From Homeschooling To Public High School
As promised yesterday, here is a summary of reasons many children go to public high school. After the socialization myth , this might be the most asked question I get about our homeschooling. How was the decision made that, after 8th grade, your children would go to public high school?
For each home schooling family, this is really a very individual decision with many different resolutions. Many continue to home school in the same method through high school. Often home schooled high school students will take supplemental classes through a local college or university in order to pursue, for example, advanced math or science or literature classes.
By the time most homeschooled children reach high school age, they have mastered many of the independent learning, organizational, and motivational skills that the most successful college students have. Although the level of enthusiasm does vary a bit from child to child, they are more motivated learners than they might have been if not homeschooled. They know how to organize what they need to do and how best to utilize resources such as text books, teachers, and school counselors in order to be successful in high school. Up to this point in time, the broad and robust course offerings at our local high school have provided a great education for our oldest two children. Hopefully, this will continue at least until our 7th grader gets through high school.
Our local school district has been enticed by the money the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is offering to schools willing to adopt the Foundation’s “Small Schools Initiative”. Although the Gate’s have education’s best interests at heart, there are problems with their plan, especially for the higher achieving students. That critique, however, is a topic for another day.
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You might consider reading “Rich Dad’s Prophecy” by Robert Kiyosaki to assist you in preparing your children for this new world we are living in.
Homeschooling sounds great - it isn’t possible for everyone though. I was a single mom and I had to work to support our household. No way I was going to be able to stay home for my daughter.
BTW, I remember a group of homeschooler moms I met in Ohio - their kids had one major complaint - that of having friends. I told them that my daughter, in public school, had the very same issue. It doesn’t change the equation for kids either way it seems, tho my sampling was quite small.
I’m enjoying your blog very much,
Pam Hoffman
http://seminarlist.blogspot.com
Comment by Pam Hoffman (2 comments.) — September 14, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
Thanks, I’ll take a look at the book.
You are correct about the friends. It is much more a factor of the child’s personality than anything else. As you can sort of pick up from my other posts in the Homeschooling category, we had to be careful that our kids were not over scheduled with activities and friends. The socialization myth of homeschooling is just that, a myth!
-Will
Comment by Will — September 15, 2007 @ 8:59 am
I went from public high school to homeschooling and it’s much easier. I actually learn a lot more because I can work at my own pace. I think that’s the most important part of an education.
Medical Odditiess last blog post..Liberty Medical Supplies
Comment by Medical Oddities (15 comments.) — June 19, 2008 @ 11:44 pm