Homeschooling outcomes

[Anonymous]

Has anyone seen bad outcomes with homeschooling? I am thinking about doing it, and all I hear are these great sucess stories, but I wonder if there is another side to it.

[Anonymous]

This is really anecdotal information so please treat it as such, but I knew two families that homeschooled and their children had a very difficult time when they went on to university. Their issues related primarily to fitting in socially, but there were also some academic problems when they didn't receive as much personal attention as they presumably received during the homeschooling situation. In the cases of two of the three children, they dropped out of uni and moved back home. I'm not saying this was attributable solely to home schooling, but I often wondered if it at least contributed. I should note that their homeschooling situations weren't co-op type things where they were educated with kids from outside the family, so maybe that would have helped. They also didn't do much outside of the home (eg. sports/arts/language classes, etc.) where there was other opportunities for social interaction.

[Anonymous]

I don't know much about homeschooling (I was not homeschooled and I am not planning to homeschool), but I do know one family that homeschooled. The oldest brother and sister started college at 14 and 15, and then transferred to Yale (where I meet them) at 16 and 18, and graduated 2 years later. They seemed well adjusted. However, this is just one family story. Don't know how applicable this is.

[Anonymous]

I have heard that the best results from homeschooling come up to about 5th grade. But in high school, test scores start to resemble those of traditionally schooled children, but still a bit ahead. The areas if concern are in advanced Math and Science where parents and non-professional teachers have trouble keeping up with the curricula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about homeschooling (I was not homeschooled and I am not planning to homeschool), but I do know one family that homeschooled. The oldest brother and sister started college at 14 and 15, and then transferred to Yale (where I meet them) at 16 and 18, and graduated 2 years later. They seemed well adjusted. However, this is just one family story. Don't know how applicable this is.

Did they enjoy the home school experience?

[Anonymous]

I have lots of friends that homeschool. I think co-oping and outside activies are so important for social growth. The families I know that have well adjusted children are very social, the once that have weird kids (I hate saying that, but it is true) are not social at all. I plan on homeschooling my children for middle school, then return to traditional private school. They are in private now.

[Anonymous]

All that I have read about the social aspects is that home schooled kids have higher self esteem than traditional kids.

[Anonymous]

I read somewhere that the military finds that home schooled kids behave more like drop outs than like graduates. Can't remember where I read it, though.

[Anonymous]

The areas if concern are in advanced Math and Science where parents and non-professional teachers have trouble keeping up with the curricula.

I would think that not only keeping up with the curricula would be an issue, but also lack of facilities. In all my secondary school science courses, for example, experiments, dissections, lab work, etc. were all a pretty core part of the course agenda and I would think that aspect difficult to replicate at home.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the facilities are a problem. Many homeschoolers are allowed to take specific courses at public high schools ( in some locations), and the sciences are the main choices. In the end, homeschooled kids have impressive academic outcomes, but I wonder if the entire education can be done at home.

[Anonymous]

I think that parents who homeschool do it for reasons other than just academic success. I find that I develop an amzing bond with my dd while teaching her. That said, parents that forget that it has to be treated like a job are fooling themselves, and get the poor outcomes.

[Anonymous]

As a college professor, just basic 101 teachers.

I investigated the option and emailed a few professors at Mason asking them their opinion in teaching homeschool graduates (emails can be found on their websites) and I actually got quite a positive response, particulary from an English Comp teacher. The English teacher said that their best students were home schooled. Ask and you will see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a college professor, just basic 101 teachers.

I investigated the option and emailed a few professors at Mason asking them their opinion in teaching homeschool graduates (emails can be found on their websites) and I actually got quite a positive response, particulary from an English Comp teacher. The English teacher said that their best students were home schooled. Ask and you will see for yourself.

Sorry meant to say ASK a college professor.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know why the academic outcomes are so good?

[Anonymous]

VERY anectodotal "evidence," but the one homeschool situation I'm familiar with is a diaster. And I'm sorry to say that it's in my own family. Six children (ages 16 - 6), with parents who barely got out of high school themselves, total religious zealots and no interest in the value of education. It's getting to the point that every time I see these people, I have to fight an urge to call child protective services! (I'm talking a 12 year old who speaks, thinks and writes at about the same level as my 6 year old...eight year old who can barely write his name, etc etc) Obviously, this situation has colored my view of homeschooling to such a negative degree that I can't even speak about it reasonably, but I am trying... trying... to maintain an open mind that it could work in some circumstances.