[CFW]

Thanks. A common theme in these stories is the fact that the children were taught to read, at home, at a early age. Learn to read and you can learn to do anything.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This kind of dumbing down thinking by our "educators" happens more often than you think. My son's vocabulary didn't match his age or handwriting so the school wanted to have him work with a couple of school psychologists who had nothing better to do. It took the threat of a lawsuit to put a stop to them.

[gulfcoast6]

And this is the reason my gd starts homeschooling next year, the grade schools are holding her back and she is bored as can be in the public schools.

[Pure Country]

Thanks. A common theme in these stories is the fact that the children were taught to read, at home, at a early age. Learn to read and you can learn to do anything.

Our daughter (home schooled) absolutely detests reading. She will do anything to bypass it. Guess she's doing okay though. At sixteen she just finished her first semester of college with a 4.0. Not bad for a non-reader!

Her profs never knew how old she was until the end of classes when something about age was brought up in class. The other students were more surprised than the instructors. By the way, she took things like Chemistry and Western Civ (she wanted to take auto mechanics and welding--HEY! She's a farm girl).

[SauronOfMordor]

Thanks. A common theme in these stories is the fact that the children were taught to read, at home, at a early age. Learn to read and you can learn to do anything.

That's been my focus in homeschooling. The first few years, concentrate on getting the kid to read well -- everything else will follow. I ignore paper-mache, "environmental science", etc, the first few years

My middle one is in 3rd grade, reads at 7th grade level. My oldest got a 1300 SAT and will be taking her first course at a nearby university this summer(bio I). She's 14.

A reasonably rigorous curriculum will give the kid all he or she needs to know from K-12 in 8 years of homeschooling, without really trying that hard - subtracting taking attendence, riding the bus, etc saves quite a bit of time in the school day

[cruiserman]

A common theme in these stories is the fact that the children were taught to read, at home, at a early age.

I disagree. Reading is important, but it's not required at a particular age in order to learn. The difference is that these kids were supported and allowed to learn on their own.