Question for Those Who Home School Their Children

[Chattyaholic]

Do you have a set schedule for classes?

I was reading the responses on a different thread earlier about what we're all doing today, and one person said they "might squeeze in some school" for her kids and in her signature she says she's a home schooling mother. So I was just wondering if most home schoolers have a set schedule, or is it "whenever you can fit it in?"

I've never believed in home schooling and this person saying they "might squeeze in some school" for her kids just reinforces my opinion.

 

[In a hurry]

Teacher, not HSer here, but that mom may have started in July. Perhaps all they have left to do, after finishing their math and lit program is art, etc.

I know many homeschoolers, and do oversee/sign-off on portfolios for several. They always finish their work. (Our goal in first grade PS is to cover 2/3's of the programs.)

I think it is easy to make negative judgements when you only look for facts that enforce them.

 

[worm761]

i used to homeschool. when i did we started "school" no later than 830am. unless it was something like summer. then schooling was more informal. but by then i had already achieved all the required amount of days and all of my planned curriculumn for the school year.

 

[mom2rb]

I home school and today we are going to the zoo. Somethings we have set in stone. French on Wednesday, Spanish on Monday and Thursday. Gymnastics on Monday and Wednesday. One has dance on Tuesday and the other has chess on Saturday. For reading they each read me three books a week and I read them three a week. For math they each do 6-9 pages a week depending on how hard the pages are. Fridays we get the day off. Sometimes we take whole weeks off, but we also go year round. The great thing about home schooling is that I get to pick the schedule and the subjects. My main focus is foreign languages. My boys are seven and are fluent in Spanish and learning French. There are no public schools around here that would teach this at such a young age.

 

[Nite0wl71]

Do HSer get a break, like the public schools do? Maybe it's like saying my DD might squeeze in some homework today?

 

[Tiffann4k]

Oh brother...I was the one that made that comment and if you must know let me go into a little background before you start bashing my comment of squeezing school in today...

First of all my children are so far ahead in their schooling that they will be done in February ( we started in June ) so its not like I dont teach them. We dont take a summer break like public school does therefore we get done a lot faster and are able to go onto the next grade if we so choose. My children take all the state tests that are required to make sure they are on track and are actually learning. Generally Fridays is our "lazy" day, we take field trips and do other things so its not a real structured school day....also we are gettting ready to go on vacation for 2 weeks so of course I have to find time to pack and get my shopping done

We use the Calvert ciriculum & are required to do 5 lessons a week, some weeks we can easily do 5 lessons a day.

I am sorry if you have bad opinions of homeschoolers but generally we get in way more school than public schoolers and my children are learning way more than PS's so hopefully you will get a lot of responses with your question as to set schedules for classes. We have a set schedule and it generally doesnt include : nap time, recess, lunch time, time to switch classes , gym all all the other non learning time in a school day. (( yes I am being sarcastic, sorry if I offend anyone, but it really irks me when someone takes a statement without knowing my whole schedule or the whole story behind it and just runs with that and says " I've never believed in home schooling and this person saying they "might squeeze in some school" for her kids just reinforces my opinion."

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Flexible, not optional. I homeschool with my daughter about 2 to 2.5 hours a day. It may be in the morning or the afternoon. On a rare occasion, we do not get our work done...like two days ago when I had a biopsy done. That doesn't change the amount of work we have to do over the period of a year.

My daughter is extremely intelligent. I am convinced that she learns more in two hours with me than she did all day at traditional school.

Think about your days in traditional school. There were always two or three who disrupted class constantly. There were fire drills, recesses, lunch breaks, periods when the teachers just didn't feel like teaching, PE, Art, Music, assemblies, and a million other diversions from standard days.

Some kids get it. If you were a child in school who "got it," you had to sit through class while the teacher explained the work ad nauseum to the kids who weren't paying attention the first time.

If there was something about a lesson you didn't understand, how often did you raise your hand and ask the question? If you were shy, you didn't ask the question out of fear of bringing attention to yourself. As time went on, you probably developed an "I don't get it but I don't care" attitude. I see it all the time with my 10th grader.

There are a million good reasons to homeschool. It's not a cop-out. It's taking personal responsibility for your child's moral and educational upbringing. If more parents took that kind of responsibility, I believe society would be a better place.

At the Catholic school where our kids were two years ago, we hosted a PSIA tournament. The homeschool kids beat the pants off us. Homeschoolers have won the national spelling bee and the national science fair.

The OP's quote "I've never believed in home schooling and this...reinforces my opinion..." makes too many assumptions that all homeschooling is the same.

 

[Planogirl]

This is my thread to walk away from. Yikes, let's all be open-minded about any type of schooling if we can! I see negativity on both sides in this thread.

So I'll tiptoe away now....

 

[Tiffann4k]

There are a million good reasons to homeschool. It's not a cop-out. It's taking personal responsibility for your child's moral and educational upbringing. If more parents took that kind of responsibility, I believe society would be a better place.

The OP's quote "I've never believed in home schooling and this...reinforces my opinion..." makes too many assumptions that all homeschooling is the same.

Very well said!!

 

[Crankyshank]

You do of course realize that children who attend public and private school are not set adrift and forced to fend for themselves academically and morally, right? Parents can and do send their children to school and take the very same responsibility that homeschooling parents take. And in many cases when the bell rings the learning doesn't stop.

I admit I'm not a fan of homeschooling mostly because I am from an area with stellar public and private schools. I do understand why many (not all) do decide to homeschool, though.

 

[Tiffann4k]

This is my thread to walk away from. Yikes, let's all be open-minded about any type of schooling if we can! I see negativity on both sides in this thread.

So I'll tiptoe away now....

I agree with this as well and am going to do the same thing. There is no right or wrong decision when it comes to what is best for our children and I dont think that I should have to justify my comment to the OP ( even though I did, I shouldnt of but I am sure there were others who were curious as well.

I am doing what is best for my children....heck at the pace we are going they might be graduating when they are 12..lol ( just joking of course) but we did go the public school route and I use to think homeschoolers were crazy...I was the typical " I want a break from my kids" mom who looked foward to sending my kids to school ( as mean as that sounds....) that didnt last long, it wasnt worth it sending my kids to school, they werent learning a darn thing, the things they were learning were things that are not acceptable in our household so it was worth it pulling them out of school and teaching them at home.....

But anyhow the point I wanted to make was when it comes to OUR Children we know whats best for them wether it be public or home school....no one should make us feel like we have to justify anything...... with that being said I am kindly stepping out of this thread as well. My decisions are justified every day I see my kids learn something new.

 

[SamRoc]

Most of the homeschooled kids I know here in NYC do about 3 hours of school work a day, starting at 9 and ending about 12. I know about 15 kids who are homeschooled and it works great for their families. These kids are mostly actors and have the afternoons free for auditions, acting, dance and voice lessons, and the matinees for their shows. They do trips to the museums here in NYC, ice skating, and gymnastics. Alot of them use the laurel springs program and love it. My dd was homeschooled in 5th grade during a show and came back to 6th grade without missing a beat. The moms I know who do this take it very seriously, and work with their kids, make sure their paperwork and test are in.

 

[In a hurry]

I think that it can be assumed that HSers as well as PSers are all concerned that their children not be dunderheads.

It never helps to make sweeping comments about any group based only on the information you are willing to believe. Usually there is an abundance of info on the pro and con side of any argument, and the extremes are just that.

 

[TLHB70]

I am a HS mom and a certified teacher that taught for 6 years before I started to HS. I do have a very routine schedule every school day. We start our day at 8:30 AM. We normally finish between 3 and 3:30 each day. I give my two daughters a lunch break from 11 to 12. (We are on lunch break now so I have a little time to write.) We don't have recess, but they do have freedom to run to the restroom when needed. Also, if the phone rings and it is a call that I need to take, I take a few minutes to talk, and they can break for play time. I do take about 4 field trips in a school year. I have had two so far this year, and I have two others planned. Our family will be seeing the broadway production of Little Women tonight. We plan to see Annie next month. Those aren't our scheduled field trips, but they are extra! We belong to a homeschool group that meets once a month in the afternoons. I use the A Beka curriculum. Since I am a teacher, this curriculum is most like my teaching style that I am trained in. It is used in many private schools so I believe that they are getting everything necessary. They take the state standardized test each year, and I file it with the state. I know that they are getting much better education with me than they would in a school. I have lived it; I know. I love being home with them, and I appreciate the opportunity to do it!

 

[kbkids]

I have a friend who is homeschooling her daughter (2nd grade) for just this year. There were issues at school and by the time she decided she didn't want her to go back there, it was too late to get her enrolled in the school she wanted her at. So, she planned to homeschool this year and then put her back in private school at 3rd grade. Well, her daughter was doing so well and, in her words, "It didn't seem right that we had so much free time on our hands," so she started moving on a little faster. They had school for 4 hours a day. She took her to be tested right before Christmas. Her math skills are on a 4th grade level, and she is reading on a 5th grade level. Mom panicked and said, "Oh no, what do I do next year?" They said, "What do you mean? Just continue on where you left off." She said, "No, you don't understand. I'm only homeschooling this one year." They looked at her and said, "OH! I see your point." After lots of testing and interviews, the school she will be enrolled in next year has agreed to let her skip 3rd grade and move on to 4th. She's nervous because she obviously will be the youngest in the class - but she also would have been one of the youngest in her 3rd grade class due to her age. But everyone seems to feel like it's the best option for her - Mom's just a little worried (like Moms always are ).

She's always been ahead of her class academically (part of the reason she left the other school), but we were all amazed at how fast she soared way ahead when given individual attention. Most people I know who homeschool - there are ALOT in our area - work about 2-3 hours a day. The ones who work more are the ones who have multiple children at home to school. The ones with only one child usually work about 2 hours. Makes sense. When a teacher is having to divide their attention among 20 kids, it's obviously going to take longer.

One of the pros I had heard about homeschooling was if your child was interested in lots of extracurricular activities, it could be a good option. My DD loves dance, gymnastics, cheering, soccer, wants to learn piano, wants to learn to horseback ride - the list goes on. We simply can't do it all because there aren't enough hours in the day. But if she were homeschooled, the stuff she's not getting to do could definitely be an option then.

 

[debster812]

Think about your days in traditional school. There were always two or three who disrupted class constantly. There were fire drills, recesses, lunch breaks, periods when the teachers just didn't feel like teaching, PE, Art, Music, assemblies, and a million other diversions from standard days.

Some kids get it. If you were a child in school who "got it," you had to sit through class while the teacher explained the work ad nauseum to the kids who weren't paying attention the first time.

If there was something about a lesson you didn't understand, how often did you raise your hand and ask the question? If you were shy, you didn't ask the question out of fear of bringing attention to yourself. As time went on, you probably developed an "I don't get it but I don't care" attitude. I see it all the time with my 10th grader.

There are a million good reasons to homeschool. It's not a cop-out. It's taking personal responsibility for your child's moral and educational upbringing. If more parents took that kind of responsibility, I believe society would be a better place.

At the Catholic school where our kids were two years ago, we hosted a PSIA tournament. The homeschool kids beat the pants off us. Homeschoolers have won the national spelling bee and the national science fair.

The OP's quote "I've never believed in home schooling and this...reinforces my opinion..." makes too many assumptions that all homeschooling is the same.

There are plenty of assumptions in your post above as well. My son goes to public school and please don't think for one second I have abdicated ANY personal responsibilty for his moral or educational upbringing. And it is my hope that someday he will help make this world a better place.

And, what you describe as 'disruptions' to a standard day, I would call a well rounded day (art, gym, music, yes, our school still has all three). Granted the disruptive kids are a nuisance, but I've also found our school to be VERY pro-active in dealing with all types of behaviour.

And with this, I will also try to stay away from this thread, as no one is EVER going to change anyone else's mind on this issue.

 

[In a hurry]

And, what you describe as 'disruptions' to a standard day, I would call a well rounded day (art, gym, music, yes, our school still has all three). Granted the disruptive kids are a nuisance, but I've also found our school to be VERY pro-active in dealing with all types of behaviour.

Those things do make for a well-rounded education, but I would give anything to be able to have them work around the academic schedule as opposed to the other way around. And there are too many silly disruptions in my day. There are a lot of fundamental academics in first grade, and there seems to always be something interupting the train of thought.

It is silly to not accept that fact that all children benefit from one-on-one teaching. I would love to give each of my students that attention. No can do, however. So we do the best we can, and most kids do pretty darn well, in spite of us!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

My daughter is extremely intelligent. I am convinced that she learns more in two hours with me than she did all day at traditional school.

Think about your days in traditional school. There were always two or three who disrupted class constantly. There were fire drills, recesses, lunch breaks, periods when the teachers just didn't feel like teaching, PE, Art, Music, assemblies, and a million other diversions from standard days.

Some kids get it. If you were a child in school who "got it," you had to sit through class while the teacher explained the work ad nauseum to the kids who weren't paying attention the first time.

If there was something about a lesson you didn't understand, how often did you raise your hand and ask the question? If you were shy, you didn't ask the question out of fear of bringing attention to yourself. As time went on, you probably developed an "I don't get it but I don't care" attitude. I see it all the time with my 10th grader.

There are a million good reasons to homeschool. It's not a cop-out. It's taking personal responsibility for your child's moral and educational upbringing. If more parents took that kind of responsibility, I believe society would be a better place.

At the Catholic school where our kids were two years ago, we hosted a PSIA tournament. The homeschool kids beat the pants off us. Homeschoolers have won the national spelling bee and the national science fair.

The OP's quote "I've never believed in home schooling and this...reinforces my opinion..." makes too many assumptions that all homeschooling is the same.

Those who send their children to public or private schools aren't shunning "personal responsiblity to their children's moral and eduational upbringing." Good grief! Your entire post is generalizing and making too many assumptions about public schooling, the very same thing you accuse others of doing regarding home schooling. Your attitude and assumptions about kids in the public school system is why some people have negative opinions of homeschooling parents in the first place. I think home schooling is the best route for some, not so much for others. But looking down on those who do the opposite isn't the right way to go about it, and I certainly hope that you don't pass that attitude down to your children. BTW, my 4th grader "gets it", and absolutely loves her public school, nor do I consider art, music, assemblies, LUNCH BREAKS, recesses and PE "diversions". I believe that those things are all essential and necessary for a well-rounded and more enthusiastic student.

 

[kbkids]

Those who send their children to public or private schools aren't shunning "personal responsiblity to their children's moral and eduational upbringing." Good grief! Your entire post is generalizing and making too many assumptions about public schooling, the very same thing you accuse others of doing regarding home schooling.

I think home schooling is the best route for some, not so much for others. But looking down on those who do the opposite isn't the right way to go about it.

I totally agree. We considered homeschooling. I have not shut that door. It may be something we do in the future. But right now, DD isn't interested. She LOVES school and does very well. The thought of pulling her out (we've discussed it) has brought her to tears - not serious discussion, just what ifs. She doesn't want to. She is one of the top students in her class and is reading on a third grade level (she's in second grade), so she's obviously learning something! She's been lucky and has had awesome teachers! Her teacher this year was voted Teacher of the Year. We have a great school system around here, which is why I decided to try traditional schooling first. It's worked for her, and I see no reason to change that now.

DS will be starting kindergarten this next year. I'm not positive he is going to do as well. Different personality, will be one of the younger ones in his class, way too emotional and immature for his age - so just not sure at this point. They start enrolling in April, so I've got to decide soon.

But my point is - if what's best for one of my own children may not be what's best for another one of my children, it's crazy to think that what's best for one family is best for all. I'll even go so far as to say that I bet the majority of the parents on this board are really great parents and work hard to do what is best for their children. People are entitled to their opinion - not entitled to judge others for theirs.