Home schooling - please explain this to me

[Anonymous]

I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. So if each child needs 1.5 hours of one on one time each day to do the equivalent of school, you're looking at around 5 hours of school time to fit all the kids in which is the same amount of time they'd be in school.

[Anonymous]

If you have enough money to have someone clean your house all the time, pay for excursions, have a great coop group, and money for tutors and classes, I'm sure homeschooling can be great. Basically though it's the same as the rich in the past having governesses, private schools, and cleaning staff.

[Anonymous]

I work with a guy whose wife home schools, and they just had their 6th kid! The newborn and next oldest aren't school age yet, but she apparently home schools the other four, who range in age from 5 to 12. She was on bed rest with the new baby for several weeks, so there definitely was no teaching going on then. I can't see how you could effectively teach that many kids at home. And I'm pretty sure she's not shuttling them around to various activities, given that she has a newborn and another one who both still nap. They have no outside help and have no money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

This is not entirely correct. The "oversight" consists of testing each year BUT the parent administers it and if the child doesn't 'pass' the child simply stays back a grade. My friend administered it to her two children this past summer and both were held back a grade according to the results so they are both repeating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

This is not entirely correct. The "oversight" consists of testing each year BUT the parent administers it and if the child doesn't 'pass' the child simply stays back a grade. My friend administered it to her two children this past summer and both were held back a grade according to the results so they are both repeating.

It isn't "science" if it is simply doing an experiment without an explanation or learning why something happens at that age (middle elementary). That is more art.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

This is not entirely correct. The "oversight" consists of testing each year BUT the parent administers it and if the child doesn't 'pass' the child simply stays back a grade. My friend administered it to her two children this past summer and both were held back a grade according to the results so they are both repeating.

Not all states require testing, also. Friends moved to VA from another state and their children hadn't been tested ever but VA required it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone knows homeschooled kids are weirdos.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Anonymous]

"A typical day at my child's school involves 1-1.5 hours of math, 2.5 hours of language arts, 1 hour of social studies or science, 1/2 hour of lunch, 1/2 hour of playtime, and 1-1.5 hours of either music, art, PE, guidance, STEM enrichment activities, or library time."

That 2.5 hours of language arts is necessary because of all of the different levels of competency in the class. There is a short lesson given to all students then the teacher meets with each group for 10-20 minutes, so you could condense that 2.5 hours into about 30 minutes of one-on-one time. The literacy "stations" and ipad apps are busy work to keep kids occupied so the teacher can meet with the groups. With math, if your kid understands the concept, they don't need the worksheet/ipad busy work that again is a way for the teacher to give extra time to students who need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"A typical day at my child's school involves 1-1.5 hours of math, 2.5 hours of language arts, 1 hour of social studies or science, 1/2 hour of lunch, 1/2 hour of playtime, and 1-1.5 hours of either music, art, PE, guidance, STEM enrichment activities, or library time."

That 2.5 hours of language arts is necessary because of all of the different levels of competency in the class. There is a short lesson given to all students then the teacher meets with each group for 10-20 minutes, so you could condense that 2.5 hours into about 30 minutes of one-on-one time. The literacy "stations" and ipad apps are busy work to keep kids occupied so the teacher can meet with the groups. With math, if your kid understands the concept, they don't need the worksheet/ipad busy work that again is a way for the teacher to give extra time to students who need it.

And I forgot to mention the time taken for the teacher to discipline the kids who are misbehaving. Every year my son has had roughly two kids in his class who are troublemakers. They disrupt the entire class because the teacher has to address things as they happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

This is not entirely correct. The "oversight" consists of testing each year BUT the parent administers it and if the child doesn't 'pass' the child simply stays back a grade. My friend administered it to her two children this past summer and both were held back a grade according to the results so they are both repeating.

What state allows the parents to administer the test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

This is not entirely correct. The "oversight" consists of testing each year BUT the parent administers it and if the child doesn't 'pass' the child simply stays back a grade. My friend administered it to her two children this past summer and both were held back a grade according to the results so they are both repeating.

What state allows the parents to administer the test?

My friend did it this summer - VA. She then took the finished tests from her kids and mailed them in to the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many parents are homeschooling without someone overseeing how the time is spent. Our good friends home school their children. "Science" consists of doing something fun (i.e. watching what happens to maple syrup on ice) repeatedly b/c the kids love it, but no science explanation. "Writing" for the second grader consists of working on letter formation (no journals, no writing letters to others, no actual writing). Language arts consists of reading, but no extended questions.

While I think there are certainly parents out there who are doing an amazing job homeschooling, in truth b/c there is a lack of oversight, and b/c it is easy to get into a practice of doing it the same way, many of these children are not receiving nearly an equivalent education as their peers. My other friend (not the same as the good friends) who is with her 2 children today homeschooling sent a text earlier that they are coloring for art right now and then will read quietly and be done for the day. Sorry, a 9 year old and 7 year old should be doing more than that.

Someone in my family also homeschools her three kids. Since the kids are all different ages, it is incredibly difficult to homeschool. One is in first grade, one is in third and one is in 5th.

There is oversight. Your kids still have to pass the state mandated tests (usually administered at a testing center or base school). So, at end of the day, as long as your kid can exceed the baseline in the different subjects, go ahead and do fun science.

This is not entirely correct. The "oversight" consists of testing each year BUT the parent administers it and if the child doesn't 'pass' the child simply stays back a grade. My friend administered it to her two children this past summer and both were held back a grade according to the results so they are both repeating.

What state allows the parents to administer the test?

My friend did it this summer - VA. She then took the finished tests from her kids and mailed them in to the state.

They must have changed the rules. I homeschooled in Virginia a few years ago and I had to take my child to a testing center for the state-required testing.

[Anonymous]

There is very little oversight. Home school is for a lot of religious right folks and also folks in bad neighborhoods. People are screwing their kids w/o even knowing it. I'm a lawyer and I would never consider homeschooling. Who are these women who think they are good enough to teach all subjects? Many home school moms never took the time to go to college themselves.