Re: Homeschooling

Posted by Jim on 4/22/05

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Would you give your own child a root canal? How about set his bone
should it break? Would you rebuild your emgime if were to break? If
not, why would you educate your own children? Breathing is easy, but
the ability to breathe does not make one a respiratory specialist.
I am a reading specialist and to summarize my years of experience
and training, reading and writing are extremely complex subjects. If
homeschooled children learn to read and write, it is due more to
luck than to some canned program used by a parent.
BTW, I have rebuilt a few engines in my time and it is way easier to
do than to teach reading and writing! It doesn't take much thought,
just thorough care and and the ability to follow lots of steps.
Finally, when you get that bad boy back in the car, it'll start and
it is good for another 140K miles. Children, on the other hand are
all different and require much more thought.

n 4/16/05, Anon. wrote:
> I am a psychologist---so I cannot speak to the daily classroom
> aspect of things directly, but certainly can make arguments for
> the special education needs and children with specific learning
> difficulties.
>
> I believe home-schooling is only as good as the parent(s) who
> provide it for their children. Some do a very creative, stellar
> job of networking with other parents who homeschool--thereby
> creating a mini-school of sorts because they link all of the
> children together. Some have a strong educational background
> with degrees that offer insight that may or may not be shared by
> others in public school or elsewhere...
>
> However, I do believe the social aspect is important. I cannot
> imagine growing up without the benefit of peer interaction and
> friendships that extend beyond small circles. In a world where
> so much is built upon networking, relationships,
> and "connections," it seems to be a disservice to not provide
> children with an extremely diverse, open, continuously available
> opportunity for the building and evolution of relationships.
>
> A good parental foundation will instill high character--
> regardless of whether that child is in a public school setting
> or homeschool setting; however, the exposure to diversity (both
> good and bad aspects of it) cannot be obtained through isolation-
> -except in perhaps the most rare of homeschooling environments
> where children are exposed to world cultures and social
> relationships at levels which are an anomoly to most
> homeschooling scenarios.
>
> Learning the fine art of social skills takes time to hone.
> Understanding various lifestyles, (whether or not you accept
> them), happening upon new opportunities--sometimes seemingly by
> chance, are things that homeschooling cannot usually bring to
> the table unless the situations are contrived. Granted, there
> are always exceptions to this rule and we all recognize that!
>
> As I said before, HS is only as good as the people who provide
> the education. I reflect upon one incident where a parent of a
> special needs child removed the child from the school and
> withdrew him from special education services because the parent
> thought the school wasn't doing enough to educate him properly.
> Well, the parent needed to sign forms that indicated the
> parents' wishes and removed the school from liability due to the
> fact that they declined special education services.
> Ironically....... the parent couldn't even read or write well
> enough to sign the forms! Yet he was going to homeschool the
> child!
>
> Yes, this is an extreme example...but it makes a point unto
> itself.
>
> Even as educators, we tend to teach what is comfortable and
> familiar to us---which is a double-edged sword. If parents do
> the same, there is the possibility that the child may get a
> greater education--or one that is less well-rounded. It's
> certainly a risk worth considering.
>
> Being an armchair teacher is much like being an armchair
> psychologist... I've met both and neither impress me. Nothing
> takes the place of true, highly-educated individuals teaching
> using proven techniques, research-based practices, and a dearth
> of well-rounded exposures to social, environmental, academic,
> and emotional issues through as many experiences as possible.
>
> I'm off my soap box...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 4/07/05, Anonymous wrote:
>> On 11/21/03, lisa wrote:
>>> On 11/20/03, Mrs. Ryals wrote:
>>>> I want to know what real teachers think about home
>>>> schooling. I personally had very bad experiences in public
>>>> school. Looking back I blame my parents for encouraging
>>>> mistrust of authority and being generally unhelpful when I
>>>> struggled with emotional problems. I can see now that my
>>>> teachers did everything they could.
>>>>
>>>> I'm about to buy a packaged pre-school/kindergarten
>>>> curriculum for my 3 year old. I'm excited about starting
>>>> the program, but I'd like some outsiders opinions on it. I
>>>> feel that most sites are strongly biased in favor of home
>>>> schooling and I really want another view point.
>>>>
>>>> I also want advice as to the possibility of placing him in
>>>> public school later. What would you want a parent to do to
>>>> prepare their home schooled child for public school?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks bunches,
>>>> Mrs. Ryals
>>>
>>>
>>> I am a kindergarten teacher and a mom of a 4 1/2 year old
>> and
>>> a 2 1/2 year old. I am going to honestly answer all you have
>>> asked.
>>>
>>> Prepackaged programs - I truly do not feel that a three year
>>> old needs a program. If you feel you need it as a
>> guideline,
>>> that is fine. Three year olds are active and busy little
>>> ones. Learning should be hands on and play based. It should
>>> also involve a lot of peer interaction. Art activities,
>>> stories, thinking skills are important things to work on.
>>>
>>> You also asked about placing back in the school system after
>>> homeschooling. If you do this I would recommend that you
>> try
>>> to keep your child at the same grade level as they would
>>> enter. If you unschool and don't push reading but then
>> place
>>> your child into a third grade class they will be behind.
>>>
>>> Onto my experience. I have a kindergartner from a
>>> homeschooling family right now. The mom homeschools the two
>>> boys and placed the girl with me. I assume that she will
>>> begin homeschooling in first grade. This child has good
>> rote
>>> skills. Social skills are my concern. She acts like a
>> baby.
>>> Talks like one, works like one. I am not saying it is
>>> because mom homeschools, but I will be concerned about her
>>> social development if she is homeschooled.
>>>
>>> Social development is the hot topic for homeschooling.
>>> Homeschoolers will assure you it is not a problem. As a
>>> kindergarten teacher so much of what we do in the classroom
>>> have a social or cooperative aspect to it. If you want to
>>> talk about this further I would be happy to share more.
>>>
>>> If you want to know anything else please let me know.
>>>
>>> Lisa
>>
>>
>> how sweet!

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Wanted: Real info on Homeschooling, 11/20/03, by Mrs. Ryals.
• Re: Wanted: Real info on Homeschooling, 11/21/03, by lisa.
• Re: Wanted: Real info on Homeschooling, 11/21/03, by Mrs. Ryals.
• Re: Wanted: Real info on Homeschooling, 11/24/03, by lisa.
• Re: Wanted: Real info on Homeschooling, 4/07/05, by Anonymous.
• Re: Homeschooling, 4/16/05, by Anon..
• Re: Homeschooling, 4/22/05, by Jim.