Seven of Homeschooling Family’s Kids Did Something Unbelievably Impressive

[bonnie]

Seven of Homeschooling Family’s Kids Did Something Unbelievably Impressive by the Time They Turned 12

Jun. 6, 2014 8:17am Billy Hallowell

Amid ongoing debate over Common Core and the effectiveness of the public education system, a Christian couple recently published a new book outlining their blueprint for successfully sending seven of their 10 children to college by the age of 12.

In “The Brainy Bunch Book,” parents Mona Lisa and Kip Harding of Montgomery, Alabama, explain how their seven children were home-schooled and ended up heading to college while most of their peers were still navigating middle school.

The parents share their wisdom and experience, while answering the natural question: How did you accomplish such an unbelievable feat?

Apparently motivated by their Christian faith and an urge to help their kids succeed, the Hardings turned to homeschooling — and that their children started flourishing.

Just consider their kids’ astounding academic and professional accomplishments. Among the seven who went to college early, there’s a doctor, an architect and an engineer. Here are just three of the Harding kids’ profiles:

The others are still studying, though they’ve chosen diverse career paths. One wants to be a scholar of the Middle Ages and another wants to be a musician and composer, just to offer a few examples.

And the remaining three children who haven’t yet gone on to college appear to be on their way to doing just that, according to the book’s website.

“We didn’t have this great plan,” Mona Lisa Harding recently told “Today.” “It just kind of happened. We started homeschooling, and it was very efficient. Kids have to be educated, and as they accelerated, we had to find another option because they outdid me very young.”

The Hardings say their children are happy that the success they’ve seen in them is something “any parent can achieve.” They are hoping the book helps guide families along that path.

“This practical, positive book reveals the many parenting strategies that Mona Lisa and Kip use — how they make family decisions, socialize their kids, provide experiences that go beyond the home, and, of course, how they educate all their children,” explains an official description.

Kip Harding recently told KSL-TV that homeschooling has allowed him and Mona Lisa to focus on each child’s needs.

“One teacher has 30 students on average,” Kip said. “We can do better than that. Kids get left behind in a classroom,” he told the outlet. “This is where homeschooling really takes off because those kids are getting extra attention. And who’s more loving than a mom and dad teaching them things?”

[Gail]

Yep! Well done!

[Liz]

Articles like this always gives me mixed emotions. On the one hand, I think it is great for them, this worked perfectly for their family. On the other hand, it gives people who don't homeschool or who are looking into homeschooling a false sense that this is normal.

While these children homeschooled and entered college at 12, they probably would have also excelled had they been in public school and would have also entered college at a young age.

I have talked to a mother who wanted so badly to homeschool her children. The dad wasn't really on board with it, but said that she could as long as at the end of the year, the kids tested out at least two grade levels higher than what they would have been in public school. He was setting them up to fail.

It is articles like this that feeds that desire of "If their kids can do it then mine can too"; and they miss the whole point of homeschooling. Which is, allowing the children to learn at their own pace and in their own time, without labels, without shame and without criticism.

[bonnie]

Articles like this always gives me mixed emotions. On the one hand, I think it is great for them, this worked perfectly for their family. On the other hand, it gives people who don't homeschool or who are looking into homeschooling a false sense that this is normal.

While these children homeschooled and entered college at 12, they probably would have also excelled had they been in public school and would have also entered college at a young age.

I have talked to a mother who wanted so badly to homeschool her children. The dad wasn't really on board with it, but said that she could as long as at the end of the year, the kids tested out at least two grade levels higher than what they would have been in public school. He was setting them up to fail.

It is articles like this that feeds that desire of "If their kids can do it then mine can too"; and they miss the whole point of homeschooling. Which is, allowing the children to learn at their own pace and in their own time, without labels, without shame and without criticism.

I wonder how many parents read an article like this and assume if they home school their 12 year old child will be ready for college?

I don't think I would want my 12 year old ready to go to college but that doesn't take anything away from the parents that did a outstanding job. Seven from the same family is not an easy feat.

My son and DIL are homeschooling their two children and they do not assume they will have failed if their children are not ready for college at age 12

[Gail]

LIZ

yes i also would have a concern about a child age 10 or 13 in college

they may do well on the education level but on the social level

they maybe not be able to adjust

dgrimm60

I would not be surprised that on a social level they do quite well. Why? Because spending time in the real world experiencing life as it will be once they get out of school, plus having adults as their role models matures them.

I found that for the most part it is harder to adapt socially to being in school, especially if a child is slow, or gifted, or learns a different way or is just "different". Age peers can be crueler than the wide range of social opportunities one finds outside of the school environment.

[Aliensanctuary]

All four of our daughters were homeschooled, and all four could read well-ahead of their grade level. That's really the key to doing well in other subjects, the ability to read well and comprehend the material. Unlike myself, their dad, all four have college degrees, one even a masters.

One important factor in their education was that we were living off the grid, so without TV, they had to entertain themselves with what was at hand. They spent a lot of time making forts in the woods, playing with their cousins next door who were also homeschooled, reading, and games. Once a week we would load up the laundry and kids and have a town day. They also participated in homeschool choir and other events for homeschoolers. When the time came for them to attend public school or academy, they all jumped ahead a grade or two upon enrollment.

For textbooks they used workbooks designed for self-study. Although they seemed a little dry to me, the children zipped right through them, then went on to do more interesting things. They have expressed their appreciation that they weren't indoctrinated by the television and instead had to rely on their own imaginations and creativity to entertain themselves.