I’m really excited about sharing our journey as we explore homeschooling since so many people have expressed interest in hearing more about it. We are at the very beginning of collecting information, but having talked to several friends that homeschool and attending The Greater Homeschool Convention‘s southeastern conference in Greenville this past weekend, I can say we are pretty excited about learning more.
Before I jump in, please know that this post is only about why we are exploring homeschool, not why anyone else should. We feel this could be a really great fit for our family and just like any decision in food, fitness or life (Jen wrote a great post on the topic yesterday), it’s most important for you to decide what works best for you.
In that same vein, can we talk about the choices available for education these days? I’m a complete novice in this area, being that my oldest is 4 years old, but having friends with older kids, I’ve overheard discussion on everything from private to public to charter to University model programs to homeschool. Who knew?! Another interesting fact is that in North Carolina, the number of students enrolled in homeschool has now surpassed the number of children in private schools. It clearly seems to be a growing trend, at least in our area of the country, which is leading to more resources and co-ops emerging that are tailored to homeschoolers. Even Discovery Place, our local kids science museum, offers classes for homeschoolers taught by trained science and math instructors.
For a little background, I went to public school and David went to a blend of public then private. I had a great experience and think I turned out just fine (though others may question that statement- wink), so this choice clearly isn’t a result of a negative experience. I actually can’t remember exactly how homeschool first came up for discussion, since it wasn’t something I knew anything about growing up. However, having kids leads you to research all sorts of things you’ve never thought of before (my google has seen some crazy search items!) and homeschool happened to pop up as one of those things. Before we knew it I was hearing about all sorts of people and friends who chose homeschool, watching TED talks and researching options.
Now with that lengthy introduction, here are a few reasons we are leaning in that direction for our family.
Ability to connect academic lessons with real life experience. I love the idea of helping my children learn by making as many connections to a subject as possible. The idea of “studying” butterflies- their symmetry, patterns, life cycle, etc- then going hunting for cocoons in the yard and visiting the butterfly house thrills me. Learning fractions? Let’s get in the kitchen and cook together. Perhaps when the girls are a little older it will be learning about the Civil War, then visiting Gettysburg. I know for me, the more real life connections and applications to a concept, the better I am able to comprehend and hold onto information.
Flexibility of schedule. For day to day life and for any future plans, the ability to manipulate our school day schedule and “do school” from anywhere has a high appeal.
Ability to devote more time to the child’s interests/talents/passions. Hailey is still a little young, but already shows interest in art, piano and dance (I know, I know, don’t all kids?!), but I really get excited about the idea of having more time to help her explore those areas in addition to traditional academic subjects.
Being able to move through subjects at a pace that fits her individually. I like the idea of tailoring academics to a style of learning that works best for her. I want to help foster more in depth learning in areas she is excited about and interested in it, as well as be able to help her tackle areas in which she may not be as naturally proficient.
Having the extra time with them. Any parent ever will tell you that the days are long but the years are short. I can’t even believe I have a FOUR year old. Life is happening right now and happening fast. I’m pretty open about how much I love being home with my girls, and having more time to be with them and helping them grow is enticing.
The ability to tailor both academics and ethics/morals in the direction we feel is important for future success and happiness as they grow into young women.
Like I said, we are at the beginning of our journey. We’ve established why we are interested and are now in the researching phase. We have found a program we are excited about the possibility of for preschool/kindergarten. However we still have more people to talk to and another conference to attend before making any decisions. I know there will be challenges, just like with any educational choice, and we are committed to taking things day by day. Just like any parents, we are trying to make the best choices for our family.
I’d love to hear from you.
Many of you have told me that you currently are (or are interested in) homeschooling your children. I’d love to hear why you chose to do so, what method/curriculum you went with, what you enjoy, what challenges you face and how it’s going overall (quite a lot to ask, right?!).
If you’ve gone another educational route, I’d love to hear the same!
This continues to be a great conversation I’ve had with many of my girlfriends as we all try to find the best fits for our families, openly weighing the pros and cons of each. I have friends that have children in public school, charter school, homeschool, private school and the university model who are all thrilled with their choices.
All (respectful) comments are welcome, as I love nothing more than a real conversation and would love to hear your thoughts.
Jaci says
I have definitely tossed around the idea of home-schooling my son. We have some of the best schools in the country in Iowa so it has never been a quality issue. My son has cystic fibrosis so he can get sick easier than most. I’ve considered it to protect his health. But, in the end I think it’s best for him to attend school outside the home.
I don’t think that home schooling should make a child feel “different” in any way. But I think making a decision to home school BECAUSE of his CF is a great way to make him feel “different.” He will get sick, whether we keep him home or not, and being in school will help him see that he just has to do more health care than most but otherwise life is the same as everyone else.
I think home schooling can be a great fit for many families, and I’m so excited to follow your journey!
Leah says
I was homeschooled so I may have a different perspective on things. I went to a private school for kindergarten, was homeschooled from 1st through 7th and went to public school 8th through 12th. I am happy that I was homeschooled when I was and I got to experience more than if I was not homeschooled. I am also happy I went to school when I did. Academically in 8th grade I was in honors classes and have had no issues since. Socially I had issues because it was the first time I ever had the opportunity to pick my own friends. My mom had always controlled who I spent time with when I was homeschooled. There was an adjustment period for sure, but I think it all turned out good. My 3 siblings were also homeschooled and I think they feel the same way I do.
Now that I have kids if my own I have thought about homeschooling. But ultimately it most likely would not ever be an option for us. I do plan on encouraging and supplementing what I can at home as I do believe where we live public education is lacking. Right now my daughter is in a great preschool and I believe she benefits from being there and also benefits from learning at home.
Good luck with homeschooling if that is what you do! I have great memories growing up and wouldn’t change my education for anything.
Haley @ Hobson Homestead says
Glad you are being so open about this. Yes we have thought about homeschooling a bit. Or should I say my husband loves the idea and I’m trying to figure out how to find the time to do that with day-to-day stuff. But as my younger ones are getting older, I’m beginning to realize it may be possible. I love the idea of tailored learning, and being able to really connect with my middle son, who may get labeled at school just because he’s always moving and never still or super focused. The socialization aspect has always put me more against homeschooling, but compared to when I grew up, so many businesses and organizations accommodate homeschoolers especially when it comes to building community. I’m sure we’ll figure out our plans when we’re one the road this year, and doing some Pre-K stuff will give me a chance to test the waters a bit. Homeschooling sounds so overwhelming, but I know the payoff could be huge!
kate says
It’s really interesting to see the differences across the pond. Here in Germany, homeschooling is not even an option. We have great schools where we live and I work full-time so even if it were a legal option, it wouldn’t be one that I personally would be persuing. But I understand the attraction of being in control of the curriculum, the pace, the methods of learning, etc that comes with homeschooling.
Lisa says
We did not ever consider homeschooling; I knew early on that it was not something we could do well, and we have great schools available to us, so I didn’t worry about it.
For the pp who talked about being concerned that her son would be labeled because of his activity level, in our experience (we’re in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools), that has not happened. My son is very active. When he was younger, his teachers all assured me that he was ‘typical’ for a boy of his age. He’s now 11 and still has trouble sitting still, but gets great grades and is well above grade level in all subjects.
Brittany, when you’re looking at options, make sure to explore magnet schools. Our kids are both in a TD/Gifted school and they are thriving. They get to drill down into topics that interest them, don’t get stuck learning with the group (once they show mastery of a topic, they move on, either to an enrichment project or the next subject), and generally have great teachers. It’s pretty amazing.
In the end, it’s about what will work well for you and your family. And remember, no matter what model you start with, you can always make a change if it doesn’t work for you! Good for you for taking the time to research now, and for being open to discussion on the topic.
danielle says
Homeschooling isn’t really something we have considered or (honestly) have any interest in. But, education is at the top of everyone’s conversation list right now where I am from. Our state supreme court determined that we have unconstitutional funding for our public schools, leaving just a few more months to figure it out before the 2016-17 school year. Our governor came out last week saying that the was no certainty that our public schools would even open in the fall. I mean, can you even imagine?! Our kiddos are in Catholic schools, so they won’t be affected directly, but man….
Shauna says
Are you in KS??
Liz says
I currently teach 7th and 8th grade in a faith-based (Catholic) private school. My daughter is currently in Kindergarten at the same school I teach. I love having her with me during the day (even though I don’t physically see her very often) and my second child will be here next year. I believe the school I teach in is and will be the best choice for our family. I feel like I have the best of both worlds since I have my children in close proximity to me, but I am entrusting licensed teachers to lay the academic foundation for them.
I think researching and deciding what is best for your own family is really the best way to decide what is right for your children. I have never considered homeschooling myself, but I give you a lot of credit for researching your options and starting early.
Megan says
My concern (and why I chose public) was worrying about them missing out on the social aspects- I remember recess,lunch,riding the bus bring the best parts. How are you planning to handle that part and making sure they have socialization skills? Your girls are lovely- thanks for sharing your experience.
Heather says
One of the main reasons my husband and I have chosen to stay in Minnesota is because the schools are good and it’s a pretty safe place to live. Neither of us are fond of the winters and we have talked about moving elsewhere, but most of the time it comes down to quality of education and safety. I’ve pondered homeschooling as a way of giving us more options in terms of where we live, depending of course on groups in the area that also homeschool. I feel it’s so important that our kids still have time to play and interact with other children, so I think being a part of a co op would be a necessity (for us). I love the idea of being able to actually mix education with hands-on activities that are useful and to get to explore and have some freedom in terms of schedule. I homeschooled my last two years of high school and I managed to graduate early and get my grades up. I struggled with social drama and I feel like my also highly sensitive son would benefit from homeschooling. There are so many days where he’s overwhelmed from being at preschool all day, and I think being able to spend more time with him would be such a gift.
Melissa says
I’m a teacher is a public school and plan to send my children to public. We are planning to house hunt and move before my oldest starts kindergarten in a year and a half with this in mind. I love being with my boys, but I know I can’t be everything to them . My oldest does better in a group environment and likes to be around other kids all the time. I worked with many amazing teachers and I feel like my boys would be missing out to not experience different leadership and relationships.
Another big reason though is that while I have the creativity as a teacher, I don’t know that I have the stamina/self discipline to perform as my children’s teacher. You listed several great examples of connecting learning to real life and I think you’d be great at it!
Best of luck to you and all the other mama’s out there working hard for their families!
lindsay says
i homeschool my kids. third year for my oldest, first for my middle child, then i have a two year old and one on the way. All girls. We love it for the most part. It can be hard butting heads with your kids occasionally since we are together 24/7 but it takes like 1/5 of the tie so we have so much extra time. My husbands schedule isnt a normal 9-5 so we adjust to spend more family time together.
We do classical conversations to supplement abeka. CC gives them a teacher, 8 classmates, recess and lunch time with their friends once a week. They exchange valentines and dress up for halloween giving them some “normal” school aspects.
i honestly am taking ityear to year and not necessarily in for through high school. But a week ago, i was at cc chasing my littlest around at lunch and saw the middle school group eating lunch together. Listening to their conversations (yes eavesdropping) made me want to continue on. They were so respectful and kind to each other. such a diverse group of kids and they were having REAL conversation. They werent wearing low cut shirts talking about hooking up, etc. It scares me sending my kid into todays world at such a young age. Right now I am influencing her and preparing her for situations before she is just throwninto them. You can not fathom what some of my friends kids come home knowing in 2nd grade! Things i didnt know until high school. my daughter plays sports with public and private school kids and fits in great. Her friends are actually jealous she is homeschooled.
Kelly says
Highly recommend abeka’s video school program for high school. My sister and I both went through it and supplemented with dual credit classes at the local community college as well. My mom’s doing CC with my youngest sister right now. They both really enjoy it.
Elaine says
I haven’t even had my baby yet – he’s due in July – but this post really made me think about homeschooling. We currently live in a county with the best school system in the entire state, but the flexibility of the schedule really resonated with me. A few years ago my husband took a great job where he works 12 hour shifts, Wed, Thurs, Fri and then is off the rest of the week pretty much (his schedule does vary a bit) and now he’s working from home most of those days. I also have my own home-based business. We are able to do a lot of things that a lot of people aren’t able to and the thought of a 5 day a week school schedule makes me cringe! Obviously we have plenty of time to figure it all out and we’ll probably be in a different place by then anyway. It’s just good to keep in the back of my mind.
Bailey says
If there ever was a mom that would be an amazing homeschool mom, it would be you!
Lyndsey says
I wen to public school growing up. There’s certainly something socially that you cannot get from homeschooling that I think would be missed. Bus rides, recess, lunch, even just talking after you’ve gotten off of the bus after school are still remembered as some of the best times. Group projects and the anticipation of a class field trip. All of my best friends lived in my neighborhood and we met by being on the same bus and sometimes in the same classes. Those were life long friendships that felt natural (not my parents forcing play groups on me) etc.
There’s a book out there “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” and although you could certainly teach some of these topics, a lot of them are learned behaviors. Moreso, I could see how homeschool younger children may be beneficial, but I really worry about what happens when they are older. Having girlfriends, passing notes, walking home without you there etc.
Katherine Hurst says
I don’t even have kids, but I can offer perspective from the other side, as someone who was homeschooled from 1st grade through! To sum it up, I LOVED it. For all the reasons you listed and more. I was a quiet kid, but advanced, and frankly was bored in the public school setting. I also had lots of interests outside of a “classic” classroom offering, and homeschooling allowed us to really focus in on those things, incorporate them into our lessons, etc. The flexibility of schedules was amazing, and the school days are much shorter, leaving way more time for extracurricular stuff! Everyone always asks me, “but how did you make friends?”, but I personally never had any issues with that. There was a large homeschool community in our area, so we did co-ops and classes together on a weekly basis, especially as we all got older. The moms who had degrees in science or math would host biology or math classes for all of us, one mom had her masters in English, and taught a 4 year English program for highschoolers (she still does this, even though her kids are grown). I never once felt lonely, deprived of friendships, and I am still close with many of the people I grew up with. Plus, I found that the homeschooling community teaches you to socialize well with people of all ages, not just your grade classmates, since you are frequently around younger and older folks all at once. I graduated highschool just fine, got good SAT scores, went on to get my B.S. from a major university, and had a great childhood school experience!
I think it’s awesome you are exploring this option!
SHU says
Great post! Since I work full time (by choice 🙂 ), I don’t think homeschool would be a realistic option for us. That said, if I didn’t, I would absolutely consider it. I agree with everyone’s point above about the social aspect being missing, but there are so many groups today that I think this would be a non-issue. I am already stressed about schools being so focused on test-taking, and having such limited opportunities to explore the arts. In our case, a private school may be the best compromise, but our area’s public elementary school has an excellent reputation and so we will give that a go first.
Right now, both kids go to a religious (jewish) small private school with Emilio Reggio philosophy and they (and I) LOVE it.
SHU says
(but it stops at kindergarten 🙂 )
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
I’m so interested in reading about your journey through home schooling, if you decide to do it. I have no aversion to it at all. I remember when I first read about Pioneer Woman & that she home schooled her children. I was baffled but also so intrigued. From what I’ve seen of homeschooling it never really seems like the kids have social problems. They can still join team sports, have play dates, friends, etc. They also always seem to be incredibly educated.
I don’t think it’s something David and I would do because I don’t think I’d feel confident in teaching our children…is that horrible? lol. It’s intriguing though because California has a terrible school system. In our area, I feel like it’s just really awful. It’s a huge concern for us. 🙁
Christina says
Great post! Homeschooling fascinates me, although I don’t think it’s a good fit for our family at this point in our lives. But I do see the benefits of letting kids have a hand in directing their learning, and seeing the real-life applications of what they learn. I used to think that kids who were homeschooled would miss out on the socialization aspect of a more traditional school program, but you are right, there are so many great coops and opportunities out there for home school kids to socialize with others, that I don’t really see that as a deterrent anymore. Look forward to hearing more about your journey!
Rachel says
I like that you’re looking into all these options for the girls, especially in NC (where I live as well) because I know there are a lot of controversial things happening in the public school system here right now. I was homeschooled as a kid. I actually hated it.. and I don’t say that to deter you from doing it, but to maybe offer some suggestions. I was a super outgoing, social kid, and homeschooling kept me pretty isolated from everyone other than my mother. All of my friends went to school together so I always felt like I was missing out on something each day. My biggest suggestion would be to network with other homeschooled kids as much as possible. That way they won’t feel “left out” of the group that’s going to public school together, and they also will be able to socialize. I imagine things have probably come a long way since I was a kid so there is probably much more opportunity to do this 🙂 I WILL say that when I entered public school after being homeschooled, I was way far ahead of other kids in my class. I definitely credit that to being given one on one teaching and being able to go at my own pace. And even with that all being said, I think sometimes that I would like to homeschool my future kids, if only because I don’t agree with a lot that is happening in the public schools right now. I guess I should probably HAVE kids before I make any radical decisions though 😉
Becca says
I absolutely love your blog and think you are a wonderful mom, so this comment is not meant to sound negative, it’s just an opinion. You have really great public schools in your area. Seems like some of the things you mentioned– like the butterfly example, connecting academics with real life, and devoting time to their individual passions are things that, as parents, we should do and are able to do anyways and not instead of traditional school. In my opinion– Your experiences and abilities only go so far and your kids will benefit from them no matter what, but a school and professional teachers have additional expertise and create experiences (both social and academic) that are also valuable and contribute to developing an educated and well-rounded person.
A says
I don’t know that its something I could do as a parent for several reasons, but I just wanted to address the commenters concerned about socialization. While I understand the concern, my husband was homeschooled K-12 and he’s better at socializing than I am! He always had plenty of interaction with his siblings, homeschool co-ops, activities (guitar, volunteering, basketball, church), and university classes in high school. It set him up so well to be able to teach himself almost anything, and is now a resident physician in a competitive specialty. It was the right choice for him, but certainly not all kids.
Kelly says
I went to public school for kindergarten and then was homeschooled 1st-12th. I loved it and so did my two sisters. I plan to homeschool my kids as well. The curriculum my mom used with my middle sister and I was Abeka. She taught us one on one through 6th grade, then we both did Abeka’s video school from 6th through high school (they film a classroom at a private school in Pensacola and we watch it at home). During the last few years of high school we were able to take dual credit classes at our local community college which was a big help. My littlest sister is still at home being homeschooled and they’re using a curriculum called Classical Conversations. I never felt like I missed out on the “social” aspect of life (a common misunderstanding about homeschooled kids). Nor did any of us have a lack of friends. If anything, I think we had more opportunities to socialize as we had a LOT more free time to get out and DO things. Good luck in your search!
Julie says
I think you would do GREAT w/ homeschooling! I agree it’s not for everyone, but I think you would be fantastic at it. I have a friend who homeschooled her kids (she had a teaching degree, which certainly helps, but there’s a lot of support available for those who don’t) & the flexibility factor was HUGE! Also, since she was only focusing on her 2 children (& not a classroom of 20), she was able to finish their lessons in the morning on most days & they had the afternoons free for other activities. She was also able to easily rearrange their schedules to accommodate family trips. Her kids both flourished under homeschooling. Eventually she felt they would benefit more from a public and/or private school setting (they tried private 1st & ultimately ended up in public) as the kids matured, & they acclimated just fine. As far as socialization goes, in our state (IA) there are many programs available for homeschoolers to get together & take field trips, & they are also welcome to attend the extra-curricular classes (ie. music, PE, sports teams, etc.) at the public schools. Homeschooling is just so much more prevalent now than it was when I was in school (I’m 46), & I think there’s a reason for that. If I had been in a situation where I was able to homeschool my daughter (I was a single mom for most of her childhood & worked full-time), I probably would have jumped at the chance. And remember, you can always re-evaluate your decision annually if it’s not all you hoped it would be. Good luck!
Beth says
Claire is starting Kindergarten in the fall and I have wished more than once that I was the type of mom that could do homeschooling, but I’m self-aware enough to know we would never stay on task. 🙂 With that said, I was also looking for options other than traditional public schools where we live. We found out last week she was accepted to a dual language immersion charter school and I am so excited!
Melissa says
Your reasoning sounds about like ours.
We’ve done quite a bit of literature based curriculum, which has been a lovely bonding experience and has cultivated a love of great books.
The time it allows for pursuing other interests has also been beneficial. My daughter, for example, has recently become interested in musical theatre. She takes a theatre dance class that starts when most kids in the public schools aren’t yet home from school. Ibam glad that she has the flexibility to pursue this interest.
Both my kids have gotten involved in an amazing robotics program. They are on a team with other homeschoolers, which allows them more time and flexibility to work on their projects. This in turn allows them to go deeper than they might otherwise be able to. Through this, my son has discovered an interest in, and a real knack for, computer programming.
It is not all rainbows and butterflies. We have hard days like anyone else. We don’t always enjoy getting down to the nitty gritty of grammar and math, which are things I consider important to learn whether or not they are areas of particular delight. We’ve done a lot of trial and error over the years, seeking out curricula that fits each child’s needs, preferences and learning style. Through the ups and downs, so far the good has definitely outweighed the bad. I am so privileged to share this journey with my kids!
Best of luck to you and your family as you explore the many possibilities!
Alison says
HI! I was homeschooled 4th grade – high school and attended a co-op for middle school and high school. I wouldn’t change my education experience for the world – I consider myself “well-rounded” (as much as anyone would when they’re critiquing themselves!). I received academic scholarships for college and am finishing up my Master’s degree now; I have a solid support group of friends and am in a stable, long-term relationship.
I have to admit, it’s always annoyed me when people comment about the “socialization” aspects of homeschooling. When kids are younger, social opportunities present themselves in a variety of situations, not just at school. It’s largely up to the parents to seek out social opportunities for their young children, even if those children go to school. Once kids get into middle and high school, how much of their academic day is supposed to be spent socializing? I work in a job where I am in and out of schools daily, and students are expected to sit and learn, not “socialize” during school hours. As a homeschooled student, I had a peer group of friends that I saw almost every day of the week, and (other than big events like homecoming and prom) had the same socialization opportunities as my friends who went to public and high school.
Granted, I know plenty of people who were homeschooled and are socially awkward, but I also know plenty of people who went to public / private schools and have struggled with social issues. I think the family unit and the support that the child receives at home has much more impact on the social skills of the child than just their educational experience. Hope that helps balance out some of the concerns about socialization!
Alison says
One more note – the best things that I feel I learned from being homeschooled (and that have helped me succeed the most in my career) are being self-motivated and critical thinking. Being homeschooled instilled a great work ethic in me – I wasn’t just finishing a project or learning the material for a test, instead I was given the opportunity to pursue opportunities that turned out to be lifelong passions. I learned how to think critically by attending a homeschool co-op that continually challenged me to consider why things worked the way they worked, why I believed what I believed, and how those choices should impact both my day to day life and long-term planning. I feel like I interacted a lot more with the material I was presented with in my higher education classes because I had been taught how to be a critical thinker (respectfully)!
Bethany says
I love hearing that you’re leaning towards homeschool. I’m going to have to check back here more regularly now to stay on top of your homeschooling journey. We’re in a similar boat age wise- I had a 3 year old girl and a 17 month old girl. We have just begun homeschooling our 3 year old for preschool (she’s almost 3 1/2). We’re not using any curriculum at this point- I’m just being intentional about providing developmentally appropriate and challenging activities (like stringing pony beads on pipe cleaners for fine motor skills and to talk about patterns and colors, that type of thing) and learning as we go (like we went to vote today so I explained the basic idea of what voting is, or we look for certain letters in signs while shopping). But I’m really excited about homeschooling for the same reasons you listed above. I live in NC too by the way and I agree, there really are SO MANY homeschooling resources around here! Looking forward to following your homeschool journey.
Verna says
We are homeschooling our oldest. My 2nd child is only 4 so we’re just playing a little bit with her, practicing writing, colors, shapes, etc. We have 4 kids so a large part was just for the ease. No packing kids up to drop off at school, no missed naps to pick anyone up, and less GERMS. I like the idea of us spending the majority of our days together. I want my kids to have a close relationship with each other and it seems like homeschooling would help that. I have 2 boys and boys like to MOVE, so that was another big factor. The rest are ones you listed, moving at their pace, applying things we learn to life, etc. Some days are hard but being the one to hear my son read for the FIRST time was AWESOME!
Marci says
I have no interest in this for my family, but I’m fascinated by your research and want to hear more. My son has been in school/daycare every week day since 5 months and I’m very glad for that. My second son will start when he’s 15 months three mornings a week. I feel that my older son is very bright and I can supplement his learning when he’s home and with our choice of extra activities and personalized learning. Both at Jewish private preschools. My older son behaves so much better at school than at home. We would not be a good fit together that much. Looking forward to hearing more.
Sue says
I come from a huge family full of teachers… around 30 of us, ranging in grades K-College. We all cringe at the word “homeschool”. I would advise that unless you actually have a background in teaching, leave it to an actual educator and supplement outside of school hours.
Ashley M. at (never)homemaker says
I’d love to explore homeschooling, but since Ada’s of kindergarten age next year (insane — NY’s cutoff is December 1st — we are pushing to get her in an “early” kindergarten program unique to our district that would give her another year buffer before common core) . . . I’ll have a 3-month-old, and I don’t see it happening. Plus, I have to continue working 20-30 hours part-time with freelancing. I don’t think we’d have the time to fit everything in at this stage of life. But my husband is a public school teacher, and I know that with the quality schools in our district along with our desire to make those real-life connections to her class material, she’ll do great. I absolutely loved going to school. Ada’s also a social butterfly, and while I know many areas across the country have wonderful opportunities for home schoolers to socialize — it just isn’t that way where we live. Thankfully, we’re in a great district and I have a lot of confidence in the schools here. I also know a lot of the teachers personally, so aside from the standardized testing (which — do homeschool kids take those as well?) — I think we’re set. Of course, in an ideal world, I would like to explore more options.
Steph says
I love the idea of home schooling, particularly for younger children. From what I’ve seen (and my oldest is younger than yours, so obviously not a ton), many preschools and kindergartens have a much more academic focus than what is recommended by ECE experts. The ability to learn through play and experience is so important, even through elementary and middle school (and always, really), and homeschooling is such a great option during those years.
I think the biggest draw back, for me, is that eventually I would need to transition to traditional school. Although I did well in school, I don’t have the confidence in my ability to teach higher level math and science concepts that are necessary foundations for high school, college and any graduate level education. With that taken into consideration, I worry about the social aspect of being home schooled for a time, and then transitioning to traditional school. Children form cliques from a young age (whether we like it or not), and I worry about setting my children up to fail socially.
It’s a tough decision, and one that I think I’ll be giving more time to as we get closer to school aged. Luckily, for now, we’ve got an excellent non-traditional 2-day preschool to ease into things 🙂
Jerrica says
I live in a very interesting part of the country-silicon valley. We moved here 2 years ago when my oldest was 4 and that is ALL anyone talks about. School. There are two extremes here, either poorly rated schools or extremely highly rated ones. Obviously, poorly rated schools don’t get a lot of funding but the highly ranked schools have a lot of competitive issues. The suicide rates at our high schools are ridiculous because everyone is so competitive. We thought long and hard about the right choice for our kids. Private schools cost over $20K a year here which we didn’t find reasonable. I gave homeschooling a lot of consideration but I really felt like I couldn’t fill the social aspect for them. We moved away from all of our family and it can be very lonely at times. I really felt they needed to ‘plant their roots’ so that they feel like a part of this new place. It has worked out incredibly well so far-it’s our first year. My son adores school. He is excelling at certain things and not at others and that is ok! He loves going to school and he has made some solid friendships that I hope continue in the future. I am doing homeschool preschool now with my 4 yr old because preschool is just as expensive and I can tell that homeschooling would not work for us. There is just something that isn’t right and I can feel it. There is just something missing…its strange how we can get these feelings that we can’t put words to but we just know. You know?!
Jackie says
We recently moved to MA and selected our location based on the schools. We have opted to send our oldest to a private pre-K and most likely will send her to a private kindergarten too (mostly b/c these grades are only 1/2 a day and we are looking for full day). We will use public schools in later years. My cousins were all homeschooled (more for religious reasons). It is interesting to read about your reasons for home schooling. I do love the customizing/flexibility aspect, as well as being able to spend more time with the kiddos! It is great that is an option you can even consider! I’ve never seriously considered homeschooling for two reasons: 1) the social aspect as others have mentioned (I am sure that there are opportunities I could create, but I have VERY social children who thrive with interaction with other kids) and 2) my oldest daughter’s learning style is SOOO different from my own that I see her do and learn so much more from her peers and outside teacher that I do not know I could give her what she needs (if I had to I could probably figure out a way to adjust, but I love to see the things she comes up with at school!)
Lauren Brennan says
We have also decided to give homeschooling a go, but it won’t be for another year or so as Jackson is only 3 1/2 right now. As for our reasons for choosing it…. Basically everything you wrote in this post. Wish we could do a co-op together! 🙂
Chantal says
We have gone back and forth on homeschooling vs private vs public. We’ve decided we won’t do public school (doesn’t align with our views on education) but I’m not 100% committed to homeschooling yet. I love the same things as you – flexibility, pace, opportunities for learning – but I clash with my daughter’s spirited personality, so I’m not sure if I have the wherewithal to handle her! We’re military and living in Korea, and she’s attending an awesome preschool here. She has learned and grown so much since we enrolled her! We’re moving at the end of the year, and one possible duty station has a cool school where it’s 2 days a week, but you homeschool the other 3 days based off of a curriculum set by the teachers. I like this idea, so we will probably go that route if we end up there. In a few years, I’m hoping to attend school full-time, and will have to send the kids off to school… but who knows? These decisions are HARD!!
Avery Raley says
I love hearing your take on homeschooling! My husband and I decided before we had kids that we’d really like to homeschool, as we had the privilege of being surrounded by and observing many homeschool families in our last city. For us it was a blend of wanting to keep their education biblically based and also have a more hands on learning style. I went to Montessori, private and public school all before 6th grade and looking back I feel like the differences between them were pretty profound. As it turns out, the church where my husband works is also host to a private Christian school which means our kids will all have access to free tuition as long as he’s there. Hearing how great the school was (and the fact that my husband works in the same building) sort of gave us an opportunity we couldn’t refuse. So we’re starting there with preschool, but down the road we may choose to switch to homeschool! We’ll take it one year at a time. I had no idea homeschoolers had surpassed private schoolers in this area. That’s crazy! Looking forward to hearing more about it as you go along!
Elizabeth says
So much of our family has decided to homeschool. Everyone that is homeschooled has had a curriculum that their parents decided on and also attend a homeschool coop. The coops are all Christian based. One of my SILs that does it with the oldest 2 that are in middle school sticks to a daily schedule: wake at certain time, do family chores, exercise, academic study, lunch at certain time, etc. Another one of my SILs with younger elementary school aged kids is more flexible. All of them have taken advantage of connecting education to real life experiences, one family went on a month long road trip across the country last year traveling out west & looping back through Gettysburg.
All kids have access to great public education. For whatever reason, each family has decided to have all/some of their kids homeschooled. I just did the math and of the school aged neices/nephews I have 82% of them have been homeschooled at one time (between all of us there are 20 kids). When the kids have gotten to high school, they have attended public school. I think that they have used My Father’s World curriculum and even some khan academy things.
The idea of educating my kids feels like a daunting task. It’s a lot to take on! My brother & his wife have decided to homeschool their daughter next year too.
I’m glad you’re writing about this!! I’m interesting to hear your perspectives!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables says
First I must admit that I have spent the kids ENTIRE nap time on reading your posts and the comments! Ha! We are definitely looking into homeschooling. Louisville has a busing system that buses your kids all over the city- there is no going to school in your community. No thanks… It will either be private school (which entails me going back to work), getting the kids into the magnet school program, OR homeschooling. I am leaning towards homeschooling ONLY IF I an do a coop program. I don’t feel like I am patient enough to teach my kids on a daily basis, and Baby D NEEDS to be around other kids or else he gets too cranky and hyper. Thankfully, homeschooling and coops are very common here. I have lots of friends who homeschool so I have a great support system. I so wish we lived closer and could do this together. I’m all about the math and science, but the language arts and English portion will have to be done by someone much more equipped. Can’t wait to follow your journey girl!
Lara says
As a former teacher turned home-school parent, I can comment on a few things people have mentioned above.
Socialization: most people raise this as something against homeschooling, however, I’ve found it to be the opposite. While in school for 7 hours, my boys had approximately 1 hour of time available to talk to others – recess, lunch, and the bus ride. All of the other time is spent in class, going to other classrooms, the bathroom….and mostly being told to be quiet. As homeschoolers we actually have a lot more time to socialize – with co-op friends, neighborhood families, community groups – and not everyone is the same age! We also have more time to travel and be involved in sports because we get our work done and don’t have homework. I could see some people fearing a lack of socialization, but it really hasn’t worked out that way for us.
Academics – I am a licensed teacher, so I know some of the nuts and bolts of phonics, etc. that might not be obvious to everyone. However, that info is out there and available to anyone who is interested in learning! There are great curriculums that go from complete “school in a box” to topical studies related to physics, chemistry, ancient history, etc. No teacher is an expert on everything they teach, and some aren’t at anything. But, by homeschooling I’ve found I’ve learned as much as the kids have and we have really enjoyed learning together. We can also take it as far and as deep as we want, which is very helpful in helping the kids make connections between the things we learn and the real world. We still take time to work on the basics – reading, writing and math – but devote an equal amount of time to topical studies. Right now my kids are trying to figure out why some fruits and veggies make better “batteries” than others!
Good luck on your journey!
Emma says
My son is only 16 months old, but I am very interested in homeschooling! I loved your post, and have already been perusing the links. Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us. I recently found a blog called Tot School, so this all fits in together for me and makes me so excited to start teaching my son new things! I am looking forward to reading more about your decisions and experiences with homeschooling.
Anne says
We learn a lot at school, social skills, trust, hierarchy, autonomy but we also get to have other role models; I would never have done a phD in french litterature without the inspiration of my excellent French teacher in ninth grade, it was a magical, something clicked… I would have hated to have my mother always with me, I really needed space and liberty to explore life by myself, to learn by myself all things and to make mistakes.
JennyV says
My sister has chosen to homeschool her 3 daughters and it was a controversial subject for my family for awhile (we have quite a few teachers in our family.) What it comes down to is that it is YOUR family and what works best for you might not work best for someone else and vice versa. I’ve seen amazing aspects of homeschooling — my nieces are extremely advanced, inquisitive, and ask so many great questions. Now, I can’t say if that’s because of, in spite of homeschool vs. public school, or simply due to who they are — but it’s a great things to see! They are so social – in their community they have a huge co-op, have their own homeschool dance classes (can be held during the day and not in the evening) and tons of field trip activities.
I don’t know if/when I have children that I will follow this same path (simply because I’m not sure of my own organization and desire to teach) but I respect her choice so much! I want to raise up children with a strong sense of self, assuredness, and questioning. Sometimes I feel that the public school system simply caters to the middle — not challenging where challenges could be encouraged. I am a product of public school and I had a fine experience — I just don’t know if today’s public school system is the same one that I grew up in the 90s-00s.
Take it a year at a time!
Sarah says
I am a teacher in public schools, however, as the oldest of 5 siblings in my own family, I was the only one NOT homeschooled at some point in my own schooling career. I completely see the benefits of homeschooling, many of which you named above. Although, as a 3rd grade teacher, I’ve also had students come into my classroom who have previously been homeschooled. Not only have some of these students lacked the academic knowledge and rigor that they missed out on, they’ve also lacked social skills and adaptability – which in my opinion is just as important as academics.
This is definitely not to say that this is the case with all homeschooled children AT ALL! Many homeschooled students are extremely bright and very social. I would just caution you to make sure that you are staying up to date and up to par with the standards that your girls would be working on were they in public/private school to ensure they have an equal footing with the students who are in school. I would also encourage you to have your girls in programs and around other children their age in order to learn important social skills and how to work and get along with others (which considering Hailey’s interest in art and dance, shouldn’t be a problem. 🙂 ).
All in all, though, I think homeschooling is a fabulous option and works very well for many children/families!
tanya says
This is my 3rd year homeschooling. We love it(most days). We chose to homeschool for most of the reasons you listed here. We Started out using Hearts of Dakota for Pre K and Kindergarten. For first grade we switched him to an online school called Time for learning. He LOVES it,which doesn’t surprise me considering he is so smart with electronics already. Next year I think we will join a co-op so he can go to class with friends once a week. I’m sure if this is the path you choose you will not regret it 🙂
Aimee says
I have to say that I’m a wee bit envious that you have this choice. Here in Spain, it’s not legal to homeschool. And I can’t believe that in North Carolina there are now more homeschooled kids than there are in private schools! It really is a trend. How amazing is that?