Homeschooling is not "informal" education. Most homeschoolers follow a curriculumn of some sort - unschooling works differently and I won't try to speak for that. Just because most homeschoolers are "amateurs" (no teaching degree) doesn't make homeschooling somehow a shady option.
yes--and when i talk with "naysayers" about our decision to homeschool, i actually call it "alternative education." the left is so into "alternative lifestyles," they have a hard time arguing "alternative schooling."
"Just because most homeschoolers are "amateurs" (no teaching degree) doesn't make homeschooling somehow a shady option."
I wholeheartedly agree!
Ponder this: Up until the age of 5, most kids were raised by "amateurs". Should we try to turn them over to the pros from 0-5 now, too?
My kids' teachers were amazed at how well they could read before entering school. They were totally puzzled by this. Some thought the kids were "spontaneous readers", as if they somehow just intuited how to read.
My big regret is that I didn't homeschool all the way. I was blessed with mostly excellent teachers when I was a kid and I have a few teachers (very good ones) in my family. I am shocked to see how public education has deteriorated since I was in school.
congrats on the marriage, Jen.