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Original poster

Home schooling! -Discuss

82 replies

pinkdolly · 16/02/2006 18:29

Hello everyone,
I am 25 year old women with 2 girls, Zoe will be 4 in June and Sophie will be 3 in August. I am 17 weeks pg with my 3rd.
I have never planned to send my children to school as I personally feel that the girls will get a benifit a lot more from being at home with me.
My DH is totally with me on this so i'm well supported.
I know this is a very emotive subject and would really be interested to hear your views, whether for or against.
Also any experiences (bad or good) would be interested in hearing all the details. Thanx Guys!

OP posts:

Blandmum · 19/02/2006 12:29

oh, for sure they canfind a way. but it isn't always an easy way, iyswim.

fwiw, i feel that we need a lot more flexibility in the education system, with more vocational courses, an return to full time education options. but at present that doesn't exsist.

home ed can be a fantasitc thing, but that doesn't mean it doesn't present probelms for the family, and this does have to be taken into account when making the choice.

jenk1 · 19/02/2006 15:42

I worry about DS future prospects particularly as he is a bright boy(not bragging) and if if is that he will be out of school permanently then thats something for us to think about definately.

He is obsessed by science and says that he wants to be a scientist, so dont know how we will get round that one.

we have just started sending him to a private tutor as i wanted to check that he wasnt falling behind and that im doing everything ok especially in maths and english but she says hes doing brilliantly and is working at above the level for his age and to keep it up!!!

I will keep sending him to her every few months just to check, but it does help as well that my aunty is a deputy headteacher and has given us invaluable advice and i appreciate that not everyone will have that to fall back on.

My freinds son has been home-edded with the aid of a private tutor and he has just passed his GCSE english and maths and got a good grade so it can be done.

Blandmum · 19/02/2006 15:47

you will need a tutor for science ( probably...who knows what the exam reg will be like in the future) to cope with the practical aspects of coursework....not quite the same as for english and maths IYSWIM. It can be done, our school had an exteral candidate last year for GCSE scinece who had been tutored while being home eded.

As your ds gets older, I can recomend some good science sites btw

expatinscotland · 19/02/2006 15:51

I'm from the US and it's pretty popular there. There are lots of forums and networks for homeschoolers and their children and many often get together for 'field' and 'school' trips.

Tortington · 19/02/2006 16:04

i cant give my opinion on this one as last time a mumsnetter accused me of harassing her at home when she was unable to argue her point.

i was swore to secrecy - cant you tell

rarrie · 19/02/2006 16:29

I think it depends on where you live and what is available locally.

I think most parents could do it at primary level, but I would be more concerned about it at secondary - where the level of knowledge is so much greater as is the chances of making mistakes. (There was a previous post where MB explained this point far more eloquently than I !?!)

However, as I said where I am there is a big HE network and I think there are regular meetings of families who get together and do things socially (like swimming) as well as smaller group projects. Also, where I am students can actually join the local FE college and they do GCSE courses for HE children, which I think would ease the problem.

Certainly, for primary level I think it can be done, but there may well be more options at secondary!

jenk1 · 19/02/2006 16:37

Oh that would be great martianbishop, im on the look out for science sites now as thats all he wants to do science science science, hes "conducting" experiments in his bedroom, nothing dangerous but i believe that they involve worms!!!! When he had his hair cut a couple of months ago he asked for it back so that he could analyse it for DNA!!!!

Blandmum · 19/02/2006 16:40

To extract dna a home....this is quite safe and it does work. use surgical spirit for the alcohol.

university of Utah genetics site

The whole site is first rate and very interactive

Blandmum · 19/02/2006 16:41

Oh and he wouldn't find the DNA is the cut bits of hair....that is just protein strands. To get the DNA from hair you need a hair follicle

juuule · 19/02/2006 16:58

Jenk1 - I like this site

ba science

juuule · 19/02/2006 17:08

After a quick look at MBs genetics site, I've added it to my favourites - Thank you MartianBishop

Blandmum · 19/02/2006 17:20

I have some more if you like. Including an exceptionaly fine one on neurosciences from the University of washington. Do you want me to post the links?

Filyjonk · 19/02/2006 17:23

Hi pinkdolly, just to say we're also considering it-we have a 2 1/2 yo and a 7 mo, and will probably (hopefully!) have more.

It sounds like you're maybe thinking of unschooling as opposed to schooling-at-home, IYKWIM? Unschooling is basically completely child-led, the idea is that a. the most important thing is learning how to learn, and they will do that best by deciding for themselves what to learn about and b. In following their own interests they will naturally do stuff like literacy, numeracy etc. If so, have you read John Holts stuff? Also- a book I keep meaning to read is called something like "Punished by rewards"- Alfie Kohn? I've had it recomended about 100 times, so I'm passing the recomendation on.

Oh, and EO is meant to be good though I've got nothing out of my membership so far but a few magazines, so hmmm...

juuule · 19/02/2006 17:39

I would like you to post the links please MB.

Filyjonk - I have found EO to be very helpful and informative.

For anyone interested in unschooling - Sandra Dodd's site has some interesting stuff on it.
sandra dodd

Blandmum · 19/02/2006 17:46

free puzzle makes for word searches etc
beautiful paealiobiology site ink{http://www.becominghuman.org/biodiversity site
the outstamding neurosciences for kids site
SEN website....great for all sorts of things SEN

See, some of us school teacher types can be useful sometimes
all sorts of lesson ideas that could be adapted for home use

juuule · 19/02/2006 17:52

Whoever said you weren't useful? Let me get 'em
Thanks for the links

Filyjonk · 19/02/2006 18:41

juule-glad you've found them helpful. I think the problem is that we haven't got an active group round here, or if we have, no-one's ever contacted us. They're definately worth taking a look at and are the place to go to meet other homeschoolers I think if you're in London or somewhere. And they're also spot on with the legal stuff.

Having said that...am hoping to go to HESFES this year...

Original poster

pinkdolly · 19/02/2006 19:34

Hiya,
thanx for all your advice. Just wanted to let you know that I am still out here, just had a really bad weekend so not being able to process the information as yet.
I have`checked loads of sites incl EO and I find them all useful in some way.
I too have had some concerns over secondary education, but I'm not convinced that GCSE's is the best way to go. So will cross that bridge later on.
I know there will be a lot of people who disagree with me on that one, but that's just my opinion. I do know of children who have gone onto further education without GCSE's.
With regards to having a baby aroung whilst trying to home-ed, this has also crossed my mind. And to be honest I dont have an answer for that at the moment. So any tips would be great.
I do agree with the principal that children can learn from the environment around them.
For instance, shopping can become a maths and literary excersise. I think the possibilities for natural learning are astounding.

OP posts:

jenk1 · 19/02/2006 22:28

Thanks MB, ill show them to DS tomorrow

AngelaD · 19/02/2006 23:16

I have three children aged 5, 3 and 1. The way I am tackling this at the moment is to have a nanny for the 1 year old 2 days a week so I can get the cleaning, shopping, going to the bank etc done without having to impact on time with the older ones. My middle child is at private school whilst they teach her to read and write, the nursery grant helps with this no end. The older one is currently completing key stage 1 at a local, good state school.
My plan is to take the eldest 2 out of school for key stage 2, by which point the baby will be in private school to learn to read and write and I can dedicate my time to the older two, the baby will then join us up to grammar school. That's the plan anyway !!!

beartime · 19/02/2006 23:22

I want to do the same thing - tho I'm thinking ahead a bit as mine is 3mths old! In America loads of my friends do it, and their kids turn out so well.
Great book called 'The Socialisation Trap' by Rick Boyer explains why peer group socialisation is not only not necessary but actually bad. The main reason for me though, is influence. I want to influence him more than the school children, and it won't happen unless I homeschool. People pick up so much from who they hang around. And I'm a Christian and want him to grow up with Christian values. Plus it sounds fun, and I hated school!

Filyjonk · 20/02/2006 15:59

MB I love those sites, I have just started an OU science degree and I'm going to be forcing my kids into doing those experiments, just so I've got an excuse!

Filyjonk · 20/02/2006 16:00

You know, we should have an HE book thread, I need more books for inspiration.

beartime · 21/02/2006 07:13

There are some good books here

juuule · 21/02/2006 08:32

Book lists for HE:
here
here
and here (choose books option on left)

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