Is Home Schooling really a viable option today?

[ShallowsNole]

Block scheduling (at least here) is very similar to a college schedule - basically, you complete your class on a semester basis instead of taking all year, as you would on a 6 or 7 period day.

There are pros and cons to it, and I keep wavering on the fence. The primary issue I have with the block schedule is that you do lose the kids' attention spans after about 45 minutes or so. When they go to college and have a longer class, it's because they want to be there.

Question - not that I think this would happen in my household (I hope not, anyway ), but out of curiosity - if a student is expelled from the county school district, would the Virtual School still be available, in lieu of Walton Academy?

Back to home schooling - I have known several families who home-school exclusively, primarily for religious reasons, and their kids still do great socially and later in college. For those who are able to do it, I think it is a great option.

 

[Teresa]

I would say the answer to the question is yes, of course homeschooling is a viable option today. It does seem to be a lot more common today than in the past. I've known a few families who have chosen to homeschool their children, or parents who keep one kid at home for a year for homeschooling to provide very individualized level of instruction and support due to a learning difficulty or a gap in skill development that the school can not or will not address, etc.

you know, the public school just does not address the needs of all children or all families. some parents are very particular about the education content and setting - and feel they can do better at home - and many can no doubt.

I would prefer not to homeschool my child for many reasons, but if, for some reason, homeschooling was what my child needed, then of course I would be very happy that the option was available. there are many, many resources out there to help in the effort should I need it.

 

[Teresa]

Walton GOP, I believe the question you should be asking is this: Are our public schools a viable option for all? I think if we did a better job in education in general then homeschooling would not be such a popular option among families.

 

[Bdarg]

I not sure what you mean by viable.

I have often wondered whether home schooling is in the best interest of our society. I have met home school parents that are barely literate and who do not have as much as a high school education themselves, yet are the only educator in their children's lives. A democracy such as ours demands an educated, literate and informed citizenry to remain viable in the long term. Is that the 'viable' that you are asking about?

 

[Teresa]

I not sure what you mean by viable.

I have often wondered whether home schooling is in the best interest of our society. I have met home school parents that are barely literate and who do not have as much as a high school education themselves, yet are the only educator in their children's lives. A democracy such as ours demands an educated, literate and informed citizenry to remain viable in the long term. Is that the 'viable' that you are asking about?

good question bdarg.

I have never met parents such as the ones you refer to here, but I've heard more about such families recently. the only parents I've ever known to homeschool were very well educated parents with resources and patience for educating their children in a very comprehensive way, and provide many experiences beyond classroom study - it always impresses me a great deal. but, this is not exactly common I would guess.

still, I cannot imagine not giving all families a chance to do this if they so choose. what kind of requirements do parents have when they do homeschool? I have never heard of this.

if I lived in an area where the public school was not acceptable to me or my family, I would have to choose either private school or home school. I do not think I should be required by law to send my child to a school which I may consider unsafe or seriously lacking in its education setting and/or competency. this is my child we're talking about. the interest of society is of little importance to me when considering the protection and education of my child, especially if safety is compromised even in the slightest (unsafe buildings, unhealthy environments, and danger of violence). I seriously doubt if any of these problems exist in Walton County, but they do exist in plenty of places in our country.

don't know what WaltonGOP is getting at with this question... or what he proposes?

 

[scooterbug44]

I constantly wonder about the level of instruction and socialization skills home schooled kids get. I'm not saying that it isn't a good option for a few rare kids, but IMO it doesn't teach kids the wide variety of skills they need for life and I wonder how much it really teaches them in general.

I don't think education should stop when the bell rings at the end of the school day, and that parents need to supplement their kids learning, but I don't think home schooling is the way to go as a primary source of education.

 

[dunelover]

Great thread---Imho Florida is way ahead of some states on the homeschool issue. At least in Florida some brave mom paved the way to get the schools to allow kids to participate in sports that are homeschooled. That is really attractive to me.

I had not heard of the Florida Virtual school, but am so glad to hear of it. I can't wait to check it out.

We homeschool and it has been great for our family. We have also had our kids in public school. The advantages for us are that we can teach our kids at their level. I can focus on their individual needs and go at whatever pace we need. I am also teaching Latin (actually Rosetta Stone is teaching Latin) . It never would have been offered to a 1st grader or a 4th grader. Yes---another good plus is that we can go to Sowal in sept/oct and not mid summer!

Anyway--thanks for the thread start. Hopefully your mission in starting the thread is one of protecting homeschooling in Florida. We are still planning on relocating and love the idea of continuing to homeschool in Florida.

 

[scooterbug44]

I would love to hear from folks who do/are considering homeschooling their kids as to 1) why they think homeschooling is a better choice 2) the age ranges of the kids they are homeschooling.

 

[Jdarg]

We knew very few homeschoolers in Kentucky- in fact, it was considered something that really religious people did (to protect their kids from evil and such). Maybe there were so few homeschoolers because there was a huge choice of schools- public, private, parochial, classic ed, Waldorf, Montessori, sci/math magnets, and my fave that we called the Basketweaving School (which will go unnamed but suffice it to say that they allowed a bit too much independence!)

The socialization aspect is always something I would worry about, since an important part of being in school is learning to interact in a group setting and learning the basic rules of life. Sometimes I think parents try to make the school situation fit their child, when maybe more of a compromise is needed. After all, when these kids become adults, the world is not going to stop for them so they better learn early on how to adjust and go with the flow and get along with all types of people.

I do know some fantastic home schooled kids here, and the reasons they are home schooled are good ones. I personally could never home school my kids because I don't have the self-discipline, and I also want my kids to have the opportunity to be with lots of different kids.

 

[Teresa]

Great thread---Imho Florida is way ahead of some states on the homeschool issue. At least in Florida some brave mom paved the way to get the schools to allow kids to participate in sports that are homeschooled. That is really attractive to me.

I had not heard of the Florida Virtual school, but am so glad to hear of it. I can't wait to check it out.

We homeschool and it has been great for our family. We have also had our kids in public school. The advantages for us are that we can teach our kids at their level. I can focus on their individual needs and go at whatever pace we need. I am also teaching Latin (actually Rosetta Stone is teaching Latin) . It never would have been offered to a 1st grader or a 4th grader. Yes---another good plus is that we can go to Sowal in sept/oct and not mid summer!

Anyway--thanks for the thread start. Hopefully your mission in starting the thread is one of protecting homeschooling in Florida. We are still planning on relocating and love the idea of continuing to homeschool in Florida.

thanks for your input dunelover. I don't think people really understand the concept of homeschooling. I cannot speak from direct experience, though I have read up on it, and talked to a few families. At one time I agreed with some posters on here that homeschooling would be an awful thing to do to a child. I just did not know what a beautiful experience it could be for children and parents to do together. Social interaction is absolutely not an issue when a parent is providing a comprehensive experience for their children. Sports and extra curricular activities - all available in our communities.

I do admire you so much! I would like to learn more. Maybe one day I'll have the skill and desire to give it a try (I doubt it). A few friends of mine have told me that the relationship with their child improved on many levels as a result of homeschooling (I thought that the opposite would result!).

Anyway, thank you for chiming in. Many people have the wrong idea about the possibilities of homeschooling. I believe homeschooling is a fantastic opportunity for many, many families. but certainly needs to be a good fit and adtoped by famliies who have the resources and enthusiasm to make it work for them.