S/O - generational differences in homeschoolers

[Jean in Newcastle]

10 minutes ago, Katy said:

Zombie thread

 

7 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Yeah, but pretty ironic timing with the Calvert thread! 

I don't think that the "zombie thread" designation is that pertinent when it comes to a broader  thread like this one.  I mean, ten years down the line the generational differences described here will probably have changed, but it hasn't changed in the couple of years since this thread was originally posted.  And I think that it is a worthwhile discussion - not in order to bash others but in order to try and understand some of the trends. 

I will always come down on the side of more hands-on teaching especially through middle school because I think that is developmentally more appropriate for learning.  But I do understand why people find themselves in a bind trying to do their best under the parameters that they face.

[Sneezyone]

8 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

Did I miss somebody bagging on Calvert?

I have to say I’m more shocked that among the local homeschoolers I know now, maybe ten of us seem to be actually homeschooling at home, with programs that are taught by us primarily, without a lot of supplements.  SO MANY are using things like the boxed Abeka and BJ programs that now include virtual classrooms and videos, and I try super hard not to judge when they think my school day is ridiculous because it takes us multiple hours of working and reading through material with a real live me as the primary teacher and no videos or online teaching.  Like, that’s apparently super unheard of these days 😆

Me and my Charlotte Mason friends and the random I-still-like-IEW-and-Singapore-and-Daily-Grams friends will just sit in our corner and be weirdos, I guess!

I certainly wasn’t a CM homeschooler.  We are allergic to nature (unless it’s Hawai’i or includes a zipline of some kind). Still, Singapore and daily grams were EXCELLENT prep for my peeps. 🤣

[Jean in Newcastle]

4 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I can't believe you didn't see this thread!!! It's the longest K-8 thread we've had in a while! 

 

Since that was a highjacked thread from the OP's original question, I think that it is better to read and respond to this spin-off thread which is on the General Ed. board: 

 

[Miguelsmom]

I guess I'm a new homeschooler. My son has always been in 1-3 co ops a week. I only bought workbooks not texts or teachers additions because they were to expensive. We focused solely on math and English. He completed t4l high school in 6th grade. Then moved on to virtual school because subjects got to expensive. In 10th grade he moved to dual enrollment all while still being part of a co op. I spent all day researching,  sitting beside him helping him. I picked the best programs in my budget. He has an excellent education. 

[SamanthaCarter]

Wow, this thread got away from me such that I don’t even remember posting it. 

Interestingly (paradoxically?), I ended up finding the veterans with a wealth of “old school” knowledge and real time encouragement at our a la carte homeschool academy. They absolutely have something to offer if they resist looking down their noses. 

[Noreen Claire]

I didn't realize this was an older thread when I opened and I saw Kinsa's name and my heart leapt! Then, I saw the date and now I'm sad again.... Boo.

[Carrie12345]

In my area, I see it all; rigorous school-at-home, all the way to educational neglect, and every possible style in between.

Homeschooling at my house has evolved over the past dozen years and will continue to for the next 9.  We involve ourselves in co-ops, use the local college, and have tried quite a few online offerings. I’m still very much in control of what we use and how we use it, and work hard to pick and choose what’s outsourced and how/what we do “in-house”.  I think the only thing we’ve never tired is replicating school at home. I chose homeschooling to stay away from that.

I figure that, if I’m always evolving, it only makes sense that the community would be, too!

[Kathryn]

I’m 10 years in at this point. I have no idea how the homeschoolers around us school, besides those who loudly pronounce their unschooling, because I frankly don’t care. I know what works for us and that’s what we do. I don’t outsource any actual subjects, though we do attend a weekly co-op. It’s purely for the “socialization.” I used to spend a lot of time on here when I was less sure of what I was doing (and here I am again as I am freaking out about my first high schooler). 

The biggest change I’ve noticed locally in the past ten years is an explosion of secular and minority homeschoolers. And I must say that that’s been a great thing for my own homeschool because it increases the opportunities for local businesses to offer homeschool programming and for my kids to interact with a variety of different people and ideas.  

I do get a vibe that a lot of newer homeschoolers aren’t as committed to it as an overarching family philosophy and are more in it for much more varied reasons, and that some are pretty ill equipped to go it alone, whether because of their own educational background, finances, or time. So, I’m thankful that we’ve come to a moment in time when there are so many options to educate our children. 

[KungFuPanda]

On 11/15/2019 at 4:31 PM, StellaM said:

 

My (22, 21, 16) kids swear blind that the ONLY thing we ever did in homeschool K-6 was go on nature walks every day.

There is much resentment over the nature walks! 

So at least if you stay indoors, that's one less thing they can throw at you later 🙂

My children informed me that they hit their lifetime quota of camping by middle school and they never want to go again.  Oddly, they didn't complain about the nature walks from home.