So I guess there's no real pros for home schooling then? Good thing I am sending my kids to private school.
#2. Kids can learn at their full potential--there's no waiting around quietly for the slower kids to finish their work, or getting rushed through something they don't understand. Each child's individual needs are met as far as time and attention goes.
There are too many Pros to list. How about the family closeness it inspires? i have learned to really enjoy my children. It allows me freedom I was unable to have with the private school option, and it is a bit less expensive. I am able to help my children grow into healthy intelligent grown ups, moving at their pace and letting them have a decision in what they are taught. I get to have greater say in who their friends are, but I try not to interfere with that. The one on one means that there is never a time when they feel lost or don't "get" something. If they learn fast we can move on, no being held back by others. They have time to care for their animals and do chores, a good work ethic is important to a happy adulthood. Homeschooling, like any type of schooling is not perfect, and not for everyone. Some homeschoolers do not so a good job of teaching the kids, some teach great but don't allow enough social interaction to develop people skills in children. Some are great, some are awful, but I think that most fall somewhere in the middle. I have been "officially" homeschooling for 7 years and I have been to many groups and met many different types of homeschoolers, public schoolers and private. In all some are good, some are bad.
Ahhhh now you see I have some answers! I put my little 4 year old in private school because he needs to socialise, he wants to learn and he needs time away from his parents. Currently we are unable to put him Portuguese state school because we are having ridiculous problems with the system. There he would learn the language which would be a huge plus in a country which speaks Portuguese and we only (at the moment) speak English. I have a very bright kid though, whom I have taught to read and write before he started school, which was just a couple of days after his 4th birthday. The socialising is a big thing for me, as we have no family here and don't know that many people. Just really wanted to hear people's pro home-schooling experiences really. Thanks for any inspiration!
One-on-one "teaching" is definitely better than 25- or 35- to-1. (Or, in the case of a music program, 60-110-to-1) But you are foolish to think that teaching your child at home alone or with their siblings will not affect them socially and spiritually and emotionally. As a school principal, I have seen it happen many times. A student will arrive into high school or college class from being home schooled their entire life and, yes they are at the top of their class, but they are also the number one target for bullies and teasing. If your child is superior at being able to field such abuse, then this may not be an issue. Your child may be ready academically for college at age 13 or 14. Are you ready for your child to attend college at age 13? Your child may be so smart that they can successfully test into top-ten college. Will you attend classes with them, Mom? Ironically, these students are also less likely to be admitted to a top-ten or even ivy-league school regardless of their SAT or entrance examinations. These schools want their students to be leaders as well as scholars. There is no strong supporting information available to argue that home schooled pupils are superior leaders because they do not get the chance to lead as on organized sports, school clubs or newspapers. They have no proof to offer a college board displaying their success at cognitive adopt traditions and behavior. Will home schooling speed up your child's learning process? Yes. Will home schooling stunt your child's growth emotionally? Yes. Will home schooling prepare your child for a successful life in a conforming corporate world? No.
BIG FAT LIE according to numerous studies. Just check out any major Ivy League school's web site and see. Maybe that is why the last homeschool curriculum fair I attended had representitives from Harvard, and MIT? My kids stunted emotionally? I don't think so. My son who is 12 fits in just fine, whether its on the football field with other public school kids, at a homeschool group outing, among the company of highly intelligent adults, or running free through the woods with a bunch of hippy kids. God, I hope not. As a school principle you are devoted to a system that doesn't work. I would NEVER surrender my child to you or your collegues. Who are working so hard to make sure children know thier "PLACE" in society, working for others being a slave to the massive corperations who don't even care about him.
