Posted on 03/02/2006 11:45:53 AM PST by LouAvul
Elizabeth and Teddy Dean are learning about the Italian scientist Galileo, so they troop into the kitchen, where their mother Lisa starts by reviewing some facts about the Renaissance.
Elizabeth, 11, and Teddy, 8, have never gone to school.
Their teachers are primarily their parents, which puts them into what is believed to be the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. education system -- the homeschool movement.
For their science lesson, Teddy and Elizabeth are joined by three other homeschooled children and their mother, who live down the street in their suburb midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Before the lesson starts, all five kids change into Renaissance costumes -- long dresses and bonnets for the girls, tunics and swords for the boys.
"We definitely have a lot more fun than kids who go to school," Elizabeth said.
.................
But there is no disagreement about the explosive growth of the movement -- 29 percent from 1999 to 2003 according to the NCES study, or 7 to 15 percent a year according to HSLDA.
This growth has spawned an estimated $750 million a year market supplying parents with teaching aids and lesson plans to fit every religious and political philosophy. Homeschooled children regularly show up in the finals of national spelling competitions, generating publicity for the movement.
Parents cite many reasons for deciding to opt out of formal education and teach their children at home. In the NCES study, 31 percent said they were concerned about drugs, safety or negative peer pressure in schools; 30 percent wanted to provide religious or moral instruction while 16 percent said they were dissatisfied with academic standards in their local schools.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Thanks :-)
Of course secretly I'm a member of the Vast Homeschooling Conspiracy: we are approximately one generation away from taking over the world. Bwahahaha.
The public school lobby already tried to take out the home schoolers in the 80's. The educrats were crushed. Now all they can do is whine about "socialization". We have to be vigilant, but the war was over 15 years ago.
It was so fun launching those rockets! He's 5 years older than me, I followed my big brother everywhere!
I agree completely, but I will add this:
Pubbies are not above throwing good money at bad public schools in exchange for votes. That's no way to make the NEA disappear.
Well, dearest Lady, pack your hiney off to Michael's or someplace and get a couple of kits. Nothing smaller than a D is good enough for me.
Your duty is to show this site to your brother:
http://www.nakka-rocketry.net/
BUMP!
What fun! A ping from one of my favorite vets about one of my favorite topics. Muchas gracias.
I haven't thought of those rockets in over 35 years. LOL! Thanks for the memories!
This terrifies the dems and the teacher's union. Their slaves are escaping from the plantation.
So what's the difference between that and the public schools. Environmental and gender PC indoctrination from the word go.
BTW...please pass on my thanks to your daughter for her service.
Check out HSLDA.com. They have the legal requirements in your state. Then search the web for homeschooling. There is so much material the problem is wading thru it. If you are interested in a traditional classics sort of curriculum, try K12.com. We use it and it's great.
Our kindergartener is finishing his friend's homework without a lot of difficulty. His friend is in third grade at a good public charter school.
But even better, we get to spend more time with our son and direct the morals part of his education. We start a lot of our lessons with a reading from Proverbs or Psalms.
The social difference is noticeable. He is already much better interacting with adults than other kids his age (and he has no problem with his peers).
Thank you!
don't let that one example queer you on the idea!
talk to more people who do. Your kids will be forever grateful that you did.
Lurking'
Count us in on this trend too.
It'll never happen and any politician who proposes such ideas will be immediately recalled.
All schools should be private. The government should get out of the education business at all levels, K-12, college, graduate schools. No Federal, state or local taxes for education, no government employed teachers, no government owned schools. This would reverse the drift toward socialism.
Sorry to vanish on you. No, it's Manhattan NYC, and parents with their kids in the system, from what I can tell, just give up and don't notice most of what's going on as sort of a buffering instinct to keep them sane, or at least feeling okay about themselves.
Glad to hear things are strong in Wisconsin, I grew up in Madison.
I find this an encouraging article especially the part about the $750 million industry. Makes me confident the resources I need will be there. Who knows, since I do music and movement work with children, maybe I'll try to market something based on my experience to "give back".
May I ask what pre-packaged curriculum you use? We tried Seton for our first year. I love some of it but hate all the workbooks. Trying to branch out a little and would love to hear more! Thanks!
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