public school or home school?

Answer 1

Homeschool for sure.

1)My kids get to socialize with all races, ages, religions and gender on a daily basis. They don't spend 8 hours a day with ONLY people their own age.

2) They can go to the bathroom whenever they want, and they don't have to ask permission from a teacher who may or may not give it. (I had a teacher in second grade who wouldn't let me go to the bathroom because it was "rest time" and I peed all over myself. I was known as pee-pee girl for the rest of my elementary years. Funny, I had forgotten all about that until I read this question) What does all that have to do with schooling? Well, when I had finished my public school years, and entered the working world, I wasn't sure if I needed permission to go to the bathroom....

3) A homeschooled child gets more social time than public schooled ones. In public school, you get 5 minutes between classes, and if you're lucky, 20 minutes of recess. Homeschooled children get most of any given day.

4) You get more than 15 minutes to eat your meals when you are homeschooled, and you don't have to spend the rest of the day with indigestion.

5) You don't have mountains of homework when you are homeschooled. You learn everything set aside for you in a few hours, then your school day is done.

6) You don't spend half of your day waiting when you are homeschooled. You aren't waiting on 26 other kids to sit down and shut up so you can start learning.

7) You learn more when homeschooling. You can take any given subject as far as you want, you don't have to stop when government mandated outlines say you do.

8) You don't have to worry about "fitting in" when you are homeschooled. If you don't have Tommy or Gap clothes, so what. Whereas in public school, you get snubbed if your clothes come from Target.

9) When you are homeschooled, you KNOW your teacher cares about you.

10) The only real negative to homeschooling is having to listen to, and be snubbed by, public school advocates who don't have a clue what goes on in a home education environment.

Answer 2

PUBLIC SCHOOL!

Certainly the list of things wrong with public schools is a mile long, but these are well known problems and many other concerned parents are trying to improve the PS system also.
A kid that can learn in a HOME SCHOOL environment can also learn in a PUBLIC SCHOOL also.
Parents raise children to become adults. This does not happen all at once but there are many events that 'untie the apron strings' Sending a kid OUT OF THE HOUSE to school is a first step to teaching these young people that there is a world beyond the home and they are welcome to it. This 'world beyond the home' is challenging, scary some times, frustrating and rewarding.
You are raising your kid to become an adult one day, right? An adult who not only functions but excels in a world of their peers. Public school is a much better place and age; to learn and make these mistakes. You want your kid to learn to deal with bullies, deadlines, harsh critics, peer pressure, and the like before they become an adult, right? You certainly don't want your son or daughter learning these social skills everyone else learned as a kid while your son/daughter is an adult, would you?
Send them to public school, get involved, try a few different public schools (most states have open districts) and most important: YOU ARE THE STRONGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR CHILD, NO MATTER WHERE THEY GO TO SCHOOL

Answer 3

That's not actually a question.

What would you like to know?

I'll do my best with this question:

Public schools vary, just as homeschools do. Some are great, some are deplorable.

Public schools lump kids together according to age. You usually can't go a different pace than the teacher requires to get through the curriculum. You don't get to make a lot of choices in your education at the elementary level. You need to ask permission to go to the bathroom and get a drink of water. You are only allowed to eat when the schedule says so. You spend most of your time at a desk. You might have a great teacher, or you might have one who throws books at you (yes, I know a girl this happened to) or have a teacher who tells your class most of the time that you are "the stupidest group of kids I've ever had" (yes, I know someone else that happened to--administration did nothing because they didn't believe it was actually happening; none of the other kids complained).

I had a great time in public school. I did well, had a few friends, had great teachers for the most part. Even became an elementary teacher. And married a junior high teacher. But we decided together to homeschool.

So, about homeschooling: you can work at a table or on the floor or on the sofa, you can go to the bathroom and drink and eat as needed, you don't have to change subjects just because it's time--you can work on that project until it's finished (just like an adult's job), your focus is more on family and learning than on being like other kids your age, you can work at your own pace, have some choice in what you study and for how long, in the elementary years for sure, you only need about half the day to get school work done then can spend the rest of the time doing fun stuff and just being a kid (I recently read an article about how important it was for kids to have a lot of unstructured play time and how most kids don't get it because their schedules are too packed), and more. One recent benefit I've seen is that there's been no mention on our children's part of wanting an iPod or other hand-held electronic thing; fortunately, they don't really notice it when we're out and about that it seems like most public schooled kids their age have something. They're not having the products 'advertised' to them each day so they don't know what silly thing they are missing.

There are, unfortunately, homeschoolers out there who are abusive or just plain negligent or are even too demanding.

To end this, public school can be good or bad, homeschool can be good or bad. Homeschool can be good--or great--if the parents (and kids) are determined to make it so.

Answer 4

Here's an idea: My three brothers and I were homeschooled from kindergarten onward. My parents encouraged us to take our general equivalency diplomas as soon as we were old enough(age sixteen in our state). We soon started entry level classes at our local community college. This was a boost to our confidence since we had always faced the "homescloolers are behind in everything" stigma. As it turned out, all of us maintained an excellent grade point average and had significantly more drive, public speaking ability, self-confidence, and reading comprehension than many of our public schooled peers.

I understand the fear many people have of homeschooling their children, since I have seen the "backwards seeming, lacking social skills" child. However, it's unrealistic to say that doesn't happen in public schools as well. A caring parent makes changes and sacrifices to help their child adjust and grow, public school or not.

I am now the mother of a two year old and after seeing the state of public schools in our community, my husband and I are convinced we can provide an excellent learning environment at home. Most homeschoolers in our area are well-educated, decisive parents who already manifest success in their lives in other ways.

To think public school is the best and only option is sticking your head in the sand. You're going to have to put a lot of work into your child's growth and development with either option.

Answer 5

No school.

Just solid, serious, and honest academics.

At home.

Education. Learning. Studying.

Accuracy in math. Plenty of practice in writing. Reading from the best of the best books.

School was never intended to "teach children how to become adults". It cannot do that. Children automatically grow to be adults. The skills they learn while they are young will determine how "rounder" they will be! ("well rounded")

There are many misconceptions about the role of friends and teachers in a child's life. Until you have actually experienced a complete "home school" you cannot begin to imagine what it is like. Most parents that have chosen an at home education for their children have already experienced public-school first hand for 12+ years. We know what it is like. And we see a need to make a difference for our own children. We are not naive to the things that become obstacles to achievement --- home education is a way to remove most if not all of those obstacles.

To the children that are complaining about "hating homeschool": Are you applying your time in a wise manner? Do you study for accuracy? Do you attempt to master the material? In other words ARE YOU DOING YOUR VERY BEST? If the answer is yes... then I wonder how you find time to waste on the internet. If the answer is no... then I challenge you to open up your books and change your habits. Get serious and learn something new every day.

I have a son that hated school -- he homeschooled for all except the 8th grade; and even then he studied more at home than when he wasn't in class. He is now grown with three children and expects that they will all be at home for their education!

Do the best you can with what you have. Learn everything there is to know about math, writing and reading --- history, geography, science, business skills, etc.... learn everything that you will need to make you a competitive adult in the workplace. Get ahead in your studies so that you will be able to enter college with advanced credits.

Answer 6

yes......

public school, most definitely...... Why not throw them to the wolves so that they can be "socialized". Why shouldn't they learn from a tender age that people can be mean? It's much better for them to learn that as impressionable children instead of as grounded adults who have been taught values and morals.

Since when is it better to have 1 on 1 attention from a teacher who knows and loves you instead of 1 to 30 from a teacher who barely knows you and your family? Why would you want to homeschool when the public school system is doing SOOO well? Look at all the money that's dumped into it! How can it NOT succeed?

Answer 7

Public school brings your children the exposure of different people and ideas and teaches you how to deal with that situation. Your educaiton is also standardized by the state.

Some homeschooled kids are really well off that way, but most that I have met have been behind in education or didn't know how to deal with life outside of the home schooled environment.

Plus, most home schooled kids I find have religious backgrounds and ideas not generally accepted as total fact by everyone. Even if you believe in non-evolutionary ideology, you should be exposed to it and learn how to deal with people who have different ideas. It makes a rounder person.

Answer 8

I home schooled my kids for years. The benefit is that you can teach them at their own pace. This is really important if your child excels in one area but is lagging in another. Also, if there is difficulty for some kids to adjust to classroom structure when they are very young, it can be helpful to teach them one on one until they mature and can participate in a structured format. (maybe this can keep them off medication or keep a good self esteem rather than feel isolated and different). Problem is that you have to be disciplined. It is easy to get disorganized or sidetracked. Fun thing is that everything is education. vacations, picnics, baking, shopping etc...can all be educational opportunities.
Some parents let go and let the educational system. When you start out being intimately involved and have a vested interest in what your kids learn, then they themselves begin to expect from themselves. I have seen my kids have a hard work ethic and an independence and drive that I began in them. Not everyone is suited to do this though. That is where you can still send them to school but supplement and still carry this attitude with your children.
My biggest concern was socialization. It is very hard to hold them back and keep them young and innocent when they are influenced every day by outside peers. There was an article on yahoo about tweens, ten year olds now acting like 15 year olds. I finally sent my kids to school and decided to supplement since I had schooled for 14 years and needed a break. I can see a difference in my younger children already. I feel a great loss of innocence and family closeness. (some people feel socialization is important but they can get social contact in many other ways that you can control).
That said, you have to make a pros and cons list with all that is in play. Each situation is very different and so many factors can influence the pros and cons. Great thing is you can start and stop at will. Or you can decide to teach until a certain grade level. (I sent my oldest daughter to public school in 9th grade and she became heaviliy involved in the music department and theatrical performances, choir etc... )You also can slow down your pace if needed and go through the summers. You keep your own schedule. If a child is already in a public school, teaching a summer class can help you decide if you want to continue. A homeschool resource on the internet can help you find a good curriculum. Good Luck.

Answer 9

It all depends on your child. Public school is better because children are subjected to a wide variety of experiences whereashome schooling can be limiting. Home school is okay where you cannot access school. There are some kids probably that would benefit from home schooling such as those who have problems with full concentration and continually are disruptive in class and cause problems for teachers and students. Perhaps they would benefit from a mixture of both.

Answer 10

When my children were young, my gut feeling was that I could do a better job educating them than the public school system, My husband disagreed and he won out. When my youngest was entering high school a series of illnesses forced her to be home for more than a year, during this time I home schooled her. My husband was than sorry that both pur kids had not been home schooled from the beginning.