Talk:Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 6/6.4.1

Reader Responses
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When I was growing up I never knew anyone that was home schooled. It seems now that a lot of children are because of different reasons. This article was very interesting and well written. The use of colors and the pictures were a great addition to this article. This article made some great points about why parents may choose to do this instead of public school. It was good to see that there is some accountability for parents that pick this as a option. Aferg006 (talk) 21:32, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

This was well written from someone who had a positive homeschooling experience. as a child I never new anyone who was home schooled, but when my children were in school I knew people who homeschooled their children. Both the parents and children being taught at home preferred it that way. Mlipl001 (talk) 00:25, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

I really enjoyed this article and all of the interesting points that the author had to offer. Having cousins who are homeschooled, I have seen first hand all of the benefits that this type of schooling can offer. I think the common misconception about homeschooling is that the children are isolated and do not have any social interaction. At least in the many cases I have seen, it is quite the opposite! I have seen several large homeschooling communities where the children are exposed to all kinds of music, sports, art and many other extracurricular activities. This way of learning is unique and really is a great fit for some families. I think the key factor is to decide if this lifestyle and time schedule is right for your family. It is also important to be sure you have the resources to do so and ultimately be sure the children are healthy and happy! Khedl002 (talk) 00:25, 16 July 2009 (UTC)khedl002

I absolutely loved the colors, pictures, and fonts. I thought this was all very approriate. I enjoyed reading what homeschooling was, how the government plays a part, and why someone would choose homeschooling. I would have also liked to have seen more about the possible downfalls to homeschooling. I felt this article was a little onesided and I really would have liked to have seen both sides of the issue. Sston008 (talk) 01:39, 15 July 2009 (UTC)

This article answered many of my questions about homeschooling. I think many people believe that parents that homeschool their children are not regulated by any administrative body or a given set of rules. This is definately untrue! I agree with the author that homeschooling is not for everyone. I believe that specific children perform better in a traditional school settings. For example, a special education student that is homeschooled by his grandmother with little social interaction with other children can be detrimental. However, a gifted child may have more educational opportunities which challenge them if they are homeschooled. The author's viewpoint is somewhat biased given she was a homeschooled student, but the article is well written and informative. Acrow005 (talk) 00:05, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

Homeschooling is a common practice in Virginia. I have recently looked at the statistics and they are high. More and more parents are deciding that public schools are failing their children and are deciding to pull them out of the system. The scariest part of homeschooling is that it really is not regulated. There are some government mandates in place, but from my personal experience, children still get lost in the system. After a few years, they are rarely checked up on. Let’s be real, can someone with a high school diploma really provide children with a college preparation education? Really? A solid education? I am not completely opposed to homeschooling with families who are truly qualified and follow some type of structured curriculum. Just look at the statistics and you will think twice about this option though. I cannot argue that public schools are the best places for children. We are in need of massive reform there as well. However, at least children are learning and involved in social environments. It just scares me that anyone can simply pull their children out of school without having any type of advanced education degree. I fear those children will eventually just be lost in the mix. Abitt002 (talk) 00:17, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

I am rather surprised at how often an occurrence it is that someone tells me they were home schooled. I had always figured it t'were more of a rarity. I enjoyed your article's juxtaposition of pros and cons– though I wish you had expanded upon it, but that's because I'm pretty interested in the subject. Hsmit022 (talk) 19:54, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

This was an interesting article because I was homeschooled myself. I always find it interesting to receive others viewpoints on the topic. Crazily enough my mom prepared me quite well to my adaptation of "normal" school and real life overall. There are many misconceptions about the effects of homeschooling in regards to a child's social behaviors. I interacted frequently with many children in my neighborhood, recreational sports teams, and at my church. I turned out just fine, as well as my brothers. I do believe that if one opts to homeschool they must ensure that their children are involved in extracurricular activities with other kids their age. With any educational situation it can end up a complete disaster, but for the most part...I think it was an incredible experience. As my mother would say "they turned out just fine." Rpaige (talk) 04:06, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Home school is an excellent idea. I think that any family that can avoid doing homeschooling should do it. However, there are some disadvantages to homeschooling. Students do not gain as wide a variey of social experience through homeschooling, as they would gain otherwise. Some parents of homeschoolers think this is good, but this can have its drawbacks. Other advantages of homeschooling include that generally the students receive more individual attention and are pushing to have a higher level of success. Mbrowder (talk) 17:03, 16 August 2009 (UTC)