It seems that alot of people use ACE, but does anyone use the Abeka dvd program? I personaly love it! The books are really great and well written. At least I think so.

I use mixed curiccilum. whatever my mom can find
I love the Abeka science books!

I'm homeschooled, but not by choice. I was homeschooled grades 1-5, then 6th I started going to school, I skipped 7th, and 8th and 9th grade I also went to school. My parents pulled me back into homeschooling for 10th and 11th grade, and I'll be going into 12th grade next year, but I'm not sure whether I'll be homeschooled or going to school for that. I think homeschool can be grat if you're into it and want to learn, or your parents want to teach you. I mean I liked it in elementary school, but now both my parents are working full time; they basically just handed me the curriculum and make me do it myself. They didn't pull me out of school to teach me, they just want to shove their beliefs down my throat whenever they can. I think like everything homeschool has great potential, just not in every situation.

I LOVE being homeschooled. Well who does not ...
Americangirlemmie

I am homeschooled and have been for my whole life...I have to admit, its great!!! I am currently in ninth grade.

^^ cool! welcome to narniaweb, by the way!
yay for homeschoolers!
I love being homeschooled!

thanks! I think homschooling is so much better than going to school, you can lose going through so many temptations and influences!

I have homschooled pretty much all my life accept for kindergarten, first grade, 7th,8th,and 9th, i went to a private school then. it is sooo good to see others that are homeschooled

Admittedly being an Australian, I don't know the education scenario in America but I think non-homeschooling prepares you effectively for real life. There are people you don't like that you have to get along with, there are temptations and powerful influences that you can learn to overcome. It's no cake walk but sometimes I think people just want to section themselves off from 'evil' society. Sure it works for some people but certainly not for all. Remember we're fallen too, so we might just have to section ourselves off from ourselves. Just something to think about.

Interesting opinion, W4J. I agree with almost everything you said. It's definitely true in some circumstances where homeschoolers totally seclude themselves from any experience of real life, but I've found that half, if not the majority, of homeschoolers that I've come in contact with sort of face the same things. Sort of. (And like you said, the education scenario in America could be different than that in Australia.)

There are people you don't like that you have to get along with, there are temptations and powerful influences that you can learn to overcome.

All right, some people may have an incredible youth group but the place I've seen a lot of people I don't like and temptations at their best is in my youth group. Not because I'm antisocial-- I get along fine with the younger kids and adults in church, and with about five kids my age at church. (Although, most of my friendships which are not merely aquaintences happen to be on Narniaweb.) I do socialize with some teens at church, but I like the teens from a park district I go to much better. (example: At church, if I mention I don't like Twilight, I am bombarded with "Why not?! You SHOULD like it!" At the park district, I mention I'm not a fan and I'm respected for that. But, as I said before, 1)this is not the case everywhere as this sort of relates to the individuals who the surroundings are consisted of and 2)I am in no way trying to say that unbelieving kids pwn believing ones, or vice-versa.) But that is an entirely different matter.

A point for non-homeschooling I generally hear is that kids need to be a light to their peers who don't know Christ. That point in itself is excellent. But that you put kids in public school so they can be a light? Ten to one, they get inured by others' behaviour and gradually become like them. There must be those great, Christian kids out there being a light in public school but if you just put your child in public school hoping to be a light, that's not going to work.
I don't think that kids should be sheltered from evil in this world in an anti-social, let's-pretend-the-world-is-eutopia sort of way, but it is their parents' job to protect them while letting them see and experience people they don't like, temptations, hard situations. (A number of parents don't do this, so do know I'm not slamming this down as complete fact that every homeschooler does it.
Now, I think that it's important for them to know these things because when they're working and all, they're going to need that experience...
If my parents know there are dangers in a certain area, aren't they being responsible not throwing me outside to face them unshielded? Of course, they tell me the hard facts of the danger and want me to experience it to learn. They can only drop me in an ocean to swim alone after I've been trained thoroughly.

That point in itself is excellent. But that you put kids in public school so they can be a light? Ten to one, they get inured by others' behaviour and gradually become like them.

Exactly! 1st Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" In every public school I've seen, there is almost nothing but bad company and bad morals. School-age children are still forming their beliefs of right and wrong, and of acceptable and unacceptable, and they naturally conform to the standards they see around them. In the public schools, evolution is taught as fact, fornication is normal, prayer and the bible are banned, and parental guidance is shunned and ridiculed. I really don't think Christian kids should be thrust into an environment like that for 5-8 hours every day.

But that you put kids in public school so they can be a light? Ten to one, they get inured by others' behaviour and gradually become like them.

Well said! That is exactly what I meant. I know that parents mean well when they send their kids to public school so they can be a good example, but come on, lets face reality! Most teenagers nowadays are so into media that they don't even care about the gospel, let alone share it with other people! Even I admit, if I went to school, its hard enough for me to pray in front of other people! It is good for kids that are homeschooled to see what the 'real' world is like and experience some of it, but sometimes that is not a good thing. And even when you are homeschooled there are still people that you encounter that you don't like. I know there are probably a lot more of those kind of people in schools, but sometimes that isn't a good thing either!! Some teenagers can be a very bad influence on others, and I personally thing escaping that whole lifestyle is a good thing. Plus, homeschooling lets you spend more time with your family and grow closer to your sisters, brothers, and parents.

Hello...

I don't recognize many names here (except warrior4Jesus), so maybe you folks don't know me.

Allow me to introduce myself. I've been around narniaweb for quite a few years, and used to post quite frequently. The last three years I've been going to school myself, so I haven't been as active. However, I recently finished my degree and have a little more time to hang out here.

The thread topic caught my eye because I'm a home schooling mom. I have 4 children, three of whom have at one time or another been regular visitors here on narniaweb. I have the proud distinction of being the mother-in-law of one of the moderators, and they two met here, on nweb.

Having said all that...here's my comment for the thread.

I have home schooled all my children throughout their lives, with the exception of 1 year for each of my three younger children, during which they attended a private Christian school.

Having recently been in school myself, as I began purchasing curriculum for this coming fall, I realized something.

Christian home school curriculum is sorry.

I apologize if that is offensive, but it is nevertheless true, and I chose not to buy any of it this year for my 17yo who will be graduating this spring and my 13yo who will be in 8th grade.

It was my experience with the curriculum from my college courses that re-indoctrinated me into what a good textbook should do--even for self-learners. And as I shopped the mainline Christian home school curriculum providers, I was frustrated to find that they do not do what a good textbook should do.

They are badly organized.

They do not take into account learning styles.

Holler though they will against learning by drill or learning by fill-in-the-blank, most of them are based on those two methods.

The only thing they DO get right is the inclusion of a Christian worldview. That's a good foundation, and laudable.

But a bad house on a good foundation is still a bad house.

What are your thoughts? Do your parents use Christian home school curriculum? If so, what has been your experience? Have you ever had a chance to compare Christian home school curriculum with secular curriculum?

mm

This conversation seems somehow familiar Completely agree that it's not a good thing to hide away at home. A few homeschoolers I know DO stay completely in their sheltered bubble and don't have any contact with non-Christians--some long after they've graduated. It's sad. How can you grow if you're never tested and never face any opposition? So I'd definitely be open to putting my (hypothetical) kids in school when they're mature enough to change other people instead of being influenced themselves. A six-year-old, not so much.

But school isn't the sole place available to become Socialised. And there are so many opportunities that open up when school isn't limited to seven or eight hours a day in a classroom--jobs, apprenticeships, self-directed learning, learning what you're actually interested in and will use in the future instead of cramming in facts to pass an exam. There's not much "real life" about the traditional school model. Being told what to do every moment of every day and interacting only with people in your age group is not real life.

---

MM, interesting question. I've had a not-so-great experience with most homeschool curriculum too. I did it anyway because there wasn't much alternative at that point, but I learned a lot more from library books. I'm sure there are some decent ones out there but my family somehow missed them all!

Oh, I couldn't word it better myself, Ru. Ditto.

Ah...interesting thoughts, LuvNarnia. One thing I definitely agree with you is that saying, "Most Christian kids are a light for public schoolers!" Is, more or less, not entirely true. I'm sure there must be some who fit the bill for that, but 95% of the time, it's more like Christian kids are wandering away/getting pulled in/etc.

*dittos Aly's post* Really, I love the way you clearly put things.

Out of curiousity, which curriculum is it you're speaking of, Mother-Music?

And as I shopped the mainline Christian home school curriculum providers, I was frustrated to find that they do not do what a good textbook should do.

They are badly organized.

They do not take into account learning styles.

Holler though they will against learning by drill or learning by fill-in-the-blank, most of them are based on those two methods.

The only thing they DO get right is the inclusion of a Christian worldview. That's a good foundation, and laudable.

But a bad house on a good foundation is still a bad house.

What are your thoughts? Do your parents use Christian home school curriculum? If so, what has been your experience? Have you ever had a chance to compare Christian home school curriculum with secular curriculum?

Mm, I know what you mean about some curriculums...
The curriculum we use, Accelerated Christian Education has been a positive experience. Their twelve books for every 6-7 subjects (and six books for electives) are about equivilent to a normal textbook and pleasantly bite-sized (called PACEs). (So, basically, the student is doing approximately 80+ 30-50 page books the whole school year.) My sister and I are quite prepared to take SAT/MAP/CAT ... you get the idea... at our grade levels when we voluntarily take them annualy. The cirrculum runs from Pre-K-12th grade.
As far as organizing goes, the homeschooling parents get Master Record sheets. They list days present or absent, merits and demerits that the student has earned, whether they have a test or not that day, etc.
From the earliest, students are taught to make goals of pages in their books and meet their goals that day in the book. A green pen is for the teacher, red pen for scoring (and it can't at any circumstances be brought to the desk), and flags are used for permissions (granted, in a homeschooling environment, flags are not enforced quite as much but more so in a private school setting.) Because of the goal cards, assignments, and all, most students who have used this curriculum usually are good organizers. Their teaching methods, for me, have been beneficial. One of their points is to make the student independent gradually, so that they won't be barely grasping along otherwise. And their Christian worldview is perhaps the highlight of them. In each book, there's a verse to be memorized and a character trait focused on. In the high-school books, slips called "Wisdom PACE's" are put it defining what love really is, how to get wisdom, authority, etc. There are characters who are in the books which are nice examples and the literature they choose, though not extremely varied (I wish they had put in Narnia or some Alcott), is very encouraging. So... my experience with it has been quite good, and I hope to continue doing it until I'm through with school.
As far as comparing it with a secular curriculum, I don't know if this is the same but a friend of mine, who goes to a public school, had trouble with her algebra textbook because a simple step vital for further problems was not taught and caused headaches.
Anyways, this curriculum is pretty much fitting to a T for us, but it's not for everybody. [/ramble]