Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Educating our Children

  So  this post is sort of a preamble to  a larger post I have in my head but my lovely daughter did her best to keep me from  writing today . The bones of the post will appear tomorrow but here's what got me thinking.  Mother Goat and I have been discussing  the education of our two year old ( Already ?) Discussing , the idea of home schooling vs public school.
  With home schooling the child gets the attention he or she needs, I have met a lot of home schooled kids who are very  well educated and the test scores  of a sample show home schooled kids generally preform  on a par or  excel at  standardized tests. The question is  does home schooling prepare them for the real world in terms of interacting with their peers ? 

   There are several  kids  in my neighborhood  in a range of ages of 6 to 11 and they go to  three or four different schools around town despite having a  multi grade school  two  blocks away .Although I have not quizzed the parents I assume it is their opinion that the  education opportunities are different and better at the school they have chosen .
  My wife favors home schooling , maybe in a group with other children. I'm not too sure.my time in elementary and Jr. High was horrible. I was beaten , bullied and harassed , but  doesn't that kind of thing occur throughout your life  ( if you let it ) ?
   The big discussion I hope to bring up  tomorrow is  the public school system going to survive in this era of budget cuts and does it need to survive ?

  theres a poll  on this subject  further down the page , check it out

3 comments:

Amie said...

Just for the record, Mrs. Goat isn't opposed to the idea of home schooling; however, it needs to be done with an actual certified teacher rather than a parent who can barely add two and two. Home schooling has its benefits, yet has drawbacks as far as socialization skills.

Katie Renee said...

I think Mrs. Goat is right about home schooling definitely having its benefits. Growing up, I remember several home school students who participated in our public school sports teams and clubs, tried out for plays, etc. It may be worth looking into what opportunities are out there for socialization outside of a home school environment. And DEFINITELY should be a certified teacher! :)

Candace said...

Hmmm, I've done it both ways. My first child has been mostly homeschooled and loved it. When she attended institutional school (public and private), she found the instruction somewhat good and the social environment threatening. But now she is 12 and ready for something more competitive and interactive. In the fall, she'll attend a charter school near our home that is focused on global thinking and problem-solving. It also offers an International Baccalaureate diploma. She is an above average learner. My second child has big learning differences and is heavily depending on visual supports. He is in public school and is learning a lot of social skills - some not so positive. He is a slow learner in a classroom, but his is super-fast one-on-one. I'm up in the air about his needs at present. Personally, if you are able, it would be nice to let Mallory show you what she needs. She probably will anyway!