Friday, January 7, 2011
Two Thumbs Up for Home Schoolers!
Thirty years ago the U.S. boasted only 20,000 home schooled students. Today, the number is two million and growing. Not only that but studies show that home schooled students are more successful than many of their traditionally schooled peers. Read about it here. And if you home school give yourselves a big high five. If you know home schoolers congratulate them. And if you are fortunate to know someone who homeschooled in the early days, thank them for blazing the trail. It's a lot easier for home schoolers today because they cleared the path for those who came later. And a great big thank you to HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association). They have filled the gap for many home schoolers challenged by hostile school systems.
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I am curious as to why you are so pro-homeschooling. While I certainly think that people should have the right to homeschool if they desire, I hope it never becomes the norm. I had wonderful experiences in public schools and am currently parenting children in a great, progressive school district that offers so much more than I could possibly do at home or in a co-op, even if I chose to stay home (and with 5 children, we can not afford to have only one working parent). The homeschooled children in our religious ed classes are, with a few exceptions, farther behind socially and academically than the other kids. One of the homeschooling moms even said that her kindergarten and first grade curriculum consists of asking her kids if they know their alphabet and can recognize their colors and numbers! So while I agree that parents should be free to do it, I think that many of us also think that the public schools are doing a great job with our children's education. I just feel the need to express my gratitude that our community values and supports our school system, because home schooling is not for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree that home schooling is not for everyone, but it certainly is a wonderful option for those who choose it. And isn't it wonderful that most home schoolers are doing such a good job?
ReplyDeleteI just attended a panel discussion with six mothers: two home schoolers, two with children in parochial school, and two public schoolers. They were all lovely women and devoted to their families. The point of the meeting was not to argue about which method was best, but to discuss the reasons people selected what they did and the challenges of each and what was best for individual children and families. All agreed that nothing was perfect and no matter how families chose to educate, they needed to be vigilant.
I personally loved home schooling, but I only did it with my two youngest (of five) and only a year with the older. Some of our experiences in Catholic schools were terrible. We paid big bucks at several private schools that undermined the faith. I felt like I should sue for fraud!
I'm surprised at your experience with home schooled children. Mine was the opposite. I had 14 children in a home school drama club (ages 7-14) doing Shakespeare at the Folger Library's (Washington, D.C.) middle school Shakespeare Festival. They welcomed home schoolers. And even the littlest memorized Shakespeare's lines.
Regardless of how parents choose to school their children they are still the primary educators and need to be closely involved with their children's education, especially in passing on the faith.