Hellobee Boards

I'm not sure how credible all of those sources are....
I wouldn't home school (don't have the patience) but I don't have a problem with people who do!

I've thought about it..... but I just don't think it's for us. As much as I want LO home with me at all times, I know she needs to get out of the house and meet new people, learn discipline from someone else, etc.

Yeah, that infographic seems baised and has some sketchy information. I didn't really like the part about home schooled kids not being affected by "external factors". Um, what about things like having parents who clearly care about your education, having a steady source of food, and reduced amounts of life stress? Those are some pretty heavy "external factors".

That said, I think home schooling can be a seriously great option! If I had 2-3 kids in my classroom, was free from ridiculous state-mandated goals, and could let my students explore and learn at their own pace through intrinsically motivating topics - well I'm sure they'd be outranking public school kids too!

[I really don't hate home schooling, I just get frustrated with "information" like this because it doesn't do anything to help improve the quality of education for kids who don't have a homeschooling option.]

As a public school teacher, this makes me feel sad.

I feel our school system in Canada is generally quite strong (though it varies from province to province) and I am an elementary school teacher so I believe in the public school system.

I agree that they aren't exactly comparing apples to apples, since having involved parents clearly makes a big difference.

I would not consider it at this point. I think the socialization aspect is as important as the actual studies. But, I can see situations where it would be better for certain families, just not for us.

@Foodnerd81: There are many ways to socialize other than school

@Mrs. Pen: thanks for clarifying, although I was referring to how some states require teachers to set goals for students to gauge our effectiveness & they are not often aligned well to students' actual learning. There are also some other bureaucratic things I think homeschool families don't have to deal with Like I said, I do agree with you that homeschooling is often extremely positive and beneficial for kids!

@Mrs. Pen: Actually I think I've learned more about home schooling from you and your posts than anywhere else! It's so interesting to hear from someone who lived it, rather than just some random set of statistics on the internet I know you can make sure the socialization happens without actual 'school' but I think it's harder-- at least early on, the parents have to work to make sure it's happening. And since it's very uncommon where I am, I think it would be hard to find a community of other home schoolers.

But like I said, I totally get why it works for other families and if it turned out that regular school wasn't working out for my kids, I'd certainly look at other options.