Putting your kids in public school places them at risk.
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the school attempted several times to get the Maples to have their son diagnosed with ADHD and medicated, but they refused. As Katie Maple stated on her GoFundMe page, “we as parents do not have the problems the school claims to have with him, at home. We know how to deal with a rambunctious 7 year old, but the school is content with making him believe that he is a bad child, we disagree.”
Absolutely disgusting that something like this can be tolerated. The people at that school should be LYNCHED.
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I read that, what the hell.
So much wrong, and when did schools start diagnosing children?
Public (government) education is so messed up.
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Anything Government is involved in is messed up.
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I'm pretty sure they called it "day dreaming" when I was in school.
For the uninitiated, how does one homeschool? Is there a source for curriculum or something people use that comes recommended?
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There are tons of learning curriculum programs for Ipads. There are also a bunch of great programs you can do online such as http://www.starfall.com/
As your kids grow and get more knowledge, you can advance them at any rate they can absorb. Our daughter is doing things at a 3rd-4th grade level but she would only be a 1st grader. That is the main benefit of home schooling. Your kid isn't taught at the level of the lowest common denominator. You teach them at the level they can absorb, pushing them to be their very best each day. Not punishing them by forcing them to learn at the rate of the dumbest kid in class.
There are all kinds of home-school groups you can join. My wife is in charge of primary education in our house, so she could tell you a lot more. I'm in charge of "field" education. ;)
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The school gets more money per Student if they are diagnosed with some learning disabilities.
Follow the money is always good advice.
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My mom and dad were told when I was in grade school that I had ADHD and needed to be medicated. They instructed the teachers not to tell me...and to treat me like a normal student. I then was given extra "motivation" from home to get my work done and to pay attention. I remember a few teachers meetings where the teacher presented the work I had not done...which was promptly taken home and with encouragement I had it done and handed in the next day. It became a daily question for a while..."how did you do in school today?". "Did you finish all of your work?" And I knew better than to lie. I knew that they would find out somehow.
My mom and dad didn't tell me until after high school about the ADHD. Btw--i graduated top 10 a year early.
I see it now...and still deal with it at times...but I know how to deal with it because I was forced to learn to deal with it. There may be some kids who can benefit from medication...but most would be better off with more encouragement and instruction from home.
But then again...I'm not a doctor so what do I know.
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We also have chosen to homeschool because of things like this. My wife takes care of the vast majority of the work associated with it...but I try to reinforce things they are learning when they are working with me.
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@dddoo7 said:
My mom and dad were told when I was in grade school that I had ADHD and needed to be medicated. They instructed the teachers not to tell me...and to treat me like a normal student. I then was given extra "motivation" from home to get my work done and to pay attention. I remember a few teachers meetings where the teacher presented the work I had not done...which was promptly taken home and with encouragement I had it done and handed in the next day. It became a daily question for a while..."how did you do in school today?". "Did you finish all of your work?" And I knew better than to lie. I knew that they would find out somehow.
My mom and dad didn't tell me until after high school about the ADHD. Btw--i graduated top 10 a year early.
I see it now...and still deal with it at times...but I know how to deal with it because I was forced to learn to deal with it. There may be some kids who can benefit from medication...but most would be better off with more encouragement and instruction from home.
But then again...I'm not a doctor so what do I know.
The schools aren't doctors and they diagnose it all the time.
I have no doubt if he doagnosed with it.
I hated school for various reasons, but there were a few good teachers and I never had an issue in those classes.
Unfortunately I had way to many terrible teachers, and I'd usually just sleep during those classes, and scrape by with a C or B.
It was never a subject issue as I had good grades in any subject if I tried, but most of the time the teachers were terrible.
The only class I ever failed, I failed because the teacher wouldn't let me do a writing assignment on something I wanted to do. So I didn't do it, it was mandatory to do. So I failed, the next year I slept through her class most of the time and breezed through it because the curriculum had changed.
Public schools as they are now are terrible.
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@rhyno said:
Public schools as they are now are terrible.
I look back and laugh considering all the teachers' favorite kids didn't amount to jack shit. Meanwhile I was almost immediately successful upon being done with school, while being one of the kids they hated the most, and was told that directly by more than one. I'm told that there are still teachers telling stories to kids these days about how terrible I was. I'm more financially successful and certainly more successful in life than any of them. Not to spite them, but because I was always going to make that happen. All they were was an obstacle in my way all the time. I can only recall 2-3 teachers from grade school to high school that I recall being truly genuine and sincerely trying to help every kid excel.
I can't imagine how much worse it is today.
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Yup, teachers still tell stories of me.
Actually the most common story is from one teacher I liked because he was also my weight lifting coach and football coach.
I was in a weird position too my junior and senior year, I went to school k-10 in Minnesota and despite education being federally controlled things still varied state by state.
When I got to Nebraska they looked at my record and I only required 2 classes to graduate. And the only reason why I required those were because in Minnesota we went through them in like 5th grade so it didn't count in Nebraska.
So when I found out that the teachers were bad it made it pretty easy to sleep through their classes.
That said there were still some teachers that were better, usually they were the shop teachers, coaches, and older teachers.
But man any younger teacher, was terrible or teachers with "consoling" backgrounds.
All the teachers pets I remember, yea I think some of them are still in school, and complaining how much college costs, I graduated in 2007. Some of them are druggies, very few did anything.
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HS for me was just something I had to do so I could get on with living my life. I got my first job at 16 and I didn't care about anything other than working hard to be successful. Here I am today, making better money that many people without a day of college, and passing HS with a C average.
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Can I raise the question of "socialization" in homeschooled kids?
Proponents of public schools say that, at least of lower levels of school, you learn more from interacting with your peers.
I went to public school, and at one point met kids who had been homeschooled K-8. Suffice to say they were weird. They couldn't make eye contact, stood too close to other people and they didn't know how to talk to other people to the point of basic conversation small talk being difficult.
They were much better educated than me though.
While I'm sure part of it was the method in which they were taught, how does one overcome this? I'm a fan of the idea, but the biggest piece of resistance from home, and admittedly my biggest reservation is this issue.
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My homeschooling experience is dated as my children are all parents.
There were and probably still are homeschool groups that get together for socialization and outings.
Sport participation and other activities are another avenue.
The options are up to the parents to pursue.
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@ragnarnar said:
Can I raise the question of "socialization" in homeschooled kids?
Proponents of public schools say that, at least of lower levels of school, you learn more from interacting with your peers.
I went to public school, and at one point met kids who had been homeschooled K-8. Suffice to say they were weird. They couldn't make eye contact, stood too close to other people and they didn't know how to talk to other people to the point of basic conversation small talk being difficult.
They were much better educated than me though.
While I'm sure part of it was the method in which they were taught, how does one overcome this? I'm a fan of the idea, but the biggest piece of resistance from home, and admittedly my biggest reservation is this issue.
While I don't home school I can tell you there are other ways of introducing your kids to socialization. When I was in CA I was a member of a gym that had a day care. My kids loved going there and learned a lot before they were even school aged. We also had the Boys and Girls Club. Then there is sports. We're big into having our kids in sports, not because they're going to be superstars one day, but because they learn how to make new friends, act around others, work as a team, winning and loosing, all that stuff.
The kids your describing most likely lived a sheltered life and their parents didn't do anything outside of the home with their kids.
Also I'll go a step further and say that the socialization that is being taught in public school is also horrible. The you have to like everyone no matter what mentality passed down from teachers and admin is wrong. The social pressure of trying to fit in with other students. Social media being a huge tool for kids to get bullied. All reasons why I make sure to teach my kids out side of school of how to survive in the world.
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@ragnarnar said:
Can I raise the question of "socialization" in homeschooled kids?
Proponents of public schools say that, at least of lower levels of school, you learn more from interacting with your peers.
This is absolutely false. All you learn from interacting with your peers is how to act like your peers. You don't learn any sort of true socialization.
It's been proven that children do not need to be socialized in a large group of same-age children to become well adjusted socially. Quite the opposite. Most parents want their children to learn their social graces from adults, not other children. As a general rule, homeschoolers have healthy relationships with people of all ages and most importantly with their parents and siblings.
I went to public school, and at one point met kids who had been homeschooled K-8. Suffice to say they were weird. They couldn't make eye contact, stood too close to other people and they didn't know how to talk to other people to the point of basic conversation small talk being difficult.
This is the fault of the parents not the kids. I'd venture to say their parents were weird too. Take the same weird parents and put the same weird kids in public school, they're going to be socially awkward. Not as a result from "homeschool" but the environment in which they are growing up and just they way they are as people. There are plenty of folks in public school who are awkward too. If I met said kids who I knew were in public school, I wouldn't be blaming the school. I'd be looking at their family environment first and then at their own disposition.
Here are some quick facts on homeschooling:
https://www.nheri.org/research/research-facts-on-homeschooling.html
As for your earlier question "How does one get started in homeschooling"? It's quite simple:
1.) Check out your state laws regarding homeschooling. See what they require of you to withdraw your child(ren) from public school, what they require for coursework, testing, etc.. HSLDA is a good resource when researching laws and requirements.
2.) Research homeschooling curriculum. There are a lot out there. There are some that are provided for free by other families who have homeschooled their kids before you or there are those that you pay for. Depending on the age of your child, there are some that are completely completely computerized and the child can do as much as he or she wants or there are others that require more hands-on from the parents.
3.) Research what record keeping is required, learn to make transcripts for your children, etc..
4.) Withdraw your child(ren) from school, file the right paperwork with the proper authorities.
5.) Begin teaching at homeAs a side note: It doesn't take 6-8 hours to teach your child at home. About 1/4-1/2 depending on the age level. Also depends on if you're homeschooling year-round, doing an accelerated education, or what your individual plans are.
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Regarding ADHD: a lot of the symptoms can be controlled with diet. It's been proven that food coloring, wheat, sugar, additives in food, and the like have a dramatic affect on one's behavior and more importantly the brain. You can google ADHD diet or manage ADHD naturally and find all sorts of feedback and plans from folks who have "been there done that" :)
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And as Orkan mentioned, there are home-school groups in virtually every state. A lot of them register with the HSLDA Otherwise searching Google or asking around town can help you find your local group(s).
There is one group that I'm part of and every Friday they put on classes for kids in grade-school and high school. Parents volunteer to teach a subject, which is then taught in a classroom environment. Typically the classes last about an hour. After the class, everyone goes to the park or does something fun together. They also regularly plan holiday parties, events for the kids, "field trips", etc... The power of the internet has brought many more folks together and with homeschooling gaining popularity, it's giving parents the power the connect with others and to teach their kids with others as well.
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@gash Because you do it and have more knoweldge than I in the subject. How does the idea of school vouchers effect home schooled kids. Do you as the parent get that money to use towards your kids education or does the state keep it?
I ask because we just past a law offering vouchers here in AZ.
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@mamalukino said:
My homeschooling experience is dated as my children are all parents.
There were and probably still are homeschool groups that get together for socialization and outings.
Sport participation and other activities are another avenue.
The options are up to the parents to pursue.A lot of public schools will allow homeschooled children to participate in their 'extra-curriculum' activities like drama, sports, etc... There are 'hoops' to jump through to get this done, but it can be done in a lot states. Otherwise there are always the Parks and Rec sports and other activities for kids to pursue.
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Some homeschooled kids are strange...and I know that it is a stereotype. I wonder who started the stereotype? Lol.
Some kids are raised socially awkward. Sometimes this is due to a parents social disorder or awkwardness themselves. Sometimes it is caused by religions that separate themselves from the world...and their kids are not going to know how to act. Christ told us to live in the world...but not like the world (John 17).
I would venture to guess that many kids that are socially awkward and homeschooled are homeschooled because they didn't fit in at public school.
I don't worry about my kids being socially awkward. I am a little different at times...but have no trouble coping in the world. My children are around others through many different opportunities we have such as church activities, our children's museum (great hands on education), the local zoo (also great hands on education) and other activities.
Social awkwardness was my biggest concern...but I'm not too worried about it now. There are too many reasons NOT to that outweigh the chance of social awkwardness.
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@norcal_in_az I'm not familiar with school vouchers.
Parents homeschooling in my state receive absolutely ZERO help from the government (local, state and federal). The IRS has specifically stated that parents homeschooling cannot use the $250 'special educator deduction' either. I'm not familiar with any benefits others may receive in other states.
Most parents who take on the task to home-educated, want to get out of the 'system' and all the rules that go along with it. If you receive any sort of benefit from the government, then you are opening your 'classroom' to their rules and regulations and most likely stepping into a big mess. The money and time we invest in our children is the least that we can do to ensure they will be happy and successful adults.
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When I take a look a the world right now, and what is considered "normal," I sure as hell hope my kids are viewed as "socially awkward" and don't "fit in" at all. That pressure to "fit in" is exactly the kind of bullshit I don't want forced on them.
They are who they are, they are capable of anything, and they can be anything they want to be every single day. Last thing they need is some dipshit lowlife minimum wage teacher trying to convince them otherwise. They sure as hell don't need to concern themselves with what some degenerate meth addicted kid from meth addicted parents thinks about them, just for the sake of "getting along."
Why is it so important that your kids "fit in" ragnarnar? Fit in with all the broken kids from broken families, and morally delinquent parents? As @dddoo7 alluded to, social skills can be taught just like every other skill. Our kids are ridiculously outgoing and friendly.
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I don't think fitting in is the concern. I think its knowing how to act and get along with others outside in general public. Thats called manners. And as we all seem to agree, those are taught at home by the parents.
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Not fit in, I want them to be socialized.
Fit in all that fucked up stuff you described. Socalized is the ability to interact within and without a group.
The kids I knew would look away and mutter while putting a clammy wet hand in yours when you went to shake hands.
I overlooked the other things that contributed to socialization. I'm sure Boy Scouts and after school sports helped in my case.
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@ragnarnar said:
The kids I knew would look away and mutter while putting a clammy wet hand in yours when you went to shake hands.
I remember meeting lots of kids like that... none of them were home schooled.
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It is my opinion that many home schooled kids are better socialized than public schooled kids. I know several younger public school kids that don't know how to deal with an adult. I am anything but intimidating...but many kids that are my kids age (6) won't hardly talk to me or other adults and I think it is because they view them all as authority figures. My kids will talk to and be polite (usually), to kids all the way through old people. We have a friend in the nursing home and my kids absolutely love to talk to her.
I have known many very well socialized public school kids...and homeschool kids. The difference is the home, the raising, the morals, and the teaching that the parents do. Send your kids to public school and don't care about how they turn out...they will be like most of the youth today. Keep em home and don't care how they turn out...they will be like most of the kids today. If you take an interest in your kids and train them...whether they are public schooled or home schooled they will turn out just like they are trained. It is not a chance of whether or not you end up with good kids...it is whether or not you care enough and spend enough time to train them to be good kids.
Now...It is always easier to speak about raising kids before your kids are grown. My oldest is 6 so take that into account when you read my advice. All I can tell you for sure is that God planned for the parents to train up their children (Proverbs 22:6)...even if they go to public school it does not take away that responsibility.
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The way it was explained to me to by a friend with 8 kids who homeschooled all of them was by asking me a question when I had the concern about our kids learning to socialize with other kids. He asked it like this, "what social skills can your kids learn in a public school that you would actually want them to learn?"
The other thing to think about is that a public school setups an environment that is not found anywhere else in life. In school kids are always with other kids their age, but where is that a reality other than on a public school. As soon as I entered college there were people of all ages in the class. As soon as I entered the workforce, there were people of all ages at work as well. So homeschooling teaches kids how to socialize with adults, older kids, kids their age, and younger kids in a natural more normal to everyday life environment. I'd like to say it like this, "we only homeschooled our kids for 2.5 years, and during that time, they never shut up."
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Not to mention all the other terrible things in school. One of the things that made me hate school from an early age was that if ONE kid did something bad, EVERYONE was punished.
... now if that isn't one of the most socialist bullshit things in the entire world, I don't know what is.
