He's been diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, ODD and bipolar disorder but nothing fits. He was bullied a lot in school and so there were problems there too. He's 15 and has been in a special ed program for years. The main reason we chose not to do homeschooling is because we just knew that our family couldn't handle being together 24 hours a day. It wouldn't have been good for any of us.
