12 Most Compelling Reasons to Homeschool Your Children
I’ve been a public school educator and administrator for more than a decade, so you may be surprised that when parents ask for my advice about education, I often suggest they allow their children to leave school. Education reform is happening today, but it’s slow and often ineffective. Parents need to do what is in the best interest of their children, right now.
For some this means working hard with a school to adapt to meet a child’s needs. But many schools are rigid and don’t believe students are entitled to a customized learning experience. For these parents the best option is often to leave school behind and empower children with the freedom to learn what they want in the way that is best for them.
Here are the twelve most compelling reasons for leaving school behind if your child is not finding success and happiness there.
1. Learning is customized not standardized
• In school learning is standardized to what someone else says is best.
• At home learning is customized to what the child and parent feel is best.
2. Associate with those you enjoy rather than those who share your birth year
• In school students are grouped by date of manufacture.
• At home children can choose to be with those whose company they enjoy.
3. Freedom to learn with their tools
• In school students are often banned from using they tools they love to learn with — such as a cell phone.
• At home children can learn with the tools they choose. For many children technology open doors that schools slam shut.
4. Socialize with those who share your passions not just your zip code
• In school students have little opportunity to socialize and even when they do it is generally confined to those with whom they’ve been grouped with by year and geography.
• At home children have the opportunity to socialize and make global connections with others of any age who share their talents, passions, and interests.
5. Real life measures are better than bubble tests
• In school we measure students success with bubble tests and response to prompts.
• At home we measure success by what children accomplish that matters to them. Some teens like Leah Miller have developed their own personal success plan (see hers here). She sets her goals and then assesses her success in meeting them.
6. Don’t just read about doing stuff. Do stuff!
• In school students are forced to sit at desks all day reading and answering questions about stuff other people do.
• At home children don’t need to spend their time reading and writing about what other people do. They can go do stuff.
7. Travel when you want
• In school they tell you when to go on vacation and families hop off to crowded destinations together.
• At home families can decide when travelling works best for them and also get better rates.
8. You are more than a number
• In school the only things students have to show for their work are numbers and graphs known as report cards, transcripts, or data reports.
• At home children often put together meaningful portfolios that can be reflected upon and powerfully capture and celebrate learning. This can be done at school, but it rarely happens as little time is left for assessment and reflection after testing and test prep.
9. Do work you value
• In school students do work someone else wants for someone else’s purpose.
• At home children can engage in meaningful work for reasons they determine are important.
10. Independence is valued over dependence
• In school students are dependent on others to tell them what to do and when. They spend their time as compliant workers and are discouraged from questioning authority.
• At home children are encouraged to explore, discover, and develop their own passions and talents and given the freedom to work deeply in these areas. They know how to learn independently because they are interested, not because they are told to do something.
11. You don’t have to waste learning time with standardized tests
• In school students and their teachers are spending a large percentage of their time preparing for tests and testing even though test have little to no role in real life. My last test was more than a decade ago. How about you?
• At home children have the freedom to enjoy learning without the burden or stress of testing. Although many children and parents have been trained to believe testing is a necessary evil in school kids who have the freedom to learn without testing are doing just fine and exploring their passions as grown unschooler Kate Fridkis explains in her article that reveals how we can learn successfully without testing.
12. No more meaningless worksheets and reports
• In school students often complain they are forced to do meaningless worksheets and reports that have no real purpose or audience. In fact these worksheets and reports often actually suck the joy out of learning. Think about it. When was the last time you read a great book and thought, “Wow! I want to write a report or fill in a worksheet.”
• At home children can do work that matters and has meaning. If they read a book they love they can hop online and discuss it with other people who’ve read it or publish a review for Amazon. If they want to learn something they have an unfiltered world of resources (inaccessible in many schools) at their fingertips to do so.
Parents of Generation Z have woken up and realized that the industrial model school’s of today are preparing their children for a world that no longer exists. They know that those who receive outdated, classroom-based instruction will end up with the rest of the young people Occupying Wall Street and beyond.
However, there is another option! Home educating families are onto something. The children of these families will grow up as adults who know how to take ownership of their learning and their lives. They will be empowered with the ability to attain satisfaction and success in life and career.
What are your thoughts on the current public education system? Does homeschooling sound appealing to you?
Like this post? You might also enjoy 12 Most Loving Ways to Spark Creativity in Your Child.
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Featured image courtesy of Éktor via Creative Commons.
Lisa Nielsen
Lisa Nielsen has spent more than a decade working in various capacities in the public school system as an administrator and teacher to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award winning blog TheInnovativeEducator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, MindShift, Leading & Learning. She is the author of the book Teaching Generation Text TeachingGenerationText.com, and has published. The Teenager’s Guide to Opting Out of School For Success, The Working Home Educator’s Guide to Success, and Fix The School, Not The Child.
151 comments
In your article, you say homeschool students do not have to take standardized tests- that is not true. It depends on the state- in California, for example, when I was homeschooled, I had to take the CSTs/ STAR tests still. Homeschool students are also expected to take the SATs, ACT, and the benchmarks, so they still need to know the practice for 'filling in the bubble' and they still need to know how to take a test.
I had the luxury of being homeschooled in 6th grade. My parents had to move around often. Because of that I went to 3 different grade schools, attended a fourth, and then my mother took me out of the fourth school and home schooled me that year. (I only attended that school for about three weeks.)
Being homeschooled was an empowering experience. I was socially active, I did volunteer work, and I was able to work through everything at my own pace. I needed to spend more time on Math, but I breezed through English and the Language Arts and read books that were challenging and controversial.
I went to middle school and high school in the public school. When I came back to school, I was originally ahead of my class, but then I fell behind. I was told that college wasn't for me, and that I should pursue a vocational career. But, that's not what I wanted.
I attended a four year women's liberal arts program with an ability based curriculum. I did very well in college, and I was even my class speaker. There is something off about our school systems, and I think the issue is that children are being taught to repeat and not to understand, engage, and learn at their own pace.
the most important thing for me to consider is bullying. both my sibings, my husband and i were all each differently bullied at different schools, some by students, some by teachers, some psychological, some physical, and no teacher, vice-principal or principal would do anything constructive. also, both my brother and i were each misguidedly guided by guidance counsellors, him to not waste time as he was not intelligent enough to apply to university and me to let go of artistic ambitions to pursue a proper industry with concrete job market.
I would add academic excellence. The average public school student tests at the 50th percentile on standardized achievement tests. The average score on the same tests for a homeschooled student is the 83rd percentile.
I saw a link to this on Pinterest, so pardon the lateness of my comments here. While some of these points are valid, some are completely, utterly untrue. Children in my school are free to use technology of their choosing, Have the opportunity to socialize (Yes, even during class!), rarely take bubble tests, most certainly are not forced to sit in their desks all day (was this written in 1950?), DO and SEE things they'd never have the opportunity to do otherwise, are treated like the individual human beings that they are, have a variety of choices in assignments, and are taught to be individual critical thinkers. I was I interested to hear a compelling argument for home schooling, but this is a ridiculous list of assumptions. Obviously from my comments I'm a teacher and I'm biased towards public schooling, but this list is lacking knowledge of current trends in education. It frustrates me that people who are trying to make an educated decision about how to educate their children are presented with "reasons" that have little to no basis. If you are considering home schooling for the above reasons, please, visit your local school too. Ask questions. Most of us teachers are pretty passionate about teaching our students in a way that is supportive of helping them grow as individuals with a variety of interests and talents, not a part of the herd.
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@PamelaRae Something to consider is that all schools are not like yours. The kids at your school are lucky to be able to use technology of their choosing; kids at districts like my home have very regimented, restricted access to outdated technology due to severe budget cuts.
I have nothing but respect for teachers. I have a number of friends who are public school teachers and if there's one common factor among all teachers, you sure don't do it for the ease of the job or the pay! You have to love teaching to continue to do it year after year. And to be quite honest, outside of my own child, I don't think I would ever consider being a teacher.
At the same time, no one -- including the most dedicated teacher -- has more vested interest in an individual child's learning experience than a parent.
Teachers have to think of the "greater good" of the class vs. the needs of an individual student.
Being a teacher is already an incredibly time consuming job -- my teacher friends are often bogged down with grading papers, etc. long after they've left campus. Teachers have lives, too. The administrative work that goes with being a teacher -- grade keeping, administration mandated meetings, etc. -- also takes away from time that could be used to support an individual student.
There's a lot of behind the scenes work that home schoolers have to do, too, but not nearly on the scale that a traditional teacher has to. Homeschooling parents may set "school hours" but there's no need to separate themselves from the work of homeschooling to getting back to enjoying their life outside of homeschooling. For many, it's a lifestyle, where learning and home life are intertwined.
This isn't to say that all parents should home school; just because you're very, very interested in your child's education as a parent doesn't mean that you are always the best person to teach. It is very much up to the individual. But a parent can (and should, even without homeschooling), spend the individual time with a child to really support and hone their interests.
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@mmista07 You are very right about a lot of things! Paperwork can be overwhelming and the system is far from perfect. I have to think of the class as a whole AND individuals at the same time, which can be quite a paradox. I work half time so I have time to do a good job at school and at home with my little family. I do think, though, that it's unfair to tar all schools with the same brush and say that homeschooling is better. There are a lot of amazing schools out there and we work hard to make them that way. Lists like this one just aren't an accurate picture of every school.
You sound like a nice person and I'll bet you're a good teacher. Still I wouldn't put my child in a classroom, even yours. I have not seen any teacher manage to successfully shield a student from the peer dependence that naturally develops in that setting; and anything good that can be done in a classroom, I can provide my child in another setting, importantly, an uninstitutionalized setting. I know you didn't mean it this way but your comment that school children DO and SEE thing they'd never see otherwise is currently one of the reasons I don't want mine there. Sorry.
@gracieallan Thank-you :) I don't understand what you mean by peer dependence? Do you mean that children depend on one another to learn? That's a good thing in my world, collaboration is the future! Fair enough that you want to shield your children. No one wants their child to be unhappy for a second of their lives. Looking at it as a parent as well as a teacher, I want my children to learn about differences, good and bad, and learn to deal with problems and differences from a young age. But that's another one of those personal parenting choices that parents have to make. There isn't any *right* way, or we'd all be doing it!
The teacher in me is very annoyed, by the way, at how my formatting has changed. I did have proper paragraphs, I swear!
Great post, but I think you missed the BIGGEST benefit of homeschooling-- No one is more vested in the future of a child than his or her parents. I don't care how long they've been teaching, or how passionate they are about education, there isn't a teacher out there who loves my child and loses sleep over his struggle to read. I went to public school, private school, and was homeschooled-- never once has a teacher sought me out to make sure I achieve my goals in life. In fact, the two teachers who had the biggest impact on me, didn't even know who I was when I ran in to them just a few short years after being in their classes.
(By the way... there are a lot of grammatical and tense errors in your post...)
I saw this article on Pinterest and clicked to see if there was any compelling evidence for homeschooling but was shocked to read points like number three. Children can learn better when they use their cell phone? Really?
I think homeschooling works for some and doesn't work for others. I am very much pro public school. I myself went to a private school, was homeschooled and then went to public school for most of my education and it was the best decision my parents made. My husband, who grew up 3000 miles away from me was homeschooled from 1st-7th grade and went to public school after he begged his parents to let him go. I think it's a great way to meet new people from different cultures (I had many friends who were from different parts of the country and of all different backgrounds).
If I was a missionary in another country then I'd most likely homeschool my children. I think there are definitely ways where it works. The following are my biggest hang ups with it. Most homeschoolers do not have a good support group and tend to be socially awkward. They don't get to explore their gifts as if they went to a school. There are a ridiculous amount of extracurricular activities kids can do and explore. Another hang up is that most of the homeschool educators are not educated themselves (that is only in MY experience). I know some states make it that the educator has to have a college degree which I love. And another hang up is just people that are so against public schools and that just turns me off. This article doesn't say, "homeschooling is great for some but not all." It implies that public school is evil. I have friends that were homeschooled who literally thought I was just "evil" because I went to a public school. Not the case.
Another concern is that some homeschoolers become to much of a free spirit and rebel against authority. This is fine if the student grows up just to homeschool their children and not get a job where they have to be under authority.
I think there are many successful adults that were homeschooled as well as many who went to private and public schools. I am sure there are some good truths in some of these points but the punctuation is terrible and it's a very "touchy feely" kind of article. I think it's better to be FOR something than to BASH something else.
This article is full of mistruths and gross oversimplification. It is an unfair criticism of the hard work that many good teachers put in to present a curriculum that helps the majority of students. Certainly Canadian schools are far from being inflexible with their specialized lesson plans. Never before has so much been available to students in spite of funding constraints.
Spot on. Children are natural learners when allowed the freedom to do so. In public school, they are not allowed to follow and explore what they are truly interested in learning. If they fall behind or race ahead in skills, unless it is mandated that they get help, there are often few resources and they do not receive the help or challenge that they need to TRULY SUCCEED, not just flow along the public school expectation. I have home schooled my boys since the oldest entered 10th grade. He is very successful in his field of expertise. The other, at 11, is on forums advising ADULTS regarding issues related to his. He's smart, but he's just a pretty normal kid. However, he has a passion. He is required to learn every subject there is in order to advance his knowledge and expertise, but he is able to do so in context, with meaning driving his learning process and with no limits on his time and resources. He isn't pulled from one subject to the next, allowed to skip over something he just isn't getting, or to put in only the minimal time and effort necessary to pass a test. He must strive not just for proficiency, but mastery. Learning is seamlessly integrated into his personal goals. It is a part of who he is, not something he HAS to grudgingly do to meet others' expectation for a certain portion of his day. He still plays with his buddies and is a little boy, but the ability to follow his passion is one of the greatest gifts I could have ever given him. He passed beyond our teaching a couple years ago regarding his field and has been directing his studying on-line, through forums and chatting with experts. HE feels he is ready for more, so we are getting him private tutors and college courses set up. I went to public school. I was good at pretty much every subject. I haven't done that bad. But watching the intensity and LOVE of learning that my son has, I wish I would have had that opportunity as a child. Some of my friends are or were educators, and they all are disenfranchised with the loss of budget, the ridiculous rules and expectations, and the focus on testing. Many have left the public school sector.
Love this post! There are so many reasons to homeschool. It's not an easy option but its a great option. I came up with 40 reasons of my own http://mother-mel.blogspot.com/2011/11/40-reasons-why-i-homeschool-my-children.html
A "Public School Teacher and Administer" used the phrase "have woken up". Reason #13 not to put your child in a public school.
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I think you have outlined some great reasons for homeschooling. I am a homeschool mom myself. My daughters attended public school and it was exactly as you said.
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This list of reasons to homeschool are spot on. Thanks for posting them. Perhaps, though, we can avoid the accusation that students who are learning through the industrial model of education "will end up with the rest of the young people Occupying Wall Street and beyond." Instead, we can view those parents' choices to use the public school system with equanimity. We can feel feel free to have confidence in our own decisions to homeschool, while at the same practicing a non-judgemental approach to others who are doing things differently.
@WratchelRattleberry As a homeschooler and now widowded mother of three who finds her options to home school limited- I sincerely appreciate you not judging all those who have their children in public school. It is not in my children's absolute best interest to be in public school, but sometimes we must do what we can to make things work.
@WratchelRattleberry I admit it. I judge a parent when they see that school is not in the best interest of their children. Why do we think so many kids are occupying Wall Street and beyond? It is no wonder that kids are not prepared for the work force today. Preparation for the workforce has no place in the test obsessed climate of schools today and there are no bubble tests in the world of work. More and more parents are becoming informed and discovering that in many cases there are better options than public school these days. I applaud the parent who looks into doing what is best, which might not be what is easiest, for their child. If they feel something is not right, they should take the time to look into some other options.
@LisaVelmerNielsen @WratchelRattleberry It seems to me that homeschooling parents and advocates are just about the most judgmental and self-righteous group of people I've come across on the internet. Why is it so important that everyone who believes in public school be preached to and converted to the home and/or unschooling way of life? There are plenty of kids who are fantastic and successful who go the way of public school - not damaged for life and able to function quite well as adults, thank you. Keep doing what works for you, homeschoolers - and stop denigrating and insulting those of us who believe in the public schools and would rather see them improved upon than shunned. Lisa, it amazes me that you are an employee of a public school system and yet do everything you can to call out the public schools for being essentially useless.
Sharon, Lisa was not putting down all public schools. She was speaking of parents whose children are not happy where they are. She gave 2 options: either work hard at finding a good school that meets your child's needs, or have them leave and homeschool. She gave the reasons why homeschooling could be better and why children should entertain the idea of leaving their school, preemptively stating: "... If your child is not finding success and happiness there."
@LisaVelmerNielsen I home schooled but with 3 sons under 6 & in my 9th month of pregnancy AND moving to another home, I sent our 2 girls back for the last grading system of the local public school. That was the worst mistake I ever made. Our 8th grader did awful on her science EOG. I plan to pull the 8th grader out for the new school year. Does that sound crazy or what? I have 2 sisters that teach in public school & think that I'm totally insane! But our kids are better rounded than theirs.
She didn't say everybody needs to convert to this way of thinking. She said in the beginning that these are 12 reasons IF your child is "not finding success and happiness" in the public schools. School when you went to school is very different than what is going on now. Yes, there are plenty of children thriving, but I welcome you to come to my district, where for every year your child is enrolled, their test scores drop, bottoming out to the point that only 28 percent of high school seniors are reading at grade level (it's even worse in the non caucasian demographic, then it's a mere 17 percent!) So yes, 28 percent (of white kids) in my district are perhaps doing "fantastic and sucecessful", but what about the other 72 percent not doing well? What about them? Somebody needs to sound the alarm, and frankly, I'm ashamed that most of the eduacators in our district aren't standing up, aren't telling the truth, aren't fighting for real change. Bravo to Lisa for giving an honest assessment of the climate in our public schools.
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:) Well, as a homeschool mom, I'm good with all the choices. I think they are all valid depending on the individual family/child/situation. So, score one point? :)
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@MaribelFlores My son also had a hard time. He was diagnosed with ADD at 9 years old. The schools did a lot to help him but he ALWAYS struggled for many reasons. However, what kept him going and made him happy was the socialization, football, and feeling like he was a part of something bigger than he was. Now that he is in college he has become the good student that we always knew he would be. I do not believe public schools are perfect, but I believe that they are the best hope for the most amount of children in our country, and I agree that the schools need our support and help. Your decision to homeschool is a selfless and loving one, and I admire and respect your for it. I also appreciate the fact that you still see the need for support in your public schools.
My problem is not with homeschooling - its with homeschoolers who present their choice as the only choice for everyone. That's just not possible.
I agree with you partially. I am a homeschool mom, should say new to homeschooling on my second year. My son, now 15 years of age was falling behind in school. He has struggled since the 1st grade. The school had him tested for ADD, ADHD, etc. I had him tested with our family doctor as well. Tests were negative. Our doctors thoughts were that he was just a late bloomer, that he needed more time to understand his work. We tried keeping him in school, but with budget cuts and classrooms with 30 or more students it was impossible. We hired a tutor, it helped him , but he was still falling behind in class. And thats the reason I decided to homeschool. Every parent has the right to raise and educate their children as they see fit, but we shouldn't look down on parents who don't choose to homeschool, or look down at our public schools. We are part of a community and as so, we should help in anyway we can to strengthen education system for all our children. We are all resposible to help and take care of one another. I still volunteer at our local public schools and have my oldest son volunteer as well. I praise every teacher. I pray for them. There is need for our public schools and we need to support our teachers.
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@sharongreenthal @WratchelRattleberry I've been in the system many years and have seen it take a sharp turn away from what is right or best for children. For the past two years I see school after school where teachers and school leaders are forced to do what they know is not right for children. They are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs. I'm on the inside. I am an employee. Are you amazed that I am sharing what I see...What we all see... And that I am not afraid to speak up on behalf of kids? Perhaps it is different where your children go to school, but in the high-stakes testing, accountability culture of systems like the one in which I work, everyone in the know when it comes to what happens in schools, knows this is not right.
You're amazed that I call out the system. I'm saddened more do not.
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I really did enjoy this article. Another point that we should look at is all the budget cuts that are being made across the country. So many of them are impacting the students and schools. How can a child learn all that they truly need to know with the limited budget the schools are working with?
Another point that I want to make is this: I was a public schooled child. I wanted to be homeschooled since I did have issues being social, being picked on, etc. Instead I got a public school education. I cannot tell you how many things I have forgotten that the school system taught me. Now, at 28 years old I am teaching myself genealogy and a couple other subjects. To say that I have learned more as a self-taught individual would be an understatement. I do better teaching myself and learning at my own pace without having to worry about falling behind and what the student next to me is doing and if they "get" the subject better than I do. I always felt that grades were a way to compare one student to the next and to determine who was bright and who was not.
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My first hands on experience with homeschool came last fall. A group of kids from Chicago got in touch with me through my blog. They ended up coming out to the farm for a day, and I just wanted to mention that these young people were incredibly organized, prepared, and most of all well behaved. When you have two mini van loads of kids middle school age and younger pull up and the boys get out and hold the doors open for the girls without being told to you know it's a good group! Here's a link to what we did that day. http://www.causematters.com/advocacy/on-the-farm-with-chicago-kids/
Interesting that "the boys: held the doors for "the girls" Kind of gender role-ish eh? How about some kids hold the doors for other kids? Or is this a group of gender conformist fundamentalist Christians?
@LisaTVT I love my gender I love that I am a woman and that my Husband is a man and that we play different but equal roles in our family. I can see that its not for everyone, why can you not see that it makes some people happy to hold to traditional gender roles?
Oh, brother..Here we go.. gender roleish?..lol Is it now wrong for a boy to open a door or hold a door open for a girl. Nothing here about gender conformist. I would very much expect my son to be curtious and wouldn't at all mind if a girl did the same, but making an issue of it, well it's just nonsense.
" I just use the county school system for a certain number of hours per day so I can work from home and earn money for our family."
So PS is the babysitter ! We choose frugal living and time with the kids over living at the bar placed by marketers.
We HS for 16 years, the kids have friends and not just those found in their particular class. They range from 65 to 3 years old.
I find the idea that public school is for interaction laughable. As stated here, only at lunch or parties were the good times found. Life does not segregate by age and I have been joyful to see how easily my six kids interact with people of all ages.
I have very active kids that I can't imagine would ever be able to sit for 6-8 hours! They, by their nature, are meant to move ,jump and run. I have had too many neighbors with kids just as active tell mine that the school wants them on ADD/ADHD drugs. The same kids in my yard that are active and curious. Not problematic just kids.
Those families with less than stellar results may be due to learning abilities. HS allows self pace without the fear of being "left back".
I went to PS and believe that had I been unschooled many more possibilities would be open for me.Not a great reason but it was because of my friends that I did not take some classes I had the opportunity to. I wanted to get classes with my friends. I don't want that for my children. When I see what they are doing I am glad they are able to follow their interests and not that of their peer group. My daughter has a unique sense of style that might not fly at school and that would be sad to repress.
I choose HS and the PS needs to be razed and rebuilt with the children in mind not corporate markets. Until then HS unschool is the best choice for us.
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I just stumbled across this post and have spent more time reading the comments than the actual entry. I feel I need to add my two cents worth to the schooling/homeschooling debate. I am a product of parochial schooling. When it came time for my husband and me to decide hat we were going to do, homeschooling was not our first option; a parochial school similar to what I attended or a charter school were what we wanted. However, neither of those worked out and we ended up homeschooling.
We see now that it this is the best option for us as my almost 13-year-old son has been traveling nationally and internationally with a professional boys' choir since he was 8 years old. Being able to work schooling around his schedule has been a life saver for us all.
Others have mentioned their concern of academic and social skills. Yes, I have heard of sad stories of homeschooled kids so poorly prepared for life that they struggle. That has motivated me to make sure my kids are successful. (I also have an almost six-year-old daughter in second grade.) Each year, I spend months researching the best material that will meet their needs and interests, and I am not afraid to approach a topic from multiple view points.
For example, my son has to worker harder in math than in some of his other subjects. I have used multiple resources over the past few years, some orthodox, some unorthodox, but all with the goal of helping him achieve. Because we homeschool,I can research and find materials that will fit my son, his learning style and his needs. (BTW, I have been a classroom teacher and understand the frustrations that go with the job.)
Do I have the opinion that homeschooling should fit all? No, I do not. Not all parents have the temperament type to homeschool; in fact, I know my mom and I would have driven each other nuts had she tried to homeschool me. Our job as homeschoolers is to respect the decisions everyone must make in regards to the education of their children.
I've been homeschooling our youngest four for the past three years, and wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks for a well written piece that thoroughly explains many of the of the advantages homeschooled children can experience. We have chosen to homeschool and it has been and continues to be an amazing and rewarding journey.
Love this, thank you for sharing. :) I keep telling myself daily that I would not give my my kids education for anything, homeschooling them is the best thing I know I can do for them and their future.
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As a public school grad (K-12) and the mommy of a public school kid, I appreciate this article but do think that the statements about public school are quite generalized. Some public schools are horrible, I will not deny that...but some are good and for some kids, attending public school is the right choice. I don't think you make a blanket recommendation for all children...I homeschooled my son for a while and he HATED it, no matter how much we did to socialize with other kids (and we did things often, classes at the Y, did a homeschool coop, etc.), he missed being in a classroom and learning with other kids, we talked to him and decided that attending school would be best for him. My daughter (still preschool age), may be a different story. Her personality is so different. I think, like everything else we do as parents, that our approach to education needs to take into account the personality of our child.
Luckily, we are blessed to live in a county that has excellent schools, the technology is amazing and my son's teacher is great. The "routine" in their class involves a lot of independent learning, they have opportunities every day to learn the same concept but in a way that works best for them (reading, listening, manipulating, computers, etc.) and they interact a lot with kids in other grades and classes. I will say that, if you are going to send your kids to school, in my opinion, it's your responsibility as a parent to be as involved as possible in that school. Volunteer in the classroom, get to know the teacher well, volunteer for PTA and actually show up for the meetings, get to know the principal...sending your kids somewhere and not ever having any further contact with the school is irresponsible. I agree that the education system in our country as a whole is broken, but I also know (based on our personal experience), that you have to first, know your child well, second, know the public schools in your area well, and make the best decision for your family and don't worry about what everyone else thinks!
Her statements about the realizations of public vs home education are true. And while public school education may be best for your son, it may not for others. Either way she did state the differences. If your son likes sitting in a classroom working on endless book reports & being taught to "the test" then that's great.Unfortunately, many schools may want more parent involvement but don't receive it which cases conflict for everyone.
We personally home educate because I DO NOT believe in state mandated testing nor do I believe children at an elementary age should be forced to sit in a seat for 6 to 8 hours a day with 30 other children. My children will NOT be discouraged from learning what their heart desires and that's an unfortunate activity that happens in a B&M school.
:) My heavenly word. I was in a school such as this and really enjoyed it and felt I got a pretty good education most of the time. We do homeschool now, but it's a shame, an absolute shame to have some behave as you are right now.
Wow. Really? "If your son likes sitting in a classroom working on endless book reports & being taught to "the test" then that's great."
How about a little tolerance for different ideas here? You make her son sound ridiculous, and you don't even know him. What an unkind thing to say to another parent. You have very strong beliefs about homeschooling, and I think that's wonderful, but don't berate and put down others who CHOOSE to send their children to public school.
Um, did you read the part where she says "if your child is not finding success and happiness there."? She is not saying everyone should homeschool.
Um, did you read the part where she says, 'Parents of Generation Z have woken up and realized that the industrial model school’s of today are preparing their children for a world that no longer exists. They know that those who receive outdated, classroom-based instruction will end up with the rest of the young people Occupying Wall Street and beyond."? Her summation indicates that public school is not the best, and homeschooling is.
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