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What Would Be The Advantages Or Disadvantages Of Homeschooling In This Case?Readers Forum: If a student who is living in one state and is going to be moving to a new state in her junior year of high school, would you be alright with homeschooling due to the difference in curriculums and such between the two school districts? What are the advantages/disadvantages of doing so?  February 25th, 2010 | Tags: Advantages, Case, Disadvantages, Homeschooling: All Things, This, What, Would | Category: FORUM, Homeschooling: All Things 4 comments to What Would Be The Advantages Or Disadvantages Of Homeschooling In This Case?Leave a Reply |
The advantages are many actually. You can choose your own curriculum. You can find support groups that will help you with socialization. Also there are many states that allow homeschooled children participate in school extra curricular activities. The only disadvantage I can think of right off hand is that the town you may move to may not have a homeschool support group. Check out the area and talk to some of the families that are already homeschooling and see if you think it is right for you and your child.
I’m making the assumption that the student is currently NOT being homeschooled.
To answer this well, we’d need to know the states in question and look up their particular requirements for homeschooling. Some states have lots of requirements, whereas others, such as Texas, have very few. It might prove difficult to move to a state with high requirements…in any case you’d need to contact a homeschool group or homeschool legal defense organization in your prospective state for advice and what you’d need (if anything) to provide your local school board.
Homeschooling would offer the benefit of the student not having to move into a different school, possibly with very different academic and/or cultural standards. Other than this, I think the advantages and disadvantages of regular homeschooling apply.
Pros:
Teaching your child your beliefs and values.
Forming and fostering a closer family unit.
Being able to choose the curriculum to use.
Being able to use a learning style that suits the student’s needs.
The student is often able to choose to study subjects not offered in school.
Having a more flexible schedule to accommodate vacations, illnesses, etc.
Home-school work is often done more quickly so that the student can engage in more interest-driven studies and activities such as music, dance or reading.
Homeschool students can move at their own pace through material.
Homeschool students tend to do as well or better than students in regular schools.
Homeschool students interact more with the “real world” rather than the artificial environment of a school.
Homeschool co-ops in some areas offer classes in subjects like advanced math and science, which parents might not feel comfortable teaching.
Cons:
Homeschooling takes a LOT of parental time, commitment and some money, too.
Homeschooling may be difficult in some states.
Homeschooling may make your student feel alienated unless he/she forms other homeschool friends.
Homeschooling may raise questions among your friends and family, who wonder if the child is “learning enough” or (all homeschoolers’ personal favorite) is “being socialized” enough.
Your student may not fit back into his/her public school grade depending on the homeschool curriculum you use.
Finally, a homeschool “graduating senior” may not be able to get a diploma.
If you’ve never homeschooled or been homeschooled before, I’ve read that the adjustment period for the student can take a while. Most (I believe this is true) homeschool families don’t do formal “school at home,” homeschooling is more relaxed. Homeschooling also tends to put the burden of responsibility of learning on the student (esp. on the older student); it’s his/her ultimate responsibility to learn the material not the teacher’s to force-feed it. This differs from some students’ experiences in school, where the teacher is expected to do a song-and-dance every day to keep the students’ attention.
You’d really need to study the requirements of your state and also explore the different methods of homeschooling (although it’s a little late in the game to choose some of them.) Styles range from strict school-at-home complete with bells to the more unstructured “unschooling.” Get on the Yahoo groups and try to find a homeschool group and ask lots of questions before you make a final decision.
Good Luck!
We moved from southern California to Virginia, while homeschooling… the move was easier because they continued the same curriculum, they still had the same teacher, and the same students around. No big stress.
The importance is to have an overview of the standard junior year requirements, which are very similar in all states. You will most likely need Math (Algebra 2 /Geometry/ Trigonometry) English (American Literature/ composition/ vocabulary/Grammar) Science (general Science, Earth Science or Physics) and Social Studies (American History & Government, Economics, State history, Geography). You should also start a foreign language and pull it thru till graduation (French/Spanish/Latin)
As long as you stick to the “norm” of what each state needs, you will do fine. You can get the curricular guidelines for each grade from World Book (link below) or from HSLDA.
Test your child once a year via a proctor (Scholastic Aptitude Test via Bob Jones University Press). This will show you their strengths and weaknesses so you can adapt/adjust your curriculum and schedule BEFORE college.
It is not true that homeschool children don’t get enough socialization !!! Those who think so must not be familiar with homeschooling.
There are endless advantages. Homeschooling is growing in great numbers year after year. Public school is all about who is dating who, who said what, clothes , fashion, and being on the sam e level as everyone else.
In homeschooling you work at your level. The public school does not help those who can do more advanced work and many times standards are set very low so that everyone can pass.
When homeschoolers do finish and go to college (yes they can go to college), they do know how to interact with other people, if not better than those who went to public school and most of the time do better.
I am not putting down those who do go to public school.
Homeschooling is growing fast and there is a reason why.