Following on from Nature's home-schooling thread...

[Becci26]

It got me thinking about it, not sure it would be for me but I was just wondering, those of you that do home school or are thinking about why you chose to do it and what are the pro's and con's of it?

I would be interested to read your views

[Nature'sKids!]

For me it all started with thinking 4/5 is far too young to start school. I went to shook in Austria and didn't start till I was almost 7! So I googled (dear friend google!! Lol) and went to find out if it was possible to "hold them
Back" until age 6 or 7. Then I came across homeschooling websites, (sandra dodd!!) forums, blogs, I met people in real life (completely and utterly through chance! Meant to be!) and started asking a ton of questions.
I read books (Alfie Kohn, John Holt, Veronika Robinson,... The unschooling handbook, hold on to your children,...) I devoured every article, searched for Facebook groups, joined yahoo groups, ...
In the end I accumulated so much information I knew that I wouldn't be sending my kids to school...
I practice "unschooling" (Sandra Dodd has info on this) or "autonomous education".
Ds at 4 1/2 has never been to school or nursery and has such an eclectic mix of knowledge it's actually quite funny lol!
He knows how to write his name and recognises letters, and numbers up to 10.
He knows where Bolivia is and that it's got dangerous roads (thanks top gear!) he knows what a pupil and iris is andthe basics of how we see (thanks Nina and the neurons) he knows the union jack, where England is, the star spangled banner and America, and he can poin Austria and israel out on a map. (thanks to my mum going on holidays) lol. He knows a square from a rectangle thanks to spelt finger biscuits :P
There's too much to list bit basically he learns through everyday living!
For me the biggest pro is that his education is tailored to HIS NEEDS AND ABILITIES and he isnt in an age segregated class where he has to do everything at the same time as everybody else because he has to.
He can run and climb and roll and jump as much as he wants, even when learning about how fossils are created.
I love it! :)

[kindredspirits]

I home school my DS because I realised at a young age that school would not be the righr environment for him, he is very very smart BUT so active its unreal - even when sitting down doing maths and writing he is kneeling on his chair with his feet through the back - something he'd be told off for at school but he cannot sit still and i have no wish for him to dislike learning because he struggles to sit still. I have no doubt that when he grows up he will end up doing an active type job, or he will have mellowed out a bit.

Also, he would have started school this September, and apart from learning letters he would have done bog all else - by me giving him my time throughout the day he is already able to read to a high level (oxford reading tree 6 atm), he does times tables, adding and subtracting with so much ease its unreal - i showed him how to count in 10's and he did all his times tables from that one showing and has remembered it. i have very much the same type of memory, i only need to be shown/told something once and its in there.
Like the PP he takes stuff in from day to day life, he helps his dad strip down an engine and has actually told him where all the bits go and what they're called, he also knows spanish because i am learning it and has a fairly good grasp of air law because DH is learning to fly! (DS will probably learn to fly by the time he turns 16/17 because he is already involved in what DH is doing on a daily basis.)

I can't understand why people find the idea of home schooling so alien when school wasn't really introduced in this country until late 1800's - just over 100 years of a proper school system and we seem to struggle with the idea of anyone who doesn't want to do it that way!

[Nature'sKids!]

I found a quote once - and I cant
Remember where - from the first minister for
Schools, where he basically said that a decade of reforms and trying to make the public school system work has only showed how flawed it is and that it can never work.
Would love to find it again...
Kindred - how old is your lo?

[kindredspirits]

roughly the same as yours i think - he'll turn 5 in Feb (and I've got a DD due in December):D

[Nature'sKids!]

youve got a very bright little boy there! :)

[jadavi]

I also home educated my 4, all grown up now in the same philosophy -they all chose to go to school at different times and my latest went into year 10 at 14 yo for his gcses. They have all got degrees and did really well.
This is the best thing I ever did in my life for 10 years. If you have the time or can share the time at home with a partner to home educate it is imo a wonderful gift to a child (unless they love school which some do - one of mine did)

The great thing about EYFS is that its a play/child centred approach - just like autonomous learning...what a shame that all has to change overnight when they go to school.

[Nature'sKids!]

I also home educated my 4, all grown up now in the same philosophy -they all chose to go to school at different times and my latest went into year 10 at 14 yo for his gcses. They have all got degrees and did really well.
This is the best thing I ever did in my life for 10 years. If you have the time or can share the time at home with a partner to home educate it is imo a wonderful gift to a child (unless they love school which some do - one of mine did)

The great thing about EYFS is that its a play/child centred approach - just like autonomous learning...what a shame that all has to change overnight when they go to school.

agree 100%!

[kindredspirits]

youve got a very bright little boy there! :)

thank you - I don't tend to go on much about what he can do (apart from on here) because most other places/people think you are either bragging or making it up. I swear it would be much harder if he didn't want to learn things - he's just got that sort of mind, on his laptop he's set a favourites bar across the top of internet explorer, on his favourites apart from cbeebies and disney jr are asda, laptops direct, bbc weather and mothercare (which he tells me he will be taking off once his sister is born as we won't need to buy anymore baby stuff.) lol

[Trouble]

wish i'd would have home schooled my kids :thumbsup:

[mama2three]

i applaud you all for your commitment to your children - pure homeschooling isnt for me , I do supplement what school does though with loads of amazing experiences - it isnt either / or , its both!
this bit...''Also, he would have started school this September, and apart from learning letters he would have done bog all else'' ...simply isnt true , for my school at least. ds is currently learning an amazing amount through lots of fun activities to do with the gunpowder plot..he has been writing a Guy Fawkes Diary and comes home full of enthusiasm and energy. he is just 5 so a similar age to your children and I still think that education is my job as much as the schools!
I think the problem lies with parents who seem to think that they can hand over responsibility for learning to the teachers once the child is at school.

[Trpta108]

i applaud you all for your commitment to your children - pure homeschooling isnt for me , I do supplement what school does though with loads of amazing experiences - it isnt either / or , its both!
this bit...''Also, he would have started school this September, and apart from learning letters he would have done bog all else'' ...simply isnt true , for my school at least. ds is currently learning an amazing amount through lots of fun activities to do with the gunpowder plot..he has been writing a Guy Fawkes Diary and comes home full of enthusiasm and energy. he is just 5 so a similar age to your children and I still think that education is my job as much as the schools!
I think the problem lies with parents who seem to think that they can hand over responsibility for learning to the teachers once the child is at school.

Agree. I would have loved to homeschool mine though(I read up a lot about it as well), I really like the idea, problem is no dad, 5 children, no car. Luckily most of my children enjoy school, except my oldest (12), but if I let him stay home the others would want to as well, and I simply wouldn't be able to cope.

[JulieA]

I would love to home school my children, but feel I would fail them by doing so - guilt on my part for not being good enough NOT on home-schooling. I do try to supplement what they are doing at school as much as I can. My 7 year old has done a project recently on Brunel and we have been to visit some of his achievements - SS Great Britain, etc to bring it to life. I believe that subjects should be taught holistically rather than as seperate entities.

I envy and applaud those of you who have taken the plunge to home school.

:clapping: :clapping:

[Kiddleywinks]

I think the problem lies with parents who seem to think that they can hand over responsibility for learning to the teachers once the child is at school.

I totally 100% without a doubt agree with this!
I'm not sure I'd have been very good at homeschooling as such, although I applaud those of you that do, but my children don't stop learning once outside the school gates.
My DS is, and always has been, very forward for his age, soaks everything up like a sponge, and for every single thing he learns, will ask umpteen questions to learn more.
I have always encouraged this, even before he started pre school and then primary, and can't abide seeing inquisitive little people being 'shushed' or fobbed off by parents, when all they want to do is learn
And no I'm not confusing that with the dreaded high pitched Wwwwhhhhhyyyyy we all get lol

If I've not been able to answer the question, due to my lack of knowledge, then we've joined forces to find out the answer together and then we've all learnt something.

I hear too many parents reply with 'because it is, or because it does, or ask your teacher' when there's been a genuine question from their LO
Aren't we as parents our childs first, longest, and most trusted teacher. My mother STILL teaches me things! :laughing:

The problem I have with him at the moment is the school doesn't seem able to keep up with him, which isn't necessarily the schools 'fault' as such, it's just that grouping age related children together rarely takes into account differing abilities, at both ends of the spectrum.

[Nature'sKids!]

For those of you who are torn - there is the option of Flexible schooling or part time schooling, a friend of mine does this :)

[Trouble]

I totally 100% without a doubt agree with this!
I'm not sure I'd have been very good at homeschooling as such, although I applaud those of you that do, but my children don't stop learning once outside the school gates.
My DS is, and always has been, very forward for his age, soaks everything up like a sponge, and for every single thing he learns, will ask umpteen questions to learn more.
I have always encouraged this, even before he started pre school and then primary, and can't abide seeing inquisitive little people being 'shushed' or fobbed off by parents, when all they want to do is learn
And no I'm not confusing that with the dreaded high pitched Wwwwhhhhhyyyyy we all get lol

If I've not been able to answer the question, due to my lack of knowledge, then we've joined forces to find out the answer together and then we've all learnt something.

I hear too many parents reply with 'because it is, or because it does, or ask your teacher' when there's been a genuine question from their LO
Aren't we as parents our childs first, longest, and most trusted teacher. My mother STILL teaches me things! :laughing:

The problem I have with him at the moment is the school doesn't seem able to keep up with him, which isn't necessarily the schools 'fault' as such, it's just that grouping age related children together rarely takes into account differing abilities, at both ends of the spectrum.
is he in the gifted and talented section of school?

i used to look after a gifted child and i said something to the parent and they said they didnt want to push her, what a waste! she was like your son the more she learned the more she asked the more she wanted to know :D

[jayjay1963]

I would love to have homeschooled my youngest DD. She was bullied quite a bit and would definitely have benefitted from HS.

Jacqui

[mushpea]

I hated school and didnt really learn much but since leaving school I have learnt so much more but I learnt because I wanted to learn and because i what i learnt about was what I was/am interested in. My son is much the same as me and I think he will learn so much more when he finishes school,, he learns so much from books and factual programs on tv

[Trouble]

I hated school and didnt really learn much but since leaving school I have learnt so much more but I learnt because I wanted to learn and because i what i learnt about was what I was/am interested in. My son is much the same as me and I think he will learn so much more when he finishes school,, he learns so much from books and factual programs on tv

i hated school and learned so much more out i have a nice set of qualifications but a part of me would love to go back and finish school as i should of done then :D

[Kiddleywinks]

is he in the gifted and talented section of school?


Lol, There is no gifted/talented section at his school!
They frequently call him gifted, which tbh I have frowned at, he is bright, his sister was equally as bright (and is thriving at high school where she's supported very very well), but I'm not sure I would call it gifted - more a natural ability to want to learn - or maybe I'm just used to it so don't recognize the difference.

Without trying to put anyone down, I don't think the school are used to children wanting to learn, the children's parents are still children themselves for the largest part, I'm in my 40's and frequently get mistaken for being my son's grandparent :eek:
(I've tried to word that without putting down younger parents, who I know can do as equally a good job, if not better, as older ones, just not in the area I'm in unfortunately)
The school he attends is the best in the area, and the high school are much better equipped to deal with his needs, so we just have to last this school year, which we do with 'supplemented learning' I guess you could call it, at home.

[Narnia34]

I HS'd my now 13 yr old son for 2 years.

I took him out of school because he just wasn't coping with being in a classroom. He is ASD with Dyspraxia, and had very poor fine motor control, which made it difficult to write, he also can't cope with sitting still and silent, so was constantly being told off for being naughty because he jiggled and hummed little tunes. It was felt to be unfair on the other children in the class, so he was moved out of the classroom and did all his work in a corridor on his own. He was getting lonely and unhappy, so I made the decision to teach him at home. I had no encouragement from anyone, and was told by the EP that I would fail and makes things worse for him.

He loves being outside, so we would go to the park and just follow his interests, get books from the library and did things like finger mazes and puzzles. I am not confident with arithmetic, so we learned simple problem solving skills together. He left school in year 4, with a reading age of 4.5 years and a writing age of less than that, it was also felt that his comprehension age was that of a toddler.

I am very proud to say that he now goes to a fantastic boarding school, where his latest results show that he is streets ahead academically. He's still autistic of course, but the time he spent being home schooled helped him to find the joy in learning and every report we get says that he is a good independent learner, often spending hours researching things of particular interest to him.

For him, home schooling for those 2 years was absolutely crucial, for me, the experience has really helped when it comes to CM, because I already had experience of planning next steps and problem solving for things that children might have difficulties with to try and find creative alternatives. It also made our bond much much stronger, he's such a lovely little lad!

[Vickster]

Kindred Spirits, your boy sounds like my son, but he does go to school and does enjoy it, he too, can read properly, his maths is way above everyone else and he has a high degree of common sense and is mature but fun loving.

I admire you so much for home schooling. I think my son would be bored at home though. I don't think yours is BTW :)

[Lilylulu]

Hi,
I have 2 daughters now in yr 11 and yr 7. Both have homeschooled at diferent stages - one because of ill health, one because of bullying which led to severe anxiety. My eldest is still enrolled at school but not attending - more flexischool - just to complete her exams. It is very liberating if for whatever reason school is making life difficult for your child, don't underestimate how much time it takes though. My relationship with both my girls has greatly improved through the time and bond we have shared doing home ed. It has helped that both my girls are very bright, the eldest has a fantastic work ethic and a very independent learner, the youngest rather procrastinates, finding excuse after excuse, luckily she has improved fantstically when I have been working closely with her :)

[Maza]

We're considering it, mainly because we also believe we start school too young in this country. I'm really pleased there are lots of home schoolers on here.