Private, Public or Homeschool?

[Guest Guest]

I was homeschooled from Kindergarten to 10th grade, and then I spent the last two years in Christian school at our church. (it's very private, only people who attend our church can put their kids in the school) I graduated from the Christian school in 2005 (wow, seems like a long time ago already!).

I was homeschooled with A.C.E. and the school used A.C.E. while I was there. They changed it the next year, thinking that it would improve education at the school, but it only made things worse because the kids weren't used to the new curriculum. I believe that if you start with one curriculum, you should stick with it.. unless you're mixing different curriculum (like some Abeka, some ACE, some Saxon, etc.). You just have to be consistent with whatever you decide to use, though. :smile

I know a lot of people that would criticize A.C.E., but like someone else already said, there's going to be a problem with just about any curriculum you decide to use. I know people that decided to switch it with Landmark Freedom Baptist curriculum, to get a more proper church history, but I saw some of the workbooks (my sister had to use it one year in Christian school after I graduated, she's homeschooled now though), and I didn't like it. It's designed pretty similar to ACE, but it's harder to use in some ways. A lot of people promote it because it supposedly makes the child think more, but I can see a lot of room for a child to be lazy. On many of the questions, it asks the child to put things in his own words... but then in the Score Key, it doesn't even give a hint of what the child should've included, it leaves it up to the parent/teacher. Now, I was homeschooled long enough to know that any teacher (even in Christian school) has a rough day sometimes (happens pretty often actually), and doesn't really feel like figuring out what the child was supposed to learn. The teacher would rather see a solid example given in the Score Key so that he/she may determine whether the child put any real effort into it.

I would recommend using a more well-established curriculum like ACE or Abeka, and then substituting certain subjects with something from another curriculum. Like if you don't want your child to learn church history through ACE, or he already learned some of it that way and you want to give him correct teaching in that subject, just make him read a book on the subject that you would approve of, and then have him write a book report when he's done. If he enjoys reading, he'll learn way more that way, and end up believing the way you want him to (and not the way his schoolbook taught him)! :smile

[Guest Guest]

Hmm' date=' now that's food for thought. With the curriculum we are using, my 4th grader is being introduced to writing and it is a daily battle. He just doesn't have a clue and I'm at a loss as to how to further explain it to him. He loves to read and does well in language classes but writing... Maybe I shouldn't worry about that so much and just stick to the grammar facts for now?[/quote']

Oh, I was awful at creative writing when I was younger!!! I still even struggled with it when I was in high school. As you can probably tell, I've definitely overcome that... but it's been through internet discussions... I can write a whole long post on a Biblical issue that I feel strongly about, or anything else I have a lot of knowledge in... but still, if I was to try to grab a pen and paper, it'd take me forever. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that typing allows you to say things almost as fast as you think them, so you don't lose those creative thoughts so easily. :smile

[kevinmiller]

Creative writing? I did that as a hobby. :lol

[Timothy]

:ot: [offtopic]I practice creative writing in the "Ban the person above you" game. :duh[/offtopic]

[war_eagle]

We homeschool.

One of the great things about homeschooling is that we can incorporate what they're learing into real life applications.

My daughter is fourteen years old and just helped draft a very impressive grant proposal to submit to the NEA.

My son not only works in my shop after school, but is thirteen years old and is doing administrative duties of somebody twice his age.

He does much of the ordering and deals with some of the vendors and wholesalers. Pretty impressive.

They're also learning things they'd never learn in a government school. In addition to the "three Rs", they're learning Latin, rhetoric, philosophy, and the Bible.

Our kids are so far ahead of their public school counterparts, it's not even funny.

A couple of the parents in our church send their highschoolers to our kids for tutoring.

We're Baptists but, because of the large Amish and Mennonite communities in our area, we didn't face a lot of the problems homeschoolers in other places face. It's just very commonplace here.

The one thing that just drives me up a wall is the people who don't understand homeschooling (some of them in my own family) who insist that we're doing it because we want to keep the kids away from the "real world". The truth is that our kids are better socialized and, because of the flexability that homeschooling provides, have seen more of the "real world" than any of their government school contemporaries.

My son can tell you more about meteorology than any adult and my daughter is a math whiz.

The only regret I have about it is that we didn't start sooner.

[HappyChristian]

We homeschooled through 5th grade. My hubby felt that God wanted us to put Joshua into the school our church has. It was very hard on me! I would have loved to continue homeschooling. But I am thankful that our Christian school is not one in name only.

As far as creative writing and grammar goes, I discovered a wonderful grammar that helped with both. It is called Jensen's Grammar. It is in pace-like booklets, and it is the story of a young man who is journeying through Grammar Land. As he (and the child) learn(s) the parts of speech, the child has to make sentences. For example, the child will be instructed to write a sentence using a noun, verb and adverb. Then in the next section, adjective may be added. That type of thing. And the answer key gives helpful examples. Joshua enjoyed it and really learned a lot. He is a very creative writer. He did have an excellent grammar/composition teacher in high school, so that helped. But I do believe the Jensen's and other things I taught him laid the foundation.

I also loved Saxon math. It was all laid out, and was incredibly informative.

Classic Curriculum by Mott Media is another curriculum that is really good. They use the original McGuffey's, which we used with Joshua.

[5dumplings@home]

My kids have been in our church school and I taught there before they were born. However, this year we started homeschooling. I thought I would stick with what I know (the ABeka with a little BJU thrown in.) But, with 4 grades, things get really hectic so I've chosen to use Apologia Science for the 3 girls next year and Spelling power for all of the kids. That will save me a lot of trouble.

I will be combining my 5th and 6th grader in history and that will help too.

As for creative writing, I would just work with them on several projects with the end result being theirs. It's okay to give them the guidance they need while they are working on the concept. Sit down with them and write the first 5-10 papers with them. (As an English teacher, I find this fully acceptable.)

I like how A Beka lays it out into the 5 steps...read and gather/think and plan/write and re-write/check and polish/share your results.

[John81]

We homeschool. We use Lifepacs, from Alpha Omega, right now.

[gatorpreacher]

Homeschooling is good, and so is private, or christian school; but, I must be brutally honest, the reason that public schools have gone the way they have is two things, one is liberalism, and the other is that christian parents have taken their kids out of the system. My wife and I have raised our family and now have 10 grandkids, so we are not novice at this. But you cannot take the salt away and expectgood results. Most of the parents, that I have met over the years that take their kids out of the public schools do so for other reasons than "christianity". I have heard everything from...I don't like the system, to "color" issues, to my little Johnny is too smart for public school , etc.

If we really do dislike the unGodly influence of the world, then quit your job and tell your Pastor that he needs to give you a job at church so that you won't have to be subjected to the world. Then be prepared to live on all that they can pay you. I am sick and tired of "christians" trying to justify themselves because they do not have backbone, nor fortitude to trust God to take care of them, their family and their possessions in other than "controlled circumstances". Yes, public school stinks now, even more so than when our kids were in school; but, you simply cannot turn your backs on the lost and "hope" they get saved one day. Your attitude is God send them a witness, but not me or my kids.

Grow up and trust God

gatorpreacher

[nodnarb]

I am in a IFB school. I couldn't do the homeschool thing. My parents say they would not be patient enough to do the homeschool thing. My school is great and I love it, but I do not always agree with what the teach us. They stay with the Bible but I don't know I am starting to feel like they don't want many outsiders there. I am one of maybe 9 outsiders. And 4 of them (if you count me) are my family.

[joyfulpraise93]

I went to public school through 7th grade, and then I was home-schooled using a self-paced curriculum. After high school I took a 2 year course in forestry and nature conservation.

[kevinmiller]

Homeschooling is good, and so is private, or christian school; but, I must be brutally honest, the reason that public schools have gone the way they have is two things, one is liberalism, and the other is that christian parents have taken their kids out of the system. My wife and I have raised our family and now have 10 grandkids, so we are not novice at this. But you cannot take the salt away and expectgood results. Most of the parents, that I have met over the years that take their kids out of the public schools do so for other reasons than "christianity". I have heard everything from...I don't like the system, to "color" issues, to my little Johnny is too smart for public school , etc.

If we really do dislike the unGodly influence of the world, then quit your job and tell your Pastor that he needs to give you a job at church so that you won't have to be subjected to the world. Then be prepared to live on all that they can pay you. I am sick and tired of "christians" trying to justify themselves because they do not have backbone, nor fortitude to trust God to take care of them, their family and their possessions in other than "controlled circumstances". Yes, public school stinks now, even more so than when our kids were in school; but, you simply cannot turn your backs on the lost and "hope" they get saved one day. Your attitude is God send them a witness, but not me or my kids.

Grow up and trust God

gatorpreacher

I can't think of anything more irresponsible than throwing your kids to the world and "trusting God to keep them." Wow, that's just preposterous. Kids are immature, impressionable, and lack a solid foundation. All things that adults hopefully achieve by the time they move into the work force. God made it clear who was to instruct the children. Public education is both socialistic and unbiblical and far more irresponsible than giving them a good, Christian, solid, home education before sending them out into the world. At which time, they should be prepared to handle it.

[joyfulpraise93]

I can't think of anything more irresponsible than throwing your kids to the world and "trusting God to keep them." Wow, that's just preposterous. Kids are immature, impressionable, and lack a solid foundation. All things that adults hopefully achieve by the time they move into the work force. God made it clear who was to instruct the children. Public education is both socialistic and unbiblical and far more irresponsible than giving them a good, Christian, solid, home education before sending them out into the world. At which time, they should be prepared to handle it.

:goodpost:

[gatorpreacher]

I understand your calling it irresponsible, but answer this question....what do you do with the kids whose parents cannot afford private pay school; You may call it irresponsible, but you do so out of ignorance and not biblical principle. Yes, it is an ungodly world out there, and yes God desires that you take care of your kids, however God also tells us to go into the world and take the Gospel. No, it is not "sacrificing your kids to the world; If you really believe that, then do not associate anywhere in the world; you cannot escape this world until God takes you home. No, I do not like the influences of the world, but to just say I am going to ignore the work that God has set before us is wrong, just as wrong as any other sin. We as parents and grandparents love and cherish our kids; but we must not forget that it is God who protects and not us. If you believe that God cannot protect your kids in an environment when you are not around, then you have a mighty small God. God is capable, but you must let Him.

[Psalms18_28]

I understand your calling it irresponsible' date=' but answer this question....what do you do with the kids whose parents cannot afford private pay school; You may call it irresponsible, but you do so out of ignorance and not biblical principle. Yes, it is an ungodly world out there, and yes God desires that you take care of your kids, however God also tells us to go into the world and take the Gospel. No, it is not "sacrificing your kids to the world; If you really believe that, then do not associate anywhere in the world; you cannot escape this world until God takes you home. No, I do not like the influences of the world, but to just say I am going to ignore the work that God has set before us is wrong, just as wrong as any other sin. We as parents and grandparents love and cherish our kids; but we must not forget that it is God who protects and not us. If you believe that God cannot protect your kids in an environment when you are not around, then you have a mighty small God. God is capable, but you must let Him.[/quote']

What he is saying is that you should train your child the way he should go (Obeying God's instructions does not mean we believe he is a small god)... He has plenty of time to get out of the real world but for right now, It's your job to raise him.

My mom let us watch "IT" by Stephen King on TV and that movie affected me, and since then I hated clowns... If you don't let your child watch these sort of thing, then why shield him from that, knowing it will affect him, but won't shield him from what's being taught in public school.