do you look down on homeschooling moms?

[Anonymous]

Or at least think their kids are receiving an inferior education?

[Anonymous]

Sort of.
The only homeschooling family I know petered out at high school level and neither child has gone to college, though both are certainly able intellectually.
Most seem to be religious zealots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or at least think their kids are receiving an inferior education?

Yes, if you aren't properly trained to educate the material and/or don't have the skills to effectively and efficiently impart knowledge to others (different than parenting).

[Anonymous]

No. I think that homeschooling is great for some kids. I'm a non homeschooling parent to three. one of my good friends is currently homeschooling one of her kids who was profoundly impacted by her Mom's undiagnosed Lyme disease. I respect her so much for doing her very best to help her kid.

There is a certain......strain? Group? Of homeschoolers who I do sometimes give the hairy eyeball and thats the uber religious-post about it on FB-not very bright mom who homeschools. I know of two. If I cared enough Id probably feel badly for their kids, but honestly they are not my concern. Taking care of my own kids keeps me on my toes so I make a point of trying to realize that if what others are doing works for them, I have nothing to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Not usually but I might eyeroll if they are HYPER religious. I know many homeschooled children who went to college and some even their doctorate.

[Anonymous]

No. But I do wonder about their kids social skills.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on how the education is executed. A mom following a canned curriculum and the kid sitting on the internet all day---I think any of our local school districts can probably do a better job

A mom that engages their child and creates learning opportunities--I'm jealous. Education can occur outside of academics. To make history come to life, to travel to see the literature being read and to understand the surrounding events at the time it was writing, to see physics in action, or chemistry at work---that's a great education.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the person. A girl I grew up with became a homeschooling mom. But she also became a teacher before having kids. And she has a masters in education. And she was on high honor roll in high school and went to UPenn. So I am fully confident that she is teaching her children well.

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Yes, except the rare case that it is some transitional arrangement for a special needs child. I think homeschooling is just avoidance of having to learn to function in society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. But I do wonder about their kids social skills.

+1

[Anonymous]

I just totally can't relate to wanting to homeschool my child, or to wanting that lifestyle for them! There is so much to be learned and experienced from having other adult teachers in their lives and interacting with other students.

[Anonymous]

I spent my grad school years and early 20s as an ACT/SAT prep coach. Over those 7 years I worked with maybe 20/25 homeschoolers…so not a huge sample but also more than what most people work with. Two of those kids were on track with an average high school jr/senior. One was a genius and way above the average peer and one was very smart but not quite genius. The rest were vastly behind their peers. We couldn't even get 8-10 of them to pass a GED test. I mean the gap was HUGE. Even compared to my under preforming kids from school systems that graduate 40 percent they were significantly behind. So I do judge a little bit because Ive rarely seen it work out. And thats not even touching the social implications.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

I think we have different world views as I believe in the school as the social center pedagogy but I keep an open mind and not look down on them.