In the USA home schooling is now on the rise so what?

Question

is your thoughts on how it is working out? In your opinion is the child getting the best education they should?

Answer 1

That's too general of a question to ask. Each family is going to have to be looked at separately. That's like asking how the public schools are working out and if kids are getting the best education they could. It's going to depend a lot on the teacher, the school, etc.

However, I do think homeschooling definitely offers the potential of having a better education than what a child would receive in school. The school system is designed to go a particular pace with most students being able to follow along reasonably well. However, it's also designed to not give extra time or assistance to those on the lower end, so they never really master what they need to, and it's not designed to allow children on the upper end to proceed more quickly. The kids on the lower end suffer and the kids on the upper end waste more time during their day than the average kids because they've finished their work earlier and aren't allowed to move onto the next thing.

Another advantage to homeschooling is that because of the almost one-on-one nature of it, even the average child will go faster than the average school child. This gives the parent the option of speeding up the child's education--go through the grades faster--or simply giving the child more time to be a child--because the child's done work each day more quickly, the child can do other things.

Some statistics have been collected and there are undoubtedly more studies being done and more statistics being collected. The statistics show that on the whole, homeschooled kids ARE getting a better education. They are doing as well as or better than public schooled peers on standardized tests and accomplishing that in less time per day.

I'm going to say that people who make comments like "nothing else to put on their resume" obviously have no clue what the average homeschooled child does. Other research has shown that a larger percentage of homeschooled kids is involved in extra-curricular-type of activities than public schooled kids and that many to most homeschooled kids are involved in more than one out-of-home activity. Because they have more time to do these things, it's only natural that they would be involved in more things. They're not spending 7 hours a day at school, coming home at night to 1-3+ hours of homework and trying to fit in a part-time job and extra-curricular activity.

I'll say, too, that since these kids are participating in more out-of-home activities than their public schooled counterparts, it means they are getting group socializing. People do not need most of each day in group to know how to function in a group. That's like saying your child needs to spend most of his days on a playground to know how to play in a playground or most of his days doing laundry to know how to do laundry.

Answer 2

Your question has been the topic of front page news in Canada several months ago when children were removed from their homes by Child Protective Services. So, instead of asking whether it provides the best education, which the journalist writing the newspaper articles researched and found was indeed a better education, we should be asking how much control the government should be allowed to have over educational decisions for children. The legislation regarding this point in the article mentioned gives parents the exclusive right and obligation of educating their children, however, the decline of students in the public school system has led school boards threatened with declines to make reports to Child Protective Services about children that do not attend school because they receive no money for those children that are not present in their schools, ergo, one of the reasons for school closures, layoffs, etc. Just to add one final point, public schools in some areas are known for high drop-out rates and other problems, and so really, we could just as well be asking what is happening to government public education and are tax payers getting what they are paying for in school taxes to provide children with the education they would consider best. Thank you for your question.

Answer 3

I can only give an example of one child I know. My landlords son was well a bit on the "nervous" side since the day I met him. (he was 9 years old) Constantly in trouble at school and fights on the bus etc... Well some of the school system here in Florida actually have a program where they not only provide the curriculum for home schooling but also a computer as well. The home student then is learning the same studies as those in the system but at his or her pace. The still go on the same field trips and are required to the same projects and are eligible to join in after school programs.

Within three months of starting this program the change in that child was amazing. Polite, speaks more clearly, grades have risen and all in all much happy kid.

Answer 4

Home schooling has is good points, of course. More specialized help. Better concentration on the core subjects. Shorter school day. More flexibility for the parents and the students.

Lack of group socialization is the biggest negative with home schooling. However, many parents want to take that experience away, for far too many public schools are not a good learning environment. Drugs, alcohol, violence, and not just in high school....this bane has trickled down to even the elementary level.

I believe a child should be exposed to public education, but each parent should weigh their options. It surely depends on the individual school district and local taxing entities.

Answer 5

Best education? Hmmm, no. I think that parents are doing the best they can, but most home schooled kids I see are not on any "real" set schedule and have things very laid back. The average parent has not attended college or any special classes to home school, either. I also see a problem with these kids learning how to interact with others, as well. I know the parents have lesson plans and a set of goals set by the school board or whoever it is that is in charge of that....but it just doesn't seem to be the same.

On the other hand, the child has one-on-one contact, which is beneficial and there is the safety factor, too. You are less likely to find some sicko with a gun and/or a bomb coming into your home to blow you and your child up as compared to the public and private schools out there.

I do wonder about these kids going to apply places later in life and not having anything else to put on their resume beside being home-schooled.

Answer 6

I feel my son is getting the best education he can.When he was in public school they didn't have the time to work with him one-on-one like he needed.He has a brain injury due to a long history of seizure disorder.At 12 ,he still struggled with basic reading skills.Math,history and science were out of the question.At home we have the time to work on anything he doesn't understand for as long as he needs.He can read now.Math is coming along well.Because of his illness he will never go to college or hold down any sort of job.But he will be able to care for his basic needs.Home schooling isn't for everyone,but it works for us.

Answer 7

Yes.Personal home education is beneficial not like in the crowded school,you ask whenever you want and the lecturer can easily concentrate on no more than two or three people.I agree that you need to pay for the lecturer,yes.

Answer 8

Yes, of course, my children are getting the best possible education.
There is so much misinformation about homeschooling and how it prepares children for life after homeschooling, so I appreciate the opportunity to address that in my answer.

Some worry about hs children not being prepared for the workforce or for college. there is no need to worry about that.
Most universities are beginning to realize that the hs environment actually prepares students for college life MORE than the ps system does.

Most homeschool students thrive in college due to the fact that they are used to independent study, time management and buckling down and making sure they understand the material. Most universities are actively recruiting hs students because they are looking for success both academically and in not academic areas.

Most universities accept letters of recommendation from a variety of sources not just teachers. Acceptance procedures have been standardized not only in university admissions policies, but also by the NCAA as related to offering sports scholarships to hs sport students.

Universities and colleges are prohibited by law from expecting more or accepting less from hs students.

Active recruitment includes: attending hs fairs, developing prep programs, on and off campus recruitment, hs visitation days, actively communicating with state hs organizations, workshops for parents special scholarships and grants, equal access to all scholarships and grants, and active advertising in hs magazines, stores and so on.

Universities that participate in this type of recruitment include: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Wheaton, Princeton, Universities of Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Penn State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and many others.

As for the workforce, the same trend is beginning. Several companies are actively recruiting HS highschool students to work part time due to their flexibility in scheduling and their abilities to work independently.

Not having anything to put on transcripts? Hardly. Many many workshops exist (most sponsored by leading universities) that teach parents how to take their hs experience and translate it in to a portfolio. the University of Texas is leading in this area right now, as their admissions offices found that most hs students were selling themselves short and not listing all their achievements.

the number of hs students taking Advanced Placement tests have tripled over the last five years and the number is expected to sky rocket this year.

Not prepared for life outside the home? Seems most of the academic world simply does not agree.

Answer 9

It depends on the teacher. Public school education also depends on the teacher. Some children get good teachers some children don't. I think homeschooling works more often than it doesn't just like public school.

Answer 10

I think it can be a wonderful thing providing you have all the necessary lesson plans and access to a computer. If I were a parent with children today, I would hope that I could do it just so I'd know my children were safe. To many school shooting today.