Guest GreyFoxAcademy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Where can I find a compelling argument for the benefits of homeschooling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Google Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnsinkableKristen Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I actually know who posted this and will vouch for her. She isn't a troll, isn't trying to stir up controversy, and really needs some solid resources to make her own personal case for homeschooling. Please consider helping her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 It depends on what the argument is. Who is against it and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 small teacher to student ratio same benefits as you would have with a personal tutor freedom to explore topics freedom to go at the student's own pace freedom to go to places, visit people, have hands on learning freedom to choose better curricula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolingHearts&Minds Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Are you looking for studies, or a list of "pros," or some effective rhetoric? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) It depends on what the argument is. Who is against it and why? Grey - remember to be careful what you post on a public forum. Everyone - thanks for coming through guys - you are the best! Edited May 25, 2012 by bookfiend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Grey - remember to be careful what you post on a public forum. If someone is not old enough or wise enough to know how to post on the internet without someone running interference for them, perhaps this isn't a good thing for them to be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 If someone is not old enough or wise enough to know how to post on the internet without someone running interference for them, perhaps this isn't a good thing for them to be doing? She is definitely old enough and certainly wise. I'm not certain if she uses public forums at all. There was a steep learning curve for me when I first came here, it never occured to me that this wasn't a closed loop - I'm just not technologically informed. As I directed her to this site for wisdom, I thought it beneficial to raise a caution. However, you are correct, my comments would have been better directed privately. I hope they don't deter anyone from offering help, and now I am moving out of the way. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Look, I am not trying to be snarky in asking WHY she needs the info. Most of us are at the point of a pass the bean dip with people who get under our skin about homeschooling. I do not feel the need to defend my position to pretty much anyone. So, I am going to go ahead and make the assumption that this is a need to convince a spouse as I don't see the need to convince anyone else. It would be helpful to know WHAT the argument is (on the other side of this) so that we know how to best help her. Dawn She is definitely old enough and certainly wise. I'm not certain if she uses public forums at all. There was a steep learning curve for me when I first came here, it never occured to me that this wasn't a closed loop - I'm just not technologically informed. As I directed her to this site for wisdom, I thought it beneficial to raise a caution. However, you are correct, my comments would have been better directed privately. I hope they don't deter anyone from offering help, and now I am moving out of the way. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Look, I am not trying to be snarky in asking WHY she needs the info. Most of us are at the point of a pass the bean dip with people who get under our skin about homeschooling. I do not feel the need to defend my position to pretty much anyone. So, I am going to go ahead and make the assumption that this is a need to convince a spouse as I don't see the need to convince anyone else. It would be helpful to know WHAT the argument is (on the other side of this) so that we know how to best help her. Dawn :iagree: Compelling reasons differ wildly and widely for different families. Briefly, for us they included but weren't limited to allergies, special needs (autism diagnosis and academic advancement), morals, religion, socialization, tailoring of curriculum, emphasis on family, and freedom of our time both daily and yearly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Ability to tailor the curriculum to the child's learning style. Knowing exactly what your child does and does not know. Ability to promote a love of learning rather than making education a drudgery to the point where even valedictorians think that what they spent all that effort doing was just pointless and only proved they know how to do what they're told. (Wasn't there a youtube video on this?) Ability to celebrate a child's strengths and explore them further. Giving hours of one-on-one teacher time to the child every single day. (What's the statistic for regular school? 3 minutes or something?) Making sure your child has enough sleep. Flexibility. Promoting the values of the parents rather than the values of the child's peers. Family vacations can be taken any time. Being sick for a few days doesn't mean that the next several days will be spent in pain of doing hours upon hours of make-up work, in addition to normal workload, all while the child is still not feeling 100 percent. Not having to deal with snarky school secretaries or other school officials who think they know better what to do with your child than you. I could go on and on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) Teaching to learn, rather than teaching how to pass a test. Freedom and flexibility of time, place, curriculum. The child is allowed to be themselves and like what they want, without being ridiculed for it by their peers. Most children do not advance at the same level in every area of learning at once. You can do "3rd grade" math along with "5th grade" LA, or vice versa. I agree that it would help to tailor your argument if we knew what exactly that argument is against. Does this person have a compelling argument for the benefits of public school (?) - it seems to me that this would be a much harder side of the fence to argue with - one only needs to look to the news about budget cuts, class sizes, peer violence, emotional bullying, inappropriate actions toward students by adults at the school, not to mention the complete lack of any sense of reality when students are punished for riding bikes to school, etc. Edited May 25, 2012 by fraidycat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I'll add family closeness and flexibility. Oops... someone already mentioned flexibility. Okay. So I'll second that. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnsinkableKristen Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Having a child whose joy of learning is being smothered in public school Having a child with special needs Having a family that enjoys extra time together Enjoying watching your children learn new things right in front of you The ability to tailor the material in a way that maximizes learning I could go on and on as well :). I put my kids in PS for a total of 4 1/2 months. Their last day is next Thursday and I couldn't be more excited to be back homeschooling where we belong. :) ETA: I didn't really list those as benefits of homeschooling, so much as reasons to homeschool. Sorry about that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 In addition to the previously mentioned benefits ... The world is your classroom. Learning doesn't have to take place only during "school hours" or within a certain building. Social interaction with a wide variety of people of differing ages, rather than 30 classmates who were born within 12 months of the student. Close family bonds. Children don't get socialized out of having positive relationships with siblings and parents because it's not cool. Time to follow a child's passions to the depth that satisfies him. Time for extra-curriculars due to the efficiency of homeschooling. We find that our kids can do extracurricular activities without creating so much pressure since we don't have to fit it in with hours of homework on top of schoolwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 The immediate benefits: I don't get calls from the office/guidance counselor anymore about my son with Asperger's Syndrome. Being at home has had a remarkable effect on his behavior and his ability to do his school work. School was awful for him. Both kids are able to study science and history in depth, something that wasn't happening at their school. And they both enjoy both of these areas of study. I can choose a much better math program for my kids than what they offer at our local school. Same with reading. They weren't getting what they needed at school. I get to decide what is important for my kids to learn, and actually have a plan for their education. When I tried to get the school to tell me what their long terms goals for my child's education were, they referred me to the state's mandates. Basically, teaching to the test. The benefits I didn't realize until much later: Their behavior is improved, both from an increase in parental attention, and a lack of bad influences at school, and from more time for rest and relaxation. We have grown closer as a family. We have learned incredible amounts of information. Learning along with my kids has given me a whole new perspective on the world. We are free to pursue any area of study that we desire. We can learn more about something or less about something as we see fit. We have much more time for fun together. Kids can find a wide variety of activities to participate in to provide opportunities for social interaction. Literally thousands of choices. Reading books with your kids for hours on end is wonderful and enriches your life. When you're not stressing about lots of different things, homeschooling is actually really fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Wanted to add, too- If it is a spouse you are trying to convince- this was my strategy: I talked to dh about the possibility of homeschooling and he was not at all for it. He told me he was never going to agree to it. I told him that he didn't seem to understand that I was not agreeing with the status quo of public school and we needed to make some type of change. Then, I let him start dealing directly with some of the issues at school, and it didn't take long for him to agree to let me try homeschooling. Since then, he has met several other homeschooling families, and it doesn't seem like such a huge lifestyle change anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girl Power Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Also, some compelling books on the topic: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Matters-Homeschooling-Makes-Sense/dp/0156300001/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337999087&sr=1-4 http://www.amazon.com/Hold-On-Your-Kids-Parents/dp/0375760288/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337999127&sr=1-1 The latter is not a homeschooling book per se, but presents a very compelling argument on the dangers of peer dependance, one of the major reasons I homeschool. Beck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Some research and news articles about academic achievement and social skills: http://i.bnet.com/blogs/homeschool.pdf http://www.nheri.org/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/30/home-schooling-outstanding-results-national-tests/ http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_3_an_a_for_home.html http://www.ohen.org/outcomes The most compelling reasons for our family - I know and love my children better than anyone else and have a strong interest in seeing them succeed, and they can receive a personalized education suited to their strengths and talents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 (edited) :iagree: Compelling reasons differ wildly and widely for different families. Briefly, for us they included but weren't limited to allergies, special needs (autism diagnosis and academic advancement), morals, religion, socialization, tailoring of curriculum, emphasis on family, and freedom of our time both daily and yearly. For US, it was: 1) The Sponge''s ADHD. I am much better able to teach her in the various techniques that are effective, including ONE-ON-ONE TEACHING (I would say that twenty times over--it is a HUGE benefit to homeschooling), doing short times of study with a break in between, to schedule her hardest subject at the beginning of the day when she is freshest and the easiest ones for later in the day when it is harder for her to focus and to stop school entirely in the afternoon when her medication wears off and let her play. 2) The ability to tailor educations to my children's strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. One child is an extremely visual learner and benefits from different curricula than my other child. In a regular school she would be BORED, hate going, and do/say ANYTHING to get out of going. (Ask me how I know. :glare:) She is also gifted at science and logic but needs focused work on math facts and anything related to the English language. I can do that at home. I can also change things as my children learn--if dd has a leap and "gets" multiplication, we can move on with that instead of waiting for the schedule of the entire class to reach it. 3) Not having to worry about the fact that my kids have Sept birthdays and would both basically be behind a year when they are academically ahead, and would be so. very. bored in a standard public school. 4) Being able to change schedules when I want to. Eventually we plan to have a farm and working school around farm life will be wonderful! 5) I want my kids to love learning, not just learn to memorize/regurgitate. Edited May 26, 2012 by LittleIzumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 For my family: I have a bright child who has some learning struggles. He needs hours of intensive tutoring daily in order to maintain momentum. He also needs to be fresh for those hours of intensive tutoring. Going to ps all day and getting tutoring at night would never work b/c he'd be too burned out to gain anything. And, there is no ps that can supply the sheer hours I can for one child. For him - academically - HSing is the only option at this point. I have another bright child who does not have any learning struggles. She would be miserably bored in any classroom. She finishes her work before 8:30 am on most days, and then she plays and reads and draws and practices piano and....and...and... My 5yo (almost 6) is the definition of "Wiggly Willy." He is smart, but he just can't sit still for seatwork. Rather than kill all desire to learn by making him do "school," I simply teach him in other ways. I am easing him into some seatwork now, but most of his learning is done either through eaves dropping in on his siblings work or through those teachable moments throughout the day. (He helped plant our garden and counted/added/subtracted seeds with complete joy. The same math problems on paper would have produced a different emotion.:tongue_smilie:) So...my main reason is tailoring the academics to the needs of the specific child. I think the classroom is not age-appropriate for small children, and not developmentally appropriate for kids who fail to fall in the middle 50% of students. My other main reason - tied with my first main reason - is the ability to choose the books that shape their childhoods. (...and having the time to actually read them...) I shelter them from things they don't need to be worrying about so young, but more importantly, I expose them to the Good. (My 9yo boy struggles to read, but listens to audiobooks voraciously. He has been memorizing quotes from some of the books for FUN!!! He is pulling out lines that are beautifully descriptive and trying them on for size. He would be laughed out of this world for doing that in a classroom.) My other reasons are varied. Socialization - I do NOT want my dc to be trained in the ways of the pecking order. I do want my dc to be confident in their own skin and able to speak rationally with other people, no matter their age or station in life. Socialization - I want my dc to have to work out their relationships with each other in kindness. They are with each other all the time. They are best friends. How they treat each other is going to effect every relationship they have in their adult lives. I want to shape that in a healthy way. I have a child with severe allergies to peanuts/tree nuts. I trust *him* with his benedryl and epi-pen. I do not trust school personnel with his benedryl and epi-pen. If he has a serious reaction, he has minutes...and by the time the teacher takes him seriously (his reactions do look like goofy 9yo behavior at first) and sends him to the nurse it might be too late. It's not worth the risk...not until/unless he can carry his own stuff on his person. The flexible schedule means that my dh actually gets to spend time with our kids. He does not have 9-5 hours, and he often spends lunch or afternoons with them instead of the evening (when he's working). The flexible schedule means that we can take off a week in the spring and fall when the weather is gorgeous and all the other kids are in school. Those are the best times to visit the zoo. We can school in the wretched heat of the summer instead...when all you want to do is be in air-conditioning anyway. The flexible schedule means that my dc get to go visit the museum, library, grandma, etc...much more often. Also, we can go to the museum when it's almost empty and spend more time with the curator, librarian, etc... We've had some great experiences, having 1-on-1 time with staff eager for a patron. Hanging out with other HSers - Seriously, HSers are interesting people. If you want to find other families who read together, look among homeschoolers. If you want to find other kids who enjoy playing (something other than video games), look among homeschoolers. If you live in a small town and want your child to befriend children of different races and religions, look among homeschoolers. Our faith plays a role in our decision too, but a rather small one. It's not that I don't want my dc exposed to other faiths, beliefs, and pov's. I want to be there to help them navigate around those waters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreyFoxAcademy Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Thank you all for your input. My children have been in public school up through 6th and 7th grade. I am planning on homeschooling them next year, but have discovered the need to fully formulate a compelling case to do so - even despite the fact that public school is not challenging my kids academically, and is challenging their morality and character in needless ways. I have to be able to answer why I would want to do this, why it is better for the kids, what they will learn better, how it impacts college, what will it do for their social life, etc. Not really knowing how to navigate this site, I thought a good place to start would be to throw the question out there and see how others might answer the question. Bookfiend, you're right... I haven't used public forums like this before, and I appreciate your guidance. :) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Grey, I'd like to thank you for raising this question. I have someone in my own life who strongly disagrees with homeschooling and believes that if a child doesn't go to school then they will miss out on once in a lifetime opportunities for developing social skills. This person is reasonably intelligent and cannot believe that schools are the answer to every child's problems, as we are both close to a family who has a teenager who has attended some excellent (and expensive) private schools, but who has endured all kinds of problems and has a very low self-esteem. I very nearly posted a question similar to yours only a day or so ago, as I was interested in actually reading any literature or research that addressed these issues. Not so much to use as arguments against this person, we're both OK with passing the bean dip, but more for my own reassurance. I'm the sort of person who can always see two sides to an argument, and I like to have all the information. There have been some really valuable links posted here, thank you so much. Cassy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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