What is your take on Homeschooling?

Question

Do parents need to have teaching credentails? If not, how can a parent who is not capable in one, or many subjects, teach their child? Are home schooled children at an advantage or disadvantage when it come to eduacation?

Answer 1

My opinion is that it's a mixed bag. It takes a lot of time and effort to do it, and if the public schools are good (or, if the child is sufficiently bright), the benefits of home schooling are minimal. But many public schools are not good, so in such case the benefit of home schooling could be substantial. Many parents don't have the breadth of knowledge required to give adequate instruction at the high school level, or the physical plant required to to do so. (How many homes are equipped with a machine shop, or good chemistry laboratory facilities?) A significant downside to home schooling is the lack of interaction with other young people, and considering how important societal interaction is nowadays, that is a big issue.

Answer 2

I think it is great a long as you are doing it for the right reasons. I've known some people who automatically pull their kids out of school a soon as the teacher suggests there may be a problem. These problems are then not always faced at home.

Part of growing up is learning to handle adversity. Yes, it is unfair when an incompetent teacher misunderstands a child, and yes, it is unfair when a bully picks on a child. But your child will face these same people in their adult life, and need to learn to defend him/herself.

There's a balance -- I guess that's what I'm trying to say. I haven't ruled out homeschool for my preschooler -- but I think I'll give public school (or maybe private) a carefully-monitored try first.

Answer 3

I think homeschooling is an answer to prayer. When trying to raise your kids as christians, it is so hard in the public school system. Kids can also be so mean and cruel. Also with medical problems, some kids learn better in the safety of home, where no one will make fun of them or ridicule them. They get one on one attention instead of being in a class of 25-30 kids. There's no way one teacher can give adequate attention to so many kids. We can have the freedom to educate our kids at home in a christian environment and they learn so much better. They have no distractions from other kids also. Also, it's fun! We have drawn closer together and my kids have friends at church who have the same values as them. I know one day they will have to make their own decisions in life, but I am building them a solid foundation. As far as the social aspect, my kids have lots of friends and sleepovers and great social skills. They are just not getting the WRONG kind of socializing, like learning about sex when they are 8 and getting made fun of every day and getting cussed at every day, or being asked if they'd like to smoke on a daily basis. So would you like to have your children subjected to that every day, just so they can be "Socialized"? Socializing is not the most important thing about school, I thought it was education? How can kids with loving parents and so much importance placed on their education that their parents choose to homeschool fail? There are so many opportunities now and so many choices on curriculum. There are online academies for high school students where the academy keeps records of credits, grades the work sent in and also provides a graduation and diploma. I say go for it, you won't regret it!!! You will always have people against you, but they are your kids and of course teachers are going to be against homeschooling because they wouldn't have a job, if everyone homeschooled!!!!

Answer 4

I personally know of a family with eleven children where their mother has home schooled. I think it is a very responsible and ambitious undertaking. This family of whom I speak are doing a marvelous job. One of the things they do is network with other large families as far away as Virginia and share resources. I applaud anyone who takes this on.
A slight down side is, I feel, that children that are home schooled tend to be a tad naive when they venture out to college. I worry about them because I think they need to be a little more street-wise when they get out in the world.

Answer 5

I think it is good for kids to grow up with other kids,some make life time friend ships in school, and they learn how life outside of home is so as the grow up the out side world is most likely to be easier for them, and yet in todays world I don't know if I would leave my own children go to a school, I guess it depends on the school they will be attending, but I would sure look into that befor I let my child go, the world is a lot diffrent now than when my kids went to school. but all my grandchildren went to pulice school,as I said it depends on were you live and if you know your child will be safe. good luck

Answer 6

Good and bad. The bad being kids socializing with other children from different backgrounds and educational levels. The friendships they build in school and the sports, extra curriculum opportunities. The teachers who turn out to mentors.etc.

Answer 7

I'm not much for it myself. I've had college classmates who were homeschooled and the seem to have a tougher time adapting socially than others. It just seems to me (even though there are supposed outtings) that these kids who are homeschooled are lacking in social skills.

Answer 8

I think homeschooling is great up until the high school years & then the kids need to be in private or public school for better socialization to the world.'

Answer 9

I think homeschooling is good for some people if it is done the way it is designed.Not just to get the kids out of school so they can just get a diploma with out going to school.

Answer 10

I am totally opposed to it. Few parents have the skills to do it properly and their kids are almost illiterate. Also schools provide clubs, music ed, proms, dramatic arts, etc. which kids need for them to grow as adults. They need to meet and learn about other kids so that they can cope with people they meet when they grow up.