Definition of a Homeschooler?

[Canadianmumof5]

If you have children who are littles (under age 5) - and you do "schoolwork" with them, is that considered homeschooling? I don't think so. But several moms that I've met over the last few months say that they are?

 

I always did lots of preschool-type activities before my kids went to school - but I would never have called myself a homeschooler? When my kids were in the B&M school - and I was doing enrichment-type activities with them in the evenings and on weekends, I didn't consider myself a homeschooler then either (more like an afterschooler).

 

My definition of homeschooling is when your children are old enough that they would normally (read as legally I suppose) have to be in school, but that you choose to keep them home and teach them yourself.

 

I'm not sure why this bugs me - maybe because it is a LOT of work to actually research, plan and teach them when they are grade 1-12 students; and when they are pre-schoolers, it isn't as critical IYKWIM? So I feel like it isn't really homeschooling, in the true sense. It is just doing what a mom does in those early years?

[Myeightkiddies]

To me, homeschooling is when a family fulfills their government's compulsory attendance law by teaching their children at home in lieu of attending a public or private school.

 

However, if someone wants to call preschool or afterschool education homeschooling, it's no skin off my nose, so I have no problem with it.

[GoVanGogh]

From the other side of the fence...

My son was in preschool, but we pulled him out due to a bad experience. He wanted to do school; he was ready to do school. So we just started homeschooling.

The rest of that preschool year and his kindergarten year were terrible for us, as we were so isolated. All our friends that age had gone off to full-time preschool then on to kindergarten.

We were not welcome into the homeschool community because, as one mother later told me, "you are not a real homeschooler until the child is official school age."

I am so glad that we stuck with homeschooling and were able to make wonderful friends a few years down the line.

I now feel very connected within the homeschool community. I go out of my way to welcome others with young children that they are teaching at home, whether they plan to do it long-term or not.

I remember how awful we felt that year - not welcome with the 'brick and mortar' school families and not welcome with 'the real homeschoolers.' I would hate that others might decide against homeschooling just because we are not welcoming to them.

[mytwomonkeys]

To me, homeschooling is when a family fulfills their government's compulsory attendance law by teaching their children at home in lieu of attending a public or private school.

 

However, if someone wants to call preschool or afterschool education homeschooling, it's no skin off my nose, so I have no problem with it.

:iagree:

[Elizabeth in WA]

To me, homeschooling is when a family fulfills their government's compulsory attendance law by teaching their children at home in lieu of attending a public or private school.

 

However, if someone wants to call preschool or afterschool education homeschooling, it's no skin off my nose, so I have no problem with it.

 

:iagree:

Furthermore, do I even homeschool my oldest anymore? I provided a pacing schedule for him for Chemistry to prep for the AP exam, and provide assistance when asked with that and math. He does Latin online, and is full-time dual-enrolled in community college. I don't teach him anything anymore. For that matter, ds14 has online classes for humanities and self-study (with assistance whenever he asks) for math and science. Ds11 is taking English (Middle School Tools) online and will be moving to more online classes in the fall, leaving only my daughter truly homeschooled versus home-directed educationally.

 

However, from the point of view of people with children in brick and mortar schools, we homeschool.

 

Next question, what about people with children in cyber schools? The children are home for school, but full-time enrolled students in an outside school.

 

It seems easier to let people define themselves. T many people, it seems easier to just say "we homeschool" than define what ever it is you do that is outside the mainstream in more detail, even if that thing is just not sending littles to preschool with the intent of future homeschooling for compulsory grades.

[Rosie_0801]

If I'm talking to homeschoolers, I "totschool."

If I'm talking to non-homeschoolers, I'm a homeschooler.

 

We do a lot of researching, thinking and planning too. Sure, it isn't critical. But it doesn't magically become critical in ways it wasn't yesterday the day they turn six either. You might think what we do is just what normal mothers do, but that's simply not true around here. It probably is true in higher socio-economic areas, but perhaps not. Virtually everyone seems to think compulsory education starts at age four at the latest. It is an unusual choice not to send a child to three year old kinder and not send them to daycare or creche either. If you don't, you are a lazy, selfish person who doesn't care about her children. Or you are a homeschooler. :)

 

Rosie

[dragons in the flower bed]

To me, homeschooling is when a family fulfills their government's compulsory attendance law by teaching their children at home in lieu of attending a public or private school.

 

:iagree:

[TheAutumnOak]

If you have children who are littles (under age 5) - and you do "schoolwork" with them, is that considered homeschooling? I don't think so. But several moms that I've met over the last few months say that they are?

 

I always did lots of preschool-type activities before my kids went to school - but I would never have called myself a homeschooler? When my kids were in the B&M school - and I was doing enrichment-type activities with them in the evenings and on weekends, I didn't consider myself a homeschooler then either (more like an afterschooler).

 

My definition of homeschooling is when your children are old enough that they would normally (read as legally I suppose) have to be in school, but that you choose to keep them home and teach them yourself.

 

I'm not sure why this bugs me - maybe because it is a LOT of work to actually research, plan and teach them when they are grade 1-12 students; and when they are pre-schoolers, it isn't as critical IYKWIM? So I feel like it isn't really homeschooling, in the true sense. It is just doing what a mom does in those early years?

 

I agree with you...Sometimes I will tell someone that I homeschool and they will tell me that they did that when their kids were preschool age, but they went to school starting in K :001_huh:

[Bang!Zoom!]

http://www.unpluggedmom.com/featured/conversation-with-susan-wise-bauer/

 

SWB addresses the edges of the question in the marvelous amazing excellent enlightening inspiring intelligent funny surprising interview.

 

I found the entire conversation nothing short of enthralling. :) Recommend :D

[Night Elf]

I guess my definition is when the parent chooses to keep the child home instead of following the crowd. Here in Georgia, it is considered very common to begin school at age 4 years old. Free preK programs are offered in many places, usually daycare centers. But some centers have private prek programs that require tuition. GA compulsory school age is 6 to 16. I wouldn't say my 16 yr. old stopped homeschooling because she/he reached the age where they could technically quit school, so I don't think it's unreasonable for someone to consider teaching their 4 yr. old at home to be homeschooling.

 

But I wouldn't consider children under the age of 4 yrs. old to be homeschooled.

[Dolphin]

I think when a person decides that homeschool is their path. It doesn't always work and when parents are faced with the reality of not sending their child to school, they go that path. For me, the more people who say they are homeschoolers the better. Where we live there are not a lot of homschoolers nearby. Anything that brings attention to alternative ideas on education is good in my book.

 

With my ds, homeschool was an option, but not something we had decided on. I did not say I was homeschooling him in the early years. I didn't become a homeschooler until I pulled him out. With my dd, she asked to start "doing" school at 3. I do say that I am homeschooling her, in that I have no intention of sending her to school before High School.

 

Nicole

[Ellie]

ITA with you. Things that people do with their dc before compulsory school age is called "parenting." :)

[NanceXToo]

If those parents you are referring to planned to send their kids to school when the time came for Kindergarten enrollment and in the meanwhile were doing a few preschool or K type worksheets with the kids and calling it homeschooling, I might roll my eyes.

 

But if they plan to keep their kids home and continue homeschooling and are already therefore thinking of themselves as homeschoolers and self-identifying as such, then it would not bother me at all if they called themselves that even if they were doing nothing at ALL academic with their young ones at this point.

[twoxcell]

If those parents you are referring to planned to send their kids to school when the time came for Kindergarten enrollment and in the meanwhile were doing a few preschool or K type worksheets with the kids and calling it homeschooling, I might roll my eyes.

 

But if they plan to keep their kids home and continue homeschooling and are already therefore thinking of themselves as homeschoolers and self-identifying as such, then it would not bother me at all if they called themselves that even if they were doing nothing at ALL academic with their young ones at this point.

:iagree:

[twoxcell]

ITA with you. Things that people do with their dc before compulsory school age is called "parenting." :)

 

Compulsory school age in Oregon is 7 before Sept. 1st. That would mean that K and 1st, and even 2nd for my dd I was not actually homeschooling them. I say if you are doing school with your kids at home instead of sending them to a PS or Private then you are homeschooling them.

[NanceXToo]

Compulsory school age in Oregon is 7 before Sept. 1st. That would mean that K and 1st, and even 2nd for my dd I was not actually homeschooling them. I say if you are doing school with your kids at home instead of sending them to a PS or Private then you are homeschooling them.

 

And compulsory school age here in PA isn't until 8. I still like to think I'm "homeschooling" my son for Kindergarten this year, and that I'll be "homeschooling" him for first and second grades, too, in addition to parenting him. :) Even when I was just teaching my daughter for 4th and 5th grades and he was just doing informal preschool I self-identified as a "homeschooler" with him because it was just my family philosophy regardless of the academics or lack thereof.

 

So, again, I say if they're just playing at it while they bide their time to send the kids off to school, no dice. But if they're self-identifying as homeschoolers because they've made the choice that that is what they want to do for their families and don't intend to send the kids off to school, then what's the harm in it if they call themselves homeschoolers? Good for them, I say!

[freesia]

If those parents you are referring to planned to send their kids to school when the time came for Kindergarten enrollment and in the meanwhile were doing a few preschool or K type worksheets with the kids and calling it homeschooling, I might roll my eyes.

 

But if they plan to keep their kids home and continue homeschooling and are already therefore thinking of themselves as homeschoolers and self-identifying as such, then it would not bother me at all if they called themselves that even if they were doing nothing at ALL academic with their young ones at this point.

:iagree: We always knew that we would homeschool. It was a lonely few years as our b and m friends sent their kids to pre-school so we weren't part of that group and, meanwhile, we weren't "official" yet so we couldn't join our homeschooling friend's organized adventures, either.

[NanceXToo]

:iagree: We always knew that we would homeschool. It was a lonely few years as our b and m friends sent their kids to pre-school so we weren't part of that group and, meanwhile, we weren't "official" yet so we couldn't join our homeschooling friend's organized adventures, either.

 

That's too bad...with my homeschool group, we definitely welcome all ages! We're not a schoolish co-op, we do field trips, educational tours, informal get togethers for sports, playdates, fun type classes and so on and so forth, and all ages are usually welcome though we occasionally set something up for specific age groups.

 

We do sometimes get people joining that only have younger kids who know they want to homeschool and want to start right away with meeting people and being able to ask questions and stuff, and I think that's great! And even if they come on field trips and stuff it works out, because other families who joined for their older kids almost always have younger siblings tagging along, too. So everyone benefits. I love that about our group. And we ALL identify as "homeschoolers" no matter where we are on the spectrum.

[Carrie12345]

When I "taught" my older kids at home, not knowing we'd become homeschoolers, I never called it homeschooling. With my current 4yo, it's different bc he has older hs siblings, so I'm just used to saying my kids are hs'ed. I guess I wind up lumping the baby in there, too, lol. I do do a tiny amount of very informal work with my 4yo, but I'm still quite serious about materials and methods in a way I know I wouldn't be if I planned to use ps K+.

 

I don't go by compulsory age bc it's 8 in our state. My dd did a lot of "real" school work before the 3rd grade!

 

FWIW, my first hs group was made up of parents of toddlers, preschoolers, and k-2nd ages. "Homeschoolers" was in our name.

[TheAutumnOak]

With my current 4yo, it's different bc he has older hs siblings, so I'm just used to saying my kids are hs'ed.

 

That is the key difference right there...It is different if your oldest child is preschool age...When my oldest was 3, I was a stay at home mom who was planning to homeschool, IMO...

[swellmomma]

I always considered it to be once the child hit first grade BUT I say I am homeschooling my 4 year old even though she is not old enough for actual school yet because I do put so much time and energy into planning and implementing her curriculum. Plus she is the youngest. If she was my oldest I would not call it homeschooling I would call it good parenting. ;)

[kalanamak]

 

I'm not sure why this bugs me - maybe because it is a LOT of work to actually research, plan and teach them when they are grade 1-12 students; and when they are pre-schoolers, it isn't as critical IYKWIM? So I feel like it isn't really homeschooling, in the true sense. It is just doing what a mom does in those early years?

 

While I might have said "we intend to homeschool", I did feel like a homeschooler in that I was hotly researching, reading, boning up, arranging a room, teaching kiddo to sit in his little desk, etc. etc. I knew I would be busy later on, and read entire teacher's textbooks (e.g. Learning Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School by Cathcart) and hunted the local Half-Price books, etc for the resources mentioned in WTM.

 

Once kiddo was asleep, every minute seemed to be focused on that. I even went through a handwriting book, and practiced writing large letters on a white board!

[JennyD]

I did not consider myself to be 'homeschooling' when my oldest was preschool/pre-K age, but when my son started asking me why he wasn't going to "big boy school" (i.e., preschool) like all of his little friends, I told him that he was homeschooled. He was very satisfied with this answer. So in response to questions like, "Where does he go to school?"" I would say, "Oh, he's at home with me." but my son would pipe up, "I'm homeschooled!" While it didn't mean much to me, it meant a lot to him -- he wasn't just a baby still at home with his mommy -- and in retrospect I should have been less concerned with seeming presumptuous or silly to other people and just said "He's homeschooled." I think it would have been more validating to my child.

Edited January 14, 2012 by JennyD

[laundrycrisis]

IMO it starts at kindergarten, the age when most kids, even those who didn't attend preschool, start attending brick and mortar school. If you choose instead to do kindergarten at home, it's homeschooling.

 

If a kid both attends a school and does work at home, that's afterschooling.

 

Those who "homeschool" their 3 or 4 yo and want to sit around at a park and seriously discuss the various preschool curriculum choices, well :lol:. Have a good time with that ! Really I consider that "practice" homeschooling.

[Word Nerd]

http://www.unpluggedmom.com/featured/conversation-with-susan-wise-bauer/

 

SWB addresses the edges of the question in the marvelous amazing excellent enlightening inspiring intelligent funny surprising interview.

 

I found the entire conversation nothing short of enthralling. :) Recommend :D

 

:iagree: And if you want, you can skip the first 6 minutes to get to the actual interview without missing much.

[Wheres Toto]

If those parents you are referring to planned to send their kids to school when the time came for Kindergarten enrollment and in the meanwhile were doing a few preschool or K type worksheets with the kids and calling it homeschooling, I might roll my eyes.

 

But if they plan to keep their kids home and continue homeschooling and are already therefore thinking of themselves as homeschoolers and self-identifying as such, then it would not bother me at all if they called themselves that even if they were doing nothing at ALL academic with their young ones at this point.

 

:iagree:

We started homeschooling when my son graduated from Early Intervention when he was 4. We knew we wouldn't be sending him to school and we were doing actual planned lessons at a kindergarten level.

 

Around here it is most common for kids to go to preschool starting at 2 1/2 or 3 years old. There was literally nobody left in my son's Mom's Club playgroup once they turned 3. Same thing happened with my daughter, right around when they turned 3 nobody was available for playgroup anymore.

[Matryoshka]

From the other side of the fence...

My son was in preschool, but we pulled him out due to a bad experience. He wanted to do school; he was ready to do school. So we just started homeschooling.

The rest of that preschool year and his kindergarten year were terrible for us, as we were so isolated. All our friends that age had gone off to full-time preschool then on to kindergarten.

We were not welcome into the homeschool community because, as one mother later told me, "you are not a real homeschooler until the child is official school age."

I am so glad that we stuck with homeschooling and were able to make wonderful friends a few years down the line.

I now feel very connected within the homeschool community. I go out of my way to welcome others with young children that they are teaching at home, whether they plan to do it long-term or not.

I remember how awful we felt that year - not welcome with the 'brick and mortar' school families and not welcome with 'the real homeschoolers.' I would hate that others might decide against homeschooling just because we are not welcoming to them.

 

:iagree: I knew I wanted to homeschool all along. There were a few odd years of limbo around 2.5-5 when everyone sent their kids to preschool and my kids were of "official" school age. Fortunately for me, almost all the people in my LLL-spun-off playgroup ended up homeschooling and a bunch of us formed a homeschool/preschool group where we could have community. But the local homeschool group didn't consider us "real" homeschoolers yet, and I really wanted to get to know people who had been there and done that and get connected to the larger community. I've always been very welcoming of those with young kids - I mean, in this state, not even Kindergarten is mandatory - does that mean one is not really a homeschooler till their oldest is in 1st grade? How about in those states where mandatory attendance isn't till 7yo?

 

I think it's more about intent and mindset at those young ages, even more than if you're teaching your kids letters, numbers and colors.

[laundrycrisis]

IMO those with only very young kids should be welcomed by homeschool groups if they are interested in homeschooling. It's a good idea to hang out with some homeschooling families, ask questions, etc. There is no reason anyone should be excluded just because their kids aren't old enough for school yet.

[black_midori]

I knew I was going to homeschool since before I got pregnant with my first son, but I didn't consider myself as ACTUALLY HS until much later.

 

For that firstborn, I considered myself as HS when he was about 5. Most of the people I knew with kids that age were putting them in Kindergarten, and they were considered "schoolkids" at that point. That was also when I really began to set out serious goals and pursue them, research and utilize curricula, etc.

 

My secondborn, on the other hand, I have considered as HS since he was about 3.5/4yo. He basically taught himself to read, and was so READY for school that as a 5yo now he is wrapping up 1st grade (and a more "intense" 1st grade setup than his older brother did, now that I know what I'm doing!).

 

So... if you say you are HS and you have an accelerated 4yo, I'm all for it. If you say you are HS and you are doing arts & crafts & reading stories to a 3/4/5yo... okay... If you say you are HS and you have an under-2yo, I will try hard to smile & nod and let it go... :)

Edited January 15, 2012 by black_midori

[zaichiki]

if they're self-identifying as homeschoolers because they've made the choice that that is what they want to do for their families and don't intend to send the kids off to school, then what's the harm in it if they call themselves homeschoolers? Good for them, I say!

 

:iagree:

 

IMO This is like the "are you a Christian" question. In general, if people identify as homeschoolers, I'll take their word for it.

[bluemongoose]

If you go by compulsory age...we are technically not homeschooling! My DD just turned 7yo. She is in second grade. We do not send in the letter of intent until this coming August. I have called her a homeschooler for a long while now. She started school age work, very much K level-complete curricula, by the age of 4yo. She was ready for school and would have been an early entrance student had we chosen to go the B & M route to school. We made the conscious choice that she would be homeschooled by that time, done our research, and had started full curriculum.

 

I found if very frustrating that we could not take part in groups that year because she was too young. I think people getting their back up about it makes them sound petty and cliquish. How is it encouraging to those just starting out to be looked down upon because the child is not quite old enough? I guess I dont feel like I require some special title for having a child who just happens to be "old enough" to be considered really part of the homeschooling club. If the parent is actually teaching their child at home, is planning to homeschool in the coming years, and wants to hang out with others that do the same, I think they should be welcome to.

[Mom22ns]

To me, homeschooling is when a family fulfills their government's compulsory attendance law by teaching their children at home in lieu of attending a public or private school.

 

However, if someone wants to call preschool or afterschool education homeschooling, it's no skin off my nose, so I have no problem with it.

 

:iagree:

I just have to resist the urge to laugh at them when they tell me they are homeschooling and then I find out their kids are 1 & 3. I have no objection, but it does strike me as funny and a bit premature.

[Carrie12345]

 

Those who "homeschool" their 3 or 4 yo and want to sit around at a park and seriously discuss the various preschool curriculum choices, well :lol:. Have a good time with that ! Really I consider that "practice" homeschooling.

 

Well, I don't have anyone irl who likes to discuss curriculum at any level, lol. But Look at how heated this board gets on phonics vs. whole language, or manipulatives vs. fact memorization. Not to mention the discussions on quality pencils! :tongue_smilie:There can be plenty of pedagogy and philosophy to talk about. Just not with me, because mine's all set, thanks. ;)

[sewingmama]

I wonder why it even matters. :confused: If a person tells me they were HS their 3 yo - so what. I think it's great because to me it means they care about their kids education and are doing something with them. I don't believe it is just "what parents are supposed to do" because a lot of parents around here don't. They put their kid in daycare from birth and then send them on to Pre-K etc etc. So if homeschooling means you are willingly keeping your young child out of these places because you feel they will be better off at home doing activities with mummy before you send them off to K -then great - call yourself a homeschooler.

 

I'm not sure why this bugs me - maybe because it is a LOT of work to actually research, plan and teach them when they are grade 1-12 students; and when they are pre-schoolers, it isn't as critical IYKWIM? So I feel like it isn't really homeschooling, in the true sense. It is just doing what a mom does in those early years?

 

Why does it bug you? You called yourself an afterschooler at one point and personally I think afterschooling is "parents doing what they are supposed to be doing ".

 

I knew before my kids were born I wanted to HS. I've always thought of myself as a HS. I did activities with them at home and considered it HS because that was my bent KWIM. Later on I sent my DD to public Pre-K (and now my son) and I STILL considered myself a homeschooler. :tongue_smilie:

 

I put my kids in Pre-K and considered it an extra-curricular activity :lol:

 

My kids went for 3 half days a week instead of the usual 5. I never intended them to go on to K. Pre-K was for their own fun and for play dates - which are far and few between around here. The Pre-K was play- based -they didn't teach them any academics. I was teaching them to read at home and 3 days a week they went off to "play with kids". ;)

 

 

My DD does not legally have to start school till she is 6. All her age mates are in K right now - I am teaching her all her school subjects at home. Does that mean I am not homeschooling her because she is 6 months under the legal age. I can guarantee the only other parents in this area who are doing what I am doing are "homeschoolers". No one else has their 5.5 at home doing schoolwork with them and waiting till they are "6" to send them off to school .

 

I don't see why you say that it is from 1st grade that you start the hard work. I live in a State where K is considered the first school year and I HAVE to cover 8 subject areas and show lesson plans to gain permission to HS. I don't have a K'r who can get by with doing an hour of reading and maths a day and then playing for the rest. My K'r does 5 hours of planned work to cover everything she has to cover - and you better believe that takes a lot of planning.:glare:

 

So yes I call myself a homeschooler and I welcome anyone else who wants to call themselves that too - it just sounds so wierd and elitist to put an official "starting age" on a lifestyle choice.

Edited January 15, 2012 by sewingmama

[justamouse]

To me, homeschooling is when a family fulfills their government's compulsory attendance law by teaching their children at home in lieu of attending a public or private school.

 

However, if someone wants to call preschool or afterschool education homeschooling, it's no skin off my nose, so I have no problem with it.

:iagree:

[EKS]

I think an essential part of homeschooling is the fact that we're taking responsibility for our children's education *when it matters*. That is huge.

[Word Nerd]

I think an essential part of homeschooling is the fact that we're taking responsibility for our children's education *when it matters*. That is huge.

 

And early education doesn't matter?

[EKS]

And early education doesn't matter?

 

Of course it matters. But there is a huge difference between homeschooling a 3yo and homeschooling a 15yo, and not just in the level of things. I know; I've done both.

Edited January 15, 2012 by EKS

[Farrar]

At least around here, it's completely bizarre not to send your 2.5 to 3 yo to at least a half day preschool. When my kids turned three, they lost all their friends who went off to preschool and we didn't see most of them anymore. The age of compulsory schooling here is 4.5. I don't think it takes much outside of the regular course of parenting to homeschool a 3 yo, but people who do it, at least in major, affluent urban areas, are clearly swimming against the tide. To me, making that choice to step out of the stream or the expected path is part of what makes it homeschooling. If we had not identified as homeschoolers when my boys were 3 yo, we wouldn't have found any friends for them!

[joannqn]

However, from the point of view of people with children in brick and mortar schools, we homeschool.

 

Next question, what about people with children in cyber schools? The children are home for school, but full-time enrolled students in an outside school.

 

It seems easier to let people define themselves. T many people, it seems easier to just say "we homeschool" than define what ever it is you do that is outside the mainstream in more detail, even if that thing is just not sending littles to preschool with the intent of future homeschooling for compulsory grades.

 

:iagree:

 

 

By law, my older two kids are full time public school kids because they are enrolled in an "alternative learning experience" or virtual school. In this particular school...

 

I write all of their learning goals.

I choose all of their curricula.

I do all of the scheduling and lesson planning.

I do all of the teaching unless I choose online classes (we have Rosetta Stone).

I do all of the grading.

 

I tell people I'm homeschooling. Depending on the group, I might even avoid telling homeschoolers about the cyber school because many around here are rather violently opposed to virtual schools.

[Mrs. A]

While I might have said "we intend to homeschool", I did feel like a homeschooler in that I was hotly researching, reading, boning up, arranging a room, teaching kiddo to sit in his little desk, etc. etc. I knew I would be busy later on, and read entire teacher's textbooks (e.g. Learning Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School by Cathcart) and hunted the local Half-Price books, etc for the resources mentioned in WTM.

 

Once kiddo was asleep, every minute seemed to be focused on that. I even went through a handwriting book, and practiced writing large letters on a white board!

 

 

Me too. It's been several years since we made the decision that we wanted to go for it, and I've spent the time reading everything I can get my hands on that pertains to hsing. When ds started getting close to kindy age and people began asking him when he was going to school I just answered "we are planning to homeschool". We are now officially doing kindy with real curriculum and plans. I did not consider anything we did before this as homeschooling, although certainly many of our activities were kindergarten prep stuff.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Mrs. A
.

[AndyJoy]

At least around here, it's completely bizarre not to send your 2.5 to 3 yo to at least a half day preschool. When my kids turned three, they lost all their friends who went off to preschool and we didn't see most of them anymore. The age of compulsory schooling here is 4.5. I don't think it takes much outside of the regular course of parenting to homeschool a 3 yo, but people who do it, at least in major, affluent urban areas, are clearly swimming against the tide. To me, making that choice to step out of the stream or the expected path is part of what makes it homeschooling. If we had not identified as homeschoolers when my boys were 3 yo, we wouldn't have found any friends for them!

:iagree: I get asked when my 2-year-old (28 mo.) will be going to preschool ALL THE TIME. The attitude here is that school starts at 3 (if not earlier), not 5. I usually answer that we're going to homeschool and we'll be doing preschool at home too. I've been planning to homeschool my future children for the last 12 years. Maybe many homeschoolers won't consider me "officially" a homeschooler yet, but my acquaintances already do because I'm bucking the norm.

 

If my homeschool isn't going to just be "school at home", I don't have to use the same age cutoffs as the public school.:D

 

 

Fortunately, the local homeschool co-op has preschool classes (ages 3-5) and they don't limit attendance to siblings of "school-age" students like some do (to prevent those who don't actually intend to homeschool from taking advantage). I asked the co-op president about it, and she said, "We welcome anyone who wants to enroll a child. Even if they don't really intend to homeschool later, maybe they'll learn about their options, discover they can homeschool, and do it! If not, maybe they'll make some good friends." I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet some like-minded moms IRL this fall even if my son isn’t 5 yet.

[ebrindam]

 

Those who "homeschool" their 3 or 4 yo and want to sit around at a park and seriously discuss the various preschool curriculum choices, well :lol:. Have a good time with that ! Really I consider that "practice" homeschooling.

 

 

I think I will come back and post here when DD is a little older. :auto:

[GoVanGogh]

I think I will come back and post here when DD is a little older. :auto:

Ebrindam, you are more than welcome at our weekly park gathering any time! :grouphug:

All homeschoolers have to start somewhere and at some time; I hate that those with younger children often feel unwelcome.

[Dmmetler]

I believe that I probably wouldn't be homeschooling now had I not found a local secular homeschooling group that met once a week at a neighborhood park so kids could play. At the time, my DD was not yet 3, had just been identified as being gifted with sensory issues, and mommy and me groups/playdates had failed because she really didn't do well with kids her age-she was too verbal, too imaginative, and too "old for her age". But in the multi-age homeschooling group, which, due to siblings, included kids her age on up to high school, she thrived. I did send her to part-time preschool-but kept going to park day, and when she was offered early admission to K, we sent her to K, but I found I missed my friends so I'd show up at Park day even without DD. DD also missed her friends immeasurably.

 

By January, everyone, including DD's K teacher, knew having her in K, even at 4, wasn't the right fit. She did fine socially with the 6-7 yr olds (this was a school where waiting to start K until 6 was typical), and academically the teacher couldn't get materials to her fast enough and provide enough to keep her busy. The teacher asked me, point blank, what I'd do when the time came that a regular school wasn't enough for her, and I told the teacher that we'd homeschool. Her response is "Now's the time".

 

My homeschooled friends didn't say "I told you so" or criticize me for boomeranging. They just welcomed me. Two years later, we're happily homeschooling, and I'm guessing DD's next traditional school experience will be college.

 

I suspect that, had I not known homeschoolers and seen their children, I wouldn't have considered it. When DD's teacher asked the question, I probably would have suggested other options-maybe something like EPGY online for some subjects, or maybe another grade skip, but I probably wouldn't have considered pulling her out so readily, because I wouldn't have felt confident that I could do it. And if I'd been rejected by the homeschool group because my child wasn't school-age yet, or because she was in part-time preschool, instead of them letting me spend time with them and make friends with them, I wouldn't have seen homeschooling as the safety net that it truly was for us, but as a leap into the unknown.

[bnrmom]

I think one of the reasons why hsers get their backs up about pre-K hsing is that too many times moms will say they are hsing so they can do all the fun stuff with the hsers in their area, but when it comes time to start official school, they head to the ps. It's been a big problem in some big co-ops that I'm aware of. It's been a problem in our group a few times. I know of several co-ops that the family isn't a part of the group in pre-K unless there are older sibs or until 5.

 

 

Exactly. When I was working with another homeschool mom to get a Meetup group going, the under 5 "homeschool" set came out of the wordwork and turned the Meetup group into a playgroup calendar. It got to the point where we made them set up their own "Preschool Homeschool" Meetup group and get all their activities off of the main calendar. They were very angry about this, and we got a lot of flack about it. And then their site eventually died out because no one wanted to put the effort into keeping it going, and the majority of those parents sent their kids to school when they reached Kindergarten age.

 

Another issue is that there is a whole different set of challenges a parent faces when they are homeschooling a "school aged" child versus a toddler. When you're out in the grocery store with a 3 or 4 year old on a Wednesday morning, the first question you get asked as a parent is not "Oh, is there no school today?" making you bring up homeschooling and bracing yourself for the unknown response. You might get the occasional busybody who lectures you about the necessity of preschool, but it's the same as getting a lecture about why your children should be wearing a coat when they're not. It's just not the same pressure.

 

There are no filing requirements. There are no grade level expectations. There are no testing issues. It's an entirely different responsibility and energy level and it simply does not compare to homeschooling a child legally required to be in school. I never went to preschool, or kindergarten, but my parents never considered themselves homeschoolers.

 

As far as "doing school" qualifying you as a homeschooler, I disagree. Doing some worksheets or singing about the alphabet doesn't making you a homeschooler. Likewise, you are still a homeschooler if you unschool your 10yo and never touch a worksheet. We unschooled for K and 1, and most of 2, but we were still homeschooling under the law, although I didn't even call us homeschoolers until 1st grade, because that was the first year my son would have been required to be in school.

 

I personally don't care what you call yourself if your kids are under 5. You are welcome at our park days and I'll be happy to discuss homeschooling all you want. But I personally don't consider it homeschooling.

[StartingOver]

If you have children who are littles (under age 5) - and you do "schoolwork" with them, is that considered homeschooling? I don't think so.

 

My three year old hasn't been doing preschool type stuff for a while. My 5 year old hasn't since he was 3 either. Strange that you call him a homeschooler now that he is 5, even though he is doing 1st, 2nd, and some 3rd grade work. Dang, I sure thought he was a homeschooler a while back. But what do I know, maybe I have been at this to long to understand the NEW lingo !!! :lol::lol:

[Tarreymere]

I live in Pennsylvania, and the age that kids have to legally register for compulsory schooling is age eight. Kindergarten in my district is for kids who are age five by September 30th. So......those of you who don't consider kids as 'official' homeschoolers until they are of compulsory school age, Welcome to Pennsylvania.

 

I always wonder what they do with the eight year olds who don't show up at the B&M school until age eight, or if those kids even exist.

 

And yes, we considered ourselves 'official homeschoolers' no matter what age the kid, as long as we were making some kind of an effort to educate that kid. My brand spankin' new secular inclusive homeschool group explicitly does not discriminate based on age either, so any preschool homeschooler moms are very welcome.

[Dustybug]

From the other side of the fence...

My son was in preschool, but we pulled him out due to a bad experience. He wanted to do school; he was ready to do school. So we just started homeschooling.

The rest of that preschool year and his kindergarten year were terrible for us, as we were so isolated. All our friends that age had gone off to full-time preschool then on to kindergarten.

We were not welcome into the homeschool community because, as one mother later told me, "you are not a real homeschooler until the child is official school age."

I am so glad that we stuck with homeschooling and were able to make wonderful friends a few years down the line.

I now feel very connected within the homeschool community. I go out of my way to welcome others with young children that they are teaching at home, whether they plan to do it long-term or not.

I remember how awful we felt that year - not welcome with the 'brick and mortar' school families and not welcome with 'the real homeschoolers.' I would hate that others might decide against homeschooling just because we are not welcoming to them.

 

:iagree:I still have trouble finding groups that will accept us because we aren't "real" homeschoolers yet. It is a complete turn off for me wanting to join up when I finally meet their approval later. No thank you.

 

 

While I might have said "we intend to homeschool", I did feel like a homeschooler in that I was hotly researching, reading, boning up, arranging a room, teaching kiddo to sit in his little desk, etc. etc. I knew I would be busy later on, and read entire teacher's textbooks (e.g. Learning Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School by Cathcart) and hunted the local Half-Price books, etc for the resources mentioned in WTM.

 

Once kiddo was asleep, every minute seemed to be focused on that. I even went through a handwriting book, and practiced writing large letters on a white board!

 

:iagree:I put a lot of work and effort into my children's education even though they are all young. It isn't simply "parenting."

 

 

Those who "homeschool" their 3 or 4 yo and want to sit around at a park and seriously discuss the various preschool curriculum choices, well :lol:. Have a good time with that ! Really I consider that "practice" homeschooling.

 

I find this extremely demeaning. This is the exact attitude that I believe keeps many prospective homeschoolers from joining groups and such. And it's rude as well. My "practice homeschooling" has actually helped convince other people that I know to pull their children FROM ps and bring them home, so it deserves more merit than that.

 

I guess I'm not a homeschooler either since our compulsory age is 7. :glare: Way to make people feel welcome.

[beaners]

My three year old hasn't been doing preschool type stuff for a while. My 5 year old hasn't since he was 3 either. Strange that you call him a homeschooler now that he is 5, even though he is doing 1st, 2nd, and some 3rd grade work. Dang, I sure thought he was a homeschooler a while back. But what do I know, maybe I have been at this to long to understand the NEW lingo !!! :lol::lol:

 

I like a comment I recall from another thread on this topic. It asked why it was homeschooling to teach a 7 year old to read, but not to do the same exact thing with a 4 year old. (Or at least something along those lines.)

 

I actually had a neighbor ask if we homeschool our 4 year old, and he gently brushed off my comment that she wasn't school-age yet. He said that she was definitely learning a lot at home with us!