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 ...
I agree. You can also rest assured that your money was well spent. On top of a better education, you showed your kids that you were taking personal responsibility for your family.
Far too many people think dumping their responsibility on the government is OK because they say their parents do it. It's the same with all welfare programs.
We have 3 and 4 generations of a family on welfare because they growing up that's what they saw. Kids learn more from our actions than from our words.
Ping.
Ping.
Pinz
And if there is any doubt as to whether or not that is going on in schools, anyone who wishes to can hear it first hand from a student who has had to endure it. And the latest on bills before the legislature in MA. As goes MA, so goes the rest of the nation, if the activists have their way. Have a listen, if you can stomach it.
The host is a conservative lawyer, NOT a media person.
http://www.article8.org/docs/media/radio/mr_radio.htm
"I bet that de-programming is harder than homeschooling."
You would've loved to have been a fly on the wall at our house during the Clinton years, LOL! He was in Junior High then, and I swear every classroom had a shrine bulletin board to "Der Schlichmeister."
If ever I had wanted to be an arsonist, those would've been the first things torched, LOL!
I have found from my experience and the experience of others that homeschooling works great until about age 15, at which point the kids get distracted. Most parents let their homeschooled kids finish out their schooling in the public school. I think it's better to have them complete their high school education by that time, which is easy to do, then get them started with online college classes. By the time they would normally graduate from high school, they have completed two years of college general education requirements.
Once again...your post reminds me of what we told people when we were asked ..if we were concerned with our HS'ed kids socialization.
Got to the point I always said..."Yes, very. That's why we HS."
FWIW-
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."
My dad left Poland after WWII. He learned first-hand the glories of Nazism and communism. When the public schools offered parents the opportunity to come in and speak about an area of expertise, he offered to speak about WWII. For some reason he was repeatedly turned down. I think he tipped his hand 8-)
Thank you all for your information and feedback.
middle and high school? Try grammer school!
.
A few years ago I played some online trivia which included several 20 to 35 year olds.
The simple question, " On what continent is Italy located?"
It would receive answers, Japan, South American, Asia, Canada, Paris and others even more ridicules.
Questions about TV Shows, Movies, Modern Music they were great, but History, Geography or anything Classical they had no clue.
*sigh*
As they say, "don't hold your breath."
Taxes aren't about fairness. Taxes are about control.
Thank you and I hope I didn't leave anyone else out.
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