I am so for it. Studies have shown that home schooled children (elementary grades) not only learn faster in less time but when tested consistently achieve higher marks then children attending schools. Many parents comtemplating home-schooling are hesitant because they are afraid that their child(ren) will not get the socialization aspect that full day out-of-home school offers. This is not the case. Home schooling families are networked and actually teach the lessons in the first few hours of the morning and then often get together with other families to go on educational excersions etc. I also might add that there are more than a few problems with the elementary schools in this day and age, from teacher shortages and classes that are too large to accomodate increased attention to needy children, to (sorry everyone), teacher's strikes where the children and the parents suffer, not the politician's, to bullying and violence. Home cooked meals are also healthier than lunch at school where peanut butter which has been a staple food for every generation so far, is now banned due to a new awareness of allergies. If home-schooling had been more accessible back when my children were elementary school age, I would have pulled them from the school system and joined the home-schooling group. (And schools weren't lacking back then to the degree they are now). So, benefits: Studies done after breakfast in far less time and with more material covered then it takes to teach a class of 30 plus all day. One on one attention if required. (not available in schools even with IEP status). Healthy meals. No Bullying on any level as we have seen in schools a lot lately. Grade averages are higher. Socialization still exists and excersions can be more frequent and even less costly. (groups of homeschooling parents and children still get group rates.) Parents never have to worry about strikes or PA days. Children are safer.

Speaking as one who was in the public school system and was homeschooled and is now homeschooling, I most certainly think it is a better option than public education today. I had a REALLY bad attitude toward my parents and myself (despite the huge amount of time they spend on self esteem projects) when I was in the education system. Halfway through the fifth, which my mom had been volunteering for in our class, she decided enough was enough and pulled me out. The first year was REALLY hard. NONE of the friends I had stuck by me. I made it though and finished homeschool at 15 and started college at 16 working part and full time through both. I still keep in touch with almost all of the friends from my homeschool years and am looking forward to the years I'll have to teach my son and daughter. I was very active in drama groups, art, sports etc. during my homeschool years. I had more time for the great things that come with being a teenager because I was finished with all my classes within a few hours (on a good day *grin*). That said, it does take dedication and commitment from the parents. Its not just pulling your kids out and letting them sit in front of the tube all day or having them do chores or watch the younger kids. You have to be very involved until they are older and become more self-sufficient in their teaching. Even then, you need to make sure they are in fact doing their work, as teens tend to be procrastinators.

I have no problems with homeschooling, but I must say, when I have helped my teenagers with thier homework, I can say, that they had surpassed what I had learned in school, so I don't know if I would have what it takes to give them thier education, that the school did. I highly respect those who take the time to home school thier children! I imagine it is/was not easy, and you had to be very dedicated!

Homeschooling is great for all the reasons given so far. The only thing I have against it is that a lot of kids that come from homeschooling often have a harder time when it comes to assimilating with their peers. There's a social aspect in public schools that can't be taught at home. I met a few people in college that were homeschooled. Their social skills were slightly impaired - often in extremes; shyness/overly friendly, guarded/submissive... Some also were judgemental because they were used to things always being done one particular way. Not all of them were like this, but adjusting to life outside of ones house is difficult and limited socializing can make it more difficult.

We homeschooled four, only in high school, and were very satisfied with the results. Two of them also married home-schooled children. Very satisfied with the in-laws also.

I know there is a growing movement for home schooling, but I am conflicted on the subject. Some of the reasons I find home schooling beneficial is that you learn much more and much easier in a safe, nurturing environment. You don't usually find that in schools, and that's not just a "new" thing. Bullies have always been around and always will be. Teachers are overworked and HIGHLY underappreciated. I come from a family of teachers, so I see the effects of the public school system from a slightly different vantage point. Some of the issues I have with home schooling is that the settings usually don't allow children to form interpersonal relationships with their peers in a purely child-like way, meaning that they are almost constantly supervised. There have been numerous studies done on the subject of not letting kids just be kids; by over scheduling them and not allowing them to work through situations that arise away from their "safety net" of parents and home in day-to-day life. When everything is metered and supervised and scheduled, children are much slower to develop the skill sets they will need later on. I also tend to have a problem with the lack of variety of influence home schooled children are exposed to. Sure they get together with home school groups for excursions, but again they are all pretty uniformly minded. Without exposure to something that will allow children to formulate their own manner in which to disseminate good from bad, positive from negative, right from wrong, they will be ill prepared to handle situations that will invariably arise. They will only have what was given to them, not that which they arrived at themselves. This is the root of ignorance and intolerance. I fully realize that school is anything but the perfect setting for learning. I feel this country has neglected its prime resource by allowing education to slip as it has: children. The undereducated and ignorant children of today will grow up to be the undereducated and ignorant adults of tomorrow. And undereducated and ignorant adults are FAR more dangerous. Schools should be like temples and teachers should be held to the highest examples of what society has to offer its citizens, and their pay should reflect that. So I don't think there are any easy answers that would cover all of the bases, I'm just not convinced home schooling is the best way to go about fixing things.

I think that parents need to Take a deep, hard look at why they might choose this option if they live in a school district that has good schools staffed by good teachers. They are already paying for these schools. I know many parents who have selected to home school their children. It works well for some children, and fails with other kids. Are bullies harassing their kids, and the school does not do much to prevent this behavior? Is the local school plagued with drug activity? Is the child especially vulnerable to giving into peer pressure? Does the child live many miles from the school and have to waste much time each day on a bus, to and from school? Have you chosen a proven home school curriculum that will fit your child’s needs and do you personally know anyone who has had success with that same curriculum? Does your child possess the necessary self-discipline to pursue such a program? Does your child respond well to your discipline and counsel? Do you possess the necessary skills and have the time to dedicate to support your child if you select home schooling for their future? Answer these questions honestly, and then begin your search for a proven home school curriculum that will fit your child’s needs.

i'm not sure, I think in many cases it can be great but it can also lead to more problems later in life. I think it would be great to homeschool a younger child, (maybe put them into a junior school, so missing out ages 4-7 or the very oldest 10.) My mum always says that my creativity and ability to entertain myself was lost in year R (4/5) when we were never given long enough to complete a task, and not allowed to entertain ourselves. For this reason, i think younger children are better home schooled, and if you think about it, formal education in many countries does not start until aged 7. I think it's better to intergrate children into a 'normal' school before they reach comprehensive school (11-16/18) as they have to get used to working in large groups and sticking to a structured timetable. They should also meet peers from all walks of life (not always an available oppertunity in homeschooling) and if they wish to go to university (which i would hope my children would want to) then it's better if they have come up through a 'proper' school, (I don't know if it's different in the US but here in england homeschooling isn't taken very seriously.)

It is a situation-mediated answer. You need to have parents or tutors that really know their information. How good the education is depends mostly on that. But one thing that schools teach children is the social skills that they need to make it in the real world. These are just as, if not even more, important than the education itself. I don't care what anybody else says, social skills are VITAL.

I am a home schooler, Have been since 1st. grade (with the exception of last year). I can honestly say there is nothing better! One on one help, you can go at your own pace,no one is there to distract you from your work,you gan take a vacation in the middle of the school year and not have to worry about falling behind in your work, and you can go to school in your night clothes! How cool is that!?!?!

Depends on the kid. I have met many a child that was homeschooled, all of which were around the age of 10 and had been homeschooled almost all of their lives. All of them had TERRIBLE social skills, the most memorable one being the child of my mom's old roommate (whose husband was terrible, too). This kid hit himself in the head with full soda bottles, screamed really corny jokes, and followed me around. The only job that kid'll ever get will be as a preacher. Seriously he loooooved talking about how he saw his dead sister and how to tell the difference between an angel's voice and a demon's voice. He also screamed at the family bird as she was trying to sleep. My older cousin left public school when he was 6, and was homeschooled by his high school dropout mom who was unemployed and lived with her parents. He was terrible to her. A few years later she moved into my neighborhood and my cousin went to public school when he was 12. He's a complete jerk and although he has friends he prefers to be alone, in his bedroom, playing on the computer. I prefer the idea of kids over the age of six being taught by people who went to college solely for the purpose of teaching, and in my very few years of experience that's when kids actually start to learn. None of the homeschooled kids I ever knew hung out with other homeschooled kids. Yeah they went to museums and stuff with their families, but had absolutely no idea how to interact with anyone else. I'm personally a bigger fan of going to school. Then again I have been blessed most of my almost eight years of school with understanding teachers, helpful classmates and very good schools. If the kid's parents are dedicated to providing them good education themselves, yet still make an effort to get those kids to socialize with other kids, and actually are educated somewhat(you have to be educated to educate) then it'll work for some kids, but some kids, like me, would never be able to handle it.

honestly i dont like it i met a couple of home schooled kids they seemed smart but they had no social skills and had no clue how to keep a conversasion and they acted so wierd and different it might work for you but i think school is the best u can have and make all kinds of friends even the mentally challenged have friends im friends with one of those types of people

I'm not a fan of it simply because I feel like the child would be missing out on a lot of things that children really enjoy. Like the interaction with each other in class and with the teachers, group projects, etc. Those kind of things can help a child with their social and communication skills. But, then again I wasn't home schooled so I don't know about the perks with being home schooled. It's really just a matter of opinion and what the parent feels is best for THEIR child. So I'm not going to knock it, because it truly could be what's best for their young one. But in my opinion, I don't feel like home school would be what's best for my children (if I ever have children).

I wish my Mom could have done it, as much as we moved around. It would have been so much easier. But, she was always working her tail of to support us.

I think kids should have to go to school...the sooner they learn to be around other people, the better. Most of the kids I know who were home schooled had over protective parents who wouldn't even let their kids use the bathroom unless they asked first. That's not a good environment for anyone.

Its kind of a mixed bag. Where is the uniformity? Where is the accountability? I believe that many parents home school their children to help to protect their kids from the immorality and from the bullying that is so common in the schools today. Some parents have outlined a good program for their children, some have not. It helps if your kid is a self starter, but many children are not.

I think that it would be a good thing in some situations. I've been trying to persuade my 12 year old cousin to home school for a few months because of the situation he is currently in. His younger brother has leukemia and is in the hospital a lot and wants to see him every chance he gets. My cousin is also playing hockey, taking guitar, and in boyscouts...so he is very strained for time. I tried to show him that homeschooling for just a few months while Mason is getting treatments might be a good thing because he could get school done in a few hours a day instead of 7, and that would leave extra time for him. However, the social aspect of going to school is very important and that's the reason he said no to it.

I think home schooling can be a good option for some, but going to either private or public school does more than offer an education. it teaches social interaction and development, healthy competition and offers exposure to different areas of study and interest simply not available through most home schooling. It's troubling, too, that the majority of parents of home schooled children choose such for religious reasons.(http://eric.uoregon.edu/trends_issues/choice/home_schooling.html) Too often this translates as shutting the door on science and societal issues to which a growing child should be exposed.

Senior proms can be tricky.

I think it all depends on whom is doing the teaching. I would also worry about the sqewing that may go on. The education may not be as 'diverse' as it otherwise may be.

I think that school really is more than subject matter. Its about learning to live in this world with all different kinds of people. Its about learning how to live as a responsible member of society. Kids really do learn from kids. When regularly exposed to other children, a young child will learn to talk more quickly than another child who isn't around other kids. The public school systems in our country are by no means perfect. A child may get bullied or made fun of. I did. Kids can be very cruel. However, to deprive a child of experiencing adversity, I believe you deprive them the chance to develop character. Its terrible that Christian values and prayer has been removed from the schools. The responsibility falls to the parents now-which is where it should be anyway. I've become more and more concerned that the generation that is being raised now has become so sheltered and coddled that it will have no conscience or conviction. Think hard about this one. A generation that has been protected from everything-what kind of army do you think it will make. Do you think that the countries who hate us, who will give their own lives to take ours away, are sheltering their children? No, they are raising warmongering terrorists. I think that regardless of any benefit, to homeschool a child is to shelter them from the real world. Parents, you aren't off the hook though, your role in your childs development is vitally important. You must teach them right from wrong, because the schools simply won't anymore. Spend real quality time with your children, make time. Lead them by example. Then when they go to school, other children will also benefit from your hands-on parenting. Let them live though, it is important.

Fantastic. My wife did it for two-years; kid's loved it.

i wanted to be home schooled cause i hated waking up and going to school and being there all day. but looking back, i wouldnt change it for the world. my friends and i had some good times roamin those halls....ahhh the good ole days

I think it's great if you have the patience to do it. There are plenty of homeschooling groups so that the kids can get together for field trips and socializing and such, and I know there are private schools that allow homeschooled children to participate in their sports programs. Personally, I'm not patient enough to homeschool my kids! My daughter and I fight horrible just over her homework. But for a lot of families, it works out great!

My wife and I home school both our children. We have been quite pleased with the results so far! If you have question about home schooling then here is a great website written by a veteran home school mom: http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/blog/

I personally like home schooling. I am home schooling my 3 kids now and all of them love it! If you're thinking about it check out Confident Student (http://www.confidentstudent.com). They helped me get started. They also taught me ways to make it fun for my kids, which you will need!!

i dont see anything wrong with home schooling, it allows the children to work at their own pace, and their "teacher" is always there to help them when they need it, but i think its harder on the kids to make friends with other kids their age, unless they are in sports or some kind of organization that they can befriend others besides siblings. im glad i wasnt home schooled, me and my sister would have torn each others heads off, and it helped me prepare for college.

Its great if you really want to take the time to do it, however it does make a kid a little sheltered, which sometimes isn't a bad thing depending on where he/she would have to go to school.

Been there, done that, & glad my husband & I did. :)

As far as I am aware, homeschooling in the uk is not permitted unless one or both parents are qualified teachers. As someone who is unqualified and with a fairly limited education of my own, I know that I would have not wanted my daughter to be taught by someone like me.

In my experience, homeschooled kids have fallen into one of three categories: 1. Extremely intelligent and advanced kids who's social skills are even better than public schooled kids. There are studies that show that this category is really common among homeschoolers. 2. Wacky religious kids who believe the earth is flat and Jesus rode around on a raptor's back. (see: conservapedia.com) 3. Kids who are either very bright, or very average, who have poor social skills. Personally, I think that homeschooling is great if the parents are capable. I could have been homeschooled, but I wasn't, and I regret it sometimes, as my experiences in the public school system proved to me how big of a joke public school is in the United States.