Online Home Schooling » Family

How to Tell if Homeschooling is Right for Our Family

homeschool — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:37:42 +0000

Homeschooling is legal in every state, but the choice to homeschool should not be made lightly. Research and discussion are required to make a wise decision. How do you tell if homeschooling is right for your family? Here are a few questions to ask yourself when considering homeschooling as an option for your family.

Am I comfortable spending all of my time with my children? One of the main reasons that people homeschool is because they love their children and want what's best for them. They also genuinely like spending time with their children, which is good since you'll be spending all of your time with them. If your children frustrate you easily, homeschooling might not be a good match for you.

Will questions bother me?

Homeschoolers are usually asked a lot of questions. Those questions could be about what curriculum they're using or about socialization for their children. If you homeschool, it helps if you don't mind answering the same questions more than once.

How can I find out about homeschooling?

Check out books from your public library. There is more than likely a large selection of books that will tell you everything you need to know. The librarian might even be able to tell you if there are any homeschoolers in the area, since most homeschoolers rely heavily upon the library for source materials.

Is there a support system available?

After you've read some books, find local homeschoolers, or do an online search for "homeschool groups (your city)" or "homeschool groups (your state)." There are homeschooling co-ops available in many places, as well as opportunities for families to get together and have fun.

What if I have other questions?

After you've found some families that already homeschool, and ask them about the pros and cons of homeschooling. Most families will be honest about their reasons, and will be more than happy to help you make an informed decision. Ask them what types of hardships they had to deal with when starting out. Should you be concerned about socialization for your children? What about curriculum? Do they have suggestions about what to use or not to use?

What curriculum do I choose?

Curriculum choices are astronomical -- in the variety available, and often in the price. While it is possible to have "school at home" by choosing books very similar to what are offered in public schools, it is also possible to homeschool without using a set curriculum at all. The library books you checked out earlier should have explained about the different methods, and should have given you an idea of what your child should learn in each grade.

If you are considering homeschooling your child, or children, answering the above questions should help you make an informed decision. Not everyone will choose to homeschool after investigating the option. However, if you want to be more involved in your child's education, homeschooling might just be right for you.

Jane Saeman runs an In-Home Tutoring service called Aim High Tutors. Find out about how to help your student reach their full potential at http://www.aimhightutors.com/blog

New Saxon Math 87 8 7 Home Study Kit Homeschool Edition
$63.95
End Date: Tuesday Feb-21-2012 11:58:51 PST
Buy It Now for only: $63.95
Buy It Now

Homeschool Geometry 1 Rea Quick Access Reference Chart
$0.01
End Date: Tuesday Feb-7-2012 23:14:41 PST
Bid now

HBJ Science Boxed SET Concepts in SCIENCE On My Own Grade 5 Purple HomeSchool
$19.99
End Date: Tuesday Feb-7-2012 23:30:13 PST
Bid now

60 HOMESCHOOL TEACHING READING KINDERGARTEN PRESCHOOL
$29.99
End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 7:14:06 PST
Buy It Now for only: $29.99
Buy It Now

Apologia Exploring Creation with Physics by Jay L Wile HC TextSolutionsTests
$35.00 (3 Bids)
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 1:00:11 PST
Bid now

Saxon Advanced Mathematics Text Tests Homeschool Packet Solutions Manual EUC
$31.55 (2 Bids)
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 1:00:21 PST
Bid now

REASON for HANDWRITING T Transition Gr 2 3 Homeschool
$12.95
End Date: Sunday Feb-19-2012 3:47:41 PST
Buy It Now for only: $12.95
Buy It Now

Century 21 Computer Applications Keyboarding Homeschool Text with Resource CD
$4.99 (1 Bid)
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 1:00:48 PST
Bid now

Apologia Advanced Physics in Creation by Dr Jay L Wile HC TextSolutions Tests
$29.99 (1 Bid)
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 1:00:49 PST
Bid now

25 NEW HOMESCHOOL SIGHT WORD READERS BOOKS KIDS LOT
$24.90
End Date: Thursday Feb-9-2012 18:22:57 PST
Buy It Now for only: $24.90
Buy It Now

Gilgamesh the King by Ludmilla Zeman and Ludmila Zeman 1998 Paperback
$7.50
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 3:41:07 PST
Buy It Now for only: $8.50
Buy It Now | Bid now

CrocoNile by Roy Gerrard 2001 Paperback Reprint
$4.00
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 3:46:57 PST
Buy It Now for only: $6.00
Buy It Now | Bid now

New Saxon Math Algebra 1 2 Half Home Study Kit Homeschool Edition
$49.95
End Date: Tuesday Feb-21-2012 14:00:14 PST
Buy It Now for only: $49.95
Buy It Now

Veritas Press Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Cards
$12.50 (1 Bid)
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 5:22:28 PST
Bid now

Instant BIBLE Lessons BIBLE TRUTHS by Pamela Kuhn Reproducible Ages 5 10
$2.99
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:14:01 PST
Bid now

Alpha Omega AOP LIFEPAC History Student Set 7 7th
$44.10
End Date: Sunday Feb-26-2012 19:19:35 PST
Buy It Now for only: $44.10
Buy It Now

ABeka Language 3 Teacher Edition Test Key Homeschool 3 grade Language Arts
$8.99
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:14:25 PST
Bid now

ABeka Book Reading Program Secret in the Maple Tree 3 4 grade Homeschool
$3.99
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:14:55 PST
Bid now

LOT 25 SIGHT WORD READERS Homeschool Scholastic NEW
$21.95
End Date: Sunday Feb-19-2012 12:05:20 PST
Buy It Now for only: $21.95
Buy It Now

Story of the World Set Volume 1 and Activity Book
$20.00 (1 Bid)
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:33:16 PST
Bid now

Lifepac Mathematics 6th Grade 1999 Hardcover
$11.99
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:44:08 PST
Bid now

NEW LOT 60 HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM KINDERGARTEN PRESCHOOL
$29.99
End Date: Wednesday Feb-15-2012 12:02:12 PST
Buy It Now for only: $29.99
Buy It Now

Men of Science Men of God Great Scientists of the Past Who Believed the
$2.00
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:50:25 PST
Buy It Now for only: $4.00
Buy It Now | Bid now

Liberal Arts Mathematics A Florida Course
$10.00
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:51:28 PST
Buy It Now for only: $20.00
Buy It Now | Bid now

Abeka 6th GR Observing Gods World 4 BOOKS HOMESCHOOL
$19.99
End Date: Thursday Mar-8-2012 8:25:02 PST
Buy It Now for only: $19.99
Buy It Now

Advanced Mathematics 3 Florida
$5.00
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 6:52:19 PST
Buy It Now for only: $10.00
Buy It Now | Bid now

Shurley English Homeschool Kit by Brenda Shurley 2002 Paperback Package
$45.00
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 7:34:12 PST
Buy It Now for only: $50.00
Buy It Now | Bid now

Alpha Omega AOP LIFEPAC History Student Set 1 1st
$44.10
End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 13:53:22 PST
Buy It Now for only: $44.10
Buy It Now

SAXON MATH HOMESCHOOL 8 7 by Stephen Hake 2004 Paperback Solution Manual
$60.00
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 7:34:46 PST
Buy It Now for only: $68.00
Buy It Now | Bid now

HIS DARK MATERIALS Pullman GOLDEN COMPASS complete set trilogy lot childrens bks
$3.33
End Date: Wednesday Feb-8-2012 8:20:50 PST
Bid now

How to Tell if Homeschooling is Right for Our Family is a post from: Online Home Schooling

Henrikson family project teaches patriotism with puppets

homeschool — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:06:03 +0000

What's News for July 8, 2010
Get your non-profit organization’s fundraisers and other events in the Daily Progress’s What’s News calendar free of charge by e-mailing event information to living@jacksonvilleprogress.com. The newspaper reserves the right to edit any submission for space and content

Read more on Jacksonville Daily Progress

Henrikson family project teaches patriotism with puppets
WALNUT — “In God We Trust” was the theme of the patriotic puppet show performed by the Henrikson family of Walnut and friends on July Fourth at the Walnut Celebration weekend in the park. The 40-minute production provided puppet skits sharing the truth of our nation’s beginnings founded on Biblical principles. “John Adams” and “Thomas Jefferson” made guest appearances in a song sung by patriotic ...

Is Homeschooling Right For Your Family?

homeschool — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:41:29 +0000

I've been a private tutor in New York City for the past five years, and in that time I have worked extensively with eight different homeschoolers and had contact with a number of others. Some of these families are providing their children with absolutely magnificent educations. Others are doing a very poor job of it. I've given a great deal of thought to the characteristics that set successful homeschooling families apart from unsuccessful ones, and I believe I have some useful ideas for helping families determine whether or not they ought to take the plunge. Of course there are both academic and non-academic considerations to take into account with education, but my topic here is to primarily discuss the academic issues.

My first question for any parents considering homeschooling is: Why? There are many possible answers to this question, but I think most of the time, the answers fall into one of three categories. First, there are families who simply feel that they can provide their child with a better education than they could get in any available school. Next, there are families who find themselves in a difficult situation, and homeschooling seems like it might provide a solution (although it was never a first choice). Finally, there are families with children who work (usually as actors) and who can't reasonably go to regular school, too.

All of these categories contain both successful and unsuccessful homeschooling families, although the most common the pitfalls seem to be different. Among families who want to try homeschooling because they believe they can provide a truly superior education, I've noticed one major downfall- parents who assume that their interests form the core of a good education. For example, I had a friend in college who was rather bitter about the fact that her parent's (both math majors from Harvard) version of homeschooling led her to be rather competent at beginning calculus by the age of 11, but sadly unable to write more than a simple sentence or two until she entered public school in the 6th grade.

On the other hand, I now have a homeschooling student whose parents know they can't do math or science justice- that's why they've hired me and it's why they make a great effort to make sure a variety of adults who are fluent in math and science contribute to her education. That child is getting a great education in the humanities from her parents and a great education in math and science from me and other people.

Unfortunately, no one is fully competent in every subject that a child should be exposed to, especially as they get older and material gets more complicated. Have you thought about how you will address all of the subjects that your child should be studying, and not just the ones that are your own personal favorites? Have you considered what the implications are of potentially passing on your own academic weaknesses or prejudices to your child? Do you have a plan to avoid, or at least ameliorate, this potential pitfall?

In my experience, families who consider homeschooling because of a difficult situation are perhaps the most diverse group. These are also some of the families who have the most trouble making homeschooling work, for the simple reason that they are already under some sort of intense stress, which makes everything more difficult. The questions I would pose to these families are: Why do you think homeschooling will improve your situation? Do you realistically have the time and energy to devote to this important project? I have seen families who were forced into homeschooling make it work very well and I have also seen homeschooling degenerate into something quite awful.

My favorite example of a family that was forced into homeschooling by circumstance but made it work well for them is a family consisting of an aunt and uncle who adopted their very troubled and severely school-phobic nephew. By the time they adopted their nephew, he had already learned to associate school with failure and responded to it with a mixture of indifference and aggression. It was bad enough when he was a prepubecent child, but as he entered adolescence the situation became absolutely untenable. For this student, homeschooling has been a wonderful second chance that has allowed him to begin learning without having to carry the baggage from his previous failures around. He has made enormous progress in the years since I began working with him. I truly believe that he could not have made this amount of progress in any other environment.

On the other hand, I once participated in the homeschooling of a boy whose mother was terminally ill. The situation was even worse than you might think because she was on medication that made her quite literally and dramatically insane. The poor woman had many frightening hallucinations and became so fearful that she sometimes didn't allow her son to leave their apartment for stretches of several days. Although homeschooling by a team of professional educators allowed him to more or less keep up academically, the emotional cost of being isolated from his friends and the outside world while he was trying to deal with his mother's illness made a terrible situation even worse. I truly believe that it would have been better for him to go to school. Even if he had failed every subject, just getting outside of the house and seeing his peers would have been an improvement.

Finally, there are families with a professional child. In these situations, the relevant questions aren't so much about homeschooling, they're really about the child's career. Can this individual child handle a career? Is the desire for a career truly coming from the child? If the career doesn't carry over into adulthood, will he or she have the skills necessary to make a life in another way? I've only known one professional child personally, and she was a charming 8th grade girl who truly loved acting. I homeschooled her while she was performing in an off-Broadway play. She was quite driven to succeed in all aspects of her life, and she was able to do remarkably well in terms of keeping up with her academics as well as her career. I had a lot of admiration for the way she handled all aspects of her life. I also respected the fact that her parents supported her desire to pursue a career in acting, but they absolutely did not push her. Her situation was close to ideal. On the other hand, she told me some disturbing stories about other professional children that she knew who were essentially coerced into pursuing acting careers that they did not want for themselves. Obviously, that is a deeply unethical choice for parents to force on their child. Homeschooling is really beside the point.

In my experience, homeschooling families generally do pretty well (and often extremely well) when they enter into homeschooling with their child's interests truly front and center. They often run into problems when homeschooling is more about the parents than the child. Ask yourself why and how you want to do this before you start. Be as honest as you can with your answers. The way you think about your child's education will undoubtedly change over time, but if you keep those questions in mind, your chances of making the right choice for your family is quite good.

New York Academics offers homeschooling in New York City for students with a wide variety of needs. We also offer nyc math tutoring in your home, office, or in a public place. Please inquire about the availability of tutors for specific times, locations, and subjects.