Homeschooling - Newark,OH

Just because no one mentioned it, if you are that concerned about what to teach or having support, you can look into e-schools. Ohio has several and we have had a wonderful experience with OHVA. This will be the second year we have homeschooled my youngest 2 kids, and we all love it.

I have consider that myself but I don't have the patience to do it. You can go to public, pvt or be homeschool when a child does not want to learn he won't. I went to public school, I liked it and I have to say I did not learn as much as my cousins who went to catholic schools did. I am considering catholic school for my daughter. She is 3 and going to preschool in September but once kindergarten comes she will go to catholic school. In the end just think of what is best for her not for you.

You've gotten some KILLER responses :) Yaaaay, love it when that happens.

We're in our 3rd year HS'ing and there are still days with doubts, days with my forehead making an impression against the drywall, days where I look at my friends who have 8 hours a day to pursue their own lives & I get jealous, days where I just plain and simple sweat the small stuff...

Here's a few things I've learn directly to your q's

1.a It scares me that I would solely be responsible to ensure that my kids got the best education.

- The short of it: You're only solely responsible if you want to be... and who determines "best"? Tackling the 2nd part first... what do you consider to be the best education? This is one of those q's I ask myself all the time. In away-school "best" is determined by either schoolboards & curriculum lobbyists (not alway a bad thing, but definitely remember... scope and sequence is a political animal that changes district to district and state to state... with the fedgov periodically also joining the other chefs in the kitchen), OR by private school boards, OR by boarding school boards. You will NOT find 2 schools, even in the same district who all go about "best" in the same way. As soon as you jump entities (districts, state, public, private, boarding) "best" is more varied than a pile of socks. One of the *great* things about HS'ing, and that gets me through some of the hard times, is that *I* get to determine best. LOL... I even get to determine our school motto: Mens Sana in Corpore Sano; a healthy mind in a healthy body. But that's us. The point being... no schoolboard gets to determine that my xyear old is too young to read a certain book, incapable of doing quantative math, doesn't get music or science or fieldtrips or sports... or "should" or "shouldn't" be able to do *anything*. My choice. Buck stops here. Which, yes, is also kind of the scary part... BUT...

Hahaha... I don't live in a vacuum. Yes I can reinvent the wheel if I so choose. Or I can research, borrow freely from existing philosophies and curricula, experiment... etc. I can quite easily get ahold of the scope and sequence from nearly any private school in the country, ditto any nationwide tests. I get to pour through curriculums, and test them out. AND I can farm out anything I durn well choose. Which brings us on to 1.b.

1.b Am I really capable of teaching my kids everything they need to know to thrive as adults?

Probably not. Fortunately we don't have to be. HS'ing doesn't mean living under a rock. We live in a society FILLED with people, classes, tutors, seminars, etc. You don't know a thing you want your children to learn, you have 3 options as a homeschooler: 1) learn it. 2) enroll them in a class and have someone else teach them. 3) wait for them to be old enough to teach themselves.

Although for elementary curriculum, DO realize that you're primarily teaching them how to read, write, simple math, question, & investigate. My suspicion is that you already know how to do those things. The other things they learn in school ( standing in line, taking turns, playing well with others you've already been teaching, I'm sure each and every single day). There's a great line from "the Bitter Homeschooler's Wishlist" http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/001/bitter_homeschoo...:

#12 If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

Somthing I DO have to remind myself as an elementary HS'er... is that we WILL be covering this material again. So while I personally teach for mastery, I also know my 7 year old will be coming back to study ancient egypt again. Or physics. Or or or or. They're not going to learn everything in one shot. So for right now, it's foundation + EXCITEMENT. Love of learning. Self confidence. Curiosity. I can do that.

1.c Can I really run a home program?

Well that all depends. I know sahm/ds who run their HS. I know working m/ds who run their HS.... and everything in between. I also know people in both groups who attempt and don't like it. If you really want to; yes. Yes, you can. There will be challenges, no matter what. It's work, and it's not easy. But it's great fun. I often tell people that it's not the homeschooling that is hard... homeschooling is easy... it's the PARENTING that's hard.

2. I loved school! Am I going to be depriving my kids of a really good experience if I decide to keep them out of a public school?

6 of 1, half a dozen of another. In the first place, just because you homeschool, doesn't mean that you can't send them to away-school later. Secondly... what will your kids miss out on if they're away-schooled? The list changes for every family... but here are a FEW of the things my own kiddo would miss out on if he was away-schooled:

- Family time (not only with us, but he also gets one day a week with nana)
- Friends time (byproduct of HS'ing is having a LOT of time to form deep and meaningful relationships with others)
- Mentors (kiddo has sooooo many amazing people in his life, that again he just wouldn't have time for if we away schooled)
- Classes (he is in a ton outside activities and classes, and we'd have to drop all but 1 or 2 simply because there would be no time)
- Field trips (some months nada, most months 2-3)
- Learning everywhere (we did snowboard homeschool this winter taking our work up the slope M-F.... in the summer our work comes with us to the beach. We do school at the park, at coffee shops, in airplanes, in cars, at the dining table, on skates... we can and do, do school any and everywhere.
- Sleeping in (this is HUGE, as anyone who has dealt with tired cranky kids will attest. For a month this fall kiddo was in a growth spurt and slept in until 930-10am.
- The classic "school in jammies"
- Playtime
- Physical Exercise (right now we spend 6-8 hours a day doing active things, and about 4 on school, that wouldn't just get reversed... because in away school there's also homework and family time to be squeezed in. So it's not curling up with a movie after a day spent swimming/skiing/hiking/whatever we were up to, but curling up with a movie after sitting down for 7 hours of school and 2 of homework??? Ummmmm... yeah.))
- Ohhhhh the list goes on.

HI B.,

Your reasons to homeschool far outweigh your reasons not to. I can tell simply by the way your wrote this letter that you are intelligent and able to homeschool successfully. I have homeschooled my two daughters, now 14 and 18, and they have thrived. They have never been to public or private school and the only time my youngest (never my oldest) had a twinge was when High School Musical came out, lol...like we all went around singing and holding hands all day.

My 18 year old already has her counselor for her doctorate program and she hasn't even begun her undergraduate program yet. they both have strong ideas of what they want to do. They both were good, albeit sometimes lazy, students like most of us but they always were excited about learning.

I have used various curriculums and have done some things "free-hand" too. I have always taught to their interests and gotten all the required studies in with that method. It's kept things fun. You are not depriving them of anything. Who better to mold your children but you? Your interest in their well being will give you the momentum to get things done. Remember academics can be learned. How to be a successful adult is modeled. Who better to model it than you?

Hope I helped and feel free to get in contact if you'd like to talk. My oldest is graduating this year and we have taken it from beginning to end together. It's been a joy!

M.

Let me first say that homeschooling doesn't make a child socially awkward. The family unit and the child's personality are key in determining how kids function in society.

I was homeschooled 1st-12th and have excellent social skills. My nephew was homeschooled until the 9th grade and immediately made friends with the whole school. He is the first student elected to the school board, was homecoming prince, went to state tournaments in two sports and was credited with revitalizing the tennis and swimming programs in his school. He is going to university this fall with a major in psychology.

I am homeschooling my son for the next year and he has no social problems. I do, however, see several of his peers who are in the public school (several, not all) who have nearly no social skills.

So, there you go, the "your kids won't be able to function in the real world" myth is debunked! :)

OOPS! I need to edit upon seeing other responses. Homeschooling is NOT about protecting kids from the real world. Unless you plan on homeschooling in a cave in the mountains, your child will be interacting with people from all walks of life.

Homeschooling is not for everyone, but it's a HUGE academic boost. From the sixth grade and above, State testing showed my grades to be 2-4 grades ahead.

We have 2 boys 3 and 5 and just decided to homeschool our 5 year old for the next year. I too always said that I would NEVER homeschool, and here I am. :)
MY biggest issue is being from Russia we did not start school till we are 7. And I just can not imagine my 5 year old spending 7 hours 5 days a week being "raised" by somebody else. I do no judge people who have kids in schools, for me personally it is just not ok. I have talked to many teachers and all of them told me that the " learning" takes 2-3 hours a day max, so what about other 4 hours????
I do not think that homeschooling is a way to protect your kids from everything "bad" in the world, (we have friends who's daughter was bullied at church.....sounds crazy I know, but bad influence can be found anywhere).
We are going to take it one year at a time, right now I am just looking at K.
MY hubby and mil are not sure about this at all, and my own mom told me "who do you think you are to teach you child with only 2 1/2 years of college ".......so lack of support really makes me wonder.
I have found couple moms in our community however who have done homeschooling and were/are very successful. One of the moms was homeschooled from K-12 herself , along with her brother, her mom did not have any teaching degree, they were very involved in sports and other activities. In college she only made 2 B's and has masters and her brother NEVER made a B. There are both very social.
She is going to homeschool her kids and told me about many websites that are helpfull(she "plays school" with her 3 year old right now and I am amazed how much he knows)email me and I can forward you the info.
____@____.com
ps I got a book on amazon "teach your child how to read in 100 easy lessons", it's great!!!!!!!!

Hi B. V.,

I am starting to homeschool my son this coming year and I am considering homeschooling the other 3 that are in or will be starting school soon. First of all YES you are capable of homeschooling your child. The early years are easy because you know all of that stuff. They have all kinds of homeschool curriculums available and Ohio has two onlines that are credited through the public schools so your child would graduate from a state accredited program. To find out the laws in your state go to www.hslda.org and look up your states laws.

These are the reasons I am choosing to homeschool and they are based on my experience with my kids. I have a child with a learning disability but with an above average IQ and he is not getting the skills he needs to be able to attend college. He is on an Individualized education plan or IEP and I have worked with every teacher, counselor, intervention specialist that he had and still can't get everyone on the same page. They are giving him accomodations that, while they work in the limited environment of his highschool classroom, will do nothing for him when he gets to college. He will never make it with the skill set he has. My daughter is already getting overwhelmed in the third grade because (and this is directly from her teacher) with each new math concept they introduce they are also teaching 25 different ways to do that math, for instance multiplication or division, so that they can try to catch as many kids as they can with one of them and they all learn how to do it in their own way. They problem is that they have to introduce so many that they have to rush through it very quickly so it becomes very confusing because you don't get to do one way long enough to really grasp it. So my daughter is at the end of her third grade year, they have moved on to longer division and fractions and she still doesn't have a tight grasp on her times tables. She freaks out. Add to that the fact that she has NEVER had a spelling test or spelling homework. Good thing she's a great reader with a good memory or she would be doomed. They also haven't learned phonics or phonemic awareness so sounding out words is difficult for her. She totally sight reads. This is inexcusable for me because she is scary smart and capable of doing all of it when shown how and given time.

A good book to read is The Well Trained Mind. It's available at Amazon and they even have excerpts of the book that you can read. Yahoo Groups have several homeschooling groups and I can tell you from my experience that they have been so helpful and willing to answer questions. Just google and read. Go to a chat group like a yahoo group and ask questions. You have time and you can always make a "dry run" and start doing preschool early with them and see how it goes and how you feel about it. Just because you start homeschooling doesn't mean you have to continue homeschooling. You do what's best for your child each year. Just evaluate before school enrollment begins and decide what you feel she needs most. If there are subjects you are uncomfortable teaching in later years almost every area of the country has co-op schools where you can take your kids and have them teach a subject that you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with. It's still homeschooling it's just homeschooling done by several parents with several children and it could give her that school experience you enjoyed, just on a smaller scale.

I'm not telling you that you should or shouldn't. I'm just telling you why I am and adressing some of the concerns you mentioned. If you have any questions feel free to message me and we'll talk. Each way has it's benefits and it's sacrifices. You just have to weigh what you think is best and go with your gut. Mom's gut is almost never wrong.

Hope this helped,

L.

First, don't let "the dangers of peer pressure" be the reason for sheltering your children. You can teach them to stand up for themselves early. But no matter when they enter the public schooling world, pre-K or college, there will ALWAYS be peer pressure. It's better to teach them how to deal with it than to pretend it's not there.
Second, if you start one way or the other, you can always change. You'll hear lots of stories from women who love homeschooling and think it's best, but you must realize that they aren't the majority. My mom taught lower-el for 30 years and she saw kids come in all the time after their mothers realized teaching is HARD and if you aren't prepared for it, it can run you ragged. So, don't feel like a failure if you start and end up not liking it. But also know that if you start them in public and you don't like what's going on, you can always pull them out and try homeschooling at that point.
Third, remember that times change and schools are different. I'm surprised to hear you didn't feel prepared after getting a 4.0!! I had a 3.5 and felt over-prepared for college - college was easier for me than high school had been! Every school is different.

Personally, I want a certified professional teaching my kids. I don't have the time or energy to learn what I need to know enough to teach my kids. I want them in a class situation learning social lessons that are different than those learned in sports and church. But I get not everyone feels the way I do. That's cool. There are lots of resources out there. Check and see if there is a homeschooling co-op near you. I have a couple friends who participate in one near me and really like it!

We have been considering it also, and while I don't have a lot of advice to offer or anything, I did run across an interesting site that has some views from the homeschooling side of things:
http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/

I'm sure that there are tons of resources out there--you might try googling your area (Newark?) and "homeschooling" to see if you can turn up any groups and then try talking to some of the HS parents in your area.

I do think that it is a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly, just like choosing which school for your child to attend (if you're doing public/private school) or any other major decision. But I think that today there is a much stronger support network for HS parents to tap into if they want to.

B.,
You are not alone. Investigate www.ohva.org which will give you all the details you need. It is a public charter school, so you do not have to pay tuition. They supply an excellent curriculum, a loan computer and printer, provide all the teaching materials, supervisory personnel, and group outings. Children participate in all the Ohio standardized exams, and graduate with a high school diploma. We've participated in OHVA since our first born was in Kindergarten, and he has now just completed third grade. I cannot say enough positive things about the Ohio Virtual Academy! If you have any questions, just ask me.

Best wishes,
K.

Hi,

Just wanted to say I have an almost 5 and almost 6 year old boys. I have gone back and forth between Homeschool and Public School for varying reasons including some of what you have mentioned. So far I have decided to keep my boys in the Public School System. They are both thriving and I while I do believe I could educate my children succesfully on my own, I have seen where they have benefitted from having other authoritative figures in their lives outside of Mom and Dad. They adore their teachers and look forward to going to school. They look forward to getting gifts for them when we are on vacation. It is an added dimension in their growing process.There are days when they are tired and that is a fact of life as with all of us, but they do love school. It depends I believe on the school system you have to deal with. My older in in K all day and younger is in PreK for a few hours. At school they do stuff that I would not even think of. I enjoy the weekends off with them and after school we buzz with extra curricula. It's great. I do miss them when they are school and there are some Fridays when I just take them to the Museum or where ever and have lunch and Mommy time. But all in all public school is wonderful for my kids. I like it when they come home and tell me about their day with other people, how they resolved this one conflict with some one else without Mom and Dad being there and it makes be feel like a successful Mama! It is also wonderful when we can both be independent of each other. I enjoy seeing my older one run out of the car when being dropped off at school and bustling in with the other kids. I enjoy when he comes back home from school and shows off what he gets from the "caught being good treasure chest" .In my opinion, its the best real life experience they could get. As other moms have suggested, do a dry run on the public school, see what they offer, check out the open door policy and so on. For the Christian bit, they go to church and we do bible and prayer with them daily. You still have 2 years to decide. Good luck with your descion.

I applaud you for even thinking about homeschooling! I felt the same way as you plus I am also a teacher in a public school. I had a lot to think about....but I did it! I will be starting my 3rd year of homeschooling. I will add my kindergartener to my roster this school year. I do it through a charter school where the kids attend 2 days a week. If you need any ideas or want to see what homeschooling is all about check out my blog:
www.HMSwithfabulousity.blogspot.com

As a public school teacher, I could give you lots of good reasons why you should send your kids to school (public or private, secular or parochial) but that's not what you asked for, so I'll refrain. What I will say is that while it seems that your child is "fast approaching" school age, it's really two more years away. There's a big difference between 3 and 5 (or six, if you wanted to keep her back from kindergarten for a year, which lots of parents do). Reassess as it gets a little closer and you have a clearer sense of what your daughter wants and needs. I am sure if you decide to go the homeschooling route you will be able to figure out a kindergarten curriculum with relative ease; you don't need two years prep.

Good luck.

I've thought about the same things also. My oldest will begin Kindergarten in the fall at age five. I'm not so concerned about this age, but I am concerned about my children as they progress to higher grades. I work at a library and have had several family members indicate that children in their families are really struggling with the schoolwork IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! I've heard of children crying over their classes and having a large homework load. Some kids do okay with that, but others don't. I have become extremely concerned over what I have been told. From my perspective having no current experience with schools, I think too much is expected from students. We hear how they need to be prepared as world competition for jobs increases. But kids still need time to be kids. My sister in-law recently pulled her two children (Jr. High & High School age) out of school as they were struggling academically. They came home with three + hours of homework most nights that my sister in-law was trying to help them with. The final straw came when one teacher switched the child's math class because the child was struggling and didn't even bother to notify the parents. Both children are doing very well now. My SIL knows what is being taught because she is teaching it.

We will see how everything goes. But if my children come home crying because the academic pressure is too great, especially in elementary school, we will do some serious re-evaluating. I do plan to be active in their school and will try to volunteer in the classroom. I want to do whatever I can to help my children have a positive and successful school experience.

For one thing, you can join a homeschool coop, so that you wouldn't be the sole educator and you take turns on strong points and such, which still allows your child to socialize and learn from other people.

http://www.passportacademy.com/ is ranked one of the nation's best homeschool curriculum Here are some: http://www.passportacademy.com/search/label/Our%20Curriculum
and they have tons of resources and a toolbar on the website.

I also would love to homeschooling, but I don't have the patience either, though I still may implement some of my own teachings as well.

You can still socialize her by doing lots of activities with other kids and programs. Some children need the school setting if they learn better that way, some thrive on the homeschool, just see what works best for her.

You can also look into private, charter schools or fine art schools. It is recommended by some child psychologist to put them back in public for high school to prepare them more for college and more real world type of training and behavioral coping skills, such as group projects, dating, sports, team events like debate, choir, leadership council..., though volunteer programs, jobs and other things can provide that as well if you keep it very balanced.

I homeschool my 12 year old and 9 year old.
I started because my 12yo was having terrible school anxiety. She would still come home wet at times in 4th grade. I had had enough. My 3rd grader just wanted to stay home with mommy, so since he is only in 3rd I said why not.
It is not easy. I have the book The Well Trained mind by Susan Wise Bauer. It has curriculum guides and actual schedules to follow.
The hardest thing I find is getting it all in, sometimes all we do is math and Grammar.
Both my kids are in scouts so they have their peers. We also go to church. I did not require them to participate in sports this year but I will next year. We find it hard to get gym in every week.
We have a day of music lessons, 2 piano and violin, drum and trumpet.
My kids did fine in pre-K, during kinder my 12 year old started falling apart. She is now much more confident with herself and her abilities. I wish I had pulled her out sooner.
I will put her back in the schools in high school. My son I want to keep out until maybe 5th or 6th. He has asked that I keep him out until 9th as well. We have not decided.
There are many links here with websites for homeschooling.
THe first place you need to go is here
http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
That will give you the legalities of homeschoolign in your state.

Hi B.-

I do not have experience with homeschooling, but I wanted to throw my 2 cents in to the conversation. I think all of the pros & cons you listed are valid arguments. However playing the role of "devil's advocate" regarding your pros, I would say: 1. Many kids get to college and realize that they don't know how to study. High School and below is very structured because children do not know how to manage time and prioritize yet. Part of the college experience is learning these new "everyday adult skills" as well as learning academically. Some kids in high school just aren't mature enough to grasp these types of things and I think it is just something that comes with growing up, not something that homeschooling could fix. 2. There is always going to be peer pressure no matter what age anyone is. The sooner children learn to deal with outside influences, the better off they will be. Granted being a parent I want to protect my children from everything I can, but realistically I can't always be there and I need to let them learn how to deal with others. 3. The same reply in #2 can be applied here. As well as I agree that children get to interact with others at all of the events you mentioned, but all of those activities are "choices". People also need to learn how to behave in a socially acceptable manner in enviroments that we don't want to be in, but we just have to. School may be an example or work or hospitals or anything else that you don't want to do, but you have to. I also wonder about lengths of time and the # of people. I would think that an individual is going to have to deal with many more people and personalities in a school setting then a small group of music lessons or soccer practice.

Like I said, I was not homeschooled nor do I have any intentions of homeschooling my child because I am not comfortable with it. I do admire you for looking into something that you don't know much about before you decide if that is the right path for you and your family. As for the Cons you mentioned, they are all of the same cons I would think of myself. I do think it is good for kids to get away from there parents and slowly begin their lives away from us. They need there independence too to put into action the values we have hopefully installed in them.

This is kind of a side note, but the limited experience I had with kids that had been homeschooled and then went to public high school were great academically, but terrible on the social side. They did not "behave" as the rest of the student body and I always wondered how they were once they became adults. Could they blend in in the work force or were they always on the outside fringes observing everyone else. The children that are homeschooled, how to do they learn to deal with teachers/bosses that they don't really care for but have to listen to? I think our biggest long term goal as parents is teaching our children how to be successful adults and I don't know if limiting their experience to things/places that most individuals experience is the best way to do that.

As you can see I have just as many questions as you do. For me, the cons greatly outnumber the pros. Good luck with your decision and I am sure you will do whatever is best for your family. I can tell by your post that you must be a great mom since you are weighing all of your options and care so much. Oh ya, even though I don't know you, I don't think you have much to worry about regarding your #1 con. We are supermoms and can do anything we put our minds too. :)

Before making up your mind, do show shadowing. I would still visit your local school to sit in on classes. Find a mom who has done successful home schooling like one whose kids are teenagers or older. They can share with you there up and downs. It will also allow for you to have someone local for support. Usually your local church is aware of home schooled families. MY youngest son had developmental issues so I would never have considered teaching him at home. I do wish I would have done a private school at a young age. I think a Christian/religious school is good for young kids to help them build a strong foundation for the future. But I think kids need to learn how to live in the world they are in. If you shelter them from everything they won't know how to cope in the world. A lot of kids without the proper foundation struggle on their own when they go off to college. It's like a major shock. SO you introduce them to things a little at a time. Home schooling to me is like a small christian school. I think it is great when they are young. With the right support network you can be very successful at it.

Hi B..
You are talking about "YOUR CHILDREN." All schools are not created equal. The fact that you are considering homeschooling tells me you have reservations about the public arena. I believe kids should stay HOME their first 4 - 5 years of school. They are young, impressionable and are led astray to easily. At least give them a solid foundation and time to mature some before you turn them over to the government. The Homeschool Network is BIGGER than you think! They gather several times a week for music, sports, field trips, art, advanced classes, speakers etc. If you have a "choice" in the matter, choose homeschooling first. I'm sorry I didn't.
God Bless

You may want to consider an online school. I work for Virtual Community School of Ohio which is a FREE public school for Ohio residents. However, you get the benefits of being at home in a safe environment. All classes are done online, but they are taught by certified teachers, so you are not solely responsible for your child's education. You can learn more online at www.vcslearn.org. Something to consider. Best of luck!

Hello!
I just wanted to say that I was homeschooled through 6th grade and I would never, ever do that to my kids. We were very active in our church (we went three times per week), we were part of a homeschool group, and we were very active in many sports. Yet, we are still to this day, socially awkward. The situations you deal with on a daily basis with classmates cannot be replaced, and as such, my professional relationships have taken a lot of work on my part when they come so easy to others. And then there's the education part - my parents are both college professors, and yet, my sisters and I entered school way below our classmates when it came to our education. It took a lot of hard work on our part to catch up and do well. So it doesn't matter how smart you are, there are areas that you will not be able to adequately teach your children (which is why there are different teachers for different areas in our schools).

I know there is a huge kick for homeschooling right now. But so many parents are making the decision without ever talking to someone that has been both homeschooled and in private school and in public school (I have been in all three). Please get more information and educate yourself before you make such a life-altering decision for your kids. And if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact me!