Homeschooling?

Question

Has anyone taken their children out of public school to homeschool? Has anyone done it more than once? What made you take them out of public school?

Answer 1

I took my kids out of school, more specifically, at the end of school two years ago we chose not to send them back. My son would have been entering 5th, my daugther 2nd, my third daughter 1st, and my fourth daughter would have started kindergarten after a year of preschool. I was up at the school daily, for hours, helping teachers, secretaries, librarians, helping in classes and helping with my disabled children.

We had wanted to homeschool from the beginning, but the socialization aspect really worried my husband. After four years, he finally realized that 1) socialization isn't all it's cracked up to be when kids are as insane as they are now, and that 2) with our extracurricular activities, they got more socialization OUTSIDE of school than in.

The main reason for ME to want to homeschool was that I could see each of my children had different learning styles and different needs, and the teachers in each of their classrooms (while lovely people who meant the best) could NOT address each child in terms of 30 people in a classroom. They spent hours being disciplined as a group, rather than learning. Too many of the other children were out of control. I have two kids with autism that need very specific learning needs, and the school was not willing to meet them at their needs, instead failing them within their own constructs. One of those autism kids is gifted academically, and the school couldn't accomodate (much less comprehend) how someone with such organizational and social deficits needed to be given much more advanced work. The other with autism is much more severe, and they could NOT teach her anything academic, even with training through the local resource center were pathetically misunderstanding of how children with autism learn, and could not help her with social skills at all. She was so stressed out that she was peeling the skin off of her hands and feet until she bled. That's probably how most kids feel in school, she just doesn't have the ability to say 'THIS SUCKS, get me out of here'. My last two girls are very gifted, working two or three years ahead of grade level, and the schools weren't willing to let them do that either.

And the last reason we decided to homeschool, my fifth child. While receiving speech services through early intervention, I overheard one of the teachers say in the lounge that once HE was in school, that they would have to sign him up immediately for testing for ADHD because of his energy. WHAT?! He's a little active, but no more than any other little boy. And without spending more than an hour a week with him, they've already medically diagnosed him as having a disability? Not only that, but they gossip about kids during their breaks, talk bad about parents, every parent is not involved enough or too involved.

Oh, there are probably a dozen more reasons, but these were right on my head when we decided to homeschool. and it's been a lovely two years...everyone is doing wonderful.

Answer 2

I wanted to be home schooled after my 10th grade year. We were moving, and the graduating class here was bigger than my whole school. I was home schooled and graduated in a year (I should have had two years.) In school, I always got A's and B's. Home schooled, I got straight A's. I had been shy, but I became much more social afterwards. I keep in touch with my old friends from school, but I also have many more friends now.
If you want some information on homeschooling and a very good example, see the September 2006 Reader's Digest's article entitled "How To Raise an A+ Student". This article cites a Columbia U. study that showed that home schooled children scored higher on college entrance exams than p.s. students. If you cannot find this article, email me.
Also, as I mentioned before, I became more social after homeschooling. Most communities have homeschooling co-ops or a program that their children can join to have extracurricular activities. Many homeschoolers can have an intelligent conversation with an adult. And most are very social. There are always a few bad examples, but there are also bad examples of p.s. and private school students.
With my homeschooling organization, I was able to get a high school diploma (the program was accredited, so I didn't have to take any tests for college.)
If you have high school aged children, look into the American School of Correspondence or Penn Foster. I got my diploma from the American School, but currently, I am enrolled in a career program offered by Penn Foster. I also have friends in the Penn Foster high school program.
http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com
http://www.pennfoster.edu

Answer 3

I was home schooled at the end of 6th grade. I was really lucky to have exceptional teachers all through 5th grade. If it weren't for this I probably would have left the school before, because I only had one friend and was bullied. However, my teachers in 6th grade didn't teach anything, and my social situation got worse. I was switching to an exam school that started in 7th grade the next year, but it got so bad that my parents took me out of school before the year was up. I had friends that had formed a homeschooling group. Homeschool was one of the first times in years where I had friends. I loved it and feel sad that it is over lots of the time.

Answer 4

My present husband and his ex-wife home-schooled their four children. I have friends who took their son out of public school and are home-schooling him. There are many people in my area that chose to home-school.

Reasons: Too much peer pressure in public school
Teachers not allowing children to learn at their own
pace.
Religious differences
A child having behavior problems in school but not
at home.
Medical reasons

Many home-schooled children grow up to be very mentally healthy, industrious, and well-educated. Many, after taking their GED exams, go on to prestigious colleges.

Answer 5

If you are looking for other homeschooling parents check out links from http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/index.htm

Good Luck!!!

Answer 6

no offense to anyone out there,, but i personally think that homeschooling isolates the kid from other kids their age.

they should learn how to be social, and how to handle peer pressure.

and truthfully,, high school and middle school can be the time of their lives and amazing memories