Then what do you mean, decarus?

I mean simply that if you are homeschooled you spend most of your time at home with your family and therefore have less opportunity to impact the world. I think it is too important that we, as Christians, impact the world by simply being part of it, being friends with others, being part of their lives. I am not saying that homeschoolers have no friends or no socialization, only that they spend significantly less time with people in general and therefore have less impact and i do not believe that, as Christians, that is what we should do.

Similarly with me; I mean no offense in anything I have spoken here.

Cheers.

because very few people homeschool in the United States.

I have a lot to add to this conversation, but at the moment:

While statistically you can say that few people homeschool compared to how many children are in the school system, however it isn't as rare as you are making it sound with that statement. I live in southeast Texas. I have attended homeschooling conferences in Houston, Dallas/Ft Worth, and Louisiana. I also worked for a regional homeschool organization. Most of those conferences usually run between 2,000 - 5,000 people and most are parents and that is a small portion of the homeschoolers in those areas. Homeschooling is a lot less rare than it was back in the early 90s when we first learned about it.

In regards to the socialization issue:

Lucy P, I totally agree with you about friendships with people older and younger than you are. The majority of my friends are either 2+ years older or 2+ years younger than I am. My closest friends are 2 years younger than I am. I could hold a conversation with a college professor in high school that seemed to impress them not to mention with the parents of the kids I volunteered with. Most of my homeschool friends are the exact same way.

decarus, it is surprising that I ever got the school work I needed to get done completed. I had my horseback riding class, my volunteer work at my stables, my volunteer work at the library, my art classes, my math club, the science and spanish classes I took outside the home, and then there were the field trips and bible club meetings as well. Most people I was homeschooled with tell stories of their parents having to back down on their extracurriculars because we had so many options. My volunteer work put me in touch with many people I never would have met if I had been in public school.

Watziznehm, I also agree that homeschooling isn't always best for the child. I've been in public, private, and home schools. I've also taught in a private school. I've seen many a case where just as one curriculum doesn't work and another one does, the child will do better in a traditional school room setting.

The Old Maid...

When I came out of public school, I was a straight A honor roll student. Catch was my mother rapidly discovered was that I didn't know my multiplication facts and I couldn't solve a word problem to save my life.

We initially went through a satellite school where I sent my work in to be graded and they sent us the text books. The math book they sent me was almost solid word problems. I was flunking badly. Mom contacted them and they sent us the Saxon math book. With the math drills and the repetition, my math grades rapidly improved. I still hated math though. In high school, I got above my mom in Algebra and one of the dads in our homeschool support group started an Algebra class. I went into it hating math and by the time I got out of Algebra 2, I actually liked it.

Oops... Meant this to be a short post.

While statistically you can say that few people homeschool compared to how many children are in the school system, however it isn't as rare as you are making it sound with that statement. I live in southeast Texas. I have attended homeschooling conferences in Houston, Dallas/Ft Worth, and Louisiana. I also worked for a regional homeschool organization. Most of those conferences usually run between 2,000 - 5,000 people and most are parents and that is a small portion of the homeschoolers in those areas. Homeschooling is a lot less rare than it was back in the early 90s when we first learned about it.

It is as rare as it sounds. If we say that 2 million children homeschool in the United States out of the 76 million school aged children that is still only 2.6 percent of the population and that is not the norm. The thing is it is more popular now then in the 90s, but is still rare. I think almost everyone knows what homeschooling is in the United States, but most people do not homeschool their children. That is a statistical fact.

That doesn't mean that it isn't statistically significant, but that does mean that 97.4 percent of school aged children go to private or public schools. Most families never serious consider homeschooling their children.

I'm about to suggest something radical, but bear with me. May I suggest that expecting young children to do the work of adult missionaries in what is essentially hostile territory is more likely to do harm to the children than bring about any beneficial work for God? I could understand this reasoning if the children in question were mature high school students well-versed in their faith and capable of actually being a witness. But expecting a kindergartner or a elementary school-aged child to do this is absurd.
And what exactly are they gaining from attending a public school that they can't get from the numerous homeschool groups and extracurricular activities that most homeschoolers take part in?

I am not, of course, suggesting that homeschoolers never leave their houses, just that they spend most of their time at home.

Hm... Well, probably depends on the person. In a week I normally "go out" 4-6 times. *shrug* Depends what you mean by "most of their time" I guess.
Really, with all the various events we have going on, there's only one night a week or so where the whole family is home. Otherwise one or two people are gone.

I think homeschooling is good because it helps parents to be able to teach their children what they want to teach them instead of just a general curricilum taught by teachers.....and it makes it so that (at least for my mom) parents don't have to teach their children about evolution.

= Less Christians in schools to be a light to the world.

Lucy P, friendships between different grades aren't looked down upon but the more extreme ones aren't encouraged (eg. a grade 7 student being friends with a grade 1 student). This isn't because the school system thinks friendships between children of different ages don't work, they do. It's to spare the confusion and sadness some young children would experience when their friend from grade 7 (or whatever) graduates and they're left without a friend, perhaps left without any friends. This can be very traumatic for some children.

Look, I get your point, but I think that's kind of like saying a child should never have a pet because the pet will probably die before the kid does and cause the kid pain. Hence, pets should only be for children with terminal illnesses. That doesn't work.
Don't you see it's much better to have had one friend than not to have had one at all?
Also I have noticed that some 'schoolers' seem to define friend as "person whom you see 5-6 days a week". That's not how it is. Even if you're in high school and your younger friend is not you can still see them often enough.

And what is it about being trapped 8 hours a day five days out of the week in an institutional building with groups of people your own age that makes someone a light to the whole world? Granted, Christians are needed in schools but I feel more free without having to attend one.

Also I have noticed that some 'schoolers' seem to define friend as "person whom you see 5-6 days a week". That's not how it is.

Haha. Ohhhhh yeah. My cousin who isn't homeschooled asked me if I had a lot of friends.
"Oh yeah, tons!" was my answer. (Hey! I DO have a lot! So many I don't know what to do with them all... J/K)
She said something like, "I have hundreds of friends."
Me: "Oh? Name me a hundred." (Don't worry, I asked it casually, just to see if she could do it.)
She started naming off tons of people, etc. After a while I stopped her. "Wait... Are you naming off actual friends? I mean, what's your definition? People you say "hi" to? Or people you actually talk to? You know?"

Ok, sorry, I'm rambling.

But yeah. I have a lot of friends I'm very close to, and usually see them 2 times a week tops...

Public primary school are usually really good not much goes on but when it comes to highscool you need to be the right sort of person to last. A person hat is not easily pushed around. A person that doesn't do stuff just because everyone else is doing it.(eg smoking) not as many people do it anymore anyway.

Anyway private schools are just as bad usually, especially the boarding ones. They grow marijuana planets in their cupboard. Also the private school close to my primary school tease people with red hair a lot.

You are right about students doing better at public schools if they are not easily pushed around, and have a good work ethic. But the same could be said about private schools, whether religious schools or not. I'd be wary of generalizing too much about private school high jinks, since the Press likes to put private schools under the same sort of intense scrutiny taxpayer funded public schools normally undergo, especially as private schools now also get funding from our taxes. Perhaps it is the more prestigious private schools, charging tens of thousands yearly, in addition to the tax benefits, who are more affected by any scandal and rumour going around.

Like TOM said, in days gone by, during my own school attendance at both private and public schools, we still had to salute the flag of a morning and sang Christmas carols, more so at the public schools than at the private one. It was at a public school, and not in supermarkets or churches that we learned a couple of Australian Christmas Carols such as the Six White Boomers, Three Drovers, or Silver stars, not to mention some hymns, including the Recessional for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. When I was younger, it was normal practice for most students to get a visit from someone from their own church to conduct the weekly scripture lessons, which, until my children left school, were part of the curriculum. Unless children are Seventh Day Adventist, and so attend Sabbath School, it is normal for most churches as well as Synagogues to conduct Sunday Schools to teach the children of their congregation about their faith.

Something like 65% of all school children in Australia go to a state school, whilst the others go to mostly district Catholic schools, or to private schools, often, but not always, established with a particular faith in mind. Catholic schools have a not always deserved reputation for being stricter than public schools, and they also, like all other faith based private schools, have Religion as a compulsory subject.

I was homeschooled. So was my wife. When we have children, we plan to homeschool them. Yet homeschooling does not work for everyone, or cannot work. I wonder if some homeschoolers realize that — and I certainly hope they do recognize that the Bible’s commandments for parents to teach their children do not only mean parents much teach them everything, every subject, at home.

A parent can allow his/her child to learn spiritual truths at a Gospel-driven church. A parent could permit a child to learn other subjects — math, English, etc. — at a decent Christian, private or even public school, and still reinforce the spiritual foundations at home.

I'm not altogether sure how homeschooling works. In Australia there are distance education provisions for children in isolated areas or who cannot otherwise attend regular schools. The School of the Air, using radio, television and now Internet, was established for this reason. But teaching is done by supplied course material and regular teachers, with parental supervision to see the work is done.

I'd agree that homeschooling requires a good relationship between parents and children, but I think you also have to have a good relationship between the parents, with an agreement about the value of education for both girls and boys. And I also think that it would be necessary for the parents to have the education, themselves, and the ability to teach.

Does homeschooling follow the same curriculum that is taught in other schools, with compulsory English, Maths and Science? Or do parents get more say in what is to be taught? How would you manage the practical side of Science subjects like Biology, Physics and Chemistry, or compulsory sports activities?

How would you get on with final year examinations, and admission to external examinations like the International Baccalaureat, SATS (I believe) or the Higher School Certificate, which determines University entrance?

Oh don't remind me of that 6 white bomers song mum was playing it all december i hated it. I don't see why no religous peopel go to religous schools it is just stupid and learning soemthign you don't even believe in.

I'm not altogether sure how homeschooling works. In Australia there are distance education provisions for children in isolated areas or who cannot otherwise attend regular schools.
Does homeschooling follow the same curriculum that is taught in other schools, with compulsory English, Maths and Science? Or do parents get more say in what is to be taught? How would you manage the practical side of Science subjects like Biology, Physics and Chemistry, or compulsory sports activities?

How would you get on with final year examinations, and admission to external examinations like the International Baccalaureat, SATS (I believe) or the Higher School Certificate, which determines University entrance?

In the US, parents can educate their children however they want as long as they pass the tests established by each state to ensure the children are progressing properly (though I happen to live in the state with the laxest rules; it's not required that I take a test or submit samples of my schoolwork at all).

I'll explain how it works in my family, because the majority of homeschoolers go about it in much the same way.

My parents make sure we know our 3 R's until around 7th or 8th grade, when they get serious. Then we use this program for highschool:
http://www.motherofdivinegrace.org/
MODG designed with Catholics in mind but anyone can use it. It's also technically a distance-learning program. It's fully accredited and by the time I graduate I will have diploma and a decent transcript to submit to colleges.

I like MODG because their standard History/Literature is what most other schools consider AP and I won't be getting much History in college.

As for the SAT's, we can just sign up wherever we like. I just took my PSAT's at a local highschool and scored a 204, which is kinda low but since no one preps for a prep test my score's in the 97th percentile. Small victories.

I also take classes at local community colleges-- lots of homeschoolers do that once they hit high school. It's a good way to get used to the classroom environment and get double credit, since it counts for both high school and college! I've done a Logic, a Biology, and 4 Latin classes so far.
Unfortunately the college I'm aiming at won't accept credit from other institutions but the experience of having to answer to a teacher and study for exams not taken at home was good for me.

My mom alternated between using curriculums for each subject or developing the course-work by herself (typically Math, Science and English were bought courses and History, literature and life-views were the ones she put together herself).
Since home school counts as a private school in Indiana, I got a diploma when I graduated.
Edit: On the practical side of science, Mom always made sure to get cirriculums that included stuff like disections kits and she also bought a micrscope.

Does homeschooling follow the same curriculum that is taught in other schools, with compulsory English, Maths and Science? Or do parents get more say in what is to be taught? How would you manage the practical side of Science subjects like Biology, Physics and Chemistry, or compulsory sports activities?

How would you get on with final year examinations, and admission to external examinations like the International Baccalaureat, SATS (I believe) or the Higher School Certificate, which determines University entrance?

Both actually occur. English, math, science and social studies are required, but parents are able to choose everything else. For instance, we had a core curriculum that we were able to buy that included the required studies divided into twelve units for each year. My mom made up her own curriculum to teach us art and music. I took my required second language course at the community college during high school, and then passed on the books to my sister who is using them at home. We also came up with a literature course for high school where she reads ten classic books a year in different categories of literature and she has to write a report on each one.

We have a Chemistry set that my younger siblings use for their science. For high school, we had lab units that we would watch on a DVD and then answer questions about the experiment. I'll admit that watching someone dissect a frog on the TV is not the same as doing it yourself, but I don't think I would have gained anything more out of it if I had to feel the frog's intestines myself.

For P.E.(physical education), we had three paper routes that we walked every day rain or shine, or blizzards as the case may be. Some of my older siblings played basketball in the homeschool league and I took ballet. We had bikes and a basketball hoop and played baseball. We also attended lots of summer camps that involved either theatre, music, or computers depending on our interests.

I did not take the SAT or the ACT until after I had already started attending college during high school. Since I hadn't taken the tests, I had to take the THEA, which you don't have to pass to be accepted. You're placed in a class based on how you score. The higher you score, the higher level of work you're doing. After I graduated, I took the SAT and ACT one right after the other(don't ever do that), so I would have them on record. I scored higher than average in reading, writing, and science, but lower in math to my shame .

I just finished my first semester as a full-time college student and I managed to get a 4.0. Once you're accepted to one college, other colleges will accept you if you have a good grade for the most part. Some are pickier than others.

I took Chemistry and Biology out of the house. We had dissections and various experiments that we did. My teacher for the Chemistry class was a marine biologist.

As for sports... There are countless homeschool teams that are available. I played for a homeschool league in basketball. I also took horseback riding lessons.

I took the SAT and could have taken the ACT as well, but I just took the one. My parents issued me a diploma when I completed my course work. It was one that was recognized by the University of Houston and Texas A&M both of which I applied to.

decarus, I've worked for a regional homeschool support group and it isn't as rare as you think it is. Daily we had countless phone calls asking for information on homeschooling. Putting a blanket statement out that few have actually considered homeschooling isn't accurate. 20 years ago, maybe. But not now. I've been around the homeschooling scene since I was 10. So about 18 years now. I spent 5+ years working and/or involved at the regional group that covered all of south east Texas.

Warrior, homeschooling is typically the parents choosing the curriculum they think best for their child. Then they sit down and teach the children one on one rather than in a 30+ classroom. If something comes up that the kids are having trouble with, the parents have the option of calling around and asking other parents or people they know for help or researching the topic until they know enough to explain it. If it is proven that the fault lies with the textbook, the parents can simply switch books.

My math book that I used had a LOT of repetition in it. I needed that. Other people I know were bored stiff with that textbook.

Homeschooling in the state of Texas falls under the category of private schools. In the state, the only requirements are 170 (I think) days of classroom instruction and that the basics be taught. Parents have the option of sending for standardized tests to gauge where their kids are and if they are on level compared to others if they want to know that.

As to how I did in college, I was an average student. I excelled in some things and struggled a bit in the test taking side. My homework grades averaged in the 90s on up, but I am a lousy test taker (test anxiety). I didn't have much of a problem with it in high school, but when your entire grade rests on 2 - 3 tests I put far more pressure on myself and ended up with a bad case of nerves before every test. I won't go into any further details, but I graduated with a 3.57 GPA at the University level.

WOOT WOOT! Go Homeschoolers! I,m a homeschooler and I,m very happy I am!

~Benjamin