another case in point against homeschooling?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by minn_stat

My anecdotal evidence is different than yours. The first homeschoolers I knew followed the typical stereotype quite closely - very strange and backwards family in many respects, the children were very sheltered and tightly controlled. As the kids grew up, several of them freaked out and became very rebellious and wild.

Understandably, I didn't think much of home schooling for a long time because of this first impression.

But I have changed my viewpoint quite a bit as I have observed and examined the issue over the years. I didn't just take my first impression and let it guide my opinion for the rest of my life.

I have definitely seen a mixed bag in terms of results, as mentioned before. But I have seen some families use home schooling very effectively, and some of the most impressive kids I've known are products of home schools. I think home schooling, properly done, can provide a child with a far superior education to most public schools, and they don't have to turn out weird or backwards. Unfortunately, some do, but some kids come out of public schools pretty messed up, too.

Intuitively we can't know if those kids would not have turned out the same or better had their parents simply supplemented their education. That's my point. Parental involvement and delivery of options helps kid succeed, not the medium. You're confusing the medium with the result, and I believe the correlation could not be proved.

[minn_stat]

Originally Posted by Archaea

...Stress is part of life, and I'd prefer they'd learn sooner rather than later.

I disagree strongly on this point. Children are being prescribed mind-altering drugs in rapidly increasing numbers, and are being diagnosed more often with emotional and mental health issues that were once almost exclusively diagnosed only in adults. Professionals indicate that the demands and stresses on children is likely a major contributor to this growing problem.

[minn_stat]

It is apparent that the two of you (Archaea and Mike) have deep seated prejudices against home schooling that appear to be rooted in experience coupled with a good dose of logical thinking.

I have pretty strong opinions on the subject as well, opinions that run counter to yours. Mine have come because I have been interested in the idea and have researched it quite a bit (far more than the average person on the street, but not enough to be a true expert). That doesn't make me right and you wrong. I actually find Archaea to be one of the people on Cougarguard whose opinions I give more weight to.

I don't wish to spend more of my time debating this given the circumstances, since we aren't about to change each other's minds. I've heard these arguments from others before, and I'm not interested in going the rounds further with you, given your responses and obvious attitudes to this point. I feel I could address some of these facts, but it would take far too much of my time, and to what end?

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

[SoCalCoug]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Tim Tebow was also homeschooled, but that doesn't make him representative.

Yeah - look what homeschooling got him:

[MikeWaters]

How many homeschooling parents end up working in PTAs? How many end up on school boards?

Yet another example of qualified, talented Americans not contributing to the public good.

"I'm happy to benefit from the vaccination of other people's children through herd immunity, but I'll be damned if my kid is going to take on any risk."

I lived in a town where professors' kids and kids with moms on welfares attended the same school.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by minn_stat

It is apparent that the two of you (Archaea and Mike) have deep seated prejudices against home schooling that appear to be rooted in experience coupled with a good dose of logical thinking.

I have pretty strong opinions on the subject as well, opinions that run counter to yours. Mine have come because I have been interested in the idea and have researched it quite a bit (far more than the average person on the street, but not enough to be a true expert). That doesn't make me right and you wrong. I actually find Archaea to be one of the people on Cougarguard whose opinions I give more weight to.

I don't wish to spend more of my time debating this given the circumstances, since we aren't about to change each other's minds. I've heard these arguments from others before, and I'm not interested in going the rounds further with you, given your responses and obvious attitudes to this point. I feel I could address some of these facts, but it would take far too much of my time, and to what end?

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

With your involvement I have no doubt they will succeed, but I suspect they would have also succeeded within the public system if you had maintained your level of involvement, that's my primary point.

[marsupial]

Originally Posted by minn_stat

The sociability standard is most often brought up by those who oppose home schooling. As if that is something important to a child's development that only schools can offer.

Social skills are extremely important--perhaps the most important. Yes, kids can learn social skills outside of school but their parents must be dilligent in finding them opportunities. I am not sure all parents do this.

My son did not go to preschool or daycare. It became more difficult for me to find opportunities for him to interact with children his age once he turned 4 and all his peers were in preschool programs or daycare. I really had to take the initiative to make playdates and get him out to activities where other kids would be so that he would be prepared socially for kindergarten.

When do homeschooled children have opportunities to interact with their peers? There are community sports programs, homeschool groups, what else?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by marsupial

Social skills are extremely important--perhaps the most important. Yes, kids can learn social skills outside of school but their parents must be dilligent in finding them opportunities. I am not sure all parents do this.

My son did not go to preschool or daycare. It became more difficult for me to find opportunities for him to interact with children his age once he turned 4 and all his peers were in preschool programs or daycare. I really had to take the initiative to make playdates and get him out to activities where other kids would be so that he would be prepared socially for kindergarten.

When do homeschooled children have opportunities to interact with their peers? There are community sports programs, homeschool groups, what else?

With their 14 siblings.

[SoCalCoug]

Originally Posted by marsupial

Social skills are extremely important--perhaps the most important. Yes, kids can learn social skills outside of school but their parents must be dilligent in finding them opportunities. I am not sure all parents do this.

My son did not go to preschool or daycare. It became more difficult for me to find opportunities for him to interact with children his age once he turned 4 and all his peers were in preschool programs or daycare. I really had to take the initiative to make playdates and get him out to activities where other kids would be so that he would be prepared socially for kindergarten.

When do homeschooled children have opportunities to interact with their peers? There are community sports programs, homeschool groups, what else?

I can say that at least in Orange County, there's a very organized homeschool program that's actually administered through the county. There is a credentialed teacher overseeing each student (meets once a month). Curricula are provided through the program. There are also frequent (almost overwhelming) workshops, classes, and field trips that are provided through the program. If a homeschool student participates in this program, they will receive virtually as much social interaction with other children their age as they would at the public school.

I agree, however, that many of parents who home school do so to shelter their children from the world, and under those circumstances, it's often detrimental to the children.

But to make a blanket statement that home schooled children don't have equal opportunity to interact with their peers, I disagree with that, because if the parents participate in the type of program they have here in OC, they have plenty of opportunity.

[CardiacCoug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I lived in a town where professors' kids and kids with moms on welfares attended the same school.

Didn't all of us live in Provo?