Spin-off on Homeschooling Question

great question. my kids asked me to homeschool them a year and a half ago when we moved to SC and i sent them to public school (after attending catholic school). they were in 3rd grade at that time, and public school materials were pitiful. i am very good at math, languages, you name it. when i got together with a mom who home schools and she showed me her materials, i knew i would be googling a lot. it just wasn't something i was comfortable with.
so we bit the bullet and sent them to a catholic school in sc too. best decision thus far. i still supervise homework. still study with them. we still read a lot together. but the major learning happens in school, while i only help reinforce that knowledge. i wouldn't trust myself to do it all.

This is a really common question. The truth is you don't need to be taught, in order to learn things. With very young children homeschooling involves a lot of one on one time spent sitting and instructing or leading the child. The older the child gets the less instruction they receive from me and the more they work through the material on their own.
My 7th grader has a language arts program that teaches lessons on DVD, a science curriculm that walks him through and explains processes in a very systematic way, and a math book that reads like a lecture, with a complete step by step guide for solving problems. I read all of his materials before he does and help him to the best of my ability but, if I am unable to help I could seek outside help like any other parent (although this has not come up yet).
There are so many ways to learn so many things that I don't worry about it at all. I could hire tutors, he could take classes at the community college, we can look it up on the Internet, or we could find someone who specializes in it. I finally seemed to have developed a much better understanding than I had of certain subjects as well. I have noticed more and more the disjointed pieces of math that I learned as a kid, have become a much better conceptual understanding as an adult, after going through it with him, so I am much more able to teach it. By the time I go through it with number 3 it should be a cinch.
As far as how we do it with different kids that are of different ages, there are things that can be combined. We are working through the same history, my kids are 6, 9 and 12. My 12 year old does additional reading and map work, my 9 year old works on note taking and helps 6 year old with lap booking while he mostly dictates back to me or colors. Because they have all studied the same time period they actually talk about it a lot, and play "Romans" or "Vikings" or whatever so there is a constant reinforcement. My younger two also work on science together, again adjusted based on age level, and my oldest is more advanced but, a lot of the experiments from both levels are done together which is cool because the younger ones get excited about the "cooler" stuff their older brother is doing, while my oldest gets a reinforcement of the fundamental principles.
Math is done separately and is the only subject that my oldest really needs me for. I just sit while he reads and works the examples, then if he has any questions I am there to help, or if I notice an error right away I can correct it before he makes a bad habit. Then I do math with the 9 y/o then the 6 y/o. My older two will work on math, LA, free reading, writing, piano, or chores, while I work on math and LA with my 6 y/o. Then the little guy takes a break and I often will help one of the older two with something or do LA instruction with the 9 y/o, then history or science together, read aloud and discussion together, then my 6y/o is done and I move on to house stuff and my older two are basically working alone unless they need help. We call this homeschool homework time. I spend about 4-6 hours a day instructing and helping but, they are good at working independently. Sorry for such the long response :).

It's hard to understand all the options homeschoolers have, until you do some research.....then you will be amazed.

You have to google the brainy bunch family. There kids start college at 12. Their story is quite intriguing.

All the teachers at our coop have their BA all the way up to Doctorate. The middle school and high school kids are all welcome to contact their teachers at any time for help; even the parents can call the teacher.

Our coop goes up to physics for math. My husband is a Nuclear Physicist and was quite impressed with the math program our coop has in place, and he's hard to please when it comes to education. My daughters 3rd grade science & math teacher has her Doctorate and has had my daughter at her house to go over lessons with her twin girls. One on one teaching w/ friends is way better than a full classroom, don't you think?

Instead of kids taking AP classes in H.S., they just go to a community college. Sorry but only a handful of H.S. teachers are "enthusiastic".

My daughters are advancing in math because of homeschooling. My 8 yr old is doing math that her 4th grade brother is doing (he's in private school). She is catching up to him because of homeschooling.

There are so many options nowadays. I had no idea until I started researching it. I couldn't believe there was a whole different world right around me. It's a world I never dreamed of being a part of, but am very happy that I found it, no matter how long we decide to stay on this path.

Tutors, virtual school and co-ops.

My math stops at Algebra. :)

The curriculums today are so varied and extensive that you can find and "teach" almost anything effectively. And by teach I actually mean "lead."

With technology you can learn almost anything, anywhere. It's a GREAT time to homeschool, and to be a student and/or parent.

JMO.

ETA: My younger son is starting community college next year as a dual enrolled homeschooler (he will be a junior in high school).

No one can teach you, you are your only real teacher. People can model, explain, but learning comes from within.

I plan on always homeschooling. I'm not super at math, but I don't need to be. While making my cake, I asked my daughter to help me double a fraction. She easily did it -twice. She sees numbers. My son seems to be following suit. I figure my job is to provide them with the right resources. Right now they are building with k'nex. We do math in the kitchen,in the car, etc. But never on paper or at a table. There is no need. Math is everywhere, so we live it.

Most "subjects" are everywhere, so we just kind of learn about the world as we live. I don't see why this will change at any point. As they get older, and the topics more advanced, we have the internet or neighbors and family members that can be resources for any questions they may have. I also have a really bad book buying habit. My kids have books on everything from gravity to the number zero. We read, they read. What more do you need? If the book doesn't have the answer, google does, and my kids have their own touch screen computers.

I question the whole model of teacher-learner. Real teachers, like Socrates, are models. They inspire curiosity in others, but they can't "teach." You can show others whatever you want them to learn, but unless they want to learn, learning won't happen.

Really, my job is to preserve and encourage their natural curiosity. My oldest reads at a 4th grade level and I never "taught" her anything. She just does it. We have books everywhere -literally, I can't walk around my house without there being books on the floor! All of them love books, and my 15 month old can find the letter S in her ABC puzzle -her name starts with S. She loves the puzzle, and I showed it to her one day, and that was that. It meant something to her, so she learned it.

My plan when they are older is to just send them to the community college for advanced math. Why take it twice? If they are mature enough, interested enough, and capable, the community college will be our Highschool alternative.

But mostly, we are involved in a coop, and I'm sure my kids will just be at a free school when they are older. I doubt the school will have teachers outside of the parents, but if we pool our resources, everything should be covered.

My husband and I produce hands-on math and science books that are popular with homeschoolers and school teachers, because we put the kids largely in charge of their own learning, with copious teaching notes for introducing a new topic or dealing with questions that might pop up, so the teacher doesn't need a science background. There's quite a bit of material available in other subjects that work in similar ways, allowing many children to learn independently.

We've also met and worked with dozens of homeschooling families over the years. In my observation, almost all of these families were producing quite decent scholars, but no particular approach is best for all children, and some children will not be motivated enough to be unstructured.

But most kids have intense curiosity and discover they love learning if they are not soured on it (which happens to far too many kids in classrooms today). And we all know whole families who are probably too dysfunctional to succeed at homeschooling under any circumstances, yet I've seen a few sad cases in which well-meaning parents removed their children from the unsavory influences of the irreligious, and pretty much handicapped their kids' futures.

It never crossed my mind to homeschool my daughter 40 years ago, but her schools were always pretty good to excellent, and as a divorced single mom, I had no choice but to work. If I had the choice today, I'd probably homeschool, and knowing how crazy-eager she has always been for a challenge, I'd probably lean toward unschooling. I think I'd have done very well myself with unschooling. I taught myself quite a bit of advanced math from a high-school textbook so that I could tutor students in those areas, and I'm still self-learning about at least a zillion topics of interest – geography is next!

Curious moms can follow the link on my profile to score some 50 free sample lessons. They are creative and fun. You can find out if your little science fiends connect with our style.

Great question. I cannot imagine learning calculus in high school from my mom (who is extremely bright but never had calculus) and a book. I cannot fathom learning chemistry without a teacher who loves the subject and truly sees the atoms and how they work. It seems like just putting a child in front of a computer is really a cop out - it seems that cyber school is a poor shadow of public school with actual involved and enthusiastic teachers. And if you take your child to classes taught by someone who just attends a regional workshop, why would that be superior (or even equivalent) to having the same material taught by a teacher who specializes in that subject and has a degree and continuing education in teaching?

ETA: What Its Me Again writes sounds great. But is also sounds just like 'school', just an alternate school that has avoided administrative/licensing headaches. And sending a child to college classes at a younger age - again - that is 'school'. Are people simply using the term 'homeschooling' to refer to education that occurs outside the licensed public and private schools but appears (with the exception of unschooling) to be pretty much 'school'?

Also - I can only remember 1 teacher (2 if you count the health teacher) in high school who was not enthusiastic about his or her subject and teaching. My son (only 8) has yet to come across a less than enthusiastic teacher.

I don't homeschool, but my sister has three boys and she does. They attend a Christian homeschool program, Classical Conversations, and the setup is like this:

Kids go to a school site one day a week to receive the information they are to focus on for the next week. (I should add that parents will sometimes sit in on those classes.) They are taught by parents who are 'tutors'; these parents attend a state or regional practicum conference in June where they learn the basic fundamentals of the subject they will be teaching for the next year. Then, these parents spend the summer learning their subject in depth so that they CAN teach when the school runs from fall to late spring.

So, the child's parents are referred to as "teachers" for the work done at home; the parents who teach subjects are referred to as 'tutors' when they provide instruction to groups of children at the school.

Because so many families come together, they share the burden of needing to attain the knowledge to be presented. This way, one parent can go deep on English or grammar while another can present science or history with a thorough understanding of their subject. It is through community that the students succeed.

Your question is very logical, I've answered it for many friends, and I asked it too before deciding to homeschool. I actually popped my young kids in public school recently due to emergency and haven't decided on what to do for older grades yet, but here's what homeschoolers do:

If they are cyber schoolers they follow the exact same material the school kids do.
If they are unschoolers, they do whatever unschoolers do (not all the way sure there)
If they are Christian homeschoolers they follow those materials thru senior high levels.
If they are classical homeschoolers, they use those materials.

In other words, you don't have to "know it all first and then teach it" in ANY grade. You simply use the materials for your teaching style. The Classical materials for example are MUCH MORE ADVANCED than public school materials, and incorporate higher math levels, foreign languages and Latin, difficult literature and in depth, layered history..but you're not "teaching it off the top of your head", you have year long curriculums broken down for you in each subject with accompanying reading lists, science experiments, etc.

If you are intelligent enough to read it and learn it (hopefully homeschooling moms can read?) then you can guide your largely self-led teenager to make sure they complete their work and tests etc. Most high school teachers lecture for a few minutes out of a core text and then let students work on their own. Homeschoolers can go much more in depth than that in subjects.

Many homeschoolers graduate early because they move ahead in subjects at a faster rate than school kids because they are not held back to slowest pupils in large classes, and they have individual attention. There are tutors and DVDs in the most advanced subjects (math) and lots of high school homeschoolers take some classes in high schools and colleges.

I've actually learned that YOUNGER grades are better for public school (if you have to choose) because it's just basics like letters and numbers blah blah, but it's the OLDER grades where kids could be much better served by the much better homeschool materials which are superior to what is offered in public schools.

American curriculums have been dumbed down progressively since the 50s with a sharp drop after the 70s. More and more basics are being cut (writing big time!!!) But good materials are out there if you're not tied to the public schools. Lots of the school texts are atrocious and not at all meant for mastery of the subjects. Homeschoolers have access to the most highly rated curriculums available should they choose to use them. And they can take time to do real life activities whenever they want. Travel, missionary work, etc. So you can learn much more at home than school with the right system.

So, it's not as loopy as it sounds :) But I get why it would seem like it. You're not "winging it despite lack of knowledge". You HAVE the material. Your child goes through it, day by day, week by week. If you and the child can both read and write and comprehend lectures: No problem. If not: Get a tutor! Or send them to school hopefully.

All I know is that our daughter was way more advanced than either of us. She had Master teachers in her Elementary school, and creative teachers in Middle school to keep the students attention.. And her Honors and AP classes, which she took for all of her major subjects, were many times, taught at what I recalled, very much like my freshman year or higher in college.

Our daughter graduated from a top tier College and I recall asking her "Do you feel like you were prepared to attend this college". She said , Yes! Totally! Se said she felt like her first semester in college was easier than her years in High School. Of course it ramped up from there, but she never felt like she could not handle it.

The other thing I loved about her attending the Public neighborhood schools? The HUGE community we ended up being a part of. I can go anywhere in the area and usually see parents, Teachers and our daughters old classmates. It is an awesome feeling.

Here is the deal. I have a cousin with 5 children. Her oldest will be a Senior in the fall. She has home schooled all of them. She has done a great job. They belong to a Home school community and they live on a ranch. They have helped design and then helped actually build their beautiful home. There is a creek that runs through their property and they have built a dam with a road over it. It seems as though they are all very happy and doing great.

Her oldest son competes on a National level with Debate. And he is planning on attending a Baptist College when he graduates. It seems as though my Cousin is super woman.

Our daughter needed her own community at school. With her friends, her teachers. She was an only child and really enjoyed being around her friends and part of a diverse community with all of the opportunities of working with so many different people and experiencing it in her own way.

i NEVER knew everything.
they don't learn 'everything' in schools.
by the time they were ready for the maths and sciences that were beyond bill nye and me, my kids were very ready for both self-directed study and outside classes. we were lucky enough to have a local homeschool mom who worked for NASA and had 'science school' where they tobogganed down hills and rode roller coasters in their calculations, and our community college has excellent math-prep classes (although it takes some juggling to get them to take homeschoolers).
our homeschool co-ops (we belonged to 3) did a great job of providing classes in government, law, forensics, geology, american history, ancient history and a myriad of other classes to more than fulfill any interests there.
lest i sound too pollyanna, let me add that since my younger is going for a bachelor's in molecular biology, he will tell you today that he wished he'd done more science and physics in his homeschool years. but since he wasn't interested at that point, it wouldn't have worked too well even if i'd had a crystal ball and known what he was going to do do after community college (where he was a psych major.)
but i never considered it my job to 'teach' my kids everything. the stuff i was good at- grammar, writing, literature, mythology, some history- i took care of myself, but my main role was to be a facilitator. i got them to the resources they needed to learn the stuff that a) interested them and b) we agreed they'd need even if it didn't interest them.
i'm awful at math, and neither of my kids like it either. but they knew that they needed it. when my younger dug in his heels i backed off, until he came to me expressing concern that he would be at a disadvantage if he didn't have it. that's what i was waiting for. we used barron's and saxon, neither of which they enjoyed, but which did the trick until they got into community college and started taking what they specifically needed there. in retrospect i'd probably have gone with singapore. there may be even better stuff out there now.
i'm always sad to hear of parents who put their kids back into school in the high school years (unless it's the kids' choice) because they 'don't know enough.' it's never been easier to homeschool than with today's resources.
khairete
S.

Excellent question! Thanks for asking, b/c I have been wanting to ask the exact same question. So you feel smart through elementary school. I don't! I had to get a math tutor for my 4th grader this past school year b/c I couldn't help him with all if it. I wouldn't be able to homeschool past 3rd grade! I considered homeschooling, but I am too stupid, so unfortunately, homeschooling is not an option.

Something else I wondered: how does a mom homeschool more than one child?

Many homeschoolers are part of co-ops where kids are taught particular subjects by people that are well educated in them. That may be another parent, or the co-op will hire a teacher/tutor to cover the topic.

Homeschool materials in general are often created in a way that teach the parent how to teach the child.

I'd get in contact with other homeschoolers in your specific area to learn about local resources available to you.

One thing "I" do like about standardized testing is it makes sure all kids are learning the same topics and are able to do the work for their level/grade.

If a child does okay on that test then they have done the school work for that year of school.

If they haven't learned what they are supposed to learn for the year then that student or teacher has a problem.

Public school isn't great but then how many of US went to public school. We all go through school and pass and eventually graduate. We all go to the college we want for the most part.

Home schooling, public school, private school, to me it's all the same. The kids have a certain curriculum of topics they have to get through during that year of school.

The simple answer is that homeschool curriculum is written with a different focus than traditional school curriculum. For instance, my 6th grader began studying elementary physics this past semester, and the curriculum was written for her to read and understand, not to me to teach to her. Even though I took AP physics in high school and then in college and had an A each time, I really haven't had to answer too many questions. The curriculum is very clear, and the exercises are not meant to be busywork. They are meant to further explain the concepts.

At the end of the day, results are really what matters, and the numbers are clear: homeschooled students FAR outperform their peers in both public and private schools, and the level of the parents' education matters very little in the test scores. Here's an interesting article explaining it: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/30/home-scho...

So many nice answers on this thread! What I see here is a common theme that the mothers who homeschool here are really prepared with what they are doing. They are go-getters in finding appropriate curriculum and resources to make sure that their kids actually are learning.

Not every homeschool parent is like this. I remember one woman wrote on here many years ago asking how to teach her daughter to read. Her post was full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. She was no more prepared to homeschool than the man on the moon. The thread of many answers was NOT kind. Of course she was offended and huffy and flounced. I hope that maybe, however, she thought better of trying to teacr her child and sent him or her to school instead...