To school or not to school...?

[primsong]

Well, it looks like I might be homeschooling this next year, at least for one of my kids. It looks intriguing and refreshing and challenging and scary at the moment...

My son has never fit well in the academic mold, and is struggling along through his second try at 5th grade, not from lack of intelligence but lack of organization and maturity moreso - we were going to give the 6th grade a try within the comforting "womb" of our private school but now we've found our school won't *have* a middle-school next year and instead is entering into what will hopefully be a good partnership with another school in our area that is also "classical education" based to take on the 6-12th graders. They send us their young ones, we send them our older ones and they plan the curriculum together.

This sounds dandy (they're even busing the kids from school to school), *except* in the past we had crossed this school off our mental list of options for the upper grades because they were so very bent on high test scores, etc that they heaped the homework on the kids until they had no life. And while I am all for a school teaching Christian values and worldview, they had the Bible classes so frequently and for so long that the kids felt like it was being rammed down their throat and ended up being embittered against it - it stopped being " letter from your best friend who cares about you and has good advice" and their love for the scriptures was flattened by the intensity of it. Unless these two things have changed or are changing very soon we don't plan on going there - we have a little time until we have to decide whether to send our daughters. They have new leadership there, and a new principal who seems much more level-headed and relaxed so I am hopeful, but careful.


Either way, it looks like I've got an upcoming 6th grade education coming to me and my son - and a couple folks have offered us pointers to a local suppport group, though we haven't checked it out yet. Any thoughts from you homeschoolers out there?

Comments

[elenlilta.livejournal.com]

When we were homeschooled, we looked into partnership groups/schools, but never actually joined anything, and it worked really well. Mum didn't have any experience, really, but she said she just kinda rolled with it. We did go to a homeschoolers book convention, which is where we got our textbooks. Even if you just found something like that, you could get the ball rolling pretty well. Good luck, and have fun! I loved being homeschooled.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I am hoping to find out where to get used textbooks - I just got a copy of that "What your 6th Grader Needs to Know" book used. Once that arrives, I'll read through it and see if it gives us some direction on even what topics to tackle.

Hm! Just occurred to me with the school shifting around, I wonder if they'll be using those math textbooks, etc. at the new school or if I could snag a set? Ooh - that would be cool... and cheaper too...

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

Your comment about the one school and the Bible classes is very interesting! I think that this is a problem in many areas of the Christian community...not just schools....and then they maintain that people are turning away because they are antagonist to God and Christ...no...they are turning away because of *their* approach!

So I do hope this school has relaxed their methods.

But I digress...I think you would be an absolutely *superb* home school teacher! You are very educated, knowledgeable, ...and patient :):)

[estellye.livejournal.com]

I think home schooling is a very positive option. Although I have no personal experience with it, (I was not home schooled and I have no children) whenever I have met a child who has been homeschooled they tend to be more willing to be who they really are and follow their interests, they tend to do well at academics, and they seem to have a more mature and considerate outlook in their dealings with others than their public school contemporaries. Adults I know who were homeschooled as children have excellent follow-through and have carried a strong sense of self and confidence into their lives.

I believe it's because they were given individual attention and allowed to pace themselves according to their abilities and learning styles. Nothing stamps on a self-esteem more than being forced to conform to a mold you can't fit no matter what you do.

The Raleigh area has the most wonderful and active group of homeschoolers I have ever seen! They even have team sports and music groups and everything. Had I been blessed with children I would choose to homeschool up until High School unless there was a drop-dead awesome private school that suited my child's needs. but then I thought I would send my children to a public or private high school so they could take advantage of extra curricular activities. There would be no need for that here with the level of organization between homeschoolers to provide those opportunities. They could stay in homeschooling until college unless we determined together that another option was better.

Sorry to ramble, but I feel strongly about this topic. I think your son will thrive in that situation. If anyone can create the proper homeschool environment it's you!

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

((((Prim)))). You are such a great mom. My mother, as much as I love her, really could've cared less about my education. She put my brother in a private school for a couple of years but that was because he kept getting in fights at the middle school. She even resented having to take me to and from school. (I know this for a fact, I found her diary once). The only reason I survived the public schools was because I was in Gifted. The small class sizes really made a difference.

I know you would be an excellent teacher for your son. I certainly don't believe in loading kids up with homework and beating the joy out of them like that (figuratively speaking). Whatever you choose, your son has a loving family backing him.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your vote of confidence - I just hope I will have the patience for it. I seem to really need that "alone" time in the afternoons before the kids get home to recharge. It will take adjusting to for both of us...

I understand see why the schools sometimes do the heavy coursework and such - they are always under such fire from the public secular system that they feel they have to "prove" they are good schools and it can come out in "see our test scores are higher than yours!" - It also draws in new families and their students as parents are looking for "bang for the buck" if they're going to pay tuition and high scores are something they want to see. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), that competitive approach isn't what we're wanting... We'll wait and see how it pans out. I feel like I'm always making up my kids education as I go!

I was in 14 different public schools growing up, and it was the Honors classes in High School that saved my sanity, so I completely understand what you're saying - thank goodness for the "gifted" track. (((OBT, who is still gifted)))

[accioboytoy.livejournal.com]

Its funny that this topic should come up just now - have you heard lately about the public school backlash in regard to boy's education? Apparently more boys (up to 71%) say they hate school - more boys than girls are diagnosed with learning disorders, or Ritalin-ized at an early age - and are dropping way below standardized levels on test scores. The prevailing thought seems to be that when it seemed that girls were having a harder time in school, the educational tone shifted overall to a more 'feminized' approach, which has now created the current situation.

Interesting, especially as the parent of a little boy who really enjoys school and his friends, learns well and has been making huge leaps and bounds mentally - truly, its as though every week he's making some new and startling ( at least to me) connection. I would be very, very upset to see his enthusiasm dampened by a tilted curriculum. I would homeschool in a heartbeat if he stopped doing well or started telling me he hated school. I'm glad its an option that is open to people now; one that is supported and even encouraged. I would far rather see children who learn differently have the option of h/s rather than being dosed with some drug, or ridiculed or made to fit in some wholly unrealistic mode that doesn't work for them.

You will be an incredible teacher, Prim. I have no doubt of that at all.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Huh! No, I hadn't heard that, though it makes sense. Our school is a little different in structure and content, ("old fashioned" manners, memorization by recitation, Latin, volunteer service, etc.) The boys seem to do well with it, perhaps because it isn't all "What are your *feelings* about this emotive propaganda? Write an essay as a team" stuff that my eldest is running into in the public high-school. That works for relationship/communication people like most girls, but the boys just sit there and stare and flunk. In the 10 years we've been there, I'm only aware of one boy that was on ritalin for a while, but they phased it out over a couple years.

We've never ever regretted not using the public system, no matter how much it's cost us with three rounds of tuition to pay...it's been worth every penny, and I think it's helping us here also because our school demands a fair bit of parent involvement, so we've always been "in there" with the kids education to some extent anyway... just thinking out loud, I guess.

The public system can work too, I'm sure, but do keep involved! Volunteer in his classroom, help out in the cafeteria during his lunch hour, be willing to protest if you think something is inappropriate for your kid - whatever... it really matters to the children to have you in there for them.

[accioboytoy.livejournal.com]

Exactly - that's why even though my not having a job is not great financially, the fact that it allows me to be there in his school every day to drop off and pick up, plus school field trips and such is such a blessing at this point. I think the more ways you can be involved in your kid's lives when they're younger, the greater positive effect it will have when they are older as well.

[true-gaudior.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the club!