Advice needed - Homeschooling past 8th grade or not - how did you make that decision?

[clementine]

Okay - a little backstory. I've got 2 great, agreeable, motivated kids - that love hsing. My oldest is in 6th grade & I have been given 'permission' to hs up to 8th gr.

 

That sounds really harsh, but I don't mean it that way...my ds is very supportive, but feels that we just can't teach the upper level classes as well as a 'school' can.

 

I know I still have 2 more years left w/ my oldest, but I am starting to feel like that isn't enough. I haven't invested all of this love, time, and teaching JUST to give her to someone who doesn't care as much. I am not convinced that I can't do it - I think we could & do it well.

 

My question to you all - have you been in my shoes? What did you decide & are you happy with your decision?

 

Thank you in advance :001_smile:

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

For us, it wasn't a question of 'permissions'. But still, I was afraid I couldn't teach the higher grades. So DS (currently 11) is now registered at a long distance school. Since we're French speakers, he's registered in France where 'collège' starts in grade 6, hence his joining up this year. He will stay there till the end of his home studies, then go to university.

[G5052]

I had an excellent education in both high school and college though, and felt confident that I could teach them through 12th grade. That said, I know a lot of moms who didn't have an especially good education who studied and have made those upper grades work. It can be done.

 

We've decided though that we'll be delegating for 7th and up. My current first choice is a local academic co-op, but if that doesn't work I may do BJUP's DVD courses or the graded program through Hewitt Homeschooling Services. You really don't have to do it all.

[Shelly in IL]

I know what you are going through, my eldest is in 7th this year. We are keeping our options open, as the high school for us is about $7,000 per year. With the economy in the shape that it is - who knows what will be going on in our lives in 1.5 years.

 

I, too, go through thinking that I'm not done hs'ing my sons. Then, I think - will they be prepared to go to college? Do I want them to go from home to living away in a dorm? However, I do like that they care about school and worry that they will lose that in a school situation.

 

I hope and pray that the choice becomes clearer for us as we get closer. In the meantime, he will be taking the placement test next year at this time, but I will also be looking at options like community colleges, etc.

[Sandy in Indy]

Well, I had to acknowledge that I couldn't teach every subject in high school...like math. But I could provide a core of subjects and do them well. The subjects I couldn't do, I farmed out...through coop, private lessons and later community college classes. Personally, I think the icky things my kids missed in high school (like peer pressure, bad materials/teaching, etc.) plus the good things we did at home (including lots of interaction with family)...those things far outweighed anything else they might have missed. Our local homeschool groups have sports teams, drama opportunities, debate teams, speech clubs and even a prom.

 

It's a personal decision, but IMHO high school is the time to keep your kids at home. That's the time when you talk about the big stuff...dating, love, marriage, abortion, homosexuality, beliefs (and why you believe what you do). And those conversations typically happen when you least expect them in the middle of something entirely unrelated. I LIKE my kids; I want to be around them.

 

And just for the record, my dd (homeschool graduate) will graduate with honors from the University of Indianapolis this spring with a degree in English. DS will graduate from hs this spring and has been accepted to his first choice pharmacy program. Schools are looking for and are interested in homeschooled students because they tend to be self motivated, self disciplined and well prepared for college work.

 

If you have a chance to hear Dr. Wile speak, go to his workshop, "Why Homeschool Through High School." I think you'll be encouraged!

[Shelly in IL]

could you please give me more info about Dr. Wile? I tried to google, but it didn't have appropriate info. Thanks.

[Cedarmom]

My husband was enthusiastic about homeschooling highschool, but I have a suggestion for encouraging him. We are on a debate team.Do you have any debate teams or speech in your area? If your husband saw some of the youth at a tournament , he might be more assured as to the education level of homeschooled highschoolers. You can look up NCFCA (national foresnics and communication associations) or NFCA to see about tournaments in your area.

[clementine]

Thank you! I do need to research both - I have to feel comfortable w/ whatever choice we make. Even if it's not MY first choice ;)

 

Thanks for sharing your stories - it feels good to know I'm not alone in this!

[Carol in Cal.]

Here in CA the downside risk of messing up is just too high.

 

Most CA high schools will not accept any homeschooled work, and so if kids enter high school mid way through, they have to repeat a lot of coursework, and I don't know how they handle the aging out issue. So homeschooling high school is an all or nothing proposition.

 

And, the A-G requirements for state universities are very difficult to meet with homeschooling. I don't want to risk not being able to have DD attend a state university if she wants to. We have some very good ones out here, and she needs to have that opportunity available to her. Especially since the in-state tuition is SUCH a bargain.

 

So, it's out of the homeschool at 9th grade.

 

I might even have her repeat 8th grade in a 'regular' school, to get prepared for high school more effectively.

[Stacy in NJ]

I'd look into outside classes via community colleges, private tutors and coops. Higher level sciences and math maybe harder to teach, but there are many options other than a traditional highschool.

[Chelle in MO]

Okay - a little backstory. I've got 2 great, agreeable, motivated kids - that love hsing. My oldest is in 6th grade & I have been given 'permission' to hs up to 8th gr.

 

That sounds really harsh, but I don't mean it that way...my ds is very supportive, but feels that we just can't teach the upper level classes as well as a 'school' can.

 

I know I still have 2 more years left w/ my oldest, but I am starting to feel like that isn't enough. I haven't invested all of this love, time, and teaching JUST to give her to someone who doesn't care as much. I am not convinced that I can't do it - I think we could & do it well.

 

My question to you all - have you been in my shoes? What did you decide & are you happy with your decision?

 

Thank you in advance :001_smile:

We plan to do what we can at home and take outside classes for the rest. I could echo much of Sandy's post.

 

Chelle

[Chelle in MO]

could you please give me more info about Dr. Wile? I tried to google, but it didn't have appropriate info. Thanks.

Shelly, where in IL are you? Dr. Wile is speaking at the Greater St. Louis Home Educators' Expo in March. I couldn't find the topic, though. I'm sure you could e-mail the Expo's organizers and ask. The site is www.stlhomeschoolexpo.com

 

Chelle

[jenn&charles]

Okay - a little backstory. I've got 2 great, agreeable, motivated kids - that love hsing. My oldest is in 6th grade & I have been given 'permission' to hs up to 8th gr.

 

That sounds really harsh, but I don't mean it that way...my ds is very supportive, but feels that we just can't teach the upper level classes as well as a 'school' can.

 

I know I still have 2 more years left w/ my oldest, but I am starting to feel like that isn't enough. I haven't invested all of this love, time, and teaching JUST to give her to someone who doesn't care as much. I am not convinced that I can't do it - I think we could & do it well.

 

My question to you all - have you been in my shoes? What did you decide & are you happy with your decision?

 

Thank you in advance :001_smile:

 

We made the decision to keep our high schoolers at home based on many different factors. I don't regret if for a second and we've been very successful - I believe more so than if the kids had gone to a traditional school.

I felt very much the same way you do. I couldn't imagine handing my kids over to someone who was not as invested in their future as I am. I love my kids and enjoy having them at home. I knew that no school was going to customize their curricula for them the way that I could/did.

I also didn't want them in a public school environment for various reasons (some of them social, some of the academic, some of them religious). If they were ahead in some subjects they could stay that way. If they needed more time on something, that was OK too.

My daughter never felt stupid for not dating or for still dressing her dolls at the age of 13 or for reading/writing as a hobby for 4 hours a day instead of watching T.V.. ;) She also wasn't pressured to wear/do things that we consider inappropriate. She had the time and a relaxed environment in which to discover who she is, what she believes, etc.

She was able to spend a lot of time volunteering in the mornings at a local skilled nursing facility and because of that decided to get an early jump on a nursing degree. She made so many friends of ALL ages there (and the other myriad of activities we were able to participate in because we weren't hemmed in by a regular school schedule). She was friends with the teens who also volunteered during breaks/holidays, the adults who worked there, the old folks who live there, etc.

 

I am very glad we kept them at home. Emily is graduating this year and has already been attending college classes for dual credit. She has found that she is more disciplined and motivated than most of her classmates because of her homeschool experiences.

Homeschooling also gave my kids time to develop their interests more deeply. It has given Bear time to develop a program where he fixes up computers and donates them to the poor and seniors in our community.

 

There are so many programs and materials now that make homeschooling in high school totally doable. If you don't know something, odds are that there is a program or an online correspondence course or a video or whatever that can do the job just fine with minimal supervision. My kids learned how to be really independent in their schooling and very self motivated. They love to learn and they know how to obtain knowledge without a teacher spooning it into their mouths. That independence is really benefiting Emily in her college classes.

I don't know calculus - but Bear just finished it this fall on his own (thanks to Thinkwell.com).

I never totally understood what the fuss is when they get to high school age. Yes, you do have to invest in a few things like lab equipment, etc. but it's just the same thing you've been doing all along only you start to hand the reins over little by little. ;)

Socially they might miss out on the prom or something like that, but we active in our community and they more than make up for it with other local and less age graded activities.

 

Anyway, sorry for rambling on and on....I've just had a really good experience homeschooling in high school and highly recommend it. Why get rid of your kids when they are really starting to get interesting?? LOL....

[mktkcb]

I respectfully disagree with Carol on a few points. Yes, some high schools are picky about coming in midstream, but it is absolutely possible to fulfill the UC/CSU system requirements. If you do your homework about requirements, and make sure that your transcript looks good, its not as difficult as some seem to think. Here in CA there are many good ISPs to help with such things, plus provide classes, and accountability, but even that is not absolutely necessary. There are fabulous online options. There is even free dual enrollment at Com. Coll. in CA. There are LOTS of homeschooled highschoolers in CA that have no problems getting into state schools. Do you have to do your homework? Yes. You'll have to do that in any state, not just CA. I have a Senior and a 10th grader this year, and I'd go for it. Heh....actually I have a 6th grader, so I *will* go for it again, probably. Totally doable.

cheers!

Kayleen

[MIch elle]

Starting in 7th grade, we looked at our options. Ds had done band in the town public school (5,6 & 7) and while he liked band he didn't like what he saw at that school.

 

We looked at an all boys Christian school, and it fit for us. The academics, sports, and activities as well as the Christian values were just what we wanted.

 

I knew that I couldn't continue to homeschool ds because he didn't want to do the work needed to be done on a daily basis. It's not that my dh and I couldn't do it; it was that ds wouldn't do it for mom (procrastination). I was tired of PUSHING. I knew by reading the boards over the years that this was not unusual in teens.

 

He's doing very well and likes school. He played on the freshman soccer team in the fall and is now on the ski team which races other schools. The amount of work he does is unbelieveable - it's great! He's learning SOOO much.

 

I'm free to work with my younger ds and TAKE care of myself. I have time to exercise and eat right. We are very happy with our decision.

 

Now our 11 yob want to go to school in the fall and we're looking at that now.

 

Good luck with your decision! :D

Edited January 20, 2009 by MIch elle

[Starr]

We started 9th grade this year. It was like deciding to homeschool in the beginning. We just started in and are doing it. :) Little blessing arrived at our doorstep like a Spanish teacher and my dh has taken on more writing, great books and history. I keep it all going and work with the math and science. If it gets beyond our reach we will outsource. Fortunately we live in a college community. It's amazing what they learn on their own and how much one remembers from long age once the books are open. There are so many sources available. If you are committed to teaching highschool I think you can make it work.

[Denise in Florida]

I originally intended to home school through 8th and put them in public school, probably a magnet program, for high school.

 

When my dd1 was in 8th she said she would rather just keep home schooling so we did. I prepared myself by attending high school lectures at the local convention; and by going to a college fair and asking the college representatives what they would need from me if dd wanted to attend their college. I realized the paperwork was fairly simply if you kept it current as you went.

 

Academically she was interested in some things I could not teach such as math past Algebra 1 :tongue_smilie: and Latin :001_huh:. She did these classes on-line.

 

We also participated in a 1 morning per week co-op where she did dissection, debate, creative writing, etc. I used these hours to supplement the credits I was giving her. In other words, she studied English at home but included the creative writing papers in her list of work.

 

She started attending community college for dual enrollment as a Junior and will complete 30+ credit hours before she 'graduates' high school.

 

We are currently applying to colleges and have not had any problems with applications and acceptances. The community college classes have helped her develop 'school' skills like note-taking, meeting deadlines, etc.

 

Back when DD2 was in 7th grade, she thought she might want to attend public high school. We visited several middle school and high school guidance counselors to see what program were available and what she needed to do to qualify. Then she got a horse and doesn't want to 'waste all that time' anymore. :glare:

 

 

 

I hope this wasn't too long.

[mom2abcd]

Here in CA the downside risk of messing up is just too high.

 

Most CA high schools will not accept any homeschooled work, and so if kids enter high school mid way through, they have to repeat a lot of coursework, and I don't know how they handle the aging out issue. So homeschooling high school is an all or nothing proposition.

 

And, the A-G requirements for state universities are very difficult to meet with homeschooling. I don't want to risk not being able to have DD attend a state university if she wants to. We have some very good ones out here, and she needs to have that opportunity available to her. Especially since the in-state tuition is SUCH a bargain.

 

So, it's out of the homeschool at 9th grade.

 

I might even have her repeat 8th grade in a 'regular' school, to get prepared for high school more effectively.

 

Carol, not to talk you out of your decision or anything, but are you aware of this excellent online school in California?

 

Orange Lutheran Online

http://www.lhsoc.org/Page_2.aspx?id=86802

[Ellie]

There was just never any discussion about public high school. However, in our case, we had planned to do community college instead of high school, anyway, something which is very easy to do in California. Even without the community college, we would have homeschooled all the way. I didn't see anything...not.any.thing...in the local public high school which caused me to think it would be better than what I could do at home.

[Laura Corin]

Husband and I decided that we wanted the boys to go to school before going off to university, for the independence and the classroom experience. We are saving for private school fees. In the UK, there is a natural break in schooling at age 16, so we expect Calvin to go then; Hobbes will probably go earlier, as I don't think he would be happy at home without C.

 

Laura

[ChristyB in TN]

We homeschooled until this year. My kids are now in private school in grades 4, 8, and 10. It wasn't about what we were able to teach, it was about what we WANTED to teach. I believe that there are enough amazing resources out there that do an amazing job of helping the homeschool parent teach "high school" level classes that almost anyone can do it. I go back to my reasoning that most high school teachers didn't exactly MAJOR in the subject they teach, either. They major (I know there are exceptions) in education most of the time. I think the average kid is going to have a better shot at getting a great education and have more opportunities to fall in love with learning and with their favorite subjects if they are taught at home using great resources (like a good library, online tutorials, etc) than they would at the average school.

We started homeschooling in 2000 after I read TWTM. It changed our lives and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow together as a family. I just could not do it anymore. All of my children were ready to go to school and I was more ready than ever this year! We are very blessed to have a fantastic school where there are a ton of sports available to them and they have a lot of good resources there, too. They have a couple of teachers I wish weren't there, my dd's physical science teacher needs his head screwed on a little straighter, for instance, but for the most part, we are thrilled.

I see no reason to choose traditional school just because you think they can teach algebra 2 and chemistry better than you can. It simply is not true. However, if you are ready to send them to school, find the best one you can find and love it, too.

[Journey]

My daughter has been homeschooled since 4th grade. She's 14 now and I put her in Christian school 2 weeks ago. Why? Because I wasn't able to teach her what she needs to learn and also because there was a part of her that wanted to be back in school. Homeschooling, for us, was very lonely. Yes, she knew other kids, but no other homeschooled kids. Public school wasn't an option for us and thankfully I am able to send her to Chrisitan school. I know that's not an option or even a thought for some people but for us it was. She is doing beautifully in school. She is mature, confident and smart and I know it's because she was homeschooled in the earlier grades. I can only say that you need to do what you feel is best for your family and don't worry about what other people think.

[Jeannie in NJ]

My dd will be going to school next year for 9th. However, I would not and she does not want to go to our local high school, that is 5 miles away. Instead she applied to the county vo-tech school which has an excellent reputation. It is 30 min away but their bus will pick her up. Dh, dd and I visited the school during a school day, we went into several classes and talked to teachers and students. We selected randon ones to talk to and one thing they all had in common was that they love the school. It is quite hard to get into, we have not heard yet if dd has been accepted. There are only about 500 students there and they want to keep it small. THey offer 23 different trades to study and all academic classes are either college prep or honors. I have also heard that there is a very strong and active Bible club there.

 

Dd has never been to school. She is very lonely here at home (she has one brother 3 years younger and they do get along) she is active in youth group at church and sees those kids twice a week and then goes on retreats and they are all good kids but I think she would just like to meet more teens. I am not worried about any negative influences as she is very mature and stong in her values and has never let anyone influence her. She has also always willingly done all her schoolwork so i am not concerned with her doing the work at school.

She really likes the idea that the school population is so small and also that we have heard that the school is very strict. Dd even said that was good in that any bad kids would probably get kicked out and sent back to their local school.

 

If she does not get accepted she will continue homeschooling as she has NO desire to attend our local school as her friends in youth group have told her some pretty bad stuff about the local school.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I pretty much knew I would homeschool my daughter all the way through. I knew we could do better than a school. Really, once you get to researching all your options, schooling from home, isn't too tough. It IS a committment, but you really can do a better job with a bunch of different resource options.

 

For my son though, I've waffled for years actually. We considered school for junior high and high school for him. We just made the decision "for sure." It is great once the decision is made and you just have to worry about HOW to do it. And I have next year (9th) planned out except for choosing a science program and vocabulary program. Pretty decent start :)

 

Lots of people put their kids in school and it turns out great but homeschooling is still a very viable option for teenagers. Really, I'd rather homeschool teenagers than littles.

[Carol in Cal.]

Carol, not to talk you out of your decision or anything, but are you aware of this excellent online school in California?

 

Orange Lutheran Online

http://www.lhsoc.org/Page_2.aspx?id=86802

 

thank you!

[Laura K (NC)]

We couldn't homeschool high school without farming out some subjects.

 

I did let our oldest help make the decision to homeschool. We went into it with eyes wide open and toured the public and a private schools that would be the alternatives. After weighing everything, including friends, free time, and extracurricular activities, he chose homeschooling. I think this really helped with our cooperation process these past few years. He still would choose homeschooling over public/private school if I asked him today. I think that's in part, though, because he does get some classroom experience (especially from male teachers, which I think is important for him).

 

I utterly control the history, literature, religion, logic, and writing/grammar/vocabulary. I don't mind sharing science, math, foreign language, and rhetoric/public speaking. :)

[Nan in Mass]

We decided to send the oldest to high school and it was a disaster. He stuck it out for the whole 4 years, but if I could make the decision again for that child, I would definately find some other option, correspondence school then community college, probably. At the time, we had no internet and I didn't know about those options.

 

Even so, we didn't make the decision to keep the next child home for high school until it became obvious at the end of middle school that he was going to continue peace walking, something that requires him to travel for weeks and months of time during the school year. He needs a more flexible method of doing high school.

 

The third child was easy. He is in 8th grade this year, and we are not even considering sending him to high school. When he outgrows my ability to teach him and his ability to teach himself, he will go to the community college. His middle brother is taking some classes there and has gotten into a 4-year college, so I'm no longer worried about that. For him, we are just trying to decide on a "big project", a high school focus that isn't academic, so as to take full advantage of that flexibility. He is too shy to peacewalk on his own.

 

HTH

-Nan

[clementine]

Thank you for your posts, ladies. I'm going I've got some time to think about everything, but I know what my heart says. Thanks for sharing your experiences w/ me :)