lia92688

Hello, I stumbled upon this site this evening, found the conversations interesting, and decided to register. The references to homeschooling in this thread caught my attention in particular. As I homeschool my daughter, I am somewhat familiar with some of the concerns expressed here regarding homeschooling. While it may not be for everyone, it has been my experience that one need not rule it out for fear of being unqualified. I don't think that any state requires a Master's Degree, for example. I just checked on Connecticut, for which there's no parental qualifications requirement. All you need to do is cover "reading, writing, spelling, English, grammar, geography, arithmetic, United States history, and citizenship, including a study of the town, state and federal governments." Any one of the intelligent, thoughtful, articulate people that posted on this topic is more than capable of homeschooling, if they so chose. As for the expense: The expense varies as there are so many different ways to homeschool. I am a "private homeschooler" and pay for all of my own materials. While it's more expensive, I have complete autonomy from governmental interference. When you sign up with a government charter school or virtual school (like William Bennett's "K-12"), you get all of your materials (including a computer) free; though you are then considered an extension of the local public school district and subject to their scrutiny. For instance, you must meet with a state-certified teacher once a month to have your work reviewed. Most homeschoolers that choose this option don't experience problems with the arrangement; others find it a little too big-brother for their liking. (For reasons I won't get into, it's a raging controversy among homeschoolers these days.) There are some great websites where those that are interested can learn more. In addition to the nuts and bolts information (curriculum reviews, support and advice, etc.), there are interesting discussions. The difference between schooling and education... What is meant by socialization - and is it best achieved in a conventional schooling environment? Passive, dependent learning v. active, independent learning... Anyway, here are a couple of my favorite sites: BestHomeschooling.com, A to Z Home's Cool (homeschooling.gomilpitas.com). --Sorry this post is so long! lia92688