My Homeschool Experience

[Bini]

I met a new lady friend who has two young children, ages 3 and 5, and she homeschools both. What was interesting to me is that she totally wings it. She does not use any teaching manual or specific program (as I understand that many parents do). We sat in her living room and they pulled random resources up from online, and that same day, we hit the zoo for a day trip. The topic of the day was on elephants. I enjoyed the experience but I'm wondering how product this really is in the long term? Is this style of education competitive to other forms where children are sat down in a classroom and following a more rigid schedule--and a specific curriculum?

I have another friend that homeschools her kids but they are much older. Elementary and Junior High age. She uses a homeschooling program and isn't such a free-bird like my other friend. Perhaps this is the better option?

Just curious if there is any such thing as a less productive method of homeschooling or if all homeschooling is equal, given that the parents or parent is dedicated and wanting to teach.

[Guest]

3-year-olds aren't homeschooled. They're parented. It really bugs me when someone says they're homeschooling their toddler/not-quite-preschooler.

"I'm homeschooling my newborn! Today we learned about peek-a-boo!"

[Guest]

In my understanding, a curriculum is required to have your homeschool recognized by the State for K-12. But, I might just be speaking of Florida.

[NeuroTypical]

Yeah, if someone isn't 'winging it' with a 3 and 5 year old, what they're really doing is satisfying their own personal need to be organized. The kids don't care one way or the other.

For the long term? My girls are 12 and 9. There's not much structure. There is a math curriculum. There is 1 day a week homeschool outreach through our school district. There are homeschool co-op classes. Everything else seems to me (a person who thrives in an organized environment) chaotic and random. But they just finished their required state evaluations - both are doing better than grade level in most areas. If I were boss, there'd be much more structure. But my wife is boss here, and the state is happy, my kids are happy, I see them learning and growing, so that's what it looks like.

(By the way, you once asked what was up with My Little Pony? Well, we spent the 2012-13 school year learning everything about it. Look what someone in my family drew:

)

Different kids have different needs, and different parents have different styles. I see a lot of stuff with other homeschoolers that we don't do, but they're headed to the same goal - create healthy, moral, capable, productive members of society, able to take care of themselves and contribute, and release them on the world.

Edited June 18, 2013 by Loudmouth_Mormon

[Bini]

What a cute My Little Pony.