Ask Me Help Desk - Should I do homeschooling next year?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

Thank you for the advice Lady Toni. The program I'm looking into is strictly home schooling, and most of it's done online with a teachers help. Of course that doesn't meant that I could just sit back and let it happen, he will still need my help, and I will be very involved.

I'm not too worried about being at work while he's home. He's very good about following the rules I set down. If I say no TV, he doesn't watch TV without my permission. If I say no Xbox, he will wait to get permission. So I know he'll be working on his school work while I'm not home. Also, he'll be 14 in September, so he really doesn't need a babysitter while I'm gone. :)

I'm still looking into it, and the more I do, the more I think this is a great idea for my son. We've agreed to try it for one year. If his grades pick up, then he can continue homeschooling for grade 9 as well, but we would like him to go back to a regular school environment for highschool. I just want him to have that highschool experience and I don't think he'll get that with homeschooling.

I have also decided that we have to get him into some extracurricular activities. He's shown an interest in Karate, but he's worried that he's too old to start now, that he'll be in a class with young kids because he's new to it. I'm not sure how that works, but we're going to contact a few of the karate schools in our area. :)

Glad that I could help. At our karate school we have classes based on the age of the student so there is a class for young beginners and one for teen and adult beginners. Most karate schools that I know of do a similar thing. He will be all right, no age is ever to old to start karate. My mom at 74 started taking karate last year and she is working on getting her blue belt in our style now.

I have several friends that home schooled and put their children in public school for high school. They attend public high schools for different reasons wanting to take advantage of sports and awards that are granted, to take more advanced academic classes. There are ways to home school and still get an accredited high school diploma for colleges. ABEKA is one of those places that offers home school high school classes, they even have a graduation ceremony complete with cap, gown, and of course a diploma.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

Thank you for the advice Lady Toni. The program I'm looking into is strictly home schooling, and most of it's done online with a teachers help. Of course that doesn't meant that I could just sit back and let it happen, he will still need my help, and I will be very involved.

I'm not too worried about being at work while he's home. He's very good about following the rules I set down. If I say no TV, he doesn't watch TV without my permission. If I say no Xbox, he will wait to get permission. So I know he'll be working on his school work while I'm not home. Also, he'll be 14 in September, so he really doesn't need a babysitter while I'm gone. :)

I'm still looking into it, and the more I do, the more I think this is a great idea for my son. We've agreed to try it for one year. If his grades pick up, then he can continue homeschooling for grade 9 as well, but we would like him to go back to a regular school environment for highschool. I just want him to have that highschool experience and I don't think he'll get that with homeschooling.

I have also decided that we have to get him into some extracurricular activities. He's shown an interest in Karate, but he's worried that he's too old to start now, that he'll be in a class with young kids because he's new to it. I'm not sure how that works, but we're going to contact a few of the karate schools in our area. :)

Check out local martial arts schools. We have classes for older beginners and so do most martial arts schools. You are never to old to start karate. My mom started at age 75. Personally, I think that the older you are when you start the better, you can understand the how's and why's of the moves better than at 2-4. Just a thought.

And of course visit the schools, and talk to some of the parents even. Just like the "Karate Kid" movie, while most of the schools are nice, some are not. Others are much more traditional and may seem less friendly on the service.

I couldn't agree more! The state (whatever state you live in) would like you to believe that this is home schooling, but it is home education. You are still using the same texts that you would be using in the classroom and your teacher is a teacher from the school district that you are in. If you are struggling with your grades in public school the only way this could help you is if you have someone home with you who will work with you to make sure that you understand what is going on. This meets the requirement of your state BOE to hire a tutor, but you aren't going to get more individualized attention. See if you can find a tutor to work with you or if you can find a schooling program that supports home schooling i.e.. A few days a week at that location and you are required to do the work independently at when not in the classes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

Online charter school ( at least from the US side of it) is not real home schooling it is still state
(school district) controlled schooling and controlled by the rules of the district.

Also what classes you take are controlled as well as testing and other issues.
while this is fine, this does not really help you with your grades, unless a parent is going to be home and is able to help you with each class