What are your reasons for homeschooling Kindergarten?

[ondreeuh]

I am working on articulating my reasons and would like to hear why others have made the decision to HS for Kindergarten.

 

Reasons to homeschool:

I can customize his education to his academic level in each subject (which would definitely NOT be done in kindergarten - he would be given work below his ability level).

I can use "teachable moments" to reach him when he is receptive and focused rather than expecting him to work on a set schedule.

I can promote and encourage creativity over conformity.

He is hyper & impulsive (psych appt in a couple weeks will certainly lead to an ADHD diagnosis).

Kindergarten is full day (6+ hours) which is a LONG time for him to behave well in a group. He has trouble with 2.5 hour preschool.

He would be a "problem child" in school. Pre-K teacher told me, "I want to make sure he is in an environment that will build him up and not tear him down."

I am sensitive and often humiliated by his behavior. It would be horrible to have regular chats with staff about his behavior and endure glares from other parents.

 

Reasons to try public school:

I would be working with my 6th grader a lot, leaving my Kindergartener to play on his own for a significant part of the day which seems unfair.

I am not good at providing lots of activities outside the house.

Both my MIL and his preschool teacher are really encouraging it because he "needs classroom experience," and I do value their experience and opinions.

The kindergarten teacher I requested uses positive discipline with support and doesn't use time-out or shaming.

I am sensitive and often humiliated by his behavior. It would be horrible to witness his meltdowns at outside classes and endure glares from other parents.

[celticadea]

I think you have great reasons to home school kindergarten! :) but I also understand your reasons not to.

 

For us, if K were still just about playing nicely with friends and was only half-day, I'd send her. It's not though. Recently I've been second guessing myself because my daughter is not turning out to be the easy to school kid that I could so easily show how to learn and enjoy the journey (my rainbows and unicorns daydream version of homeschooling lol). I am scared that maybe she needs 'experts'. but....after remembering why I wanted to home school in the first place (better academic choices, one-on-one instruction, little interference in curriculum choices, etc... only my thoughts), and listening to others recent bad experiences in schools near and far, especially for kids who need more, I realize that I can better meet her needs here. I'm terrified of doing a bad job but I can't imagine I'll do the worst job in the world. I'm her mother. I love her and I want the best for her so I won't stop until I find what works for her. No school is likely to care so much and keep fighting for her.

 

Like your son, she is showing signs that outside the house K would be a bad fit. So....I'm homeschooling Kindergarten because I can continue to accommodate her speech and OT needs in a way that no teacher with a classroom full of kids could do. I'm able to tailor her curriculum to her needs not the general needs of the district or her peers. I can go as fast or slow as I need to on any given topic. Also, most days she still needs a nap which she could never get at school :)

 

I do worry about learning social interaction skills since this is an area that she needs help. School would fit the bill but even her SLP said that it would likely be very difficult for her since the other kids would pick up on her immaturity/lack of social understanding/etc...

 

I already have her in gymnastics and am considering/planning on signing her up for the home school science days at a local hands-on science museum. I also tend to stick close to home, so having a few specific activities will help us all get out and give her chances to practice interacting.

[4KookieKids]

While I think there are a variety of good reasons to hs a kindergartner (and you've mentioned a few), I think my two biggest reasons are:

 

(1) I just hate the idea of institutionalizing my kids 8 hours a day at the age of 5. Hardly any time to play, run, jump through puddles, climb trees, chase bugs, etc. that I feel like 5 year olds should really spend more time on. :) And then when you get them home (a good friend's experience this year...), you get the worst of them, it seems: they're tired, hungry, cranky, clingy, and frustrated at missing out on all the "fun" things you did that day (zoo, park, museum, play-dates, etc.). My grade school didn't last more than 4-5 hours a day (and that was all the way through 4th grade), and we learned enormous amounts during that time anyway.

 

(2) Shaping their heart. For us, that definitely has a religious/spiritual side, but even if it didn't, I feel like they're still so open and innocent, and I see so much of that being lost in early elementary years. Maybe it's selfish, but I want our family members to be the most important people in each other's lives, and I want to teach my kids the values that my husband and I share and find important, and I don't want to miss those moments of opportunity where my child needs encouragement, support, love, etc. and I can be there for them.

[shawthorne44]

It blends in with our general reasons for homeschooling. But at this age, not being exposed to rotten kids is a big part of it.

We don't keep secluded, but I like that I can be picky about who she is exposed to.

[shawthorne44]

It blends in with our general reasons for homeschooling. But at this age, not being exposed to rotten kids is a big part of it.

We don't keep secluded, but I like that I can be picky about who she is exposed to.

[happypamama]

Well, my first reason to homeschool Kindergarten is because we felt that the home environment was right for our family, even before we actually had children. Then we had children and realized that keeping them home was the right choice for them, individually. DD's very quick and bright and would have been bored in a traditional Kindergarten classroom; she'd have been an unhappy, behavior problem bored. DS1 is also very bright but is a late bloomer; he wasn't ready to be away from me for several hours a day at age 5 (even though he wasn't a late birthday), and he wasn't ready to read or do any formal work at age 5 either. (At 7, he blossomed and has *thrived* at home this year; delaying anything formal was the right choice for him.)

 

My DS2 is 4.5, and if I were going to send him to school, I would do it this year, even though he won't be 5 until mid-fall. He has all the drive and executive function and classroom capability and would do fine in a classroom. He also seems to have the academic ability to do well, even though he's young; he was born ready for life in general. ;) But if I sent him to school, someone else would get the privilege of enjoying him, and we would miss our small sunshine terribly. (He'd miss us terribly too, and I wouldn't want him to not be a part of everything.) Also, by keeping him home, I can tailor education to him, so that he'll work at different levels for different things, as he's ready. I think my biggest issue with the public school model is the one size fits all approach, because especially at the young ages, children are all different and are definitely not all ready for the same skills at the same time.

[MommaOfalotta]

Well... we have made the decision to homeschool all of our kids, all the way. So kindergarten is just year 1 for us. Now if I were to go into our reasons which led to the decision to homeschool, that would be a pretty long post :)

[violamama]

We have a very intense, kind, exuberant, intelligent, enthusiastic, CHATTY boy.

He would have been in a class of 35+ for Kindergarten.

We want to help our children become excellent at learning.

My kids easily pick up behaviors from other kids.

We don't agree with some of the world view taught in school as fact.

We found a great community for our family.

 

Once I began to entertain the idea of homeschooling, the benefits just started piling up. New things that would drive me crazy in PS seem to pop up daily (though I can totally see that it's possible to have a wonderful experience there for some families- not on any soapbox here). As we got off and running, it became obvious what a great fit it is for my family.

[sewingmama]

1. They changed it from half day to full day....its too much.

2. My DD had SPD and couldn't handle the noise in a classroom....she also likes to "do her own thing" :glare:

3. My DS is advanced. He is doing everything at 1st grade level and reading at 3rd grade level. In K here they start not even expecting the kids to learn the alphabet. He is one of those kids that is very obedient and likes to please so that means he would have sat in the classroom, bored out of his mind, and the teacher wouldn't have known because he is too "good" to say anything about it. Heck...I didn't even know myself he could read until one day I was getting him to read me an I SEE SAM reader and he sighed and said "I wish I could read (DD's) book." She was reading a 3rd grade reader and I thought no way could he do it but I humored him and low and behold he read it better then his sister. :huh: Of course then I felt bad I had been getting him to read the beginning readers for the past few weeks..poor kid.

4. I'm too attatched to my DS2 :001_tt1: He's a mamas boy and my baby...I would miss him if he was gone all day :crying:

[Rosie_0801]

We were going to homeschool anyway and had been "tot schooling" so we were already in the groove.

 

Dd has a learning disorder that includes a language delay so would be in huge trouble socially. Generally, she needs friends two years younger, or friends who are old enough to compassionately include the little kids.

 

For the same reason, she would fall through the gaps academically. She probably wouldn't understand instructions if they were given to the class instead of to her individually. She would ignore or copy the others instead of asking for help, since she is only able to ask for help when she's in the middle of something and gets stuck.

 

She would tire out very quickly if she had to be in a classroom for 6 hours a day. She'd miss her mum and she's an introvert. I'd expect an out of character meltdown the morning of the second day, with her hanging onto me and not letting go.

 

There is no way a teacher in a classroom could cater to her learning style, so she'd end up being treated as though she had a low IQ. She doesn't, so it'd be bad for her academically and very, very bad for her character.

 

She'd get into trouble for climbing on play equipment or climbing trees when she oughtn't. Those sorts of things might be dangerous for kids who weren't climbing clotheslines before they turned three.

 

And finally, I'm not entirely sure I'd trust her to stay there...

[alisoncooks]

These are my reasons, exactly!

While I think there are a variety of good reasons to hs a kindergartner (and you've mentioned a few), I think my two biggest reasons are:

 

(1) I just hate the idea of institutionalizing my kids 8 hours a day at the age of 5. Hardly any time to play, run, jump through puddles, climb trees, chase bugs, etc. that I feel like 5 year olds should really spend more time on. :) And then when you get them home (a good friend's experience this year...), you get the worst of them, it seems: they're tired, hungry, cranky, clingy, and frustrated at missing out on all the "fun" things you did that day (zoo, park, museum, play-dates, etc.). My grade school didn't last more than 4-5 hours a day (and that was all the way through 4th grade), and we learned enormous amounts during that time anyway.

 

(2) Shaping their heart. For us, that definitely has a religious/spiritual side, but even if it didn't, I feel like they're still so open and innocent, and I see so much of that being lost in early elementary years. Maybe it's selfish, but I want our family members to be the most important people in each other's lives, and I want to teach my kids the values that my husband and I share and find important, and I don't want to miss those moments of opportunity where my child needs encouragement, support, love, etc. and I can be there for them.

 

[mohop]

The reason below is a strong factor for us also:

 

(2) Shaping their heart. For us, that definitely has a religious/spiritual side, but even if it didn't, I feel like they're still so open and innocent, and I see so much of that being lost in early elementary years. Maybe it's selfish, but I want our family members to be the most important people in each other's lives, and I want to teach my kids the values that my husband and I share and find important, and I don't want to miss those moments of opportunity where my child needs encouragement, support, love, etc. and I can be there for them.

 

 

We believe that the goal of education is to produce good people, and in the younger years, the focus should be on character development and inculcating good habits as well as a love of learning. It's very difficult to find a school where you and the administration and teachers and other parents who send their kids to school all agree on those things. If there was such a school available to my children, then I'd feel much better about sending them to it.

 

KG here is from 7:45 until 3:30. Really??

 

Almost 8 hours a day 5 days a week is a really really long time to spend with other people; and those "other people" will obviously have a huge influence on anyone in such a situation, but especially on children so young. I don't know all the other kids that they would be spending all their time with and what kind of effect they will have. I have found that kids tend to learn more bad traits from other kids than good traits. My kids aren't perfect and I don't expect everyone my kids hang out with to be perfect, but I would like to have more control over the environment that they are raised in than sending them off to school for 40 hours a week would allow me to have. (And let's be honest; if your child is spending that much time in school, they aren't just being taught in school; they are being raised there in large part as well.)

 

To be perfectly honest, I'm not one of those moms who wants to spend as much time as possible with my kids and can't stand the thought of them being away from me for any length of time. The idea of shipping them out to someone else to take care of during the day and having that time to pursue my own things is honestly very tempting. But I want to have a strong relationship with my kids, and sending them out all day only to have to deal with them while we are rushed (to get them ready for school and out of the house by a certain time) or after they are tired and cranky, isn't going to help us have a great relationship. I want our good interactions to heavily outweigh our bad interactions.

 

By homeschooling, my kids are able not only to be more directly involved in our immediate family during the way, but it gives them more time to spend and learn from their grandparents, which is very important to us.

 

There are more reasons, but those are a few.

[laughing lioness]

For us it was to lay a solid foundation in phonics, give them plenty of free, exploratory time and a chance to mature.

[HelenNotOfTroy]

I see no reason to put my child in school for kindergarten since I plan to homeschool him.

[BarbecueMom]

Main reasons? Because I can and I want to. There are lots of other reasons, but if those two weren't present it wouldn't even be an option.

 

I don't go around telling people that though. I usually stumble through something about cutoff dates and being academically ahead and socially immature. Most of my family and friends with kids homeschool for at least some stage of K-12, so I would probably get more, "Why public school?" questions if we were going that route.

[Tanikit]

There were a number of reasons:

 

1. Public schools where I live are really terrible, so that meant private school which is very expensive (I live in South Africa)

2. My DD is advanced and when I asked the school we had applied to the only differentiation was to make gifted kids see a psychologist and get "extra work" - to make her do the letter sounds she knew when she was 18 months old for a whole year when she is reading at 4th grade level and then get extra work when she needs extra play was just not great (and then to pay loads for that too...)

3. I had been planning to homeschool all the way through so it makes no sense to put her in kindergarten.

4. My DD is hyperactive and even at preschool (age 2) there was mention of ADHD - I do not believe she has it as she can concentrate, she just cannot sit still, so being at home is best for that too.

5. Here is an honest one that has nothing to do with education: I hate the morning run to get them to school - I love having a relaxed quiet start to the day and being able to start later than I would have to if I had to take her to school.

[ondreeuh]

Thank you all for your responses. I pulled my older son out of PS when it was clearly not working for him, rather than for any ideological reason. I have hesitated to just commit to homeschooling my younger son since he hasn't even tried PS. I have enough reasons to believe that it would be a bad fit for him as well ... and I am realizing that I have developed ideological reasons for homeschooling after all.

 

The bottom line is that 6+ hours a day in an environment that would bring out his worst is just not acceptable. What I need to figure out is how to manage my time at home schooling two kids. My 5 year old interrupts every 5 minutes, which drives me and my 11 year old CRAZY (we both have to hyperfocus). Sigh!

[Tanikit]

Oh you will manage with two - it just may take some getting used to - mine are 2 and 5.5 and the 2 year old does interrupt all the time too - but then I have had to teach my 5 year old not to interrupt when I am busy with the 2 year old. Younger ones do interrupt, but they are just as important as the older ones and need just as much time - very often we forget to teach the older to be patient too. Many here suggest starting with the younger so that he is less likely to interrupt the older later and also to have the older doing independent work while you are busy with the younger. Good luck - but you'll be fine :)

[boscopup]

My younger kids are or will homeschool K mostly because my oldest is homeschooling now, and I might as well homeschool all of them and save myself the trouble (and huge expense) of taking them to private school. Public school is not an option for us.

[Walking-Iris]

I knew when I was pregnant with my oldest that we would homeschool. K isn't even legal compulsory age in my state so I thought I'd use that as my buffer zone to see how I liked it. I was more nervous about his 1st grade year. But now he's getting ready to be a 5th grader and we are just fine! ;) We've always homeschooled. My oldest is also on the autism spectrum. That sealed my decision to homeschool him. Never for one minute did I think because of that I needed a school expert's help. I seek out our help through private OT and SLPs.

 

In fact I think he is working at grade level because he is homeschooled. My dh and I have talked extensively about this. Since we have started going to a co-op I have noticed him shutting down. In a room of 12. That's beyond his sensory comfort level. He won't speak up or participate even when I know what he can do. I don't think "classroom experience" will make this better for him. In fact I'm nearly positive that he would have been shunted aside to a special ed or LD classroom. My dh subs for our local school and he has subbed for those classes. Not pretty. I know that he would be placed there because I have witnessed his complete shut down when anxious. He's brilliant. But he keeps it close to the bone, kwim? With me, his mom, whom he's comfortable and at ease around, he's able to shine. We're able to adjust expectations and tailor curriculum to fit his individual needs. WWE has been one of the best things for him as far as his auditory processing. He wouldn't get something like that in a ps. He wouldn't get anything we do that really helps him thrive in a ps. He tires easily and has had gastrointestinal medical issues. No way would ps be good for my boy.

 

Now my current Kinder is one of those kids that could be a star in the classroom or a menace depending. He's so smart and so inquisitive. So curious and has this insane perseverance when learning something new. A teacher would love him, or try hard to stop him. I have seen adults adore him, and I have seen adults be completely frustrated with him. He notices something and just wants to learn more more more. He has this insatiable energy. But....bore him or ignore him and watch out. He would be miserable in a Kinder classroom. He has nothing but disgust for all things arts and crafty and coloring worksheets and circle this and match that and draw a line here and games and fingerplays and anything cutesy or babyish ---he'll let you know what he thinks of it. And then well, he would become a discipline problem. He sees right through the shallowness of it. He's my kid who spent the afternoon today practicing his Frisbee throw and measuring out the dimensions of a T-rex in the yard with string and popsicle sticks just to see how big it was. He needs work. Real work. To be happy. He 's my kid installing electrical outlets and helping us build raised beds and checking the oil in the car. He's my kid who needs to be barefoot and shirtless and dirty outside to be happy. School would crush his spirit.

 

He's a joy to homeschool. And he brings so much to my older ds's life. Sure I could have more time to devote to my oldest who obviously really thrives in homeschool. But he would miss the excitement that his little bro brings to his days.

[ondreeuh]

Walking-iris, thank you for your input! I have the same feelings about homeschooling my older son. In PS he wouldn't be able to learn and would shut down. My younger has some similarities to your kindergartener and I definitely can relate to the feeling that a classroom would crush him. What is frustrating about this decision is that my younger son's preschool teacher is so convinced I should put him in public school. I consider her a friend and she is truly an advocate for him. She was the one who brought up to me that I need to start planning for his future, because he is bright but could very well be torn down in a regular classroom due to his behavior. So while she sees how harmful the wrong placement would be, she is just sure that I should take the chance. She even checked up on the teachers at our local elementary school and recommended one to me. I am not sure if she is just not comfortable with homeschooling in general, or if she is making an informed judgment that my son needs PS. I asked my MIL's advice (she taught for 30+ years) and she is also convinced he needs to be in a classroom for the social aspects of it. I don't think either of them realize how detrimental it would be for him to just FAIL socially. If he is not ready (and I am convinced he isn't), then it will do more harm than good. And forget the academics. The kindergartens here start from scratch and don't assume the kids know anything since many don't attend preschool. It seems so logical to me, but then I have people whose opinions I trust being so opinionated, and it makes me second-guess myself.

[Walking-Iris]

Well I personally take advice from preschool teachers and MILs with a grain of salt. Ask nearly anyone and they'll say ps over homeschool. And the reasons they're giving you---"classroom experience" "social aspects" are just the timeworn myths of the socialization issue.

 

You will figure out what is best. But I wouldn't let the idea that kids *need* public school for the social aspect to persuade you. That is the number one misconception about homeschoolers and it's just false. I'm a firm believer that young children need quality over quantity relationships and a room of 30 in a school of hundreds isn't an ideal social situation imho.

[Black-eyed Suzan]

I am working on articulating my reasons and would like to hear why others have made the decision to HS for Kindergarten.

 

Reasons to homeschool:

I can customize his education to his academic level in each subject (which would definitely NOT be done in kindergarten - he would be given work below his ability level).

I can use "teachable moments" to reach him when he is receptive and focused rather than expecting him to work on a set schedule.

I can promote and encourage creativity over conformity.

He is hyper & impulsive (psych appt in a couple weeks will certainly lead to an ADHD diagnosis).

Kindergarten is full day (6+ hours) which is a LONG time for him to behave well in a group. He has trouble with 2.5 hour preschool.

He would be a "problem child" in school. Pre-K teacher told me, "I want to make sure he is in an environment that will build him up and not tear him down."

I am sensitive and often humiliated by his behavior. It would be horrible to have regular chats with staff about his behavior and endure glares from other parents.

 

Reasons to try public school:

I would be working with my 6th grader a lot, leaving my Kindergartener to play on his own for a significant part of the day which seems unfair.

I am not good at providing lots of activities outside the house.

Both my MIL and his preschool teacher are really encouraging it because he "needs classroom experience," and I do value their experience and opinions.

The kindergarten teacher I requested uses positive discipline with support and doesn't use time-out or shaming.

I am sensitive and often humiliated by his behavior. It would be horrible to witness his meltdowns at outside classes and endure glares from other parents.

 

 

My oldest sounds *a lot* like your son. We also seriously considered public school. Why did we eventually choose homeschooling for Kindergarten? Because after reading several books about homeschooling (my favorite was The Homeschooling Option by Lisa Rivero - it was at our library), I decided that I didn't want to have to fix problems caused by public school if we tried it and he didn't like it. I didn't want him to begin to dislike learning because the brick-and-mortor school environment was not a good fit.

 

One difference, though, is he is my oldest, so I don't have another student to work with. I wish you the best as you make your decision!

[SereneHome]

We decided to HS before kids were born, but now looking at my oldest (almost 5yr old) - I can't even imagine NOT HSing him

 

Our general reasons are:

 

1. I don't think schools provide a good education - they don't teach critical thinking, they don't teach learning skills, they don't teach subjects in too much depth and they don't teach A LOT of things that should/could be taught

2. I don't want my children to learn values and standards and morals from "other" people, I want them to learn them from my DH and I.

3. I want them to enter "real" adult life well prepared. I don't think schools do that. I think they make you conform while preaching that we are all unique. I think it's absurd.

4. Schools spend WAY too much time and resources on things that should have nothing to do with schools. I don't want them to tell my children what to eat. I don't want them to tell my children what to wear. I don't want them to worry about my child's self-esteem. But that's what schools do now-days

 

Reasons for HSing my almost 5 yr old

1. He would be bored CRAZY in school

2. And while our K is still only 3 hrs I see no reason to spend that much time doing something that can be accomplished in 15-20 minutes.

3. Did I say that he would be bored?? Which in turn would not teach him any study skills but will actually make him hate learning.

 

Yeah, it's not happening.

[The Way of My People]

Reasons we HSd for K:

 

1. DS was young and squirmy

2. DS was small for his age due to medical issues

3. DS was already doing 1st Grade work - so I thought K would be a waste of time

4. I enjoyed teaching him at home

5. The PS principal said she prefers young K boys wait until they're 6 ("redshirting")

6. I wasn't quite ready to have him away from me :blushing:

 

Reasons DS will attend PS for 1st Grade:

 

1. He wants to

 

I feel a little sad about this, but I think it's fair to let him give it a try. I'll afterschool him for now, and bring him home if/when he wants.

[ondreeuh]

I really appreciate everyone's input! I am feeling better and better about making a firm decision to homeschool. I think the biggest factor for me is that I want him to be proud of learning and of working hard. PS would not be challenging academically, so he would feel like school was a waste of time ... and the social situation of being in a class of 25 kids for 6+ hours would bring out the worst in his behavior, so he would feel like he is a bad boy. He is doing SO great at home with me, so why mess with what is working?

[mombrarian]

We plan to homeschool all the way through (for many of the reasons already mentioned here), so starting with K is the logical choice. However, even if I did plan to send my kids to traditional schools, I wouldn't do it for K. Here, K is 7 hrs per day/5 days a week. I think that is just way too much time away from home for such a young child.

[macpuffins]

I started my journey to homeschooling MissB before I got pregnant with her. I already knew that the school to which she'd have to go was a lousy school. It used to be ok, but now, no. So I started reading up on TWTM when I was on enforced rest during my pregnancy and it just resonated w/ my heart in such a way that it put me more at ease for a lot of things. In the time since then, I've learned things that make it even more an issue.

 

Reasons against public schooling in the Anglophone system:

1. The school which she would **HAVE** to attend is the absolute worst in the entire district (and that says something). I've spoken with various district folks, and b/c of the subdivision in which we live, that is the ONLY school in the district that will accept her. They want middle class families to send their kids there so they have at least a few students performing remotely on par. That would mean traveling out of the district, 2x daily to get her, as there would be zero busing options for her. Since our province has amalgamated the districts, that would be a considerable drive. It would preclude me working in any manner outside the home as I would expend almost all my daily energy getting her there and back (minimum distance is 55km over a road that sucks in the winter)..

2. Finding out from the literacy resource person for K that when MissB was 2.5 and knew her ABCs in order, she was already ahead of more than 1/2 the incoming K group, that gap would be increasing almost monthly in the interim.

3. Her birthday being in February means she will be 5yr7mo when K starts. Even though she is currently 4yr3mo, she can count higher than required in K, in both English and French. She knows the sounds of most of her letters and is clamouring to learn how to read. I've been doing the foundation very gently.

4. Our district is pathetic on differentiated instruction when it comes to students who are advanced in any manner. This results in advanced students sitting like lumps on a log for the majority of the classroom day, which is 6hrs.

5. The school she would attend is also home to the Alternative Education Centre for students who have used up all their chances at other schools in the district, but are not of an age to be out of school. As a result, there is a disproportionate number who have streamed from the K-8 school to the AEC deliberately. There would students from 4yrs8mo to 18yrs on the same property (though at different times) and there are no sweeps of the yard for drug paraphernalia, cigarette butts, condoms, leftovers from alcohol containers, etc.

 

The one positive we have in favour of public school is if we can get her into the Francophone system for K. Even though we are a predominantly English family, we speak to her in French for at least part of every day. There are things we require her to do in French (with prompting from us), etc. Since the Anglophone system in our province lost early immersion at K, and it is now Grade 3, this would be the best choice. In the case that we can get her in (not exactly going to be easy b/c of our names, and the fact we weren't educated in French in this province, though Hubby was through middle Immersion from 7-12), I will be English after-schooling.

[T'smom]

Well, I have a gazillion reasons, most of which have already been mentioned. But my SIL told me last weekend that her Ker has 40 minutes of recess per day and that 15 minutes of that is spent running laps. She was impressed with this for reasons I cannot fathom. I smiled and nodded and thought to myself, "thank you for reaffirming my decision to homeschool!"