Does homeschooling make a difference?

Question

he is 16 year old and is not interested in studies at all so what shall i do to make him be interesed in his studies and gain knowledge????would homeschooling help??

Answer 1

Homeschool might help, it really depends on where his lethargy come from.

You need to understand him before you come up w/ a solution.

Check out the books below (and ignore Stephen, the guy is bitter and clueless)
They can help you and your son understand who he is, and have him get excited and motivated toward something he loves. It's not a big investment, I'd strongly urge you to get both, and you may very well find them at your public library.

Remember, school in the format we have in the US, is a relatively recent social invention. It is not gospel truth that everyone has to complete this form of schooling to succeed and be happy in life.

Answer 2

I highly doubt homeschooling would help.

Read books by Silvia Rimm that deal with lack of educational motivation. There are many causes such as depression or a desire for instant gratification that are not addressed by homeschooling.

Have you ever tried to get a child to do things they don't want to do? Have you ever spent several hours every day trying to accomplish this? Do you think children act out more with their parents or their teachers? Can you emotionally handle a child who doesn't like you because you are forcing him to learn? Do you discipline successfully? Can your body take the stress?

I just spent the year pounding knowledge into my son. He did learn more, but I had to be a daily taskmaster. Next year he is going to public school.

Another option would be to have him take the SAT or ACT and take community college courses as part of your homeschool curriculum. That way you are not teaching him and he is getting college credit. If he peters out a few years down the road, at least he will have a college degree.

Answer 3

Homeschooling might help, but it might not.

Does HE want to homeschool? If not, I don't think pulling him out of public school would help. Although, if the problem is that he's hanging out in the washrooms smoking instead of going to class, that may be just the thing to do.

Talk to him about what's going on with school. That's the only way to really know what the next step to take would be. It could be the school itself, his friends, the need for something more meaningful, like taking on a part-time job, in which case, his being able to stay at the job would depend on him getting his homework done and doing his best in school. You have to talk to him, tell him you are concerned and want to hear his thoughts.

Also ignore those who said that he won't have contact with anybody. That's like saying a stay-at-home mom never has contact with anybody. It's just ridiculous. I know lots of high school homeschoolers who have friends, some who have boyfriends/girlfriends, some with part-time jobs, some do regular volunteering, some heavily involved in athletics, a few doing all of the above and more. If he wants to have contact with others, he'll have it.

Answer 4

Each case has an individual answer. Talk to your son and find out why he isn't interested in school. Is there a subject that he is interested in? Meet with his current teachers. Perhaps spend time in a class or two. You may learn on your own what it is that he doesn't like about school. Homeschooling is an option. But, it can be challenging. It will take a lot of dedication on your part and a real commitment on his part. You will be able to achieve the required goals for your state while you develop a curriculum that is of interest to your son. Best of luck.

Answer 5

It really baffles me how so many anti-homeschooling people hang out on the homeschool section of answers, just waiting to tear people down. I don't get it.
Based on your information it would be very hard to say if homeschooling would help your son or not. First of all, look at what is going on in his life: is it the crowd he's hanging with, is he withdrawn, meaning is there something else going on. Is he be bullied at school by peers or even teachers (Yes, there are wonderful teachers out there, but there are lousy ones too)Or does he just find the curriculum in school irrelevant to him? Is there something he wants to do with his life that he feels school is not preparing him for?
If you search for the answers to these and many other questions, and you decide that homeschooling is best for your family, do not be dissuaded by all the negativity on this site. Homeschooling has been a huge blessing for my family and my kids are very social, very happy, very connected and very smart. They are more interested in reaching beyond themselves to help others than a lot of kids I know. But I do have a huge support system around me in homeschool friends, loving neighbors, and an awesome church. Homeschooling is a lot of hard work, but if you are committed it can pay off.

Answer 6

I personally think homeschooling is not the best idea. Children need social interaction with other children. At the age of 16 school and education seem to be the lowest on the priority list. Talk to him about what his plans are for the future. What does he want to do with his life? Then research what colleges offer what he needs and what the requirements to get might be. Also research the earning potential for the path he has chosen. Hopefully if he gets excited about where he is going it will get him motivated. Good luck!

Answer 7

If you want him to be a freak, then yeah. He will have NO CONTACT with anybody, no friends, no girlfriends, no teacher's no nothing. He will be half a day in front of the computer. And if he's not interested in studies then you just gotta tell him: "....if you don't study, you won't go to college, if you don't go to college, you won't get a real job, you'll end up working at burger king, and if you don't study, you're going to have to move out when you're 18, we do NOT want you here in our house, you are going to be an adult, you have to work and study, so you can have an apartment or home, so you can live by yourself...." explain everything to him. I'm excited about school, because I know if I study, I can go to college and move out of my parent's house, I just cannot stand my parents. So thank god im 14, 4 more years until im 18!! Hurray!!.

Answer 8

Yes, I guess the best teachers of a child are his parents. U dont need to go to school to learn about ethics, communiction and behavior styles, not to lie or steal. Like the saying charity begins at home. U dont need to go to university for classes to get a Phd to result in becoming notorious citizens eventually. Why not stay with ur parents and remain illeterates, atleast they will have peace and so will u.
Why go to school when we lack knowledge about others culture and keep making assumptions and testing our bs theories and experiments instead of trying to learn others culture atleast make an effort, and not laugh at others pain.
Why suffer going to a university, invest money time and spoil family personal social life and get a degree which is of such a waste of time and resources.
Why not get the knowledge what ur dad has and the skills ur mother has, and learn for the experiences ur siblings share. I think home is the best school or rather the best ranked university. Not stanford or MIT or Harvard, or NIMhans or.. and dam college

Answer 9

I can only speak for myself... I have a 5 year old who knows how to read and write, and the kid down the street going to a regular school is 8 and doesn't know either... I think homeschooling provides the student with one-on-one support... the schools can't provide that... I would advice homeschooling, but you have to be dedicated to it.

Answer 10

I have been homeschooling for 5 years now. I have a 15 year old son who is in several social groups. He has very good friends and makes really great choices compared to some of his public school friends. He is much more mature than his public school friends...so don't let all the crap about socialization bother you. If you want him to be social then send him out into the world..there are bowling leagues, music lessons, art classes, church if you are religious...my son chose that for himself with no pressure from me. I don't even go to church and never made him but he does because the children there don't party and its not on their minds 24/7...his words not mine. He doesn't just hang out with kids his own age but hangs out with people of all ages. If your worried about his studies then maybe you should look into the unschooling method. He might just be frustrated because he feels too much is going on too fast. My son did attend public school but I pulled him out because of that very reason. Two years I unschooled but he chose to have online classes this year. He went from being a "special education student" to making B's all across his report card. This from a child who the professionals told me he would never get passed 2nd grade reading because he was so "learning disabled"! Talk to him ask him how he feels, get to know your son...take him to the library and tell him to get any book on any subject he chooses. Find out what he wants to learn and go from there...trust me you'll be so glad you did.