I have family that works in the education system. The number one differentiator in student performance is parents' interest and involvement in their children(s) education. Far too many parents ignore their kids until they bring home a bad report card, then they come storming in and blame the teachers for not giving little johnny an education. In general, the kids that do well are the ones that have parents that are in regular contact with the school staff. The kids whose parents ignore school work until it is too late? They're the ones with poor attendance records, incomplete work, work not turned in, sleeping in class, poor testing performance, and in general no interest in getting an education. I'd guess it is part of that entitlement mindset - they think someone is just going to hand their nearly illiterate backside a job or something. {snort}
Read to your kids until they are able to read, then read with them. Help them with their homework, demonstrate to them that it is important enough that you are willing to put the time in - they had better too. Yes, I did exactly this and it seems to have worked. ;-)
The only thing government schools do is send home a tuition-free curriculum. The **real** work of teaching and learning is done by the parents and the child, himself, IN THE HOME.
If academically successful institutionalized and homeschooled children were compared there would be little to NO difference in home habits and values of the parents, and the TIME spent IN THE HOME in formal, at the kitchen table, studying!
In other words government schools are paid big bucks, do nothing, and the results are entirely due to the AFTERSCHOOLING done ( or not done) by the parents and the child.
And...If there is any teacher or “educator” or disagrees with me, then show me the studies that PROVE **where** learning takes place, **how** it happens, and **who** is doing the real hard work ( parents, child, or teacher). SHOW ME THE PROOF. Where are the links?
Yeah! Blame the parents. But...When the parents excel at AFTERSCHOOLING, who takes the credit? Answer: The school of course!
So?...Why shouldn't these parents be upset? Huh? They are spending big bucks in property and other taxes, likely both parents are working just to pay the taxes,...and...the kid is in school for at least **SIX** HOURS ( or more) for 180 or more days a year!!!
If homeschoolers get their work done in a 1/2 hour to three hours ( depending on the age of the child) why can't the government school teach these kids in **SIX** or more hours???
These are children! They are NOT day laborers. A child, after spending **SIX** hours in an institution should never have to any homework whatsoever. **SIX** hours is three times longer than needed especially in the elementary grades.
By the way, my homeschoolers never spent more than **TWO** hours a day in formal study. In the early grades K-2, it was about 1/2 hour! Yet, they entered college at the ages of 13, 12, and 13. All finished all general college courses and Calculus III by the age of 15. The two younger earned B.S. degrees in math by the age of 18. The two older children now have masters degrees.
The kids who do well are the kids with parents who AFTERSCHOOL. They are the kids with parents who are doing everything successful homeschoolers are doing.
And..If I am wrong, they show me the controlled studies that PROVE I am wrong. Hm? Where are the links to the studies that show exactly how much is learned in the classroom as compared to how much is learned IN THE HOME!