Do you think it is better to home school children or to allow them to attend pub

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   amberjones21posted 14 years ago

   Do you think it is better to home school children or to allow them to attend public school?
   
   My sister is home schooling her daughter. I think it's a great option for parents who can do it but I think it could have some drawbacks on her daughter's social development.

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2. 61

   eilander1542011posted 14 years ago

   This has been a hot topic in my life of late. My girlfriend and I have discussed the options over countless nights and we've come to a solid conclusion...for us at least.
   As we all know the biggest drawback to homeschooling as amberjones21 stated is the lack of social development the child will receive. School provides a place of social interaction for our children among their peers, so it is not right to take this from them. On the other hand, I know that the major reason for parents homeschooling their children in the first place is the fact that our school systems are terrible. Each and every year American schools fall in every category that they should rise in. So now people are taking action.
   My solution is this. Up unto about sixth grade or so, our schools are OK. The teachers love what they do, and they love their students. But the biggest reason is the curriculum itself. Our children are only learning the basics in math, reading, writing, arts, cience and the like. The basics are good to know if you want to be able to function successfully in society.
   Upon their entrance into junior high and high school the curriculum is shot to shit. They are no longer learning anything useful, and they begin to hate school. It is at this point that I would pull my child out of school and begin their homeschooling. They have had years of social development when it was most important for them to have it. Now they are ready to learn about life from their parents. They can understand many subjects and begin to discuss them intelligently. It is this time that parents are most needed in their child's development. That rebellious stage is when parents need to be closest to their children as much as possible and this solution allows that.
   I hope some day we can fix our failing school system so that such matters may become moot. But until then I believe a combination of public school and home school is out best option.

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3. 60

   CollegePrepUposted 14 years ago

   Not all school systems in the United States are "failing" or "shot to $hit"  Unfortunately, the quality of a school system correlates largely to the socio-economic area you live in.  Sad, but it's the truth.
   In that respect, yes I believe that the inner-city and/or low socio-economic school districts need help.  But "help" in this case means money, and as we know, America has put education on the backburner with regard to monetary aid.
   If you decide to homeschool your child, more power to you.  That kind of freedom is what this country is founded upon.  Much like anything in life, every situation is different and unique.  If you as a parent feel that your child will benefit more from homeschooled instruction, then that is the way to go.

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4. 83

   wychicposted 14 years ago

   It depends on who you are, what resources are available in the community, and to what extent parents are willing to go to give their children a well-rounded education. The stereotype of "antisocial homeschoolers" is a pretty silly one, as far as I'm concerned, and is only true in people who don't differentiate between homeSCHOOL and simply sticking a book in front of their kids' faces. For me, homeschooling was better by far in every aspect, and having to go to public school only limited my social interactions and learning opportunities. If a parent doesn't have the time, energy, and inclination to really devote to investing in their kids, then do them a favor and leave their education to someone else...but if it's something they're really willing to devote themselves to, it can be the best thing a parent ever did for their kids. I wrote a lot more details about my experiences in my hubs, as well as a much more detailed answer to this particular question:
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Homeschoolers-Tale
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Homeschooling-B … nd-Rewards
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/What-to-Conside … Homeschool
   
   And yes, I do intend to homeschool my own kids too .

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5. 61

   amberjones21posted 14 years ago

   I appreciate all of your answers. And wychic, I didn't mean that every home schooled child will be anti-social or suffer from being home schooled. I agree that it can be the best thing a parent can do for their child, if they can do it. But my sister tends to shelter her daughter very much and she doesn't get out much. It's nice to see varying opinions on this topic. Thanks everyone.

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6. 0

   gobanglaposted 14 years ago

   I would say better to homeschool because even our best students are years behind their peers in other countries. In a globalized world, our kids can no longer afford to be behind.
   
   But when you homeschool, you have to go out of your way to socialize your child. It's easy to do but it isn't good for your niece if you sister isn't actively getting her out among other kids.

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