Is it better to home-school young and enter public school later or just go to public school the whole time?

Question

We are debating whether or not we should homeschool our 4 year old son when it's time for kindergarten. Our plans are to homeschool him through elementary school and put him in public school when he's in 6th grade. What are the advantages/disadvantages to doing this?

Answer 1

It might be best to let him have his last year in elementary school in public school, so that he can arrive at the next school with friends and start off there with at least that worry out of the way - you know, someone to do it with.

Really though, it is probaby too hard to tell from this vantage point what will be best. There are those who say children are better suited for friends an socialization at 7 - but as your child grows and develops you will see more of what his nature is, what will benefit him and how well he learns on his own and in social situation. You know your child better than anyone else - and as you get to know him even better over a couple more years of having him at home, I am sure the right choice will make itself clear to you at the right time.

I personally am homeschooling all the way - well, that's the plan now anyway. We will just have to see how it goes and were life takes us!

Answer 2

I think that homeschooling is great. this will be my first year homeschooling my kids. I have done a lot of research on it. I had a lot of worries about it also. So this is what i have planned to do. get the kids in activities (sports, girl scouts, boy scouts, volunteering) that way they are around other kids there age. Join a homeschool support group. They have them on yahoo groups, or some in your local area. I have decided to homeschool because the school system here is bad. I want my kids to have a better education. If you want to homeschool i suggest doing it all the way through, but if you only want to do it for the first few years that is fine. It is what you feel, not what everyone else does. The advantages/ disadvantages are how you decide to do it. The child will get one on one help. Unlike public school there is usually 15 or so students per classroom. Do your research before you decide anything.

Answer 3

My older son was in public school until 1/2 way through second grade. He would be starting 6th grade this fall (junior high where we are) and I asked him if he'd rather go to PS or continue HS. He chose HS because he can finish school each day so much earlier than his PS friends and has the rest of the day to do whatever he wants (HS chess club, tennis lessons, computer time).

Socialization is always brought up when you start talking about homeschooling and my response is: where in the 'real world' are people segregated by age? One of my favorite HS quotes is this: "Where did we ever get the idea that the best place to socialize a 13-year-old was with 1000 other 13-year-olds?" My son interacts with older children, younger children, and adults almost daily and is perfectly comfortable in all of these situations. That's the 'real world' he will be living in when he goes to college and starts his career. Every place I've ever worked has had people of different ages working together (not to mention, different races, cultures, religions, etc.)

I'm glad my son chose to stay in HS this year, simply because junior high and high school are SO full of hormones and peer pressure that actual learning too often takes a back seat to discipline. Also, if he went back to PS, he'd be bored silly - he has tested several grades ahead in most subjects, but he'd be placed in his age-level grade.

It is possible to homeschool your child all the way through high school and each year there are more and more resources available for homeschoolers to do just that.

Certainly, you need to look into social outlets (scouts, team sports, academic clubs, church groups, etc.) Most towns have something you can get him involved in.

Good luck with your decision. It's not an easy one, but you'll never regret homeschooling (if that's what you choose).

Answer 4

Depends on what pace you're going use for homeschooling him. Our 5 year old daughter is being homeschooled (K5) and she tested at 2nd grade level reading and 1st grade level math, so if we sent her to public school later, she would be fine (though pretty bored) because she is ahead. Doing it the other way might take more work on her part. If she was in public school and was used to that pace, presenting her with the accelerated curriculum that we use would be a shock to her and we would have to work with her a lot more to help her make up the difference. About socializing... that's a bunch of hot air. It may be true about people who live very isolated, but we don't live in the boondocks and our kids have friends at church, neighbors, they have each other and they have no problem relating to others. I wish I had that option when I was a kid.

Answer 5

Hello, I am an actual homeschooler and I was actually in public school all through elementary. Once I got to 6th grade my parents gave me the choice of homeschooling, and that's what I do now. Same situation with my younger brother. I would recommend he starts kindergarten to learn to socialize with other kids, then once he is old enough let him decide.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

I might put him in school a little earlier like 3rd or 4th grade if your not going to go all the way through, but starting out with homeschooling in the early grades should be fine.

Don't let nay sayers scare you either. If he has other kids to interact with in other settings he will be fine. And remember SCHOOL is not where one learns about the "real world". In fact it is nothing like the "real world". Make sure to take him grocery shopping and to vote, and to public events, places in the "real world" if you want him to learn about it. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 8

That sounds great. You can almost definitely do a better job of teaching your child then the schools can.

I would suggest outside activities though, such as sports and music lessons or swimming etc. This way your child can learn to socialize and deal with other people.

Enjoy it and good luck.

PS Don't be afraid to explore outside the normal requirements (which are minimal...IE a foreign language etc)

Answer 9

Hats off to you for being able and wanting to do that. I knew a family that homeschooled their 6 kids. All of them were socialble, all of them had lots of friends, and they got out of school WAAAYY early. Only 2 went to college tho. the others either went to the military or started working right away

Answer 10

I knew a kid who was homeschooled until college. When he got to college..he didn't really know how to interact with anyone..and how to be his own person. Also, he was tied at the hip to his mother..who forced him to train to be a priest.
I think kids need some exposure to what the "real world" is so to speak. They need to know how to deal with problems, and how to make friends.