Posted on 01/28/2006 7:49:24 AM PST by Clintonfatigued
Oh man.... I was on tenterhooks waiting for that comment to come around. Thanks for not disappointing.
"That sounds like what they do with 'integrated curriculum' in the public school. I thought folks home schooled to get back to the basics. If you want this new age teaching, why not just leave them in public school?"
I can't speak for anyone else, but we homeschool because we want to be involved in the education of our children. We want to be the one's with the say so when it comes to what our children learn and at what age. Education for us as a family is more that readin,ritin, and rithmatic. Children have to learn how to think too. When they are given a little ability to self-direct, they find that their thinking skills are increased. They become better problem solvers and they become more excited about learning.
Personally, just trying to shove a curriculum down a child's throat doesn't sound like a lot of fun.
We have been having much more success with letting the kids take some initiative in the learning process. For example, our son loves science. So, instead of giving him reading asignments within the text and doing the end of chapter work, my wife just lets my son loose with the textbook. He goes off and reads big chunks of the book at a time. When he's done, she makes him narrate to her everything he learned. He usually explodes into a big story about all this interesting information and facts, etc. By having to repeat all the information, it really sinks in for him. We decided to drop the standard education barriers in science for him. As a result, he has learned tons more for his age than he would have just using the 6th grade textbook.
We feed his interests and he absorbs both more of what he is studying and more information in total. The blessing of homeschooling is that we don't have to herd our children through a system built for the mediocre. By building the curriculum around the child, we produce a far more effective learning experience for our children. They learn more and retain the information better.
This is just our experience. We have by no means been the measuring stick for homeschooling. But, we have enjoyed doing it.
mark for later
Mount Rushmore is the homeschooler monument.
Well said - I love when people throw out the old "well I knew these homeschooled kids that were 3 grades behind and couldn't read and couldn't add 2 and 2 and get 4." If these people really cared to learn anything, they would go look at the real statistics for home school success.
No system for education is perfect. There are always people who fail in any system. But, when you look at the success rates as a whole for homeschoolers, it's pretty damn good.
"... My middle one is into Macromedia Flash animation, so I let her indulge her interest. On the other hand, I also make her do algebra..."
http://www.coolmath4kids.com
Some parents say they are "homeschooling" to cover up for chronic truency. I don't deny that they are out there.
The homeschoolers that I know are all doing very well. Then again, the way I know them is from homeschool support groups and such, so if they weren't very committed parents, I would not be interacting with them in the first place
Similarly, the homeschoolers that you see are those that, for one reason or another, were not making it as homeschoolers, which is why they're back in the public school. So I'm not surprised that each of us is seeing a different view of homeschooling, because each of us is seeing a different subset of the homeschool population
You would not be seeing the successful homeschoolers because successful homeschoolers generally do not reintroduce their kids to formal school systems until high-school (fully equipped biology/chem labs are expensive, etc), or college.
My oldest, for example, went directly from homeschooling to community college for a year( at 15), then to 4-year college
If you haven't read The Underground History of American Education:
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/index.htm
I didn't say ALL homeschooled kids were in trouble, but it is fair for me to relate my experiences.
And as in your experience, one enrolled this fall at a community college. She liked it, but said it was noisy and some kids didn't seem to want to be there, so she avoided them. Carried 12 hours and made straight A's. Pretty good for a 16 year old!
My own daughter had a similar opportunity, but turned it down. She loves school and her activities there. Her big loves are marching band and wind ensemble. It's possible to duplicate both outside of a school, but tough. There is Drum Corps, but that's a commitment and a half!
I think that medication is great for some kids. However, I think that some parents/educators use medication as a quick fix.
Since your child is a teenager, I don't think you did the quick fix.
What gets me is that they are starting to medicate kids who are as young as 3 and 4 for ADD/ADHD. How can you tell at that age and why do they need to be medicated?
I figure if a child around second/third grade is still having lots of difficulties with learning, then you really have to think of alternatives. I think it would be wise for parents to check their child's nutrition first and maybe add supplements like EFAs. I would also change the child's learning environment to see if that helps. If all else fails, then you start medication.
In 2nd grade, my son's private school thought he had ADD. They thought we should take him to the doctor to medicate him. First, I took him to the school district and had him tested. The district found out that he had a high attention span, and he was gifted. He had been bored in 2nd grade.
That being said, I know of a few kids whose parents resist medicating their children and their kids have lots of problems. The kids can't read, write, or do math. They can't sit still. Their parents are in denial. I feel very sorry for those kids.
What ED school are you talking about? My experience with ED school is completely opposite from what I'm hearing on this board.
George Washington was also educated with private tutors.
I think that no matter what you decide you are doing an awesome job and will pay dividens later. If only more parents would so much efforts into decisions for their children. You seem like an awesome parent!!! God Bless and Good Luck!!!!
Well, sorry I said anything.
And so you spend a whole lot of your time establishing order.
And the ones who are already orderly during this time are learning what?
That order is the most important thing. Shut up and sit down. Don't ask any more questions; we have to move on to the nervous system.
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