OT Homeschooling question

[jennz]

Hello everyone! Following the suggestion in the other thread and here I am! We're seriously considering home schooling DD. She's just finishing 2nd grade. We have no problems with our school, it's great and she has fun but she's in the advanced program and isn't challenged. Can anyone (or "manyone" ha ha) address some of the following?:

*dd is an only child. The main thing I love about school is the unstructured time at recess. She has a group of friends and they run around and make up games to play. At home after school it's usually 1-on-1 play (we have tons of kids in the neighborhood but they don't play well together). I would miss that. On the other hand it's also provided us with some valuable lessons on how not to treat others.

*transitioning to college...yes I know that's far in the future, but how do homeschoolers transition into a large classroom enviroment? Do they shy away because of the sheer volume of students or do they do well since they have more accountability throughout their schooling (just an assumption there, since there's no one else in "class.")

We've talked to DD about it and she likes the idea but said she would miss her friends that she only sees at school. Along that same line...there are a few friendships that I would like to see continue, has anyone experienced that (pulling out of school and the impact on current relationships?)

Thanks everyone!

 

[Rella Bella]

Hi!!

As for the group play, almost every city has a homeschool co-op of some kind. Some group together for one activity day per week, some just do field trips together, some have homeschool moms who specialize in a subject teach that subject (this is mostly in the older grades). Check the yellow pages or just call churches in your area to find the groups. Unless you're in a small town I bet you'll have a few to choose from.

My sister-in-law just finished 17 years of homeschooling, graduating my youngest nephew this month. He took Calculus and Chemistry through a homeschool co-op. All three of the older kids went on to college with no problem. One has graduated college, one is a Junior, one a Sophomore... they have all excelled grade wise.

My best friend homeschooled her three daughters, they were involved in an awesome music & drama homeschool group that did two or three musicals a year, had proms and even graduation ceremonies together. The kids really knew each other well by the end. Two went on to college, still studying, but doing well.

I think they actually had more confidence going into college. They are used to thinking for themselves and they are used to working independently -- which is what college is all about.


Another good friend is homeschooling and at high school main streamed her kids, which is also working out well. None of these kids was deprived of quality education or quality socialization.

These are just outside opinions but I think you will find lots of support and camaraderie from people here on DIS and in your own community.
HAVE FUN!!

 

[jennz]

Thanks for your input - that's great to hear!

 

[brymolmom]

No homeschooling experience here, but I read your post and thought of a suggestion.

If you really don't want your dd (and she also doesn't want to) leave her current school setting...could you just leave her in her current class but add some after school/weekend classes that might be more challenging? You could call schools (more advanced schools - intermediate or high school OR a music school) OR our local museum has school-age programs in science and she could just do a little extra to get that extra challenge she needs.

Just a thought - maybe more of a 'best of both worlds'. Since you guys seem to really like the school - seems a shame to leave it.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[princesspwrhr]

Do a search on yahoo or MSN etc for '[your area] homeschool'. You'll probably come up with tons of results, from a statewide group to local groups to special interest groups. Sign up with them and seek out what goes on in your area. Besides co ops for classes there are often groups, or groups within groups that get together just to have unstructured playtime at a local park or someone will pipe up and say "hey I wanted to go here on X day, anyone want to join?" A lot of times the Y or parks & rec will also have 'homeschool PE' which, in most cases is a joke as far as structure goes and it's usually kids playing whatever team sport or game they choose to play that day, so it's very loose.

My daughter is also 7, so college is at least 8 years away if she chooses to do community college courses at 15/16 and 9ish years away of she chooses to wait until she 'graduates' (17 by her bday) to choose her college route. There's been a lot of discussion on my state email list about college lately becuase our state is refining some of the HS laws. From the reports I've read from those who have transitioned a HS student into college and the ones who are in the process and from the studies, it seems that HS students 'in general' transition easier than public/private school students becuase they are already used to doing a large ammount of independant work at that point and have not been conditioned to not ask questions, they also have less fear of approaching the professor when needed. Several reports have stated that HS students also have less of a tendency to feel the need to 'find themselves' in college because its very few HS students who are actually under their parents thumb constantly and never see anything of the world around them. Again, all generalities made in various reports/studies, someone will always bring up the 'I know so and so who's cousin's best friends neice was HS and she went absolutely wild when she went to college'. Doesn't hold water, how many public/private school students go wild? It's a matter of parents letting a child breathe and be their own person, not educational choice that causes the child to go wild. Several top notch Ivy league schools also seek out homeschool students, and many many colleges and universities now have an admissions person that handles just the homeschool students. With HS laws varying from state to state that's a huge job even if the school only has a few HS aplicants.

We didn't have any trouble staying in touch with friends who were actually friends when we pulled my dd out of K. But we had already been meeting them outside of school before we started HSing. The ones who were just aquantinces were easily replaced with aquantinces from homeschool groups. What had the bigger impact was moving out of state, but that would have happened anyways. And in the world of children, the 'best friend' of today can become 'public enemy #1' in a split second and revert back to 'best friend' just as fast.

One really awesome perk about homeschooling= Disney while everyone else is in school or trying not to feel guilty about pulling precious out for a week.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Our homeschool group just graduated 3 seniors last night. Highschool can be done---these kids go to a coop with challenging academic course work. Some do dual enrollment at the local community college. They are transitioning to the college classroom by acquiring their AS degree at a community college.


For kids--my daughter does not want for socialization. We begin 1st grade next year. We have been members of our homeschool group since she was 3 and she has developed some great friendships. She also participates in dance and gymnastics.

Stay involved in something (but don't let it rule your life--moderation is key in everything you do) and everything will be fine. Stay at home all day every day for the entire year--well then yes, that could be a problem.


go to www.hslda.com and you can find groups in your state.

Good luck!

 

[freckles and boo]

I have no desire to disparage home schooling as a whole because I know it works for some families. However, I have no doubt that it isn't for me or my family. I wouldn't set my child's arm if it were broken because I am not a doctor. Although I am very well-educated, I am also not a teacher. One of my jobs as a parent is to advocate for my kids and to make sure that they are getting the best possible medical care, education, etc. available from people who have the expertise to provide it. I appreciate knowing that home schooling is an option in a difficult situation, but unless my kids were in an environment that was dangerous or fundamentally inadequate I wouldn't consider it. Pushing schools to improve quality helps all kids, not just your own. Please consider your motives, your abilities, your strengths and weaknesses, and your child's concerns and wishes. Whatever you choose, good luck!

 

[jennz]

Thanks guys - I'm filling a notebook with ideas. I talked to DD's gifted teacher today and he was great, all sorts of ideas and we talked about the pros/cons. Thanks also for the website. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Julia M]

I also have a dd (age 11) who is quite bright, and I don't feel she is being challenged at all by her academic work.

However, she is extremely involved in lots of outside activities........Girl Scouts, school sports, school newspaper, horseback riding, and she currently does 2 competitive sports (she will probably be quitting one in June, at the end of the season, as she wants to focus on one). She also reads extensively. She'll be adding dance as soon as soccer season ends (the competitive sport she's giving up)

ANyway, I used to worry about the lack of challenge, but now I think it works well for us, as she easily does her work and does great....she can really focus on outside interests.

Just a different concept.

julia

 

[noodleknitter]

I have graduated 3 kids from HS highschool, 2 from Top 100 coleges, and 1 from her Master's degree. Still have 2 at home, and the older ones are just still working on their degrees. The only issue my kids have had going into the college/university setting is that the crowds sometimes bother them. I guess no freshman is ready for classes of 120 students, though.


As for time with other kids, the only thing my kids have lacked is 15 minute recesses, and sitting all day in a boring classroom with their friends. They have been in the Children's symphony, girls scouts, soccer, LL, cooking classes, Friday schools (co-op), art classes, summer camps, and have neighbors to play with...once the neighbors finish their homework.

Someone suggested adding to your daughter's workload. Kids tody are being overworkied, and under-excercised, as it is. You can teach in 5 hours what a school take in 8, including "homework". As for a teacher knowing better, well, they may have some vague concepts on crowd control and lesson planning that you don't have, but that is about it. I have a friend with a high school education who's daughter has been accepted into Princton this year.

Good luck!

 

[jennz]

Thanks! That's a great perspective.

I've tried adding to DD's day but by the time she gets home and has a snack it's after 4. At first I thought that would be the best way to go, but it didn't leave any unstructured time. She does allstar cheer 2 - 3 days/week for 2 hours at a time (worse during competition season) and dropped art classes to take ballet 2 x/week - now she's into the productions, which add time also. Plus after shool activites through the school - Brownies and Spanish Club. I agree - she needs time to hang out and play. Ride her bike etc.

DH and I just see her at school getting A's without applying herself and we're thinking - Wow - what can this girl do if we challenge her? We are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to home school if we choose to.

FWIW I do have a teaching certificate in secondary ed in math. I have complete respect for teachers - they have a tough job. DDs teacher (as all are) is responsible for teaching to all levels of intelligence in the classroom, taming disruptive behavior, helping with problems the kids bring from home etc etc while trying to keep the love of learning alive in all these kids. She does a great job. Having said that, I know my child better than anyone, I know her learning style and motivations, am pretty confident in my ability to teach her most subjects through high school and am willing to co-op to find experts in areas that I would need help with. And I too would not set a broken arm.

 

[JennyW]

As for not being trained as a teacher, no, most of us aren't. But who knows your kids better than you do? No one, hopefully. One on one, or one on two (or however many kids you homeschool) is a much better ratio than anything they'll get at school. And you can follow their interests as they get older. If homeschool doesn't work for you, fine, but assuming one can afford to not have a job, I can't think of a better way to spend my time, than with my children.

jenny

 

[bord1niowa]

We have home-schooled our children and it was not anywhere as difficult as you may think. The curriculums available are very much like a teacher's, showing what to say, do, teach and how. Most HS children are more likely to be put into a real situation for learning by doing more out of school activities that relate to their studies. Colleges generally give a preferance to HS children for acceptance. They also develop a much better work ethic than is in a normal classroom. Needless to say an advanced student can advance as fast as they are capable in this environment too. I have found that HS children are generally 1 1/2 - 2 years ahead of their counterparts in "normal" schools. And with the HS groups, these give opportunities for the students to practice their speech and reports in front of others. I also have found no shortage of friends for them, whether in the neighborhood or within the HS group. One big thing I noticed is that the students have inquiring minds and don't always need prompting to find answers to things they are learning or seeing happen around them in the world. Our kids were being Home schooled at the time the Berlin Wall was being torn down and they wanted to know why it was put up in the first place...well they took the initiative to look up those things themselves. We all know that a person cannot be forced to learn something and retain it, but if a student wants to learn, they will remember what they learned and understand it. My final statement may make some a little upset but it's my honest opinion. Today schools are more concerned with teaching a student how to take a test rather than what they are actually learning, since that is what makes the school look good. Ouch, now I probably opened a can of worms...lol