Is homeschooling more effective than sending our kids to public/private schools?

Question

Susanna Wesley homeschooled her son John Wesley when he was young. I don't know how did Susanna do it but it really amazes me. Homeschooling, unlike public schools, doesn't give our kids the opportunities to make friends with their peers in school. Do we as parents need to equip ourselves with sufficient knowledge before we can homeschool our kids? How could we possibly homeschool our kids when we are not that knowledgeable or rather lost touch with what we had actually learned when we were once students? What do you suggest the best thing that we can do as parents who want the best for our kids?

Answer 1

Mrs. Wesley did it the same way the mothers of many other great leaders that were homeschooled did it and the same way the mothers of homeschooled children across the nations do it. By doing it. By loving their children. By loving to learn. By dedicating themselves to doing what's best for their children.
Homeschooling may not give students the opportunities to make friends with students in public or privateschools, but it does give them the opportunity to make friends with many other people, including peers, that they would never have had the opportunity to meet.
And I must say, in 2007, kids are connected in ways we never thought possible even 15 years ago, with homeschool groups, internet, church activities, community sports, volunteer opportunities, making the "lack of socialization issue" with homeschool students nothing more than a silly urban legend.
As parents, we must equip ourselves with a deep desire to do what's best for our children in order to be successful homeschool parents. You need a desire to enjoy learning about the world around you. You need a desire to see your children grow and mature. Some states require parents to have certain credentials, but does that mean parents in states and even countries where this requirement does not exist are less capapble? Not hardly. I seriously doubt Mrs. Wesley nor Mrs. Washington nor Mrs. Lincoln were contacted by the state and demanded to produce the proper documentation proving they had a brain (LOL)
One characteristic I see in homeschool parents that is usually across the board is the love of learning. Most homeschool parents do not put learning nor education in a box and set it on a shelf to pull out "during school."
"School" to a homeschool family is not a place you go, nor a room in your house that you sit in for 9 hours a day.
It is a lifestyle.
It is loving and never growing weary of the world around us.
Bottom line, to be a successful homeschool parent, you need to expand your thinking of what true education and learning really is.

Answer 2

Is making friends with the peers they meet in school such a good thing? Home educating doesn't mean that the kids will have no social interaction. There are groups all over that allow kids to get together with other home educated children for socialization. Kids in a public school can be cruel, out of control, and many other things. (Albeight they can also be sweet, nice and kind.) If you are going to homeschool, you will be learning alongside your kids. You will go over material prior to them using it so that you know what you are presenting to them. There are also curriculums that you can buy that walk you through every little thing.

I think the best education for any child is one that fits their, and your needs. Some private schools would be better then homeschooling, but if you don't have the money for them, the point is moot. Most public schools don't offer the individual attention that you can get in a homeschool environment. Also, the kid could have special needs that makes homeschooling easier.

If you want the best for your kids, you have to weigh the objectives against your resources. Are you capable of setting up a curriculum or following one sent to you? Do you have the time to devote, or the patience to follow through? Do you have the money for a good private school or charter school? Would you rather have all the free time during the day that schooling outside the home offers? Huge questions, but the answers will make sure you do the best for your child.

Answer 3

I don't know who Susanna Wesley is, but I say good for her!

Why do people think that children can only gain friends through the segregation that goes on in public schools? And what, exactly, do you consider "sufficient knowledge"? Most of what teachers are trained for is crowd control, these days. Home schooling parents can do better than that, and clearly do. I give my kids the best education--it's custom-made, with one-on-one attention and no "busy work".

Answer 4

I homeschooled one of my children, the first two attended public school. I do wish I had homeschooled all three. The good thing about homeschooling is you can keep up with what your child is learning and emphasize what he or she is most interested in or good at. It also gives them a quieter environment to learn in which is very important. Instead of my daughter worrying about whether her clothes were fashionable enough or her hair was just right she concentrated on her work. At the same time just be sure to provide social activities for them. There are youth groups, boys and girls clubs, and sport activities that they can still enjoy while making friends.

I should add that my daughter is now attending college online because she studies better in solitude and is on the honor roll. Online college is costing the same amount that it would to attend a university but she prefers being alone to study. She still has friends and goes out every weekend like any other student would.

Answer 5

HSing can be wonderful, so can traditional schooling. A lot of it depends on the children and the parents. Some parents, as much as they love their children, could not try and teach them all day everyday. Some children don't do well in such a public setting and HSing might be a great alternative.

As a parent, you are the best teacher(imho). It works for us. If we come upon something that I need a refresher in, then I try to educate myself. I may also find another parent that may teach that subject better than I. Other HSers use an online school or an umbrella school that will have teachers available for questions.

Only the parents know what is the best for their own children. The best thing we can do is listen to our children, review the current situation and make a decision if things need to change.

Answer 6

It can be and often is.
Nonsense...homeschooling kids often have friends in public school whom they've met in the neighborhood or in extracurricular activities.
Yes, a homeschooling parent must obtain sufficient knowledge to teach their children at home. Fortunately this is far from difficult as there are a rich variety of materials available for this purpose.
Once one has mastered reading and basic math, the most important task is to understand how to research questions and obtain information. There is no shame or harm in a parent learning new things along with a chid, it models lifelong learning.
I suggest the best thing a parent can do is weight educational options carefully and commit themselves to being involved and active in their child's education regardless of which venue their choose.

Answer 7

Actually, home schooled children get a lot of socialization...believe me, I know...i was in public school until the last two years of high school, and became more social after I was home schooled. There are also many co-ops for homeschooling families that provide socialization...even field trips. I went through a distance education course, but as long as the parents have an answer book and know how to do the subject, I don't have a problem with them teaching it. Home schooled children, on average, score higher on the standardized state tests than other children. Many of them are better behaved and more sure of themselves. You do the math...which on sounds better to you.

Answer 8

I am getting really, really fed up with people implying that home schooled children, including my own, are social misfits or wierd in some way! How rude you are and how very very wrong!! My daughter for a start would never, ever state negative generalisations about people such as anti-homeschoolers do here. She is extremely well socialised, is well advanced for her age (10) academically, is great at conflict resolution, and for the person who insinuated I am arrogant for homeschooling, she homeschools by her own choice, she finds the classroom environment too distracting and the other children too disruptive.
My decision to homeschool is based on listening to and observing my daughters needs. It is you who is arrogant for assuming you know anything about me or mine and what motivates us. Hey I dont tell you that I think you are just too bone idle to do what it takes to homeschool your children and actually give them the best chance possible in life, unlike all those poor kids forced to endure the sheep mentality of public school.

Answer 9

School is not for socialization, it is for learning. I don't understand why people view it that way. If you home school your kid get them into swimming lessons, or volunterring, or karate, or a cooking classes, etc. They will meet friends and socialize there. But unlike in a public school setting they will not run into as much teasing (this is much more rampant in schools then in every day public life), the friends they meet will have similar intrests, and they will learn how to socialize with people in ALL age groups, including young children and adults. That is a skill that will serve them through out life, and one that is never learned in public schools as most students learn to dislike the older kids, and find the younger kids geeky, and the adults (teahcers and principals) as mean or unfair.

If you want to start it will take dedication, you will be starting a new job, as a teacher, and that takes work but I believe it is better. Homeschooling lets kids love learning. They can learn at their own pace, whether faster or slower, they learn the basics but can also study their own intrests which help them form a much more solid path of what they want to do in their future then public school kids who never got to try anything or explore, and their learning setting is one that encourages experimenting, asking questions, and creativity.

It is so sad how public schools stiffly creative thinking, because when kids get to college in the business world it is a new trend to try and "reteach" people how to be creative and think outside of the box,..but once you loose it its hard to relearn.

Everyone has areas we excell at, I myself am bad at math but my husband is great with it so he lps our son in that area. Homeschooling groups also usually have parents who will teach in a group if you are not good at a particular subject, or they will hire tutors and special guest speakers. There are also online courses and computer programs that can explain/teach children.

If you are interested in starting I would try looking at some websites, reading some books (avalible at your local library) and look to see if you have a local homeschooling group.

http://www.canteach.ca
http://www.nhen.org
http://www.montessori.edu/homeschooling.html
http://www.homeschoolingonashoestring.com
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com

Homeschooling Handbook - Mary Griffith.
The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom - Mary Griffith
Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School - Rebecca Rupp
Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense - David Guterson
Homeschooling Our Children Unschooling Ourselves - Alison McKee
Homeschooling High School: Planning Ahead for College Admission - Jeanne Gowen Dennis

Answer 10

As a parent,I am doing the best for my son by home schooling.My son has severe medical prooblems and wasn't functioning at school.He did attend public school from K-5 and left the 5th grade unable to read.After one year of homeschooling,he is reading at a second grade level.
As for making friends,we live in a large neighborhood full of peers.
As parents,we have to do what is best for our children and not what others might think is right.