Curious Question I need answered???

[True-believer]

How many on this forum went to school?

How many on this forum were home-schooled?

What are the privileges of being home-schooled rather than going to school?

I myself went to school, and so did my two sisters and my whole family.

Everyone I know went to school.

What is the difference of being home-schooled?

[Bravus]

Lots of people here will be able to answer, in that they homeschool, but I think it's pretty unusual to find people our age who were homsechooled, because the movement is more recent.

I have lots of friends who homeschool, and think the quality is enormously variable, as you'd expect. I think there are some fantastic homeschool parents and homeschooled kids, but I also know some kids who in my opinion are going to really struggle when they have to go out into 'the world'.

[Derrell M]

I homeschooled for most of my years until 11th grade, and then went to 2 years in a very secluded and ultra-historic "self-supporting" school that has since shut down. It resulted in social and scholastic struggles, but the social issues were the most diffucult and long lasting. Those early years are where people learn the basics of life. I had a terrible time with math throughout college. Had to take college algebra 3 times. This is not from a scientific poll, but from what I have been able to gather, almost 90% of the people who graduated in my year, the year before, and the year after, have had at least one divorce. This is far above the national average. Many of them had also been through some home schooling before going to this school. Although I believe that most of the issues behind this are in the type of school we went to, I think that there is also some foundation to it in the home schooling as it was in our time. But things have changed.

I know people who are homeschooling their kids who have them in all kinds of social interaction with kids outside the family almost every day. Also, many of them are on solid curriculums with acredited schools and good online teachers. I think that home schooling has improved significantly since I did it, but I'd still be very cautious about it.

[Outta Here]

My husband went to a Lutheran school and a public school. I went to public schools. Our children have attended Adventist and Lutheran schools and have been schooled at home as well.

As Bravus mentioned, the quality is enormously variable; likewise, the quality of education in other schools is enormously variable. To a great degree, the success of any student is largely due to the consistency of interest given him by his parents. Whether the student be schooled at home, or schooled elsewhere, parental involvement can make all the difference in the world.

For us, the advantage of home schooling our children was/is that we were/are responsible for their religious education, academics, athletics and socialization. We are able to individualize instruction to meet the needs of the student.

[Gail]

Ditto to what Aubrey said.

I went to public school, as I didn't convert until 18 I didn't wonder about different choices.

But my experience at school was mediocre. I was bored and got into drugs and skipped a lot. I think I really could have benefitted from a supplementary work program. I graduated on arts.

When I first learned about home education I was directed to Dr. Raymond Moore and what EGW said about raising kids. That made an ENORMOUS impact on my philosophy, as they strongly advise against making a "school at home" especially for the younger set.

Because my home situation was very difficult I did not think I would survive my kids reaching adulthood. So I also made it my mandate to teach the children everything they would need to know if I would not be around for them. One main focus in our curriculum was work experience. One thing I can say positively about life with the ex, was that he was self-employed and the kids could work with him. They've been helping out since they've been about 3, as much as they are able. They didn't have much time with their father, but when they did they were working together.

So we followed basically a hands-on curriculum much the same as Bravus outlined in his Parenting discourse. Science was hands-on, math was hands-on; the children learned to read by being read to. Much of the process was "caught" rather than "taught". Their toys were real tools, with lumber, wires, batteries and lights, and plumbing supplies. And almost everyday we went OUTSIDE. When the bookwork was done out there, we could spend time honing the observation skills amongst nature.

For Social Studies we had penfriends from all over the world. We learned about culture from people who were THERE. The kids were thrilled to get little gifts and postcards from all over.

Many of these subject could be combined to reinforce each other to make a unit of study.

Socially we interacted with people of all ages and included ethnic and disabled folk. Later on as the home educating idea caught on more, we were able to join a group or two and take in activities. The homeschooler socialisation did not break up the kids into age-peer groups but included the gamut of ages. The children just naturally fell into a sort of "pecking order" of their own, where they were comfortable.

I liked the social aspect of homeschooling most of all, I think. The kids were envied by the neighbour children because they could get all their bookwork done in half a day, leaving the afternoon to play or do as they wanted.

People here are probably sick of hearing me brag about my children, now that they are adults. They are still reaching out, looking for a life experience that is "worth it". They all have degrees and they've all been in demand in the workplace.

And they are all independent thinkers. Just talk to any of them.

When I go on in one of these tirades, I also make a point of stating that I find advantages and disadvantages in ALL types of educational systems. Some children's home situations are just not conducive to home educating. Some children do fine or not in the public school, the church school, and the home school. My idea is to put the child where the child thrives the best.

Each child should know that s/he is valued as a child of God and s/he is needed by others and has a place and a work to do in this world.

[Jeannieb43]

Sounds like you did a fantastic job of homeschooling your kids, Gail. You should be so proud of yourself!

My son's family had some next-door neighbors who were members of a conservative, evangelical Christian church. The mother homeschooled all the children all the way through 12th grade. There were six children, ranging in age from 18 down to two years. They seemed to be a happy, active family, and they were good friends of my son's family.

I worried when I met them, though, that they did not have the socialization skills they could have acquired when in a school environment. This was borne out by the fact that when the 18-year-old went away to college, this being her very first time to associate with other students 24 hours a day, she became pregnant out of wedlock. So she moved back home after her freshman year, and raised her baby alone (with the help of her parents and siblings of course). I felt she had been out of her element at the college [which itself was a Christian college, very conservative actually] and didn't know how to interact with other students, either male or female, as she was always very shy.

None of these were Adventists.

[Gail]

Some evangelicals and other conservative Christian families follow curriculae that are heavy on bookwork. I have SEEN some of those books and I've known some of those families. I've known people who make a room in their house into something like a regular school.

I feel so blessed for the counsel I was given early on! Sometimes we have no idea as Adventists how blessed we truly are!

I'm sorry that the one girl fell through a social crack. She may have been one that could have benefitted from a different social agenda or a different educational plan.

Parents do need to be creative or at least resourceful. In the area of society and relationships there is much that can be done, but we ourselves in the parental age bracket need to expand our concept of sociability. Too many of us in the general population are so used to relating only to those of our own age/education/religious affiliation that we miss out on a LOT. If one is open to the idea of forming relationships out of the box instead of institutionally-minded, a whole world opens up!

[True-believer]

Thanks all those who shared those powerful testimonies... I am very encouraged.