Homeschool?
My oldest daughter will soon be 5. We are strongly considering homeschooling for a number of reasons. The primary one is that we feel a home environment (the program we have chosen has plenty of 'social interaction) is a more natural learning environment and secondly, because we know exactly what she will be learning.
I want my kids exposed to the classical education I was never exposed to. Heck, I never even read Machiavelli like our friend Constantine.
No, I don't think Public Schools are evil, and no, we are not afraid of other viewpoints. What thinkest ye?
btw--homeschooling will make us anomalies in ECUSA.
I want my kids exposed to the classical education I was never exposed to. Heck, I never even read Machiavelli like our friend Constantine.
No, I don't think Public Schools are evil, and no, we are not afraid of other viewpoints. What thinkest ye?
btw--homeschooling will make us anomalies in ECUSA.
posted by fatherneo at 9:36 PM
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11 Comments:
I homeschool, or more specifically, unschool. Regardless of the "method" the parents choose, I think home is a more beneficial environment for children than an institution that must necessarily make the pegs fit the holes rather than the other way round. Especially children under 10 years. My opinion, that's all.
There are lots of sites and books around that address concerns about socialization, post-secondary education, employment, etc. You'll be able to find tons of information online and through support networks if you pursue this course.
Is being an anomaly within your denomination a concern?
This may seem like stating the obvious ...but I would just go with how I felt God was leading me. The education of my two sons is truly a lengthy testimony. I had real concerns, being that we moved to the inner - city,which is known for failing schools. I work for the Archdiocese therefore I make nothing as far as income. But regardless my oldest son just graduated from one of the top college prep high schools anywhere and my youngest is in his junior year there. It has been God the whole way. I think homeschooling can be great if you have the time, commitment and resources, and many top universities agree with that assessment. Being a single mother who had to work outside the home that was not an option for me.
btw - Many people homeschool for non-religious reasons such as the ones that you cited.
Angevoix,
Interestingly, the program we are using is public school based. There will be one day of school for my daughter (taught by a public school teacher) and the rest we will be on our own. So, there are many in the program who are not Christians at all. We house this program at our church, so it is a good fit for us and very convenient.
madcap,
My wife would love to chat with you! Being Canadian, perhaps you understand the church anomaly (You might be Anglican?).
Since I am already an anomaly in my denomination, one more thing won't make a huge difference.
In my province, 5% of all students are homeschooled, and that doesn't include the ones who are doing the public school program at home, rather than "traditional" homeschooling. It's still considered somewhat "anomolous" I suppose, but the public at large is becoming more familiar with the concept, if not with the day-to-day reality.
I did attend an Anglican church for several years in my teens, followed by a few years of Pentecostalism, a slow conversion to R.C., and a slow burn out of religious practice. I'm just beginning to reconsider formal church. So, I have to be up front and say that I'm not in the neo-conservative boat, but I'm also not interested in shutting anyone down, if that's what God seems to be calling them to. God seems to use any instrument at hand to accomplish the divine purpose, in my experience, and I'm learning to accept those differences. There's probably a reason I wasn't elected to the position!
I just needed to make that clear, so there's no confusion about my approach... I homeschool not for religious reasons, but because I think it best harmonizes with child-development and the learning process, both academic and social. Your wife is definitely welcome to contact me through my site if she likes.
What do you mean by 'neo-conservative?'
I would define neo-conservative as someone who advocates a return to formal, traditional practice based on liturgy; someone who disfavours the present widespread re-writing of historic liturgical texts and the concurrent liberalization of theology. Perhaps that's a misnomer, or perhaps I've misread your intended meaning within your posts, in either case, my apologies.
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Aaargh. Having trouble getting my blogsite to accept homeschool articles, apparently. I'll keep trying to post those links, and I'll let you know when they're there. Sorry about that.
SJ,
You are spot on! We believe it is right and hopefully can stick it out.
madcap,
Thanks for defining terms and welcome to our webzine!
Here's a link to a good article:
http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/Socialization.asp
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