| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Annab |
Posted - Mar 13 2010 : 03:24:26 AM
I know many of you have kids who are being home schooled or yourselves have been home schooled.
I have a question and an interesting HUH!?
A friend and his buddy down the road were home schooled. They are each in their 20s now and wanted to enlist in the Army. Neither were accepted. This happened last week
So what's up with that!?
How do you go about proving to the government you have met the requirements. Are the standards the same for all states?
Does the military not recognize home schooled people at all?
And another friend is home schooling her 8 year and 4 year old. Neither can read very well like they ought to for their ages. And I know a 5 year old who has better hand writing and can already basically read from attending private school than these two. But her parents read to her every night and take her to the library all the time. I think the first mother is going about this all wrong and is really doing her kids is dis service. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mscountrygirl |
Posted - Mar 14 2010 : 08:41:35 AM
The HSLD is more than just homeschool insurance. They have all types of programs that give college credit if completed. They are a great educational website as well. In MS we had no laws and I think that is bad!
It's all good! |
| GinghamGirl |
Posted - Mar 14 2010 : 04:34:59 AM
What an interesting thread! I live in Canada, but have friends that live in the states, as I used to live there as well. My friends were homeschooled - and she was on the dean's list EVERY SINGLE semester of her 7 years at school!! She's doing VERY well :) On another note - I came from Canada and entered into a private school in Washington in Gr. 10 - I found that the work they were discussing I had already done two years previous, so I was happy to know they have a Running Start program, which I joined for Gr. 11 and 12. I'm sure that not all schools are like this in the states - it was probably just that certain public school I went to. I did love going there though, regardless, as there was so much more opportunity for growth! Family classes, ceramic classes pottery classes...you name it! So exciting :) I'm homeschooling my little girl, she's turning 4 at the end of this month, but has already shown her accomplishment of the 4 year preschool program, so I will be putting her in KG this year. I'm wondering what type of programs or books people are using? For the past year I've used Sonlight, but I want to "broaden" my horizons and be open to new possibilities. I'd love some advice! |
| Annab |
Posted - Mar 14 2010 : 03:35:30 AM
For my friend who was rejected, I'll pass along that web site.
I know he was really loking forward to military life and was super disapointed.
If it were me and wanted something badly enough, I wouldn't let it just die though. |
| Annab |
Posted - Mar 14 2010 : 03:31:28 AM
Thanks for all the info.
And coming from someone who is LD and never did fit the mold, I know too well what it's like to learn at a different pace, and to be taught 1 on 1, that's for sure!
I was just surprized that the military is so strict, as I just assumed they took and turned them into what they wanted anyway.
Perhaps they too are lookig for a certain "profile" type. I don't know.
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| cajungal |
Posted - Mar 13 2010 : 05:30:56 AM
The HSLDA link that Alee posted is a fantastic resource of information. When my children were younger, we were members....basically homeschool "insurance". They provide legal services free of charge to families that encounter problems.
Alee is so right in her first statement that "schooling is as good as the teacher is". This applies across the board to all schools....public, private, parochial, home. There are great and bad teachers in all. There are many students coming out of public schools not being able to read at a high level and students coming out ready to go ivy league colleges.
When I was a public school teacher we had a wonderful principal that was sensitive to the needs of the kids. There was such a big push for skills to be mastered and younger and younger ages. Her question that she wanted us teachers to keep at the forefront was "not can they, but should they?" IE: so a 5 year old can recite Shakespeare but should they? The principal's feelings were that children should be children before expected to do such formal studies. Interestingly, that's the philosphy of many homeschoolers. Many want to allow their children to have all the hands-on, tactile experiences of childhood as long as they can. These experiences actually make a stronger foundation for future learning....like building blocks upon each other.
Often I saw that young children that were widely varied in their skills all caught up to each other by 5th or 6th grade. This is a silly analogy but it's like cars zooming on the road passing up slower cars and then 5 minutes down the road all the cars are at the same stop light.
As far as standards......each state has its own criteria and requirements for homeschoolers just like each state has its own requirements for public schools. Some states require standardized testing at the same grade levels the public schools are taking the tests. Some require the parent/teacher to turn in lesson plans.
As a side note, Texas is the most "free" state concerning homeschooling. There is no requirement to register with the state or notify them that your children will not be in public school or show any type of curriculum or textbooks. There is no requirement for standardized testing or exit exam. This can seem like a runaway train.....free ticket for parents to do nothing. But, most homeschoolers are committed to a good education for their children without being regulated or forced to do so by laws and "big brother".
our story...... I never had my children do any kind of worksheets or textbooks until they hit 12 or 13. They never had a test or spelling list or vocabulary list. They never had a number grade or a letter grade. School was life and life was school. We read and read and read and researched what we read and they were given the freedom to produce some type of project that demonstrated what they learned. When they turned 12/13 I sat them down and explained that they needed to understand the "system" and how to perform in it. We began more textbook type curriculum. Today, both my girls are far ahead by state standards. My 16 yr old passed the college entrance exam (having never filled in the "bubbles" with a pencil before) and is in her second semester of classes. She has a job, drives her own Jeep and is in the drama team at church. I'm very proud of her hard work.
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
| farmmilkmama |
Posted - Mar 13 2010 : 04:50:53 AM
I hope you won't take offense to my response. We homeschool our kids. In MN there is a national standards test they have to take every year. At least that is how it works in our state...I know its not the same in all states.
As far as the kids being "behind", I think a)the school is only as good as the person teaching but also b) kids are kids. Kids learn how they learn, meaning each kid is different. I have a first grader who reads at a 6th grade level. Does that mean I'm an incredible teacher? Not necessarily. He's just a good reader. I have a Kindergartner who struggles to read (and I mean struggle!!)...does that mean I'm a bad teacher? Not necessarily.
I don't know that you can take the example of three kids and divide how they are learning into which way of educating is most worthy. It's always possible the 8 year old who isn't reading "as well as they should" would be the same if they were in any other kind of school. And as far as the four year old...are kids supposed to be reading when they are four? If they are...then mine were really far behind!! Does the five year old you talked about have good handwriting because they are at a private school, or simply because they have good handwriting? I don't know.
I'm not defending all homeschooling parents, because there are some out there who do a hack-up job and give the rest of us a bad name... I know a few myself! There are the people out there who are "homeschooling" but (unfortunately) use it as an excuse to watch TV all day or to drag their kids on errands and never ever do anything remotely educational. And who knows...maybe this is the case with the mom you're talking about. But I know that kids are kids, and just because you have your kid in any certain learning environment doesn't guarantee anything. :)
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.wakeupstartlearning.blogspot.com
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 13 2010 : 04:33:35 AM
I think just like with anything else, the schooling is as good as the teacher is. I would have loved to have been home schooled by my mom. She is such an amazing lady and especially during the middle school years I would have loved to have been home instead of at school! I think I have heard that homeschooled children need to take a state accepted graduation test to prove they have met the minimum required levels for entrance into military/college what have you. Some families just do the GED and some do other tests.
Here is a good website that kind of explains the troubles that homeschoolers have faced in the past as far as entering the military:
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000033.asp
Hopefully it is changing.
Nora will be going to public school because I don't think I could the teacher she needs. However I do have some friends back in Idaho that do amazing things with their kids as homeschoolers and if I still lived there I would be asking if we could come over ever day just so she could teach Nora! Their kids are so advanced and very happy kids. Very well adjusted and respectful!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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