Considering Homeschool - Need Feedback

[catholicmamajoy]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

Have you considered changing your daughter's sleep patterns? Maybe a short nap after school or going to bed earlier at night would help. I have to admit that the whole homeschooling thing does not convince me... I work in the field of education and, in my opinion, the kind of socialization and interaction that kids get in school are really important for their development.

Ahhhhhh.....the "S" word: "Socialization"!

Trust me, Emmelia, most homeschoolers have plenty of appropriate social interaction for their children. We don't lock them in the basement and let them out for an hour once a week to play with others

I can see that if you are a professional educator, perhaps parents taking over the role as "teacher" might seem an affront to your career, but it's not. It's simply parents deciding what works best for their child and their family.

Many children flourish and do quite well in a traditional classroom setting. Others do not. There is no one "right" way to educate every child.

[Emmelia]

Originally Posted by catholicmamajoy

Ahhhhhh.....the "S" word: "Socialization"!

Trust me, Emmelia, most homeschoolers have plenty of appropriate social interaction for their children. We don't lock them in the basement and let them out for an hour once a week to play with others

I can see that if you are a professional educator, perhaps parents taking over the role as "teacher" might seem an affront to your career, but it's not. It's simply parents deciding what works best for their child and their family.

Many children flourish and do quite well in a traditional classroom setting. Others do not. There is no one "right" way to educate every child.

Sorry! I did not mean to judge parents who choose to homeschool. It is just my opinion. Besides being an educator, I am also European... (two sins!!! ). I have to admit that I do not quite understand US fascination with homeschooling (which is illegal in some EU countries, restricted in others and certainly not popular in most...). Acculturation takes a while...

[jawgee]

Just have to jump in on the socialization topic. LOL.

I figured I'd outline my 10YO's socialization over the last two weeks (14 days):

-three Karate classes
-four Cub Scouts activities (including two campouts)
-two full days of Lego Robotics classes with a friend and two cousins (taught by Nana)
-one homeschool field trip to the monastery and beach (15+ kids)
-one morning at the park with the homeschooling group (about 20 kids)

That's eleven actitivies in fourteen days, and those activities don't count birthday parties, the trip to the movies with two other families, his Vernal Pool walk with Nana and a local wildlife club, or church activites. Nevermind day-to-day activities, of course, or that he is one of four kids.

It's about balance, of course. We probably don't have the most popular opinion, but in our home we place an emphasis on family time over socialization with friends. Our children do get lots of friend time, too, but it is not their whole day. Their days are spent learning, spending time with family, and most days a few hours of time with friends.

In fact, there are so many diverse activities available for homeschoolers in this area that we are learning we have to be selective!!

[Emmelia]

Originally Posted by jawgee

Just have to jump in on the socialization topic. LOL.

I figured I'd outline my 10YO's socialization over the last two weeks (14 days):

-three Karate classes
-four Cub Scouts activities (including two campouts)
-two full days of Lego Robotics classes with a friend and two cousins (taught by Nana)
-one homeschool field trip to the monastery and beach (15+ kids)
-one morning at the park with the homeschooling group (about 20 kids)

That's eleven actitivies in fourteen days, and those activities don't count birthday parties, the trip to the movies with two other families, his Vernal Pool walk with Nana and a local wildlife club, or church activites. Nevermind day-to-day activities, of course, or that he is one of four kids.

It's about balance, of course. We probably don't have the most popular opinion, but in our home we place an emphasis on family time over socialization with friends. Our children do get lots of friend time, too, but it is not their whole day. Their days are spent learning, spending time with family, and most days a few hours of time with friends.

In fact, there are so many diverse activities available for homeschoolers in this area that we are learning we have to be selective!!

As I said above, mine is just an opinion (that also comes from cultural differences that it'd be too long to explain...). I am glad homeschooling works for your family. Unfortunately, my direct experience with homeschooling has not been great. But I hope to meet families like yours at some point.

[catholicmamajoy]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

Sorry! I did not mean to judge parents who choose to homeschool. It is just my opinion. Besides being an educator, I am also European... (two sins!!! ). I have to admit that I do not quite understand US fascination with homeschooling (which is illegal in some EU countries, restricted in others and certainly not popular in most...). Acculturation takes a while...

It's okay! The topic of "socialization" is one of the most hotly debated issues in homeschooling, so when someone uses that word...........

While we homeschool, I do not use a Catholic program or curriculum and some people (thankfully not my friends in the local Catholic homeschool group) have been rather offended (and just plain judgmental) because we don't use one of the "thoroughly Catholic" programs that most other families use. My guys learn differently (project-based, experiential-style instead of the text/workbook and rote learning that is the mainstay of the Catholic programs), so I opt for a secular curriculum than combines the educational theories of both Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori. It works beautifully for us- and that's what I consider the one of the greatest gifts of being able to homeschool your children.......the freedom to select a curriculum or custom-tailor a program so they can learn best.....whether it's the work/text book kind, the project-based kind, or somewhere in between.

[Emmelia]

Originally Posted by catholicmamajoy

It's okay! The topic of "socialization" is one of the most hotly debated issues in homeschooling, so when someone uses that word...........

While we homeschool, I do not use a Catholic program or curriculum and some people (thankfully not my friends in the local Catholic homeschool group) have been rather offended (and just plain judgmental) because we don't use one of the "thoroughly Catholic" programs that most other families use. My guys learn differently (project-based, experiential-style instead of the text/workbook and rote learning that is the mainstay of the Catholic programs), so I opt for a secular curriculum than combines the educational theories of both Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori. It works beautifully for us- and that's what I consider the one of the greatest gifts of being able to homeschool your children.......the freedom to select a curriculum or custom-tailor a program so they can learn best.....whether it's the work/text book kind, the project-based kind, or somewhere in between.

Thank you for your answer. One of the things I genuinely don't understand about homeschooling is how parents can become experts in so many subjects and teach them in a competent manner. I guess it is not that hard for elementary education. But I know some families that homeschool their teenage kids too... I simply can't figure it out!

[kristacecilia]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

Thank you for your answer. One of the things I genuinely don't understand about homeschooling is how parents can become experts in so many subjects and teach them in a competent manner. I guess it is not that hard for elementary education. But I know some families that homeschool their teenage kids too... I simply can't figure it out!

I don't have teenagers yet, but I would guess they would learn the same as I would if I wanted to learn something new. I'd find resources and teach myself. As a home educator I would do research to find my teens resources on the material they wanted or needed to learn and they would teach themselves.

That is pretty much what I remember high school and university being like anyway. The kids who were self directed learners were the ones who actually did well.

[Emmelia]

Originally Posted by kristacecilia

I don't have teenagers yet, but I would guess they would learn the same as I would if I wanted to learn something new. I'd find resources and teach myself. As a home educator I would do research to find my teens resources on the material they wanted or needed to learn and they would teach themselves.

That is pretty much what I remember high school and university being like anyway. The kids who were self directed learners were the ones who actually did well.

So if your kids want to learn - let's say - German or Ancient Greek, you'd just do research and teach yourself?
And if they get sick, do you take them to the doctor or do you research and cure them? Sorry, I am playing the devil's advocate here... I just don't believe that anybody can effectively teach anything without proper training, just as I don't believe that anybody can prescribe drugs if s/he is not a medical doctor... But of course, it is just my opinion.

[jawgee]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

Thank you for your answer. One of the things I genuinely don't understand about homeschooling is how parents can become experts in so many subjects and teach them in a competent manner. I guess it is not that hard for elementary education. But I know some families that homeschool their teenage kids too... I simply can't figure it out!

Nowadays there are lots of options for computer-based or online learning, if the parents are feeling less confident about a particular subject. They are especially useful for higher-level math and science classes.

(We love Teaching Texbooks for math).

Also, many teenage homeschoolers take college classes at a local community college or university.

[kristacecilia]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

So if your kids want to learn - let's say - German or Ancient Greek, you'd just do research and teach yourself?
And if they get sick, do you take them to the doctor or do you research and cure them? Sorry, I am playing the devil's advocate here... I just don't believe that anybody can effectively teach anything without proper training, just as I don't believe that anybody can prescribe drugs if s/he is not a medical doctor... But of course, it is just my opinion.

No. I would find appropriate resources. Which may include outsourcing to a class outside my home. for your example of a foreign language, there are hundreds of programs available to teach yourself or another person. My kids are learning Latin right now. I don't know Latin. We researched appropriate and challenging materials, purchased some, and I am learning right along with them.

When my children get sick I make an assessment of the gravity of their symptoms and treat them appropriately, which may mean out sourcing their medical treatment to an ER or doctor.

I don't have any training to teach. I am more than qualified to teach my own children though. I have been doing it since they were born.

I assume that I know my child and myself well enough to determine what the best approach is.

[catholicmamajoy]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

Thank you for your answer. One of the things I genuinely don't understand about homeschooling is how parents can become experts in so many subjects and teach them in a competent manner. I guess it is not that hard for elementary education. But I know some families that homeschool their teenage kids too... I simply can't figure it out!

On a prior post on this thread, I mentioned how many parents "outsource" the more difficult high school courses to local colleges or universities. That's what we did with my oldest for earning dual-credits (for both high school and college). One does not need to be an Advanced Placement or Honors student to take college classes while in high school. Most colleges and universities are used to having homeschooled teens taking classes, so registering them for a course or two each semester is no big issue.

[Emmelia]

Thank you, ladies, for all the info on homeschooling! You really clarified many doubts I had.

[hsmomforlife]

Originally Posted by kristacecilia

For a lot of Catholic homeschooling support and advice, I recommend this forum: http://4real.thenetsmith.com/default.asp

Great response Krista! I second the suggested forum.

Don't let your La Leche experience color your ideas of homeschooling. The beauty of homeschooling is that it looks different for each family. If you have early risers and your family values morning worktimes, then that's what you need to do for your family. If you find that when they get to the teen years and their biological clock shifts for some of your kids, you can shift some of your kids work schedule.
It's all about what works for you and your family.

I had the same experience as you when my oldest was about the same age. I missed my sweet natured son, who had become a sleepy, crabby ball of angst....I too was 'done' with other people telling my family how our day needed to be ordered and who was allowed to be a part of what....
I remember telling my husband that I didn't have kids so someone else could raise them and spend all of their 'good time' with someone else and I got to pick up all of the pieces!
Check out Mother of Divine Grace, Catholic Heritage Curriculum, Our Lady of Victory....I can't think of any others right now. There is a Yahoo Group called CathSwapChat (not the best name, I know!LOL!) but it is a group to talk about Catholic homeschooling and grew out of CathSwap (a Catholic Curriculum sales forum).
Also, you can check out local Catholic HS groups and co-ops. I'm sure you will find some families that you will click with....

[Inthemountains]

Originally Posted by Emmelia

Thank you, ladies, for all the info on homeschooling! You really clarified many doubts I had.

Thank you for being open minded. I would add that when children are older, the homeschooling parent becomes more of an educational "facilitator" and less of a "teacher". Also, many parents have complimentary aptitudes and expertise. For example, I can handle the humanities and my husband can teach science and advanced math. Also, having a teaching degree does not necessarily make someone a good teacher. We have a very successful charter high school in our area, and the teachers are not educators by degree. They are experts with degrees and experience in their field particular field.

[journey00]

Originally Posted by TheRealJuliane

Your reasons are completely valid. I felt that way from the time my kids were in pre-K. I refused to put them in all-day Kindergarten because all they did in the afternoon was take a nap and play the rest of the day. Why should the school get my kids all day when I was at home to enjoy them myself?

About the slavery to the school hours...It only gets worse from here. Not only do the kids have to spend their entire day in school, they come home tired and stressed out and then we get to badger them to do their homework!!

Even the structure of the school day does not encourage true learning. I've done substitute teaching all the way through 7th grade and breaking the day up into little parts is very disruptive to the way the mind learns. Every time I got the kids focused and interested on some subject, and we were cooking right along, BRRRRINNNGG, it's time for the next subject! OK, put away your English books, we're switching over to Math now! OK, we didn't finish the Math problems, do them as homework, put your books away, it's off to Music class!



All the way through the day, so much time was wasted on going here, going there, getting ready for this, finishing that. There was hardly any time when true learning was taking place.

Homeschooling can get SO much more done in a much shorter time period, because there is nowhere to go, and the child can stick with a subject until he is finished, not until the bell rings. There is NO REASON school should take 6 hours! Half the day is WASTED!

Of course then you have the "teaching to the lowest common denominator," so the brighter kids are BORED stiff and have more interest in doodling on their notebook or poking the kid in front of them....In most of my older son's grades all the way through middle school, he would end up tutoring some of his classmates who weren't as quick to grasp the material. The teachers had no plan to enrich their lessons for more gifted students.

In public schools, the gifted students are supposed to be gifted in all areas, it's not usually an individual area of giftedness. So the kids who are excellent in math, but only average in English or other subjects, are assumed to be lazy or nor working up to their potential. You can adjust things to suit your own children, letting them work to their level whether it is higher or lower.

The start is to find out what the laws are in your state. This is a wonderful resource for homeschoolers.

http://www.hslda.org/

Your daughter would love to be home with you. You can do it! You really can. There are so many people home schooling now...There are social activities everywhere. It's not like you have to be isolated, and you can find all kinds of people, not just the La Leche League unschoolers who let their kids breastfeed until they are 10! LOL

DITTO TO EVERYTHING!!

We just finished our 1st year of homeschooling. I took my 3 children out of a wonderful Catholic School that we loved. BUT...I was tired of the school getting their best hours of the day instead of me!! I was scared to death but I prayed A LOT for God to give me the grace to be able to do this.....and he did. I fully enrolled my 12 yr old with Seton Catholic Homeschooling and I ordered the 1st & 2nd grade curriculum from Catholic Heritage Curriculum. After tweaking it...I figured out pretty quickly that Seton is basically school-at-home and my child was not liking it. I work from home so I needed to find something that will work with our family. I pulled from many sources and we now use Time4Learning which is an online curriculum & it is graded for you and it matches your state guidelines. I pay $50 a month for my 3 children...yes, it is secular but my kids love it and their customer support is great! We add our own Cathechism through daily living, www.mycatholicfaithdelivered.com, RE classes at our parish, Saint movies from Netflix,
EWTN, etc. and of course Sunday Mass and any other Mass we can get to throughout the week. We are eclectic with an unschooling bent.

They do dance lessons, competitive soccer, basketball, softball, swim team, horseback riding and many other activities.

My children are not weird or unsocialized at all....they are very sociable and talkative & can carry on a conversation with anybody. In fact, people are surprised when we tell them that we homeschool...they say "but you don't look like homeschoolers"..I guess that's a compliment..I'm not sure..lol. I asked them if they want to go back to regular school and it was a resounding NO! We will re-evaluate every year and will continue to do it as long as it works and I feel that God wants me to continue.

They now get along well as opposed to when I picked them up from school they were so crabby they fought with each other & I wanted to leave them at school!!! Now, I LOVE being with them and enjoy their company.

Your daughter is very young still...check out Time4learing and Catholic Heritage Curriculum, it is a very very gentle program but very thorough. The key is to find what works for YOUR FAMILY...there is no wrong or right way to homeschool...you can be very rigid or very relaxed..it is up to you. There's also no ONE right reason to homeschool...reasons vary & that's ok.