Homeschool World Forum

rehn_ · User Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Oregon

Hi,

I'm a highschooler working on her senior project. I was just wondering if I could get an unbiased set of pros and cons of homeschooling from real people who homeschool. Thanks.

Mark · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: A quick question

Decrease · User Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 125 Location: Verona VA

Thanks for utilizing our resource here. First, I doubt anyone you talk to will say that they are unbiased. Everyone, homeschoolers or non-homeschoolers are biased. Yet, here are some positives as I see it.

1. Curriculum choices. The education philosophy of the public school is extremely limited and thus faulty. Homeschoolers have more control over the curruculum's philosophy and focus. For instance, I focus on a more classical approach to education whereas some here may focus on another philosophy. We can reject bad philosophies quicker and we are the ones making the final decision.

2. At our own pace. A child who has more difficulty in math will not get left behind in homeschooling. A child who excels in science can go faster and explore things more in-depth.

3. Do better things. I know people who joined a Shakespeare club to study Shakespeare where a worldwide expert taught on his novels. I know homeschoolers who organized a robotics group. I know a child who was interested in dental work so, at the age of 13, they were able to assist a dentist three times a week to see what the job entailed. I heard this quote this week and thought I would share it, "It is not that homeschoolers are better teachers but that homeschoolers teach better things.

4. I hear about the homework most kids get in public schools. Hey, all our work is homework and we get all our work done, including homework, in less time it takes you to complete a day at school.

5. We do not have to stop. I do not stop for the summer, though we do scale down at times. For our math, the first 40 something lessons were form the previous years book. Well, if you go into the next book, you are 40 lessons ahead, about 1/4 of the book. In other words, my child begins the book 8 weeks ahead in lessons and begins the book before other kids start class. By Christmas, my child has completed the book and has moved onto the next grade level, which she will have to start over 40 lessons into the book because of all the review.

Negatives:

1. Government intrusion
2. Expense
3. Time (there are some weeks the time issue is an issue.
4. Ridicule