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Why do people homeschool?

12K views 252 replies 100 participants last post by  Kidzaplenty 
#1 ·
Why do people choose to homeschool?
I guess I just don't understand how a child can receive the same amount of information/knowledge at home given by 1 parent as he can get from school with a number of teachers + through interaction/projects done together with a group of other students.

I understand that a parent (who is not a teacher) has enough knowledge to homeschool a young child...but how about older children? Does the parent really know all about physics, chemistry, geography, art and everything else to provide a good enough guidance to a child? So, even through homeschooling the child will have enough skills to go to university and do well there?

I am not planning to start a war here. Just trying to understand the logic behind such a choice (it looks like so many people want to homeschool here but are unable to do so for financial/other reasons).

Also, what is so bad about public/private schools? Sorry, just trying to understand.
 
#4 ·
Here it is in a nutshell:

You don't have to know everything about all subjects. You just have to know how to find the information.

I have this thing called the internet. I can also drive to the public library. Some people even purchase textbooks adn curriculum guides.

Besides, if you can't remember anything you learned in high school, why is it so important to teach to your kids?
 
#10 ·
There's nothing wrong with Public/Private school if it's what works for your family.

Give yourself more credit...if you can read, you can learn all of those things. If your children can read, they can learn all of those things. All it takes is a spark of interest and the resources, which are widely available.

Peace and Love

Lisa
 
#11 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by M_of_M View Post
I understand that a parent (who is not a teacher) has enough knowledge to homeschool a young child...but how about older children? Does the parent really know all about physics, chemistry, geography, art and everything else to provide a good enough guidance to a child? So, even through homeschooling the child will have enough skills to go to university and do well there?
You got through high school didn't you? Then you should be smart enough (with the help of a good book) to guide your child through it too. Simple as that.
I was homeschooled for 13 years. I went to college, was accepted on an academic scholarship to my choice school. I had great grades in everything, writing, literature, math, chemistry, geography, till I got stuck with some really crappy roommates that never let me get any sleep. Homeschoolers tend to have better self-motivated study habits so they tend to do better in college.

There are many many reasons that people choose to homeschool.
Personally I believe that there is so much more crutial information and everyday "stuff" that needs to be learned that can not be taught in an environment away from everyday life. Who is gonna teach your kid to fix the toilet, change a tire, fix the car, cook meals, fix the leaky sink, paint the house, roof a house, retreive a lost ring from a bathroom drain, etc.?? The list could go on and on. Children who are gone to school all day don't get near as many opportunities to learn those things. It's a personal decision. Not everybody values those skills I mentioned, but ya know what? I could live every day of my life without knowing advanced chemistry or physics, without reading 'great literature' but I really need to know those other things in order to live a self supportive lifestyle.
 
#12 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthla View Post

Besides, if you can't remember anything you learned in high school, why is it so important to teach to your kids?

:

That was my first thought. I can't remember half of what I learned in high school. Most of what I learned in college was taught in college...it didn't really build on the things that I learned in high school. Maybe a small bit.

I'm more of a fan of learning useful things that are pertinent to the real world and things that you need/do everyday. Everything else can be read about on the internet/in the library. There is really no need to test for rote memorization in history and things like that...reading about it seems like it would be enough.

I think paying attention to what the child/teen wants to learn about is key. I'm not such a fan of having things that really don't interest my kids or is not applicable to everyday living forced on them. I am lucky that we have a really good school that pays attention to these type of things.
 
#13 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthla View Post
Here it is in a nutshell:

You don't have to know everything about all subjects. You just have to know how to find the information.

I have this thing called the internet. I can also drive to the public library. Some people even purchase textbooks adn curriculum guides.

Besides, if you can't remember anything you learned in high school, why is it so important to teach to your kids?
I know plenty of teachers who teach subjects which they know nothing about (i.e. my friend is a hs math teacher, but they needed someone to teach an 11th grade english class, so she's doing it. She has no clue about anything she's teaching, she just reads the teachers guide and goes straight from that - which is what all elementry school teachers do, too). Just b/c someone is a teacher doesn't mean they know everything there is to know on the subject.

I can't wait to see how this thread turns out.
 
#20 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by oneKnight View Post
You got through high school didn't you? Then you should be smart enough (with the help of a good book) to guide your child through it too. Simple as that.
I was homeschooled for 13 years. I went to college, was accepted on an academic scholarship to my choice school. I had great grades in everything, writing, literature, math, chemistry, geography, till I got stuck with some really crappy roommates that never let me get any sleep. Homeschoolers tend to have better self-motivated study habits so they tend to do better in college.

There are many many reasons that people choose to homeschool.
Personally I believe that there is so much more crutial information and everyday "stuff" that needs to be learned that can not be taught in an environment away from everyday life. Who is gonna teach your kid to fix the toilet, change a tire, fix the car, cook meals, fix the leaky sink, paint the house, roof a house, retreive a lost ring from a bathroom drain, etc.?? The list could go on and on. Children who are gone to school all day don't get near as many opportunities to learn those things. It's a personal decision. Not everybody values those skills I mentioned, but ya know what? I could live every day of my life without knowing advanced chemistry or physics, without reading 'great literature' but I really need to know those other things in order to live a self supportive lifestyle.
Thank you for your reply. It does answer my questions.
The only thing though, for me personally, getting through high school and being 'smart enough' has nothing to do with being a good teacher to a child.
 
#21 ·
Well, I can't speak to why other people chose to homeschool. It is what felt right for OUR family. My husband and I both work mids (my mom lives with us). Last year I worked noon-10 pm and husband worked mids. We wouldn't have seen the kids too much if they were in school. Also, my daughter is "behind" one year in math and way ahead in reading. With homeschooling she can work at her own pace. I don't think that where you are in third grade math is indicative of your worth as a person. When I was in public school a lot seemed to ride on that, imho, on your "rank" in the group. I didn't care for that.
 
#22 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthla View Post
Here it is in a nutshell:

You don't have to know everything about all subjects. You just have to know how to find the information.

I have this thing called the internet. I can also drive to the public library. Some people even purchase textbooks adn curriculum guides.

Besides, if you can't remember anything you learned in high school, why is it so important to teach to your kids?

and my reasons are similar to all the others listed already. nak
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Why do people choose to homeschool?
I guess I just don't understand how a child can receive the same amount of information/knowledge at home given by 1 parent as he can get from school with a number of teachers + through interaction/projects done together with a group of other students.
I'm a former teacher and my husband is still teaching. Our experience showed us that we didn't understand how an education contained within four walls, too frequently driven by a test-based curriculum, could offer our children nearly as much as the world without those barriers.

They are immersed in learning; they touch it, feel it, smell it. We are surrounded by state parks; the Smithsonian is an hour away by Metro, far less if we want to drive into DC. My kids can see the Capitol; it's real to them so Civics is real. My 7-year-old can identify the three branches of government and how they check each other--not because we sat down with a textbook and a workpacket, but because, when we're in DC, he asks questions. My 12-year-old understands it at a greater depth. My 4-year-old listens and absorbs.

We, my husband and I, know firsthand the limitations of the public school system. We know how much time is spent on classroom management, on testing, on test-based instruction. We know how much is possible when you have 25+ students in one classroom. And, for us, homeschooling (closer even to unschooling, really) was the only option that made sense.
 
#24 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by M_of_M View Post
Thank you for your reply. It does answer my questions.
The only thing though, for me personally, getting through high school and being 'smart enough' has nothing to do with being a good teacher to a child.
No it doesn't. A good teacher is someone that is personally invested in the success of the student and cares about how their life turns out. Who could do that better than a parent?
 
#25 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthla View Post
Here it is in a nutshell:

You don't have to know everything about all subjects. You just have to know how to find the information.

I have this thing called the internet. I can also drive to the public library. Some people even purchase textbooks adn curriculum guides.

Besides, if you can't remember anything you learned in high school, why is it so important to teach to your kids?

Thanks Ruthla. Just wanted to say that as odd as it may sound, I do remember most of the stuff from high school. I think it is important for kids to learn all that stuff too so that they can later choose for themselves whether they want to pursue a career based on the things they learned in high school. If they won't learn all those physics, and arts, they might not even know that's something that's of interest to them.

However, as I answered to another poster, remembering my highschool stuff and being smart does not equal being a good teacher. I am a good student but I am not a good teacher.
 
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