Home Schooling

[JordieC]

I am a teacher and have no intention of home schooling my DD but am very interested in why people do and what sorts of things they do.
Do you have a routine that you keep to each day/week?
Do you do a whole range of subjects of just the core ones .ie maths and english?
Where do you get your resources from?
What are the benfits/disadvanatges that you find?
Have you changed your mind .ie sent child to school and brought them home or vice versa?

Thanks!

[barbie-up]

I saw an article on TV about home schooling and there seems to be a big network of it out there. It's almost like you home school at home for part of it and then get together with other home schoolers for specialist areas.

One of the mums I know from playgroup home schools her daughter and whilst I haven't spoken to her in depth about it, they appear to do a lot of Arts type stuff - drama, music, visual arts. This girl is 6.5 and still goes to playgroup one morning a week, that's not my idea of home schooling.

I often joke that I home schooled for the first five years, now it's someone elses turn ! I am a student teacher (part time, due to finish Oct 2009) and found it a bit hard to go from being my daughters almost sole 'teacher' while we were both at home, to handing her over to a class of 22.

[nickel]

I believe in homeschooling despite both my motherIL and sisterIL(and their grandmother) being teachers in the private and public systems.
I however, have no teaching qualifications and think I would do my daughter and myself a disservice if I homeschooled, so I sent her to a school which is "marketed" as an alternative to homeschooling.
The difference is that the WHOLE school is about 15 kids from K-6 with 1 teacher (and various aides and parent help throughout the week).
the teacher is fully trained and is brilliant. They follow the curriculum but aren't institutionalised at such an early age.

[widdly]

I have read A LOT of info about homeschooling and unschooling and it sounds fantastic to me! My 15 year old sister has a boyfriend who has been homeschooled all his life, he is very polite and very smart, he was doing Uni subjects at age 14 cause he was interested in those subjects. The only negatives i see of homschooling is the negative comments people have about it, the loss of income for the main "teacher". My DS is only 2 years old but i am seriously considering homeschooling him (if i can convince my DH!)

[zoe72]

Well do you know that studies in the US show that even if you don't have a terrific education yourself those HS parents actually do a better job than most schools, whether thats because the parent is re learning at the same time during lesson preparation who knows. Or it could potentially be that one on one.

I used to be dead against homeschooling but I think I was ignorant and unaware of its potential to foster children's individuality and potential. I found myself HSing my special needs girl because the system could not cope with her and we began our journey by default about 4 years ago.

Most homeschoolers do a terrific job and their kids really flourish in the homeschool environment.

homeschooling comes in different forms, from the school at home version, natural learning, unschooling, classical, eclectic and more!

I HS because in short, it works and I have in all three of my daughters seen incredible progress both academically socially and emotionally.

I'm not against schools in fact one of mine goes fulltime at present at a wonderful school. But nothing replaces the opportunities, nurturing and fostering of a child's interests and individuality thats found in Homeschooling. There are so many benefits to Homeschooling and so much available!

[Jesswith6]

I ,too, used to be against homeschooling, but now I am considering it for my nearly high school child.
He has Aspergers and is finding it tough at school. His teacher has no idea on how to treat him and his problems has gone downhill. We came from a school with over 100 students and where he had 2 special aide teachers, to a school of 54 students and no special aide teacher. I honestly believe if he went to the local high school he would literally drown.

[lmbmcb]

Hi
I am a homeschooling mum of two.
To answer the questions you asked
1. Yes we have a routine. I have made up a weekly timetable of subjects that need to be covered and what days and time we will be covering them. (this is also flexible depending on what is going on and if my kids have a particular interest in something they have seen or heard)

2. We cover all of the required topics such as English, Maths, HSIE, PHPD, Science, Arts and we also include extras like Language, Geography and History where appropriate. My kids are still in lower primary so the additional topics are not required by the Board of Studies at this level.

3.We get our resources from a Tutoring centre that keeps a large range of educaitonal texbooks and other supplies. I also purchase quite a few resources online. The Board of Studies has a website with a shop that supplies some of the same cirriculum that is used in NSW schools.

4. The benefits are HUGE. My kids are VERY happy and feel free to express themselves. My oldest daughter has a reading level of a ten year old and she is only 7. I believe this is mainly due to the one on one time that I spend with her. My kids love to learn, they ask if they can do maths in their spare time!
I use slightly different programs for both of my children as they have different learning styles, this helps immensly as they can learn in a way that suits their brain and not just a generic style for everyone.
We also find it great for holidays as we can take holidays whenever we please. Usually accommodation is much cheaper outside of set school holiday times and there are less people around. So far I haven't found a disadvantage to homeschooling.
I have quite a few friends who would love to homeschool there kids but are unable to. They have commented on how unhappy their kids are at school due to bullying, separation from parents, pressures etc.

We were at the Dr.s the other day and my 7 year old was having an in depth conversation with him. He commented on how outgoing and chatty she was and how most children her age just shy away from him and wont even speak. I believe this is a good thing as she is confident to engage in conversation with people of all ages and she is also happy to play with kids of all ages.

Homeschooling is not for everyone, some have tried and then sent their kids back to school. You do need to be organised and commited for it to work, but it is well worth the effort for us to see such happy well adjusted children.

Please excuse the typing, I am very pregnant and having a low blood sugar day!
P.S. I do not have any formal teaching qualifications.
Kind Regards
Lisa B.

[fionas]

I hadn't even thought about homeschooling until a bloke at work explained how his wife homeschools their four children aged between 5 and 10. From what I could gather, they cover off the lessons in the morning and then do other stuff in the afternoon. She's very involved in community organisations too so no doubt the kids get lots of exposure to different environments etc.

I'm a bit torn. I simply cannot imagine sending DD to school where I have no idea what she is doing all day. I'm also a bit of an academic snob and if I don't think the teachers are using very good methods of teaching reading and writing, I'll be all over them like a rash. Woebetide any teacher who makes any spelling mistakes when leaving comments on DD's work.

I have no doubt that I could give DD a better education at home and that she would be further ahead than if I sent her to school.

However, for me, that is not the deciding factor. I do NOT want to nurture a child who is academically brilliant but has no idea how to relate to her peers (not just adults). I was good at school but was terribly, terribly shy and being clever exacerbated that. I don't want that for DD. I would quite happily take a drop in her grades for the trade-off that she is emotionally intelligent and is socially confident.

So, I'd be interested in hearing from people who homeschool about how they make sure that their child can relate to their peers who may not be as advanced as them.

[paradise lost]

However, for me, that is not the deciding factor. I do NOT want to nurture a child who is academically brilliant but has no idea how to relate to her peers (not just adults). I was good at school but was terribly, terribly shy and being clever exacerbated that. I don't want that for DD. I would quite happily take a drop in her grades for the trade-off that she is emotionally intelligent and is socially confident.

But did school do that for you? Drop your grades and make you relate to people better? If anything sticking out like a sore thumb in a class of regular kids made me feel worse about myself! I don't know any answers (except that the homeschoolers i know go to park meet-ups and group lessons a lot with the rest of the chapter, which meets many social needs) i am also wondering about it all...

Bx

[myson]

Another HS'er here. Been at it 2 yrs and my girls are LOVING it! Heres the pros and cons for us...

PRO,
They are thriving in their school work,doing better than school kids their own age.

They LOVE doing it. They never want to set foot in a school again.

They get on better with each other and with me.

They are more socially confident/aware/balanced as they spend time relating to people of all ages, not just kids.

We hang out with other Hs families which means I have a good relationship with the kids who are their friends.

We have alot of fun while learning.

There was no income loss for me as I wasnt working before anyway.

The kids used to have to travel on a bus as we live out of town so now they arent away from me from 7am to 4.30pm 5 days a week.... yes, this was a bad thing. Not to mention the early starts!!!

There are lots of things the school teaches which I dont agree with (teaching evolution as fact, for example) so I get to decide the curriulum! BIG BONUS

There are lots more but we are going to see some baby ducks this morning and the kids are telling me to hurry up...

Cons...

it takes a bit of organising to get some time to myself to go out for lunch or a coffee with a friend(purely selfish reason)

uuummm.... thats it for the down side...

gotta run... quack quack..

[halltribe]

Yippee!! I thought I was the only homeschooler in here and I am glad I am not the only insane one!!! People think I am crazy with 7 kids but to add the homeschool factor in as well in just pure insanity!!!I absolutely love it though.

Keep up the good work girls and remember the Bible does say for Parents to train up their children not to give them away to the system and hope for the best!!

[cmfbaker]

Someone wrote:

There are lots of things the school teaches which I dont agree with (teaching evolution as fact, for example) so I get to decide the curriulum! BIG BONUS

...but don't you think it's important that kids learn about that sort of stuff, even if you don't believe in it? (which I'm assuming you don't, sorry if I'm wrong)

Personally, I'd like my children to experience a variety of cultures and how other people think. I think if they stayed at home with me homeschooling them, they'd get a very one-sided view of the world. I know I could choose to teach them about, say, different religions, but they wouldn't get the understanding that would come from having a friend with a Muslim background, for instance.

Also how do you teach sports, like footie? What about Sex-ed? (I can only imagine being 14 and not wanting to hear about boys from my mum...)
What about excursions? Other languages? I know you can learn a language too, as a parent, but you can never get the understanding of it that a native teacher would have. Same with science, you can learn the facts, but I know I wouldn't have the exitement and thrill in teaching that, as my physics teacher had.

As you can probably tell, I have quite a few questions regarding this, but I don find the topic interesting. Possibly because I'd never head of it before moving to Australia.

[lmbmcb]

However, for me, that is not the deciding factor. I do NOT want to nurture a child who is academically brilliant but has no idea how to relate to her peers (not just adults). I was good at school but was terribly, terribly shy and being clever exacerbated that. I don't want that for DD. I would quite happily take a drop in her grades for the trade-off that she is emotionally intelligent and is socially confident.

A child that is shy isn't always going to benefit socially by being in a school environment. Sometimes it can be a terrible problem for them.Then you could have not only a drop in grades but also a socially stunted child who feels they don't fit in anywhere.

I have found with homeschooling that my kids interact very well with everyone. I also take them to Art lessons, Ballet and swimming lessons where they interact with children of their own age. Becasue they are self confident and don't have to put up with constant bullying they are more confident and able to interact with others without the fear of rejection, and because of that confidence, if they do get rejected it's not a big deal.

The argument of socialisation is often used by opponents to homeschooling, when in reality most homeschooled kids are much better at socialising with their peers than those who go to school. School just forces association with those that we normally wouldn't have anything to do with, it does not necessarily teach social skills, and to some children it can be very damaging and crushing for their self esteem. If you involve your kids in after school or weekend activities with their peers you would probably find that they will be better adjusted that their schooled peers.


It's a big decision to make but the argument of stunted socialisaion really doesn't measure up. Maybe you could talk to some in your local area and talk to their kids too. You might get a different perspective on what really happens in the homeschooling world.

In any case you could always try homeschooling and if it doesn't work you can send your kids back to school.

Kind regards
L.B.

[myson]

I have always been more worried about my kids becoming precocious (sp) more than socially awkward. I have met some HS kids who consider themselves to be adults as they are around adults so much. But having been aware of the potential for this trait has made me more prepared to deal with it. If my kids were to step out of line I would be aware of it, and deal with it accordingly.

[halltribe]

I think (just my opinion) that kids are as social as their parents are or push them to be. You can have introverted kids in school or at home and visa versa. Like Myson I am aware that hs kids can get involved to much in adult conversation, etc so deal with it accordingly.

My children do music, art, differnt clubs and weekly visits to a Nursing home to share what they are learning. Becuase I am a crowd wherever I go I feel responsible to have children that can behave well in all situations and with all different types of people.

[gardeningkate]

My DH would be dead set against it, he has put it in the airy fairy hippy box, and we constantly battle over his encouraging the kids to just go and watch tv, whereas I try to get them to do things......
I thought about home schooling part time, trying to incorporate it into the things I do with my oldest one, in grade 1, and starting (informally) with my nearly 2 year old, I was home schooled, but only because we lived in Africa and the options were the very swish school for UN staff kids, or under a tree in a village, Mum did it herself, but then I went to school when we came back, and have to admit that I always struggled socially after that, however I think it was more to do with the fact that the other kids thought I was weird because I was "African" rather than because I was HSed. On my first day someone asked why I didn't starve, they had seen a refugee camp on the TV and I thought it was a pretty dumb question, and things went downhill from there.....
Anyway, where do I start?
Kate

[Mumeee]

Thank goodness the kids go back to school tomorrow!!!!

I have teaching qualifications but I would only ever consider homeschooling if:
1. We lived in a remote area and couldnt get to a decent school
2. My child was being bullied to a point that they didnt want to go to school and their school work and self esteem was suffering or
3. If I had a child with a disability because the "special school" here is absolutely atrocious
Luckily for me none of those apply.

From what I understand, homeschooling in Australia is quite regulated and materials are supplied (at a cost). You can even do languages and music lessons and a qualified teacher will phone up the student. It would never be my first choice though but I respect other peoples right to choose what suits their child the best -and their family.

American homeschooling looks like a complete disaster area from what I've seen.

[lmbmcb]

Hi
I have three kids and homeschool. In answer to some of your questions.
We are a christian family, but I teach my children about the 'Theory' of evolution as I believe it is important for them to have all the available info and to come to their own conclusions.
As far as other religions go - I went to school with kids of lots of different religions and I never really learnt about their beliefs from them. Most or the kids tended to keep their faith private especially if it was a bit different from the norm.
I teach my children about all religions as I want them to understand other people and respect their beliefs.
Sport - My kids go to ballet lessons and play sport with their friends. If you want your child to learn footy or any other sport you can enroll them in a footy team on the weekends with other kids.
Language - There are alot of really good language programs available or your child could do an evening course at TAFE.
Sex Ed - I would much rather teach my own kids about this than have them listen to all the 'stories' that go around a schoolyard. I showed them the video "where did I come from" and that was enough for now. When they are older I will give them approriate reading material and talk to them about it if they feel comfortable doing that.
Excursions - We belong to an active homeschooling group that arranges excursions on a weekly basis. We have been to several Science Days and many other varied activities.
Homeschooling kids are generally Very busy with extracirricular activities, my kids also go to art and piano lessons.
For homeschooling you can either buy a pre packaged cirriculum from a private company or make up your own cirriculum, as long as it meets the requirements set by the Education Authority in your State.I like to make our own cirriculum as I can cater to each of my childrens individual needs and interests. Homeschooling certainly isn't for everyone but many families find that it is the best thing for them and their kids.
Regards
Lisa B.