Do any posters have experience of home schooling?
We decided that I would home school our adopted Down's Syndrome son (now 34) as we were not impressed with the schooling offered by the special school he would have attended. It worked out very well for him, I called in the school inspectors from time to time to check the education I was giving him was suitable. They were kind enough to say he wouldn't have got better if he had gone to school. Our eldest birth daughter girl was a primary school teacher in those days, and he got invited to her school from time to time if they were doing anything special. My husband was a secondary school head teacher and he was able to go on a trip abroad with the school, with me acting as a helper. In order to encourage him with his writing, I decided it might be fun if he wrote to people he liked on TV, most were kind enough to reply, he has four scrapbooks full of their letters. He has even met some of them in person, like the late Ken Dodd who invited him to attend one of his shows. He invited him backstage afterwards and gave him a couple of his 'tickling sticks'.
Our middle daughter decided to home school her lads when they got to secondary school age, the eldest who is 17 has Asperger's syndrome, he is extremely bright, but found a crowded school difficult. His younger brother, nearly 15, has atypical dyslexia and was struggling a bit, although a bright lad. The eldest lad did his GCSEs early and got mostly A*s, he is now teaching himself his 'A' level subjects as his Mum isn't up to doing that. His brother is progressing well too.
I think home schooling can work out quite well always providing the children are not isolated from other young people. My grandsons have a lot of extra-curricular activities.
Home Schooling
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Zzyzx
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Post #2
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My then-wife was a high school teacher and I taught at a university. We did not home school our daughter and son since one of us would have had to give up or delay a career. However, I have had some contact with home schooling families and have been a guest teacher for them.
The primary disadvantage I see is that home schooling can be very narrow reflection of parental views and knowledge rather than exposing students to a wide range of teacher attitudes, abilities, view points, etc.
In some cases home schooling parents may be qualified and capable of overseeing a well rounded education. However, having taught typical parents-to-be, I do not have high regard for their ability (on average) to do a competent job of providing education that would best serve their children.
In some cases, home schooling is a deliberate move to limit exposure of children to outside ideas (or ‘The World’ in their vernacular). This may apply to members of religious groups, ‘survivalists’, and some with fanatical political (or anti-political) sentiments.
In other cases, such as special needs children, home schooling might be the best possible approach to education.
My then-wife was a high school teacher and I taught at a university. We did not home school our daughter and son since one of us would have had to give up or delay a career. However, I have had some contact with home schooling families and have been a guest teacher for them.
The primary disadvantage I see is that home schooling can be very narrow reflection of parental views and knowledge rather than exposing students to a wide range of teacher attitudes, abilities, view points, etc.
In some cases home schooling parents may be qualified and capable of overseeing a well rounded education. However, having taught typical parents-to-be, I do not have high regard for their ability (on average) to do a competent job of providing education that would best serve their children.
In some cases, home schooling is a deliberate move to limit exposure of children to outside ideas (or ‘The World’ in their vernacular). This may apply to members of religious groups, ‘survivalists’, and some with fanatical political (or anti-political) sentiments.
In other cases, such as special needs children, home schooling might be the best possible approach to education.
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Non-Theist
ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence
Non-Theist
ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence
Post #3
I am of the opinion the school inspectors should by law be required check up on home schoolers to ensure the children are getting a proper education. My grandsons have had private tutoring on topics their mother hasn't been able to deal with like science and maths. The inspectors should also check to see that the children aren't isolated from others and have activities outside the home and mix with other young people as my grandsons do.
