Home Schooling - Good or Bad?

[paramedicgirl]

In an effort to keep the Harry Potter thread on track, I am starting a new thread for the homeschooling posts.

There are 2 conversations going on in that thread.

Do you believe homeschooling is spiritually beneficial to your child? What about educationally beneficial?

[Peace-bwu]

Homeschooling has been both spiritually helpful for our entire family, and also beneficial for my children's education. We are able to make sure that they learn each lesson before we move on to the next. We are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, where they need to be challenged or spend more time on a particular subject. My third grader is able to do fourth grade work in Reading, Phonics and handwriting. We go through a set curriculum from an accredited school so they take CAT tests, the school grades tests and keeps school records. The are excited about school every day and get it finished during the lessons so they have more time in the evening for extra Curricular activities rather than hours of homework every night. We are able to take field trips whenever we want and usually do so during the least busy times of year.

It is quite a family challenge, but we are certainly up to the challenge. My daughter knows that if she buckles down and is motivated about her work in the morning that means more free time in the afternoon for reading, free play or projects of her choice. Kids learn to balance their time, be responsible for their work and find fruitful things to do with their free time. The time they have with their friends doesn't take away from their education, they aren't friendships of convenience, but true friends. They also have alot of aquaintences and learn to get along with all ages and personality types by playing team sports, working on group projects and other activities.

Educating our children at home has been a real blessing for our family! As an Air Force Family, when we move, we are able to take our school wherever we go, with very little interruption.

[spacecadet]

it depends on the situation. i've seen wonderful examples of homeschooling. i also saw a realtive that was very dysfunctional homeschool and it had a negative effect. it would have been very positive for this child to be out of the home in shool for hours a day

[joeysmom]

I would have to say yes to both. We Catholic homeschooled our son from grades 3rd to 7th. When we sent him to his current all boy's Catholic school, he was and is able to defend his faith more than adequately, sometimes, better than his teachers and he is currently in the honor's program. And this is not only true of my son. Most of the students who are receiving the academic awards, etc. are former homeschoolers.

We would continue to homeschool him but because he is an only child, he we feel he needs to be around other kids his age.

However, if it were up to me solely, I would continue to homeschool him. It scares me that he is learning things we would rather he not learn. Some things of a sexual nature he learned in last years religion class.

[Cupofkindness]

I homeschooled for many years. I have seven children, all of them are about two years apart. To put it plainly, homeschool was a struggle from the beginning. Those years of pregnancies, nursing, potty training, and trying to teach the school aged children were nothing short of grueling. My husband was very, very supportive and even took on a lot of the work, but he has a demanding job and is away from home a lot. Those years were so hard. I would not want that path for any of my daughters. About six and a half years ago, I decided that we needed to move our children into our parish school. The younger ones were so far behind that I couldn't even move all of the elementary aged children in at the same time. We had to phase them in as I caught them up to their grade level. Now, even my four year old is in pre-school. My oldest is attending a very demanding all-girls school and is an outstanding student. She runs the pro-life club at her school, so she makes a real difference there. My son goes to an all-boys high school, then the outher five go to our parish school, which is a Blue Ribbon school. I am very, very fortunate to have excellent schools, one of the benefits of living in a major city.

But back to homeschooling. It takes a certain type of woman to be a homeschooling mom. I think that the most successful ones either don't have more that two or three children, or have a independent type of personality and therefore don't need a whole lot of friendships or adult interaction on a daily basis, or have a maid or lots of extended family for support. Even with homeschool support groups, the burden on the mother is overwhelming. I was very lonely when I homeschooled, though I had several Catholic friends who also homeschooled. But what really set me looking into regular schools was a comment that a friend made about how her 10 year old daughter would run her home after she had a baby. That was a wake-up call: I didn't want to raise a family of children who were best at chores, but best at understanding this crazy world that we live in so they can embrace the Catholic faith as adults. I think this level of understanding requires a well-developed intellect.

Now that my children are in high school, I see clearly that they are receiving an excellent education that I simply could not provide, even with supplemental classes and activities with homeschool groups. Since I'm still in touch with my friends who still do homeschool, I've observed that they often feel inadequate and wonder what their children will do in the future. Moreover, I think that homeschooling might limit a child's other options because they simply can't be in a school musical, do high powered science, be in the Debate Club, football, drillteam, Lacrosse, etc. The world of homeschooled highschoolers seems very small to me. And I also believe that homeschooling negatively impacts a child's social development, but that's another story. Now homeschooling does protect a child's innocence where matters of the world are involved. That is a very good thing. But these children need to deal with it at some point. At least in my Catholic school, there is a common set of values governing learning and behavior. A wonderful nun is the principal of our school.

Our Lord's world was small too. Our Blessed Mother was probably homeschooled. And look how they turned out! Every parent must discern God's will for their family and education of their children. Some people have a vocation to homeschool their children. Others have no other choice because their options are public school or homeschool. There are many, many ways to be a good Catholic family. I thank God for my parish and the schools available to my children. I pray that everyone reading this thread will properly discern God's call for their family as well.

[KathleenElsie]

Originally Posted by paramedicgirl

In an effort to keep the Harry Potter thread on track, I am starting a new thread for the homeschooling posts.

There are 2 conversations going on in that thread.

Do you believe homeschooling is spiritually beneficial to your child? What about educationally beneficial?

Do you believe homeschooling is spiritually beneficial to your child?

Our educational supplies come from Catholic approved school curriculum suppliers. The boys are both learning the Baltimore Catechism and CCD with the parish children. Latin was added to the weekly schedule also.

What about educationally beneficial?

Reading daily one on one. Math, language arts, history (ancient Egypt this term), art, music, sports and the added classes the zoo, museum, science center and local University offer. So yes it was beneficial in our case and is now beneficial in the case of our grandchildren.

[Didi]

I think it depends on the child(ren), the parent(s) and their situation. Everyone has to make the right decision for their own family and their own circumstance.

I do find that there seems to be some judgmentalism occuring on both sides of the fence, and also regarding public vs. Catholic schooling. If you don't homeschool your child you're not a good parent; or if you don't send your child to Catholic school as opposed to public school you aren't a good Catholic. If you don't expose your children to people of different faiths and ideas (public school), how will they survive in the "real" world? There are valid arguments on every side.

Bottom line: Everyone's family is different. There is no one right choice that will apply to everyone.

[paramedicgirl]

Originally Posted by Didi

I do find that there seems to be some judgmentalism occuring on both sides of the fence, and also regarding public vs. Catholic schooling. If you don't homeschool your child you're not a good parent; or if you don't send your child to Catholic school as opposed to public school you aren't a good Catholic. If you don't expose your children to people of different faiths and ideas (public school), how will they survive in the "real" world? There are valid arguments on every side.

Bottom line: Everyone's family is different. There is no one right choice that will apply to everyone.

I agree that each situation must be looked at individually. I do not homeschool, but I have been tempted to.

I have seen the success of 2 families in our parish. One uses the Seton Catholic program, and her kids are incredibly well educated. All 3 who have graduated have gone on to university - she still has one in grade 10.

The other family has a daughter who just completed grade 7 & 8 in one year, using the provincially provided (non-Catholic) school program.

Both these families have children who are well educated in their faith. They play musical instruments and participate in the church choir. They join the high school teams for extra-curricular sports. Their moral values are well developed and spiritually intact. All said, they have done an impressive job of educating their children at home.

[KathleenElsie]

Homeschooling is not for everyone. It is something that needs lots of support and prayer. In the case of our granschildren our Catholic school closed and we then had to choose the secular school or homeschooling. It is hard work and can really cause lots of work for us most days. But, it is well worth it for us.

[La Chiara]

Originally Posted by Didi

I think it depends on the child(ren), the parent(s) and their situation. Everyone has to make the right decision for their own family and their own circumstance.

I do find that there seems to be some judgmentalism occuring on both sides of the fence, and also regarding public vs. Catholic schooling. If you don't homeschool your child you're not a good parent; or if you don't send your child to Catholic school as opposed to public school you aren't a good Catholic. If you don't expose your children to people of different faiths and ideas (public school), how will they survive in the "real" world? There are valid arguments on every side.

Bottom line: Everyone's family is different. There is no one right choice that will apply to everyone.

I totally agree. When the debate about homeschooling gets polarized into "my way is the best way and you who do/don't homeschool are wrong", then it serves little purpose. Kind of reminds me of the working mother vs. stay at home mother debate of a few decades earlier. Do what is best for you, feel free to support your choice, but appreciate that parents who do something different doesn't mean one of you is wrong. You are both doing what is right--for you, your kids, your marriage, and your families.

[cheddarsox]

I have been teaching science to home school families for 14 yrs.

For the most part home schooled kids do great. But there are clearly some families that it is a bigger job than they can handle.

It is common for people to harken back to the "good old days" when all kids were homeschooled and look at how well it worked back then, and families had 13 kids and a farm to boot!

Even so, things are different now. Mom wasnt' toting those 13 kids to music lessons, dance, soccor, play practice, and numerous extra classes and "play dates", field trips etc, like I see today's home school moms doing.

Many home schoolers scheduels are so packed, I wonder when the kids eat and sleep! And listening to the moms talk, some of them wonder as well. We expect our kids to excel in many specialized subjects these days, and some families find it hard to make choices from all the options out there and see that the kids get the basics first.

Overall, I have seen great things from home school families.

One of my dear friends who home schools her 4 said this." I think that it takes about the same commitment and energy to have a child succeed whether they are home schooled or group schooled, and the parents who do a good job homeschooling, are the same ones who's kids would excel in regular school as well, and the one's who fail, would fail either way, because the parents don't have it together."

That is her assessment as part of the home school community.

I think she makes some good points. Parents who are willing to spend the time and make the effort will see that their kids succeed no matter which arena of learning they choose. And there are very bright kids who fall through the cracks in both arenas as well.

No matter where our kids are educated, we must never abdicate responsibility for their learning to someone else. WE are the parents, they are OUR responsibility.

cheddar

[kaymart]

For any parents who can homeschool, I truly admire you. For me, I admit, I don't have the patience, homework was enough for me. Although they went to Public Schools for most of their schooling, I exposed them to many different things, also attended a excellent CCD program with a very active parents. I did homeschool Religion, still do, to my youngest son. He is autistic, but his Catholic (just by chance-I was lucky)teacher aide at that time, and later became my good friend, help me with sign language in his early years, not in school of course, can you image, but she came by my home or we went to hers and we worked on his Lessons, till I learned most of the signs.

[vluvski]

KathleenElise and Cupofkindness share the important point that homeschooling is not for everyone. There is no generic answer. I know some kids who do great, and some who just keep falling farther and farther behind. I know some mothers who are organized, and other who are totally falling apart.

I got a great education in public, Catholic, homeschool, Catholic, and public school, in that order. The most important educational years in public high school were key. My mom could not have possibly taught me what I know in science and math-she just didn't have the expertise or the resources. My fiance, homeschooled from about 4th grade, has expressed that his math and science background put him at a disadvantage in pursuing his engineering degree (he has done quite well with lots of hard work). I would have missed out on many other opportunities like band, chorus, science fairs, math team, track... Fortunately, my fiance had a great youth group and a youth leader who really took him under his wing to develop key leadership and social skills that have served him very well in landing internships and work-study jobs. Many homeschooled kids are not so fortunate.

Some people have the impression they can "save" their kids by homeschooling them, keeping them in a bubble of protection from the outside world. That is the wrong reason to homeschool, in my opinion, and it can often backfire.
Proper moral values must be taught at home, and this can be done effectively regardless of where and how the child is schooled.

[amarischuk]

In my opinion (and I would like to add that I agree with the previous poster who said that this discussion cannot degenerate into a "our way is the only proper way" thread) homeschooling can be done properly to the advantage of the child; however, it is an extremely difficult and time consuming task.

It is also important to remember that the school systems are different in Canada and the United States. As a Canadian I am proud of our education system which provides an excellent, well rounded education in both French and English. Not only this, but Catholic and other private schools are partially funded by the government. In Canada, their is often little reason to homeschool. I realize that the situation in the United States is significantly different due to the loaclized source of education funding.

We have heard many testimonials about the value of homeschooling but all these testimonials have come from people who have elected to homeschool or have contemplated homeschooling.

The cold and hard facts about homeschooling is that if a child is homeschooled through grade twelve, they face serious limitations in regards to post-secondary education. According to this article homeschooler's college admitance and success rates are "comparable" to traditionally educated children http://www.ericdigests.org/2005-2/homeschooling.html

However, as I previously noted, the opportunities for homeschooled children to attend colleges and universities here is Canada is drastically reduced.

It is quite possible for parents to homeschool their children using a good curriculum (I would not suggest the one from Bob Jones University); however, the time constraints and monetary expenses can be significant. Extracurricular activities in a wide social circle are important (essential). Without this diverse interaction, when a homeschool child enters the post secondary education system, that student risks alienation, isolation or over-rebellion.

It is also important to add that with the older ages, children are frequently required to learn material which might pose a real challenge to a parent who is not educated in those areas (particularly the sciences).

But I would also like to add a historical evaluation of the situation. While the primary education of children seems to have been a universal norm across all societiesl; within Catholic societies, later pubilc education has always been closely tied to orthodox Catholicism. And it is important to not that 'later' education often meant after the age of 6 to 12 years of age.

The monastic system frequently accepted extraordinarily young people to study with them, such as Thomas Aquinas. This heritage still exists today in the tradition of the minor seminary (though it is slowly dying out). It is very much a protestant development for so much emphasis to be placed on the solitary individual or family unit at the expense of the society. Even when this 'seige' mentally existed most strongly in the Church, such as in the patristic and early medieval period, this was always mitigated by the very nature of the Church. Infact, out of this reclusiveness sprang the great missionary orders. John Paul II often called for a renewed evangelism which in many was is counter to the very philosophically isolationist nature of homeschooling.

I am a firm proponent of parental involvement in a child's development (and I think that this, more than homeschooling, would account for the statistics equating the success rates of homeschooling with public education); however, I do not feel that this involvement must or even should be manifest in formal education. Their are plenty of ways in which a parent can be involved in a child's development outside of the formal education system. 9am to 3pm for 9 months of a year is really only a fraction of their development.

Adam Marischuk

[paramedicgirl]

And for all you stay at home moms who have pre-schoolers read this and then congratulate yourself that you chose to raise your child yourself.

Study: Mothers Care Best for Toddlers, Daycare is Disastrous and Even Relatives Are Lacking

LONDON, England, October 4, 2005, (LifeSiteNews.com) -- A study, the results of which were reported in The Independent yesterday, indicates that toddlers who are looked after by their mothers develop significantly better than those cared for by nurseries, childminders or relatives.

The report, presented by Penelope Leach, president of the National Childminders' Association and one of the co-authors, shows that toddlers given nursery care fared worst of all. According to The Independent these children "exhibited higher levels of aggression and were inclined to become more compliant, withdrawn or sad." Those under the care of relatives fared somewhat better.

The research, which involved 1,200 children and their families in the London and Oxfordshire area, showed that "youngsters looked after by childminders and nannies came second in terms of their development to those who stayed at home with mother."

The report confirms other studies that show that young children develop best when in the care of a parent, usually the mother, in a loving environment. The report also showed that institutionalized daycare, as proposed by many governments, is detrimental to the development of toddlers.