Do you homeschool your children?

[Crissy]

I chose the 'public school for some subjects' option. Jeffrey takes advanced algebra and biology at the local PS. He also takes a Latin class online.

 

Hunter's only outsourced subject is music. He has violin lessons twice a week.

[amyable]

Currently, we outsource only some extracurriculars (usually P.E., sometimes art, althought then it's just my mom teaching! :001_smile:) but I fully intend to outsource more for the high school years. I'm pretty sure I *could* teach all of them, but I don't think I *want to*.So there. :lol:

[CAMom]

I would love to see this poll also directed at high school years only to see if the percentages change at all for that particular age bracket. After 10 years of homeschooling, one thing is certain for us - my answer would have been different had I been asked to participate in this poll before we entered the high school years.

 

That would be interesting.:) I've even heard people say that if you are outsourcing anything, you're not really homeschooling.:confused:

 

My highschooler is outsourced (with the Potter's School) for four subjects. He will also start driver's ed. through the Auto Club in a few weeks (granted, in my state, you cannot homeschool that). He also participates in speech and debate which is highly academic and not taught by me.

 

My jr. high student is outsourced to the Potter's School for French and also particpates in speech. She also takes an outside art class.

 

So, Colleen, start another poll that breaks out the high school crowd.:tongue_smilie:

[Allearia]

We do all the academic subjects at home, and outsource pe, piano, and art. I consider them an important part of our homeschool. He also does some science classes, but they are more of a supplement to our main science we do at home, and again some of them are ones lots of public schooled kids go to after school.

[Deece in MN]

 

Did I say I like posting polls?:tongue_smilie: I wish I could have had more space to explain where I was going with that second choice. Similar to what you said, I don't think of my boys' piano lessons or rec soccer as "outsourcing". They would be doing those things even if they were in school. But sometimes people do use art or music or PE classes such that they consider it outsourcing and I guess I was just trying to offer an option that fit with that...

 

((Colleen)), I understand about making polls, which is why I don't do them because what I understand in my head doesn't always come out clearly.

 

Anyway, based on your clarification, I did choose the correct option. We are not outsourcing these activities as part of schooling/p.e.

 

Thanks for the interesting reading!

[Desert Rat]

We outsource sports, both seasonal team and year round Taekwondo. We will probably be adding music to that. I don't have artsy kids so I do art history and crafts at home.

[Needleroozer]

Mine are both attending an online high school this year, so technically, I am not homeschooling at all. We are afterschooling (not an option for that on your poll) Japanese, PE, and literature. Ds is taking speech and debate (as club, not class) at local high school, and we outsource music and voice lessons.

 

It is so freeing to not be planning, purchasing, and executing school this year! Makes me very sure I made the right decision. Now to get my bum in gear on my art/job situation!

[Jenn in Mo]

We homeschool exclusively, but twice a month we have a homeschool group that teaches art and Tae Kwon Do. Also, I just signed my 6th grader up for band at our local middle school. He goes 3 days a week for half an hour. He LOVES it!

[CookieMonster]

My son isn't old enough to begin outsourcing...so I voted exlusive.

 

But, I plan on outsourcing as needed.

[Robin Hood]

If there was an option ~ I homeschool and would outsource subjects I am weak in if I could afford it. ~ I would've clicked that. I would love someone else to teach math and writing when the times comes. They do ok now, but I don't have a lot of confidence in those areas.

[Wendy In KS]

I chose option two because while we do all of our core subjects at home, we do have Spanish and Latin classes through our home school group that we participate in. Also, this is the first year we've done Art and that is being taught by my friend.

 

We also do sports and dance outside of our home school, but I don't consider that part of "school".

[Aggie]

Our hs is all academic subjects, but this year I'm having the dds take piano at the university. I'm teaching piano to ds.

[runamuk]

I homeschool them for their basic lessons, but outsource swimming lessons and chess. Elle wants to take up fencing so I'll be finding someone else to instruct her in that, as well.

[Lisa]

I've been hsing my kids for 7 years. They take music, art and sports lessons elsewhere. I teach the rest.

[Joanne]

We are a homeschooling family.

 

My oldest happens to take math in class with other homeschoolers. :D

 

My kids "do" PE, arts and crafts and have previously taken a spanish class at the YMCA homeschool program.

[Sandy in Indy]

I found that in high school I needed to outsource a few things...and I think that's a good thing! (I believe it gives your transcript validity to be able to say that a course was taught outside the home and earned "x" grade.) We've done a lot of lab sciences in co-op settings as well as geography, government and economics. DS also participates in a band program.

 

In the earlier grades, though, I teach all the subjects.

[Hannah]

I chose "homeschool some, outsource some" because I employ and au pair while I work mornings and she teaches my 8yo dd according to the schedule that I set. In the afternoons, I check the work done and teach math and history.

 

My 4yo dd goes to playgroup 4 mornings a week.

 

ETA: My eldest also has violin, horse-riding and pottery outsourced.

[Testimony]

I tried to do it with my son the first year and it did not work. I struggled to fit it into my schedule. I had to outsource. I also outsource physical education because I cannot teach my son how to play on a team. He is definitely learning how to work with others.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey!

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[King Alfred Academy]

I chose 'public school for some subjects' because we belong to a charter school and from what I understand (I am so new to this idea!) is that it is public school for homeschoolers. Each of my boys takes one class there 1-2 1/2 hours, one day a week. They also set up all of the field trips and purchase most of my curricula.

[Sharon in SC]

 

So, Colleen, start another poll that breaks out the high school crowd.:tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree:

[chiguirre]

I outsource dd's Spanish and both kid's science this year. I was lucky that these classes are offered to hsers and my kids enjoy being in class with other kids. We also do a hs enrichment program one morning a week. This isn't as academic but it offers music, gymnastics and lots of messy projects that I wouldn't do at home.

 

We do lots of extracurriculars, certainly more than if we psed. We'd have to limit each kid to just one thing if they were in school, but since we're flexible we do Kindermusik, ballet and TKD.

[Melora in NC]

The only things we currently outsource are piano lessons and horseback riding. The kids have in the past taken classes such as karate and dance, as well.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I say we exclusively homeschool but that could change by someone's opinion, I suppose. We take TaeKwonDo outside of the home, of course and in the past we used Dive Cd-roms. Late October one of boys will move to Chalkdust dvds. I suppose someone could call that outsourcing because I'm allowing a dvd to be a backup teacher but I don't because I remain actively involved.

 

We don't really have outsourcing available in my area anyway.

[Bee]

Both children take dance classes.Which would happen even if they went to school but I count it on required paperwork as physical education.Both swim recreationally once or twice a week and youngest dd takes private swim lessons once a week.That would not happen if they were in school.We supplement science with a class at a nature center once or twice a month but that's an extra.We do that for fun, not because it is required.

[Michelle in GA]

I outsource some subjects at a local co-op. Specifically, my dd takes earth science and composition and my ds takes biology. However, just because they take those courses one day a week, I still feel as though I am homeschooling those subjects. I still read evrything they read, I still check their work and read any papers that they have to turn in. What the Co-op classes do for me, is provide structure. They also allow my dc to get out of the house for a few hours a week so I can get to the grocery store :)

[Plaid Dad]

I chose option #3, but it doesn't really reflect our situation clearly.

 

Dd attends a cottage school three days a week. It's a parent-run co-op situation, so not what most people mean by a private school and definitely not a public school either, but it covers all the subjects. All the parents are registered with their respective states as homeschoolers and remain responsible for record-keeping and reporting.

 

I teach classical languages and literature there, so dd has class with me every day. There are two other kids in her group. We do homework assignments on the other days, and I do catechism with her myself at home, since none of the other kids are at the same level she is. Dd also has two outside classes: swimming and art.

Edited October 2, 2008 by Plaid Dad
typo

[Sasharowan]

We currently have all school subjects at home and have basketball, theater, band, and scouts outside of the home. That may change in the future. We have done co-ops for science in the past.

[Danestress]

But having read your clarification, I probably should have voted for the first choice. My children's extracurricular activities are all things they would do even if they were in school.

[Amy loves Bud]

Well, we outsource Luke's soccer, so I picked the second option, but since Bud is the coach, maybe I should have picked the first?

 

Actually, he's joined a second soccer team that Bud doesn't coach, so we are outsourcing that. Typically Peyton takes an art class, but she's on a break right now.

 

I'm surprised by the number of people who don't outsource anything, including sports and music!

[gardening momma]

I picked the first option...homeschool exclusively and do not outsource. We do go to a co-op, but I don't consider those classes as a substitute for anything we do at home. Dd4 takes a ballet class at co-op, and I imagine that we'll either continue either ballet or maybe start gymnastics (or both??) in the future. I still would not consider that as outsourcing part of her education, even under the heading "phys. ed." because that's not the kind of courses she'd be likely to take in a public or private school. I know there's a public school in our area (outside of our school district) that offers gymnastics, but I don't know if that's after or during school.

[chaik76]

Right now I homeschool and outsource athletics. We tried to outsource Chinese...but we need to do some more work at home to make that work.

[Audrey]

I put that we homeschool exclusively. I don't count piano lessons, nor 4-H, nor soccer as outsourcing anything. A public school wouldn't have that anyway (well, maybe they'd have a soccer team, but all the kids here participate in community sports organizations because that's all there is).

[JudyJudyJudy]

I exclusively homeschool for the academic courses. However, my son takes piano lessons, fencing lessons, and a theater class from others.

[Peela]

Until recently we mostly only outsourced extra curriculas, although dd did do Latin in a small class for a few years. But now that dd is 14 and ds12, both do Science in a small homeschool class, and dd is doing an online writing course....plus both do extra curriculas. Dd may do a maths/English certificate next year with the equivalent of a community college, I guess (TAFE, here)- online correspondence, so still at home. I will still keep the English literature going for those few months.

I still feel we do the bulk of our work at home, facilitated by me. I have 3 years of history at least I want to get through yet! I really dont want to give up the history and literature, but as we go on, I will keep looking around for options. My dd responds well to small learning groups, so I need to take that into account as she gets older. The feedback for the writing class has been incredibly valuable, as well. I am thinking I am really going to need help with maths soon.

[SheilaZ]

I school all the main classes. My sons have a science class with other homeschoolers...but I teach that class.

The do play sports and go to a PE class. Two of my sons go to speech and occupational therapy.

 

Every now and then we take afterschool science classes at enterpretive center in our neighborhood. But these are stricty for enrichment. And we take art classes from time to time.