About to start homeschooling my teenager - tips anyone?
I�m about to start homeschooling my 13 year old daughter. Any tips would be most welcomed, and feel free to point me towards your articles that you think might be relevant. Thanks.xxx
Send your teenager to a real school.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI think it would be a good idea to tell us why you have to home-school, otherwise all you're going to get is advice on why you shouldn't!
I echo what others have said. I wasn't officially home-schooled, but I had chronic asthma and missed at least half my schooling every year of my teenage years.
You may think your daughter will keep all her friends from her old school - but she won't, because they'll gravitate to the girls they spend all their time with at school.
The early teens is a critical time to learn about social skills and how to deal with other people. I missed all that and I am very conscious of it to this day. It's not a good time to isolate her away from other people.She attends quite a few clubs outside of school so she has no shortage of friends with similar interests to her and situations where she can make new ones as well.x
I homeschooled my teenage son for two years b/c of a serious sports injury. A few things that worked for us:
1) Have the teenager write up a schedule for their school day. They will stick to their own schedule much better than to one the mom gives them.
2) Use technology. I found a CDROM math course for Algebra. My son & I watched the lessons together, then both did the homework, then both checked it. Did I mention that homeschooling is alot of work?
3) Don't answer the phone during school time. Let the machine get it. When I was a teacher I didn't take phone calls during class time. You are the teacher.
4) Connect to other homeschool parents. Homeschooling can be isolating for parents as well as kids. You have to work against that.
5) See if you can trade with other homeschool parents. I taught my child plus a friend's child writing & grammar, and my friend did science with both kids.
Good luck! My son has recovered, is back in sports, and back in school. We have wonderful memories of our homeschool time.Hi graceomalley,
Thank you for taking the time to share some really valuable tips. I like the idea of allowing my child to write up her own schedule, I can see that working out well for her as she likes to be really independent and she is also responsible for her age too. I'm going to try all 5 tips, they all sound like very sensible ideas
Thank you again and I'm glad t hear that your son has now recovered.xxxBest of luck to you and your daughter. These will be great memories for you!
You must have some very good reasons for home schooling your kid ... Without getting into the 'whats' ... I suggest, the first things you teach, should relate to the "Reason" why ... you are not sending him or her to a regular school.
Supposing its some health related problem, tell ... by showing the kid, these things can and do happen all the time, to people, that he or she should not be disheartened, but fight the disability.
If its a threat... talk to the School and Law ... if its money, reckon your country's Social Security has ample provisions ... if it is your own problem as a single mother ... ask a friend to help you.
Regards
I hope I have been of some assistance, and that you are welcome all the times to seek my advice.Thanks Shahid, that does sound like a ‘really’ good starting place and I'm going to give it a go. Excellent tip and thank you for offering future advice, much appreciated.xxx
Hi! My mum homeschooled me, and she says that you should keep up with your daughter's pace, not too slow or too fast. If she fails one thing, you can hold or back, or if she does well, you can skip her up. Also make sure to sign up for testing and use an Umbrella School!
Find a local homeschoolers' organization for networking, newsletters, tips, ideas on curriculum, and especially for the extracurricular activities that a lot of kids want/need. Some orgs. have field trips, some offer PE-type events. Some offer graduation/commencement exercises at the end of the year. They can be very helpful!
Lots of tips there, thank you. I've already found a good website for a few of those bits but I will certainly continue researching the rest. Best wishes.x
Welcome and glad, I could chip in ... Best of luck and regards
Patience, lots of patience!
I considered homeschooling my oldest when she was 15 because she just wasn't getting it (still!) in public school. After a trial basis (over Christmas Vacation) I changed my mind. lollol. I don't doubt I will need an awful lot of patience and persistence! I totally get that it's not everyone’s cup of tea.x
- Home Girlposted 13 years ago
0I think it is a bad idea, unless you child is severely disabled.
Healthy one- throw him/her into the "social river"! I have an article about it. It is my position, that it is bad. Human being is a social animal.I couldn't agree with you more here. I wished there was a thumbs up button! It's just unhealthy being at home all day, without learning how to cope, deal with people (sometimes rude, mean), and socializing. You can't "home-school" when you search for a job in the real world.
yes, yes, yes! We used to do a lot at home - bake bread, teach our kids, sew our clothing, play piano to entertain us, give birth on a family sofa. Times changed. You cannot move into 21st century sitting on a horse backwards!
No, but many people don't ending up working at a job. Some work alone from home.
You have a good point about times change but not everyone wants to live the fast paced life of the 21st century. That should be everyone's own personal choice shouldn't it? x
Choice is what the 21st century is about. This is supposed to be an enlightened time of embracing all manner of lifestyles and diversity.
That there are still people out there who can actively debase the lifestyle choices of others is a thing that needs to go out with the last century.
Unless there's a reason that prevents your child from attending a local school - I'd always say that that's the best learning environment for them.
Beyond targeted subjects - that are focused on for a reason - a child misses out on the social interaction. School is a wonderful place for many reasons and whilst there are some negatives (bullying for e.g.) keeping a child out of school rules them out of many possibilities.
There's a whole host of skills that children naturally pick up from their time at school - and it's difficult to replicate that with homeschooling.
An easy example is when a child is moved from one school to another - during an existing term. Socially they're awkward, the dynamics are set in place and they have to find out where they fit in. Generally they do with time but it's not an easy process.
I worked with many kids that either never attended school or had a very disjointed relationship with schools in general (due to socio-economic factors) and all to a child were kinda messed up by the lack of contact with peers and the other aspects that go hand in hand with public schooling.
However - if you're set for it, Aficionada posted some ideas for you to look through.
My advice - unless you really have to - don't.Hi frogdropping,
Thank you for your input and point of view, it is always nice to see things from another angle. She has had an awful lot of the negative side affects from school and I really think this may be the best option to turn things around for her before it is too late. Best wishes.x
Victoria, I feel badly because I don't want you to feel piled up on, but I wanted to add something. As a schoolteacher, I'm always a little stunned when someone suggests that they can simply start doing what I do at home. Considering the years of school, training, and on-the-job experience I've had, it's not something that one can just pick up.
Unless there is a severe disability/situation, I'd echo the sentiments here. Sending your child to school is the best overall choice.Thanks shogan,
I have a little teaching experience, I realise that it's not experience in everything and I will probably have to get some back up help on certain subjects.
Unfortunately the situation is quite severe now and I think it will be the best option. Should at any point I realise that it is doing more harm than good then I shall take immediate action to get her back into the school system. Her education is extremely important to me as is her well being .xAh, I suspected as much.
I'd suggest challenging and engaging her. This means going beyond 'memorize and regurgitate'.
Show how what's she's tasked with learning is relevant to her. Possible examples.
Maths-real world practical use.
History-Guy Fawkes. What was the problem situation? Why {speculate} did Guy choose his course of action? What {speculate} other avenue(s) might he have taken?
Economics/jobs/effects
The U.S. sub base was at Holy Loch, Scotland for over 30 years. When the base arrived-there were protests. When the base shut down-there were protests. Exploring these factors, as an example, could shed light on current events as well as a possible alert to the course of future events and coping actions to limit the effects (or advance the fortunes) on the/her family.
Thing here is to encourage analysis and thinking. I'm sure you can come up with more pertinent examples than I did. Even better to tie them to her interests and curiosities.Hi stoneyy,
I agree that it would be good to educate using in real life situations; I do think it hits home quicker like that and sinks in more. Thank you for the suggestion; I will be keeping it in mind when I am teaching.x
A lot of people are throwing out personal reasons for not home schooling. Personally, I've seen it fail in my family. My aunt tried to home school her son. But in his case, he just wouldn't do anything anyone told him. She wrapped him in wool and tried to protect him from the evils of the world because he was Bi-Polar, and in her eyes, he could do no wrong.
He's nineteen, a high school dropout, with no plans to get a job or GED and still living with her.
Now, if that is not the case with your daughter, I say go for it. A child has as much of a chance in the real world after homeschooling as he or she does in regular school.If anything, their chance is greater because you can provide more practical real life experience that the school doesn't have the freedom to provide.
And with teachers and bullies getting away with more and more atrocities, I'm surprised there isn't more home schooling. Especially when you consider the high suicide rates among teens who are being bullied.
My best friend was home schooled and he's a computer programmer living in New Mexico. Of course his mother was a certified teacher, so I think that helped loads.
Aside from the legal work you'll have to do, these are some ideas.
Have a closed off area away from the TV and other distractions. No Internet access unless it is class related for a set amount of time. That goes double for phone usage.
Make sure she understands that this is work time. That you will be as flexible as you are able to, but that she needs to put her nose to the grindstone. Because it will only work if she is willing to put the effort in.Hi Natesean,
She is very responsible and self motivated for her age. She had clear goals in life that she wants to achieve. I have so much faith in her abilities that I think she could probably pull off homeschooling even on her own; she is extremely resourceful and able to find out what she wants to know by herself. School and problems related to school have been holding her back a huge amount for sometime now and I think together we can really make homeschooling work to our advantage. Thank you for sharing your family’s story.x
Home schooling has its share of benefits, too, but many parents don't take advantage of them. Some great "field trips" can be easily incorporated: museums, galleries, zoos, aquariums, living history venues, historic sites, etc.
On the other hand, public schools offer a lot parents can't. Our school, for example, offered classes is animal husbandry, gardening, construction, welding, electrical, aquaculture, auto repair, cosmetology, nursing assistant, childcare, music, art, drama, journalism, marketing, creative writing, etc.What about social aspect of life? Social skills? Even to find a job we need them, never mind keeping it. If you are not rich, you'll need a lot of all kinds of skills. Interaction and understanding of who you are and how people react upon YOU, as a person and a professional. You are not getting it sitting at your mom's table.
My memory is a bit hazy. But the majority of my social life took place outside the school building. Schools weren't great places for sleep overs and their selection of movies was pretty crappy. So typically my friend and I would go to a movie theater which was actually clear across the town from either of our respective schools.
What social skills is this kid going to learn in school that the mother can't teach them? How to alienate people? Bullying? How to disprespect people who don't come from the same background as you?
Trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities for socializing. And social skills can be developed in many numbers of ways that do not require formal education.
I mean, by the logic of the majority of the responders here, the only instance somone should be home schooled is if they are disabled. So, what does that exactly say about the responders? That you think people who are disabled shouldn't interact with people, or shouldn't learn social skills?How old are you? Maybe it's different where you come from, but ask almost any older person, and you'll find their best friends are people they met at school or college. Fail to form a network of close friends at that age, and you'll struggle to make them later - at least until you have kids of your own.
You don't learn social skills from your teachers. You learn them from interacting with other people, both good and bad. If you don't learn how to cope with difficult people then, you'll be in for a shock when you have to face the workforce.
Not at all. Ideally, everyone should be equal - but unfortunately schools are often bad at catering for disabled children, so the parent doesn't have much choice.Is that true? Why is that? Doesn't that depend on how much you continue to participate in social activities?
Not that it matters, but I'm twenty-eight. I'm also a mainstream schooled student from the state of Vermont in New England region of the US. I like brownies. Now the we've gotten irrelevant information out of the way, lets address the myth that public school is the only place to form social connections.
Girl Scouts or something similar.
Church Groups. Believe it or not, there are plenty of church functions that don't involve Bible thumping. Some of the events that churches hold like lock-ins and cook outs are there to strengthen the bonds of a community,
A home schooled child may be qualified to take some college courses. (I know the OP is from England, but there might be similar options)
Libraries have book clubs, chess clubs, and other interactive social events.
Volunteer work at daycares, nursing homes, hospitals and places where young adults help out all the time. And difficult people are everywhere. School is not the only place on earth to encounter them.
Seriously. Our generation didn't invent the concept of home schooling. There's a reason why the government makes allowances for children who are home schooled and that's because when the parent and child are actually committed it can work.I disagree. There is a reason schools were started in the first place and I genuinely do not think any single person is qualified to teach the range of subjects required to provide a broad enough educational base.
A 13 year old need many things - not least of which is interaction with their peers - and not just for a couple of hours a week in church - which is divisive because it also excludes non-church followers.
I would also question the motives of some one who wants to homeschool their children in this day and age. The cost of providing appropriate books and equipment must be prohibitive as well.
This is a lively discussion! There are a lot of homeschooling cooperatives that get together for the social aspect. I live in an area with a lot of homeschoolers, and they get together for theater, science class, etc. The majority of homeschoolers in our area choose to do so for religious reasons, though I am sure that is not the case with all homeschoolers.
That being said, I think going to a school environment is the best situation for most children. We actually have a disabled child, and the public school can serve him much better than we can at home (they can provide a teacher of the deaf, a soundfield system, and speech therapy).
Important (academic) considerations for homeschooling a teenager would be:
Can you provide the right level of science and mathematical education in the home? Currently, high schoolers bound for college will need to take Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Can you provide the laboratory experiences? I ran gel electrophoresis in high school, and that was back in 1993. I am sure the chemistry and biology labs in high school are running more advanced labs now!
Obviously the social situation would have to be addressed. Teenagers shouldn't be isolated from their peers: they will have to interact with peers and people with differing viewpoints and philosophies in the work place.
If you decide to homeschool your teenager, make sure you address these issues. You don't want to short-change her when it comes to her future!The four basics, algebra, and geometry are all text book. Anyone can teach them. As for science, there are thousands of practical, everyday solutions to teaching a child about the world around them. Watching a spider devour fly for example is a scientific and educating experience.
I was never requried to take calculus to get into college. It depends heavily on the school you're applying to (in the case of the OP, this would be university) and what you're planning to do. And in the ten or so years since high school, I've never found an instance where the frog dissecting lab I did in tenth grade biology has been applicable.
And again, I don't agree with the argument that high school (Or grammar school as may be the case with the OP"s child as they are from England) is the only place for a child to make social connections.
Since I have, in my life, seen practical examples and know people who turned out quite all right after being home schooled, I think it all comes down to personal bias.
Most people, the majority, would not home school their child. That's fine. Most people wouldn't go sky diving, and I'm sure there are plenty of people here who have personal bias against sky diving. But sky diving, done properly, doesn't kill or permanently harm the person who is doing it. If anything, it is an experience that leaves a person changed and forever respectful of the opportunities that could await them if they want them."The four basics, algebra, and geometry are all text book. Anyone can teach them."
This is patently false. "Anyone" can teach those subjects simply by using the textbook? Poppycock. To teach any subject, from tying shoelaces to organic chemistry, you need a pretty good grasp of it yourself. If you struggle with the correct usage of who and whom, and whether you need to use an apostrophe or not (and don't know the reasons why), you're not going to be a good teacher of standard English grammar.
If you're going to homeschool your kid, you need to either be at least competent in everything you plan to teach, or else find someone who is and arrange for your kid to learn from them.
Luckily, there are homeschool cooperatives where a homeschooling parent who is a math whiz will teach that, while another who is a literature expert will teach that, etc.
Homeschooling can work well, absolutely. But it ain't easy, not everyone is good at it, and not just anyone can succeed at it."This is patently false. "Anyone" can teach those subjects simply by using the textbook? "
Yes, anyone can. Because the rules of math are pretty finite, as opposed to English, which has varying rules. Dialect, for example, is an aspect of English that changes depending on what region you live in or the culture you grew up in.
Color in American English is spelled "Colour" in Canada, Europe and Australia.
Two plus Two is still Four wherever you go.
"Poppycock."
Boulderdash and fiddlesticks."Yes, anyone can [teach math]. Because the rules of math are pretty finite, as opposed to English, which has varying rules."
I'd agree that most people could teach basic math if they had to.
But I'd further argue that many people would be bad at teaching it, and some people would be incapable of teaching it (not understanding it well themselves, or just not good at explaining it, for example). Best case, you're both a math whiz and good at explaining it, and everything is good.
Worst case, you don't get how proofs work, or don't understand why it's important to show your work, and instruction suffers.
It might be possible for a recovering math-o-phobe who's really dedicated to teaching his kid to muddle through, but the odds are stacked against it.
It's pretty easy for a clever person (and you seem to be pretty clever) to assume that what's easy for them ought to be easy for anyone else, and that 'anyone can do this stuff.'
Not everyone in the world is as clever as you, and while most of the world would have no problem knowing and teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, lots of the world will have difficulty with understanding and teaching algebra and geometry, especially if they never really learned them properly in the first place.Jeff, I agree that not everyone can teach math. A prime example of this are the many certified teachers employed by the public schools in the US who can't.
"Many?"
I'm sure there are some bad teachers; I've had the misfortune to have two (out of about 40) in my career as a public school student. That's what, about 5%? A tiny minority.
Of course, my sample is skewed. I went to a nice enough school district. There are some nicer ones, and some worse ones. Focus on the worst, and you'll assume that public schools are all bad. Focus on the best, and you'll conclude that they're fine. Of course, since "Local School Does a Good Job Educating Students" is hardly newsworthy, we don't hear about it. We hear about the failures.
But if it makes you feel good, go ahead and evaluate an entire profession based on the performance of the bottom 5%. Some people like to hate cops, too.How good the school you attend is depends to some extent on the neighborhood you live in. People who are frugal, though not uneducated, tend to live in less expensive neighborhoods. It then appears to them that the percentage of bad teachers available to their children is higher than what you may have experienced in a more upscale neighborhood.
Not just to some extent, but to a great extent.
Impoverished districts can't afford to pay their teachers much, so they don't attract the best ones, or if they do get some good ones, a higher-paying district with better-supplied classrooms is very likely to hire them away after a year or two.
Also, it's important to remember that not only teachers, but also students, come in varying levels of ability. A wicked smart student in a classroom full of mostly average kids is bound to get frustrated when the teacher teaches to the abilities of the majority of the class and doesn't do anything to keep the smart kid occupied and interested. Even a good teacher can have a hard time with the challenge of, well, challenging everyone.
Lots of schools have a 'gifted program' or something like it for the clever kids, but it's often first on the chopping block when the budget gets tight. All schools have programs for learning-disabled students (or kids who are just slow learners without being learning-disabled), and these programs rarely if ever get cut. The assumption is, I guess, that the smart kids will be fine on their own, while the slow kids need the extra help.
Well, the slow kids do need the help, to be sure, but the smart kids are going to go nuts waiting for everyone else to catch up.
These are problems that need to be addressed, to be sure, but are not evidence that public schools are necessarily a bad thing.Parents have to make decisions about whether to homeschool based on what is best for their child right now. They can't wait for the system to be fixed at some future date. Homeschooling isn't for everyone, but there are many students who do benefit from being taken out of the public schools and allowed to learn at their own pace.
A good education is not just for people who live in a "nice neighborhood" or who fit into the social milieu."Homeschooling isn't for everyone, but there are many students who do benefit from being taken out of the public schools and allowed to learn at their own pace."
Exactly. It isn't for everyone. Some folks will succeed at it. You obviously have.
Some folks don't. The folks who don't oughtn't be considered as evidence that homeschooling is bad by definition.
What got me talking on this was NateSean's assertion that "anyone" can teach math ad your left-handed agreement that not just anyone can teach math because lots of public school teachers can't.
Just because you went to a public school with problems (or learned faster than the teacher was teaching) isn't evidence that public schools are by definition bad, or that "just anyone" can be an effective teacher.We seem to be in complete agreement on the facts. Not just anyone can be an effective teacher, and teacher certification or lack of same is not the controlling factor.
There is a slight difference in emphasis, though, in the way we state the facts. My point is that it's up to the parent to decide. They know their child's situation, their family circumstances and the particular school environment.
An option is for a parent is supplement subjects the child is interested in and go deeper into them.
You speak of the "four basics," and discuss science being learned from watching a spider devouring a fly. Frog dissection kits. Obviously, you have no idea what is required for university acceptance in today's society: do you know what gel electrophoresis is? Without Googling it? This is a standard biology lab in today's classes, and can't be done in the home environment. Chemistry is not simply mixing vinegar and baking soda in a fourth-grade volcano project, but learning about the chemical interactions at the molecular level. Scientific notation, shell levels for electrons, etc. are covered in a basic high school chemistry class.
High school teachers have to have single-subject credentials to teach in a specific area: advanced physics, calculus, and economics generally take more education than the lay person is equipped with (analytical geometry and trig are the prerequisites for nearly all universities in the US, no matter what subject area will be studied).
There are some home schooling parents with advanced degrees who are able to handle some of the subjects, though these are few and far between.
I have seen very successful homeschoolers in our local area, so I am not patently against it, but the children should be monitored by standardized exams to verify they are keeping up with their age-matched peers. Our state does require this, thank goodness.
Hi habee, thanks for your comment.
Of course a lot of them field trips become cheaper when they are visited during normal school term which goes a good way to being able to do a lot more of that kind of stuff.xI completely understand what everyone is saying about socialisation skills but she has lots of friends already and attends quite a few after school clubs such as drama etc so she has plenty of opportunities all the time to meet new people of various age groups.xxx
In short, my advice would also be not to do it. Very often homeschooling falls short as there is only so much knowledge parents can share. Would you still remember all the mathematics and grammar that you were taught years ago? What about all the new things that every teenager has to deal with these days? What about social skills that you learn at school and your peers, not from your mom?
And then we haven't even started on bias where parents greatly influence how their child views certain subjects, such as evolution versus creation.+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!!!!!
I was homeschooled between the ages of thirteen and sixteen. At sixteen I entered college. I have a B.A., a J.D., and a Ph.D., so this did not prevent me from having access to higher education.
My father was a physicist and engineer. He was in charge of math and sciences. He also taught modern and ancient languages. For English, a tutor with a master's degree was hired. For socialization, I was enrolled in the Girl Scouts.
Was this entirely a success? No. In some ways, my social life did suffer, and I tend to work alone as an adult, rather than fit myself into a group. But to be fair, you have to take into account what would have happened if I had stayed. In Junior High, I faced serious bullying every day, and the adults did nothing to make this stop. I learned nothing in my classes. The English teacher could barely read. I could have taught the class more effectively than she did. If I had stayed, things would not have been good at all -- not from a social nor from an academic standpoint.
An alternative solution might have been to move me up to high school and let me skip Junior High. (This was done for my brother, and it worked for him.) But in my case, I stayed out of high school, and went to college early.
There is a downside to homeschooling, but you have to remember that the choice of staying in a public school has a downside, too, and that the social life imposed there can be crippling. One doesn't need to have a certifiable disability to suffer from that kind of socialization.Your reason for being homeschooled is exactly what I was talking about. I never suggested it's for the disabled (only), not even close.
There are some very valid reasons for homeschooling - my viewpoint was (and remains) that it should be more beneficial for the child to be homeschooled than to attend a public school.Thank you very much for sharing your story aya katz, it is nice to hear how other people have gotten on with homeschooling.
From what I can see in my child is that if she stays in school then it will come with some dire consequences not only in the rest of her childhood but it will be carried on into her adulthood. I 100% believe that homeschooling will be more beneficial to my daughter.
College in my area become available to her as soon as she is 15 years old so we can keep our options open for that one.x
leahlefler - from what I remember, when a child is homeschooled by a parent that is 100% commited to their childs all-round education, the children tend towards hitting college age with a higher level of examination passes.
On the downside - I worked with kids that were homeschooled based on religious beliefs. They had below standard levels of education but were well versed in their parents religion of choice. This is an example of not doing a great job btw.Most of the homeschoolers I have contact with educate in the home due to religious reasons, so the children are woefully uneducated when it comes to math and science. I have met some children who were very successfully homeschooled (I correspond regularly with a wonderful mother who homeschools and is very dedicated, with successful children). I'm not patently against it, but I do think the kids should be monitored with regard to academic success. The good homeschooling parents would have nothing to worry about: their children would do fine on the exams. Parents who do a lousy job of it would be caught before harming their kids' futures.
I have known wonderful homeschooling parents and I have met children who can barely read at the age of ten - it does depend on the parents.
Of course, there is the case in Texas of children being fined and sent to jail for petty offenses: one girl was given a ticket (and a criminal record) for applying perfume in class. Kids as young as six have been fined: I could see some parents in that school district withdrawing their children from the public education system! http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/01/12/scho … port-says/Hi leahlefler,
I had a read of that article; it's completely a bazaar story.
I totally agree that it would be a good idea for someone to keep even at the least a small eye how a child’s education is going during homeschooling. Unless a child has severe learning difficulties than it's an awful shame that someone cannot read at 10 years old, in fact I will go as far to say it is crawl behaviour towards the child.
I am not in this for to any religious reasons; I believe in a good all round education so that you have many options to fall back on if you change your mind about the direction you want to go in or if things don’t work out. I see it as the better educated someone is, the more freedom they will have in life.
I'm an avid learner and feel brain dead if I haven't learned at least a couple of new things everyday.x
Frogdropping, I can see that religious beliefs could potentially stand in the way of an all round education.
I'm not religious in anyway and like any parent that has even half a heart, I want to provide the best opportunities for my child in life.
I've dedicated my entire life so far to being a 100% committed parent and I'll do it for the rest of my life as well if that’s what is needed from me. It was my choice to have her and I have no intentions of letting her down in any area of her life where it is in my power to help her. That's what being a mum is all about.xxx
I had mixed ideas about homeschooling my child while she was in her impressionable years as a teen. Then she had an event happen and we decided the best thing for her would be to homeschool. We were lucky to find a curriculum of online courses with an online schooling program. She was required to do so many assignments a day leading up to so many hours a week.
It was up to her to do the research and any hands on projects. She took regular tests to pass each course and if she didn’t pass with a certain grade, she was unable to move on till she passed. Without all the distractions from a public school, she learned problem solving, dealing with the public, homemaking skills, and many other important things.
When she ran into a problem with her math class, (it was equivalent to a college course) she went to YouTube and found videos to walk her thru her issues. Her teachers were impressed with how fast she had picked up on things and before long were asking her for advice on how she found the answers to her lessons.
By the time she went back to school for her senior year, she was more focused and mature enough to handle the drama one faces in school. She is carrying A’s and B’s and will graduate in May. She did so well homeschooling, she was given the option of graduating a year and a half early. It was her decision to get enough credits that she could breeze by her senior year with just electives, which she has done.
All in all, I think it is up to the parents that know their child best as to whether homeschooling would work or not. I knew I wouldn’t have the patience to teach her out of the books myself, which is why I looked for an online schooling program. This way I could still monitor her and know she was meeting the curriculum she needed to graduate.
Many were worried that she wouldn't have a social life, but she was able to balance her social life with her school work.
I wish you the best of luck! And I hope this helps some.Hi tlpoague,
Yes that’s a great help to me, it's refreshing to hear a story with a happy ending. Well done to both you and your daughter for making it a success and finding a way to make it work out to both of your individual needs. Online course's sound like a good idea, even if only for subjects that I’m not over strong in. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience; it's very much appreciated.xxx
About to start homeschooling my teenager - tips anyone?
- Absolutely... I was home schooled and now look how smart I am!
- Start when your kids are 3 - 4 years old!In the discussion of whether "anyone" can teach a subject, don't forget the "teaching" portion. Yes, many parents can learn facts and figures from textbooks, but this isn't teaching a subject. I've seen plenty of employed teachers who knew the subject matter inside and out and still couldn't teach a lick. It's quite an assumption to make that anyone can effectively communicate a range and depth of material, while also making the process consistently enjoyable and rewarding. Good teachers are psychologists, as well as being experts in their fields.
Oh, and as a side-note, from what I've seen, it's often the disadvantaged public schools that pay the higher salaries, at least for new teachers.Wow, this discussion definitely has become lively since I first answered the OP! A lot of the responses I would have given have already been covered, and I am relieved to see more support for homeschooling than I saw at first. I am a big proponent of it because of its positives and because of the potential negatives found in public schools, but I do acknowledge that the success of either system depends on many factors and individual situations. [FYI - I homeschooled three of my four children for 1-2 years, but not for their entire school career.]
One of the most important factors is the personality of the parents who are homeschooling. The most successful ones that I have seen have been the highly organized type who manage daily routines well and who know how to balance classwork with whatever is needed around the home. But I have also seen situations in which a high school student became essentially self-taught and self-monitored, using online classes.
I have heard recently of several atheists who chose to homeschool their children because of the superior education they believed they would receive -- I wish I had written down their names, because I have a feeling some people would not believe me about this!
In my state, students are allowed to take some classes at public schools, even if they are homeschooled. A student of my son's acquaintance was homeschooled for 85% of his work and came to the public high school for one class each semester. That is an option in some cases where the parent does not know physics or calculus or whatever and perhaps cannot afford an online class. Check into applicable laws. The school counselor can help guide on what is possible in this situation.Thanks Aficionada, I will check with my local authorities to see what options they have available. I'm happy to look into things from all angles.x
We seem to be in complete agreement on the facts. Not just anyone can be an effective teacher, and teacher certification or lack of same is not the controlling factor.
Well, mostly. The teaching certificate is not a 100% guarantee that the holder is a good teacher, but it's a pretty good indicator that the person has spent some time and effort in becoming one. Just like the guy with the degree in organic chemistry isn't necessarily a good chemist, but chances are he knows a thing or two about chemistry.
There is a slight difference in emphasis, though, in the way we state the facts. Oh, absolutely.
My point is that it's up to the parent to decide. They know their child's situation, their family circumstances and the particular school environment.
I totally agree with that point.
I take issue merely with the following:
* The assertion (or implication) that public schools are full of lousy teachers
(If I inferred a point that wasn't there, my apologies)
* The assertion (or implication) that anyone off the street is just as likely to be as good a teacher as someone who has trained to be one for four years at an accredited university, has practiced as a teacher for however many more years, and who has continued their professional development at workshops and seminars.
Some folks are lousy teachers in spite of all this, and some folks have a natural talent for for teaching in spite of not having done any of it. But all things being equal, a trained teacher is probably going to be better at it than an untrained one.
Should the parents decide for themselves how to educate their kids? Absolutely they should! But the decision is not one to make lightly, and shouldn't be made based on unfounded fears about the teaching profession, schools in general, etc.
I guess while you're emphasizing the parents' right to direct their kids' education, I'm emphasizing that if they're going to exercise that right by homeschooling, they'd best be prepared to roll up their sleeves, 'cos teaching's not exactly a walk in the park even if the kid is clever (especially if the kid is cleverer than you are!), and if the kid is average, it can be downright hard.
Maybe I'm inferring things that you aren't trying to say; if so, sorry for that. I often hear people bash teachers and schools while holding up successful homeschooled students as evidence that anyone can be a teacher and the public school system is a giant swindle that ought to be dismantled (not in this thread, thank goodness!). But what these folks don't talk about is that sometimes, parents discover that teaching is hard, or that their kids are particularly hard to teach for whatever reason, and it takes them a year or two to get frustrated, and where do these kids end up? Back in the public school, where they're now a couple years behind their peers. And who gets the blame? Not the failed homeschoolers, that's for sure.
But yes, we agree on the principle: if homeschooling will be best for you and your kids, you should do it. If not, you really shouldn't. But it's something you need to think about before you decide, and it's not as easy to homeschool as some people seem to think.
My approach is kind of like that taken by a biologist I met one time. She works with wolves and wolf hybrids, and has found that it's counterproductive to discourage people from trying to keep wolf hybrids as pets (which is likewise hard to do well and which most people probably shouldn't). So instead of saying "Don't do it" (which makes people resent being told what to do) or "You aren't qualified to do it" (which makes people resent being told they aren't qualified--even if they aren't), she tells them all of the stuff they'll need to learn, buy, do, and plan for when they adopt a wolf hybrid. It's a lot to learn, buy, do, and plan for, and most folks end up saying, "Hm, maybe this isn't for me after all," and the folks that do go ahead and do it are much better prepared.Hi Jeff,
Thank you for so much input on this thread. I have put a lot of thought into making this decision and I believe it to be the right one. I have the ability to learn and teach to a certain degree and I realise that teaching does not always come naturally to everyone.
I have spent some time working along side several tutors in a college, in which I dealt with people that couldn't understand the tutors through all the jargon they talk on some of the more technical subjects. I’ve always been able to explain the jargon in a simple way which helped students greatly to understand what they was learning and I went on to see many of them achieve some great marks. It was pretty rewarding and I very much enjoyed it.
I don’t consider myself to be amazingly intelligent but I like to think I have a reasonable level of common sense which in some forms is intelligence in its own right. I believe I am up for the job of educating my daughter and when necessary, finding the adequate resources that she needs when I do not know enough on a subject.x
Jeff, I think that a lot of the strong reactions (maybe from both sides) have come about from what each poster thinks the other side is saying.
The OP asked for tips. There was not really any discussion (and I haven't seen any) about how or why she came to the decision. Maybe everyone here would have responded differently, if we knew those things. But the fact is, she indicated that she has made the decision and wants to know how to do it well.
So, how have many people responded? = "Don't do it!" The approach you described (but perhaps haven't practiced yet) - how to keep a wolf hybrid as a pet - sounds good to me. Maybe that's the direction the thread could take from here on out."The approach you described (but perhaps haven't practiced yet) - how to keep a wolf hybrid as a pet - sounds good to me."
I did practice it, though not in great depth, waaaaaay above, where I said:
If you're going to homeschool your kid, you need to either be at least competent in everything you plan to teach, or else find someone who is and arrange for your kid to learn from them.
Luckily, there are homeschool cooperatives where a homeschooling parent who is a math whiz will teach that, while another who is a literature expert will teach that, etc.
Homeschooling can work well, absolutely. But it ain't easy, not everyone is good at it, and not just anyone can succeed at it.
I might further suggest sources for lab equipment (like this one) or for learning stuff (like chemistry) that not a lot of people have a working knowledge of.
But again, I'm not an expert at home schooling. I know just enough to know that it's harder than most people think.True enough, fair response.
Excellent insight, and one of the reasons why I (someone who teaches private music lessons to individuals) have sent my own children to others for their music lessons.
Another good insight, quite fair, and absolutely true. But on the other side, it is also helpful to remember that it is not necessary for a teacher to know everything about a subject before they begin teaching it.
I don't mean to sound heretical about this, but it just is not ("necessary...blah, blah, blah," I mean). A parent may learn and/or review what they need to know in order to teach seventh grade math one year, and then the next year learn/review what is needed for eighth grade math. Etc.
All of this is one reason why the first comment I posted above related to networking with other homeschooling families - to learn from experienced families what works well and what doesn't, as well as to discover opportunities that an individual homeschooler may not know exists.
The concept of a mother or father sitting in the kitchen with books and their child, totally shut off from the rest of the world forever, is absolutely not an up-to-date image of what homeschooling can be like. It can be a wonderful method of education, but - yes - it can also be a disaster. Very important to do one's homework in advance, just as you have indicated.While I understand this is purely anecdotal, I have personally seen hundreds of children who were homeschooled at some point. I have never met one who knew as much or had the same social skills of a conventionally educated child. Generally, my experience is that they think they know more, and their parents agree. Put to the test, however, the range of their knowledge is lacking, and the depth of their knowledge is inconsistent. Socially, every homeschooled child I've met is very good at interacting with other homeschooled children. This dynamic is not useful out in the world.
There may be exceptions out there to everything I've said, but I haven't seen them.
Also fair enough.
I will have to assume (without evidence) that you are every bit as astute in your evaluation of the thousands of students you have encountered who were taught in traditional schools, as you are with homeschoolers.
Most of us base our perceptions on our own experiences, our own reading, our own evaluation of what we have encountered. And that is very likely why I am a strong supporter of homeschooling.As I said, I know I'm only offering anecdotes. It's my job to correctly evaluate my students, and since I feel I do my job well, yes, I think I've been as astute in those evaluations. Whether that qualifies as "very" or "extremely" is the unprovable matter.
I have, in fact, evaluated thousands of public-schooled children, and the differences between the two groups are clear to me. These are all children I have interacted with, not simply read about. I don't expect my opinion to sway anyone, but I would suggest that I have more experience in this area than most.
"But on the other side, it is also helpful to remember that it is not necessary for a teacher to know everything about a subject before they begin teaching it. "
And a good thing, too, or there'd never be anyone qualified to teach anything!I've done many course's and found tutors struggling to teach.x
From the perspective of giving practical advice, here is something else to consider: How well does your child take instruction from you? Some children and parents have relationships that lend themselves to homeschooling and others do not. Some children take instruction better from strangers, and it has nothing to do with how skilled a teacher the parent might be. If you're not certain how this stands between you and your child, you might try teaching something at home, before switching to home schooling, to see how the teacher/student relationship goes.
Hi Aya Katz,
She is very good at taking instruction from me; I have been teaching her a variety of subjects along side her schooling and she picks it up really fast. One of her teacher’s even use to ask her how to do certain things on the computer because she was further advanced in it.xThats a great bit of advice, thank you for your input on here.x
This is very true. I knew one homeschooling mom who homeschooled two of her children and sent one (she had 3 all together) to regular school. her personality just didn't mesh with the one child, and the atmosphere wasn't right for him, though good for the other two. She was a credentialed teacher, on both elementary and high school level, so she may have known more than many.
I pulled my little brother out of school and homeschooled him his last 3 years of highschool. This was necessary because our mom was having a nervous breakdown, threatening suicide at least twice a week. There was a homeschooling center nearby, who guided me on the process. I did constant web searches on the standard textbooks for the grade, advice, good skills to teach. It was so much. So I decided the best thing to do, because I couldn't teach him all the skills and knowledge he should learn, was to teach him How to teach himself. Anything schools teach, somebody can learn on their own, if the person knows how to do it. He got his high school diploma a full year before his friends and is now in his 2nd year of college. He is smart, capable of taking care of himself, still has a few good friends who put up with the fact he spends most of his free time with his girlfriend, who is as sweet and down to earth as can be.
My best advice is have your child learn with you on how to educate themselves. Like someone replied earlier, the core subjects are easily teachable, there are hundreds of math, science ect. websites to help.
When I was in school, I didn't talk to anyone, barely paid attention to the teachers and slept whenever the teachers pulled out the many movies they loved to make us watch so they can get out of doing their job. Bambi really gets old after a while. To make the good grades I did, I studied on my own in between work, karate classes and time with my boyfriend.
Out of school, I'm a big loud mouth who can strike up a conversation with anyone, I learned my social skills at my job.Thanks evvy_09 for sharing your story and for the advice, I will ensure I use it well. Best wishes.x
I applaud you for looking out for your brother in a miserable situation.
Blessings.
Nowadays homeschooling becomes a better school for children, especially for teenagers. Homeschooling is a big advantage. You can rest assured that your child is in a safe zone. These days, many teenagers become spoiled because of bad friends or bad environments. I strongly recommend homeschooling for your teenager. Thank you.
"Nowadays homeschooling becomes a better school for children, especially for teenagers. Homeschooling is a big advantage."
Blanket statement is invalid for most.Thanks Jeff, it's nice to see that not everyone is against it.x
Thanks Austinlyan, I really wish that I had decided to do this right from the beginning of her schooling.x
Everything you could ask for: http://www.khanacademy.org/
Thanks Evan, it's a very packed website and I’m sure it will prove extremely useful to me.x
A really good book to read would be: Homeschooling for Excellence by David and Micki Colfax
Thank you for the recommendation, I will check it out. Much appreciated.x
You'll do great...don't let the socialization arguments phase you!
Thanks sagebrush_mama, I’m sure my determination and hers will see us both through it.xxx
I agree with this recommendation too.
I also recommend The Teenage Liberation Handbook for the unschooling perspective (best used on favorite subjects - it doesn't have enough structure to be useful for subjects that need more parental prodding) and The Well Trained Mind for the classical perspective (very structured and very rigorous). The latter also has an active online community: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/
Rebecca Rupp had an excellent catalog of resources that we used a fair bit when I was a teenager (90's), but I'm not sure how up to date it would be now. Might be worth looking into, though.Hi Kerryg,
Thank you taking the time to provide a link for me, I will check it out and also have a look for the handbook. Much appreciated.x
I don't have time right now to give a really thorough reply, but just wanted to let you know that I was homeschooled from grades 6-12 and would be happy to answer any questions you have about my experience.
We used textbooks (Saxon) for math, "unschooled" history and English, and took classes at our local community college for science and foreign languages.
Socialization was not a big deal for us. I know my extremely social sister was a little lonely, but my brother and I are natural loners and got more than enough social stimulation from the various activities we did, such as ballet, horseback riding, theater, and chess. Your daughter's mileage may vary in this regard.
Personally, I loved homeschooling and didn't have any problems adjusting to college at all. All three of us got scholarships to the schools of our choice (respected Midwestern liberal arts schools) and actually had professors comment on how much better prepared we were than the average student.I'm glad to hear things worked out for you and thank you for offering to answer any of my questions.
My daughter does enjoy her own bit of space and quite time once in a while (like we all do) but she is still really social and already attends clubs outside of school, plus we have a good amount of friends and family with children that we see regularly too so I don't think socialisation will be a problem for her.xxx
Hello. Good luck with home schooling your daughter. I would like to offer the following tips. Get to know your daughters natural strengths and nurture those. A good sound grasp of language including english and other languages if your family speak them is very important. In developing language make sure you develop her ability to read big and small words. Encorgage her to use a dictionary to look up words she can not spell and to look up the meaning of words that are new to her. Also for home schooling develop her maths so that she is good with addition, subtraction, devision and multiplication. Then alongside her english and maths choose around 5 to 6 subjects and stay focused on these. In choosing these subjects try to select subject areas that are of interest to your daughter and that your daughter has a natural ability for. Focus on teaching and learning of these subjects for up to a year before selecting a second set of subjects. On this topic of subjects you may want to include things like using a computer, using the internet, and using other programmes on a computer like word and keyboarding skills.
You may also want to select the non traditional methods of learning like learning from the television, radio, and from reading and discussing these along with reading and discussing newspapers and the daily news.
Also as part of her home schooling encorage your daughter to speak her words clearly and to ask question and to carry out research on topics she does not understand.
Reading the history of the country you live in is always a good eduction. Try to teach things like reading and using a map, drawing, sketching and painting are also good for developing and encoraging expression of the mind.
Finally many people take this for granted or think that it is stupid to teach such things. We aim through education to create a good adult who can get through life and its demands and challenge well. So I think teaching skills like running a home, paying bills, budgeting, and cookery as well as some skills in cleaning and maintaining a home are just as useful.
And one more topic of learning that is often dismissed as silly is grooming, make up and presentation. Teaching children to wash, cleanse tone and moisturise their faces is a good topic as well as learning beauty skills which some girls do enjoy.
Be creative and try not to be too conventional. Try mixing her learning with trips to markets and interesting places to visit. Teach confidence. And above all as they often say let children lead their way through thier learning and remember we as adults have a lot to learn and enjoy in our children. Please stay well. I wish you all good success and if you find this useful then please follow me on hubpages. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to leave an email address but feel free to contact me if you wish via hubpages about this topic. Good luck from safiq.Thanks safiq, It is really useful information! Demonstrates a pretty all round education. I will certainly be using this piece of advice. Thank you for taking the time, best wishes.x
You've already said that you do have some teaching experience, so probably will be up to date on this, but I just thought I would point out that the methods used to teach some subjects in school have changed quite a bit (at least here in England) since most parents attended school.
Maths in particular now teaches many methods unrecognised by parents as these methods have only been taught for around 13 years. My son is only 10 and brings home maths homework which is often rather alien looking. Last year the school did a 'maths lesson' for parents so that mums and dad could better understand what was being asked of their children, and how work was expected to be presented.
I wouldn't homeschool (even though there are many things I dislike about school) because my son loves to see his friends every day and also because he is very good at arguing with me and doing the opposite of what I ask him! But I understand that it could sometimes be a better choice for children if they are really unhappy at school if properly thought through. I guess it is just important to take acccount of the fact that schools have changed since the 80's (when I was there).Thanks for the tip, I agree that maths has come a long way over the last 20 years and is used in almost everything now, from everyday shopping to grand science experiments. I will remember to make sure all resources that I use are up to date with current times, thanks again.xxx
I see many could not understand your desire to home school but having done it myself I totally see! Hope it turned out well for you!!
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