Stay on a schedule
Don't move on until the kid can demonstrate mastery of a subject
Pull new concepts in slowly but surely
Get to know your kid and how they learn and how they like to learn
Schedule time for real life activities

Software and materials should be purchased to enhance or support the above.

Any given software system won't by itself make you better at home schooling. That comes from seeing how your kid is thinking and developing a plan to help them overcome learning obstacles.

I see too many home school situations where the parents bought a bespoke curriculum and get upset that their objectives aren't met or the system is too rigid or it is too easy etc etc.

You need to put in the work to see how your kid thinks and then put a lesson plan together that addresses shortcomings, etc.

I have found ck12.org to be super helpful. It happens to be free and is quite good. ( I donate every month to not be a freeloader.)

I only use it to enhance the topic. It also is congruent with my kid's insanely competitive nature.

Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

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But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

Bad idea.
Kids need to grow up among other kids. Invaluable. Just find a better school if the one she is in is too liberal.

Also, will you be able to find the time to teach her every day? Are you qualified to teach? Until what point?
Then she will have to go into the real world and adjust again.

Visit with the staff at a science museum or a park ranger or anywhere else that hosts field trips.

Ask them their impressions of homeschool kids. Then ask them how that compares to public school field trips.

The contrast is very telling.

flashplayer said:

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schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Guarantee you my homeschool kids met more people in public than you ever did at public schools. And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

Edit to say I have taught in public schools very recently so I have perspective on both sides.

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Thank god you don't teach anymore then.

And Homeschooling parents wonder why they get so much pushback when they paint 80% of the kids in the school as a thug.

fightingfarmer09 said:

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flashplayer said:

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schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Guarantee you my homeschool kids met more people in public than you ever did at public schools. And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

Edit to say I have taught in public schools very recently so I have perspective on both sides.

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Thank god you don't teach anymore then.

And Homeschooling parents wonder why they get so much pushback when they paint 80% of the kids in the school as a thug.

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I have kids in public school right now too and they will tell you the same thing.

"Your kids gonna be weird". JK

That's the common refrain I hear for a majority of "home school" kids.

Home schooling is a great option if you're look solely to "protect" your children and ensure only your values are instilled in them.

The challenge is eventually they're going to have to enter the world and hear different ideas and value or disvalue them for themselves.

We had 4 kids in public schools, raised them in the Christian faith until it became their own. We engaged and spoke often with our daughters about what they were seeing, thinking, and how to process in the context of their owned faith. We certainly had stumbles along the way, but nothing of significance.

Blessed that all 4 went to A&M (2 still there) and are productive citizens and great people.

MasonB said:

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Visit with the staff at a science museum or a park ranger or anywhere else that hosts field trips.

Ask them their impressions of homeschool kids. Then ask them how that compares to public school field trips.

The contrast is very telling.

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You bet it's different. And the school classroom is most representative of the world they're going to be interacting with as soon as they get to college.

Keller6Ag91 said:

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MasonB said:

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Visit with the staff at a science museum or a park ranger or anywhere else that hosts field trips.

Ask them their impressions of homeschool kids. Then ask them how that compares to public school field trips.

The contrast is very telling.

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You bet it's different. And the school classroom is most representative of the world they're going to be interacting with as soon as they get to college.

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No it isn't. There's zero consequences in a school classroom. There is no way to fail. This could not be more wrong.

MasonB said:

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Homeschool kids aren't living in isolation.

They participate in coops, Sunday school, 4-H, scouts, sports, play groups, social groups, neighborhood play, and more.

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Understood. And at my own church, I've watched many "good" home school kids post high-school enter the ideas of the world and not know how to cope and engage gender fluidity, abandon their faith, and head off the deep end.

Keller6Ag91 said:

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MasonB said:

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Visit with the staff at a science museum or a park ranger or anywhere else that hosts field trips.

Ask them their impressions of homeschool kids. Then ask them how that compares to public school field trips.

The contrast is very telling.

---

You bet it's different. And the school classroom is most representative of the world they're going to be interacting with as soon as they get to college.

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I don't see a benefit from sheltering and cocooning your kids. The outside world is a bad place. It is better for the shocks and adjustment be small and manageable than big and overwhelming.

Both my kids went to public school. I am qualified and I teach them after school but I don't "homeschool" them as I want them to meet all kinds of types, good and bad. And learn whom to stay away from.

flashplayer said:

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Keller6Ag91 said:

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MasonB said:

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Visit with the staff at a science museum or a park ranger or anywhere else that hosts field trips.

Ask them their impressions of homeschool kids. Then ask them how that compares to public school field trips.

The contrast is very telling.

---

You bet it's different. And the school classroom is most representative of the world they're going to be interacting with as soon as they get to college.

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No it isn't. There's zero consequences in a school classroom. There is no way to fail. This could not be more wrong.

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What I'm saying is the ideas presented to them that are not your own can serve as a preparatory ground to engage them as we parent. I'm not arguing against home schooling, just sharing that it's also not the panacea parents think it may be for long term adult development. I've seen more home school kids in my church head south post-high school than ones who have excelled.

Teslag said:

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Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

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But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

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Value at what cost or risk?

This isn't the 60's, 70's , or 80's.

flashplayer said:

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Teslag said:

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Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

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But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

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There is little to be gained interacting regularly with morons. My kids get plenty of peer age interaction with other kids who are as normal and well functioning as can be.

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Except one day she may have a job where she does have to deal with morons.

schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Sign them up for team sports. That's what several on my kids' soccer teams did. They seemed quite normal.

20+ years ago we home schooled my daughter for a year. We loved it, but put her back in private school since we didn't feel she got enough contact with others as an only child. Her children are now 6 and 8. They started in public school but went to a private school this year that has a home schooling option. Attend the school on T and TH and homeschooled the rest of the week. All materials and lesson plans are provided by the school and the girls are able to participate in all the extracurriculars provided by the school. They can get the work done at home in about an hour to an hour and a half compared to the 7 hours spent at school. So far they are loving it and their test scores have sky rocketed after getting out of the small public school.

aTmAg said:

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schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Sign them up for team sports. That's what several on my kids' soccer teams did. They seemed quite normal.

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I don't know about the age difference between our kids, but you weren't finding poor kids in weekend soccer or little league. These families, outside of possibly what is spoken at home, were extremely the same.

fixer said:

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Teslag said:

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Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

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But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

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Value at what cost or risk?

This isn't the 60's, 70's , or 80's.

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Exactly. Kids will be entering a world that's infinitely more challenging and complex than those times. They'll be competing against people with vastly different backgrounds and values and they'll need to know how to navigate them effectively. And they'll also be working for the same.

As long as you're willing to put in the effort (Which is sounds like you are) after hours in lesson planning and preparation, it's the best decision you'll ever make.

Your bond with your child will grow stronger. You will witness your child learn how to interact with adults at a level they likely haven't found yet. Your life schedule will now be your own, not handcuffed to a school's schedule. Your classroom is the world, not a room or series of rooms.

I was against it at first in our family but my wife has executed her plan flawlessly and two of my 3 kids are benefitting from it. (The third just loves to be in a classroom environment so she attends a Christian school)

If you want to insure much more interaction amongst kids your child's age, you can look into homeschool academies (a classroom environment 1-2 times per week), or a homeschool COOP (another option for classroom 1-2x per week) where you and other homeschool parents work together to teach the kids different things.

BCO07 said:

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School socialization is not consistent with real life. At what point are you locked up with 20-30 people for 8 hours with the only thing in common being your age as an adult?

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At what point is your parent your boss?

Best decision we ever made.

We choose all the curriculum and we don't teach to a stupid test. Each kid can learn at their pace but they are pushed and we make it rigorous.

Get involved with a co-op in your area. You can get others to teach subjects you are less comfortable with, especially at the HS level. (My wife teaches physics and chemistry there, and college kids come to her for tutoring.) We put our kids in classes of teachers who will teach college preparatory courses as well. I tag in for help with my stronger subjects where needed.

Second kid started dual credit courses at the community college as a HS sophomore. Third kid is fixing to start dual credit too.

Competitive figure skating, scouts, youth group at church, plenty of time that our kids hang out with other kids. Our schedule is full! There's home school groups for any sport you want to play too, and last home school football game I watched they destroyed one of the local private schools who's usually pretty good. As others have mentioned, home school kids are more socially adept than regular HS kids. The are more consistently shown appropriate behaviors and expectations, they regularly interact with a much larger age range than just their grade level, and they are taught independence.

Home school isn't what it was when I was growing up. The kids then were socially deficient and the resources weren't the same. True, someone can shelter their kids at home and teach them crappy curriculum now (I know a few families like that) but most people take advantage of the resources and extra curricular activities and their kids are amazing!

It's a lifestyle change and a big commitment (we gave up my wife's comfortable salary when she came home) but it's totally worth it!

For those saying that it's too sheltered, or makes an awkward kid, or it creates a cocoon that will shatter one day............that's a bit too generalistic.

Until the last 60-80 years, children were educated either in the home or in small groups. It wasn't until modern society decided that the kids needed to all be mass educated together as an efficient means of executing education. The family dictated how the child was educated and how the plan was executed.

Are there benefits to public schooling? Absofrickenlutely. Is it for everyone? Nah. Is homeschool creating a generation of misfits and sheltered fearful people who can't function in society? Absolutely not the case at all.

You want you kid in school? Put'em in school. You want your kid at home? Keep'em at home. You want a combo? More power to you. Life is a buffet, take what you want from the buffet and leave what you don't but don't attack people simply because your tastes are different.

All the different paths that are available have the ability to make great humans.

I believe those against Home Schooling on this thread have a very specific view of what Home Schooling is and while that view was possibly valid 30 years ago, it is fairly rare to find those types of homeschooled families in this day and age... though I have run into some.

My kids were part of a fairly diverse home school community.
While most were Christian families, there was a diversity of denominations, ethnic and racial backgrounds and even national origins.

They participated in a large number of social activities, including sports, dances, gymnastics, debates, etc...
They took national aptitude tests, worked in teams and groups on projects and preparations for debates and mock trials. They did field trips as a group.

Classical conversation meets at least weekly meaning they have classmates and all the joys and drama that comes with that.

My kids also all had jobs starting at 15. Working in the community. They all worked through their High School years and then worked through college.

There is no lack of community interaction I can assure you.

From what I've seen, the most common determinant as to whether your children will have a better chance of success is simply lasting and appropriate parental involvement.

Tanya 93 said:

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aTmAg said:

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schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Sign them up for team sports. That's what several on my kids' soccer teams did. They seemed quite normal.

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I don't know about the age difference between our kids, but you weren't finding poor kids in weekend soccer or little league. These families, outside of possibly what is spoken at home, were extremely the same.

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I am not sure what you mean. Are you saying:

1) This is a problem because your kids won't interact with poor kids.
2) This is a problem because soccer is expensive
3) Something else

And BTW, mine are all graduated from college and one has kids. Also, mine played on several teams at once. The older two played on a Hispanic team where everybody other than my kids spoke Spanish as their primary language. They were poor AF (but damn good at soccer).

aTmAg said:

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Tanya 93 said:

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aTmAg said:

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schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Sign them up for team sports. That's what several on my kids' soccer teams did. They seemed quite normal.

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I don't know about the age difference between our kids, but you weren't finding poor kids in weekend soccer or little league. These families, outside of possibly what is spoken at home, were extremely the same.

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I am not sure what you mean. Are you saying:

1) This is a problem because your kids won't interact with poor kids.
2) This is a problem because soccer is expensive
3) Something else

And BTW, mine are all graduated from college and one has kids. Also, the older two played on several teams at once. One was a Hispanic team where everybody other than my kids spoke Spanish as their primary language. They were poor AF (but damn good at soccer).

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That is why I asked


The only kids speaking Spanish on the teams had professional parents

I am not telling someone not to homeschool, but I found more variety in kids in TRYPS and programming than sports.

This has been a good decision for us. Made transition during Covid. My wife is a certified teacher anyway but tired of the system. There are good programs out there where you follow strict curriculum and have 3rd party grading and evals. Our kids also go to a CO-OP one day a week. Our kids seem light years ahead of our other family members who utilize public and private schools. Public for sure.

Teslag said:

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fixer said:

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Teslag said:

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Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

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But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

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Value at what cost or risk?

This isn't the 60's, 70's , or 80's.

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Exactly. Kids will be entering a world that's infinitely more challenging and complex than those times. They'll be competing against people with vastly different backgrounds and values and they'll need to know how to navigate them effectively. And they'll also be working for the same.

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This is an absurdly overstated benefit of an institutionalized school setting, private or public.

I can get the same " value" with my kid playing with other kids for 45 minutes at a playground.

And reduce the risk of his exposure to social media, porn, child predators, gangs, drugs, shootings, prison-like atmosphere, bad teachers, unhinged psychopaths, rampant gender dysphoria, etc… none of these are development areas for a kid. Everyone of these distracts from a learning environment, you know the goal of a school.

Again this isn't the good old days where a comic book in class got you in trouble.

Teslag said:

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fixer said:

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Teslag said:

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Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

---

But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

---

Value at what cost or risk?

This isn't the 60's, 70's , or 80's.

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Exactly. Kids will be entering a world that's infinitely more challenging and complex than those times. They'll be competing against people with vastly different backgrounds and values and they'll need to know how to navigate them effectively. And they'll also be working for the same.

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Elon is opening up the US job market to all Asians, Africans, Europeans.
Our kids better be prepared to deal with this. As someone said it isn't the 60s where the US was relatively closed off. Our kids are competing globally.

Don't give them a cell phone or unmonitored computer access if you are genuinely concerned about half of that.

No better way to be prepared than to have a fantastic education that can put you in the competitive drivers seat. That's definitely available at home.

I think we get the point, you're adamantly against it. I don't think you'll steer this family away from this decision on your own. They can weigh the pros and cons with several opinions.

infinity ag said:

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Teslag said:

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fixer said:

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Teslag said:

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Quote:

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And they get mature adult interaction, not the genpop prison population of public schools.

---

But there is value in this and it's a skill your child isn't getting.

---

Value at what cost or risk?

This isn't the 60's, 70's , or 80's.

---

Exactly. Kids will be entering a world that's infinitely more challenging and complex than those times. They'll be competing against people with vastly different backgrounds and values and they'll need to know how to navigate them effectively. And they'll also be working for the same.

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Elon is opening up the US job market to all Asians, Africans, Europeans.

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And literally none of those groups worry themselves one bit about socializing with white Anglo Americans.

They are busy getting their kid's STEM knowledge as high as they can.

Tanya 93 said:

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aTmAg said:

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Tanya 93 said:

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aTmAg said:

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schwabbin said:

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Home schooling sounds very isolating to me. I enjoyed public school as a kid and you meet people from all walks of life.

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Sign them up for team sports. That's what several on my kids' soccer teams did. They seemed quite normal.

---

I don't know about the age difference between our kids, but you weren't finding poor kids in weekend soccer or little league. These families, outside of possibly what is spoken at home, were extremely the same.

---

I am not sure what you mean. Are you saying:

1) This is a problem because your kids won't interact with poor kids.
2) This is a problem because soccer is expensive
3) Something else

And BTW, mine are all graduated from college and one has kids. Also, the older two played on several teams at once. One was a Hispanic team where everybody other than my kids spoke Spanish as their primary language. They were poor AF (but damn good at soccer).

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That is why I asked


The only kids speaking Spanish on the teams had professional parents

I am not telling someone not to homeschool, but I found more variety in kids in TRYPS and programming than sports.

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Come to Texas Tanya! Only the poor kids play rec soccer and most teams are 80% Spanish speaking. Trust me they are good people but not in the "professional" class. Most are nurses and mechanics. All the rich kids play in select baseball.

fightingfarmer09 said:

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Don't give them a cell phone or unmonitored computer access if you are genuinely concerned about half of that.

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Yeah? How about all the other kids at school.? Should I tell their parents to not allow their kids to bring a phone as well?