Thread: Home Schooling?

Is anyone else here home schooling? We're in our first "official" year as dd would have gone to school last september. I'm just asking cos i'm curious and don't like to be the only one!!

Oh No!!!!!! I am the only one

I know a few others but they don't come on here very often.

Sometimes wish we could home school as DD1 hates dealing with playground politics.

Awww, i remember what that's like! I actually enjoyed learning and found the lessons really interesting - but i hated all the other stuff that went with it. I'm glad we could home school, it's a real struggle financially - but dd is doing so well, so i hope we can continue to (just) make ends meet!!

Like Sasha said, there are others. I am sure they will pipe up eventually.

I guess we are sort of home schooling, and it certainly isn't something I have ruled out entirely if the local system doesn't work out for either of our girls.

In the short term they will both go to the local school because I think it is important they learn the language. I don't want them to miss out on all the important childhood stuff like playing with the kids they live next door to/meet at the park. I also want them to be able to manage in the country that will be their home for many years.

But having said that, the school hours here are very different to those in the UK, and I do like that. Sofie will start 'full time'** school when she is 6, and before then I will probably do a bit of reading, writing, numeracy, etc as and when she shows an interest. Once she is in full time school I would like to think we will continue with some English work, but again I am pretty happy to leave it up to her.

**Full time school consists of five mornings a week (8:30 - 11:30 am) and 3 - 4 afternoons (1:30 - 3:30 pm).

What are you doing with your DD? Do you follow a curriculum or unschool? What is she interested in at the moment? What social stuff does she do? I would be really interested to hear more about how you are approaching it

Fiona, what you are doing sounds like a really good idea - and how lovely that full time school isn't until 6 - that's a much better age imo.

We are following some curriculum - we're doing Horizons maths, reading, writing and science, and then whatever takes dd's interest. Right now she is fascinated with British wildlife and nature in general. We do 3 or 4 mornings a week working on the core subjects, which is usually workbook based, then we also do cookery, nature walks, a wildlife project that she started at christmas, or art and craft. We go to a home ed meet once a week, and often meet home ed friends in the afternoons for playdates. Once a month we go to a book group, a nature group and she pony rides every two weeks. She's is not 5 until May, so i try to make at least half of her time play based, we do lots of trips to museums, parks, castles etc and as she gets older she will join in with more of the home ed group subjects. I am loving it so far, and so is dd She started reading last month and was soooo excited, it's lovely to see her accomplish something she really wanted to do.

That's probably more than enough rambling from me.................

I considered home schooling ds1 as he is gifted and talented and had problems learning 'too fast' and getting bored and I felt sorry for him being so frustrated but we changed schools and always planned to go private after primary anyway. But i have certainly not ruled out taking that step in the future if I feel formal education is not allowing him to reach his ptential and/or making him unhappy.

I think it's really comforting to know you have the option whichever route you decide to take. My mum wanted to homeschool me because i was brighter than average and the small village school wasn't doing much for me. Unfortunately in the 70's it wasn't really known about and she was pressured into keeping me at school. In the end we moved and i went to a private school which was much better for me academically. If dd decides she ever wants to go to school we would try to send her to the same school i went to - if we could ever afford it - but i'm hoping to home school her through her GCSE's.

It was lovely reading what your DD is up to September.

I love the idea of homeschooling and if it weren't for the langauge thing (and the greatly reduced hours here) I would be sorely tempted. At least I still get to have them home for 2 hours over lunch every day, as well as 1 - 2 afternoons a week.

We are currently into dinosaurs, learning to tell the time (she has her eye on a watch I have said she can have once she has mastered the basics!), and outer space. We do a fair bit of art and craft, as well as trips to museums and zoos. But at the moment I think Sofie's main focus is on physical stuff. She has mastered her 2 wheel (but no peddles) bike, and is also learning to swim and ski.

Sadly home schooling is illegal here, but id the issue should arise in the longer term then I feel we have several ways around this minor technicality! Both Emily and Sofie will start attending 2 mornings a week at a local 'free school' (aka Summerhill) in August, and I think they will get a huge amount out of that (as well as allowing them to be together which is very important to them at the moment).

So those are my ramblings. I think everyone home schools to a greater or lesser degree if you really look at it. I just think those of us who have our kids at home for longer periods have more opportunities.

Wow! English TV and home schooling illegal is Switzerland. They sure are strict! Imagine if you were caught watching an english documentary on BBC1 on home schooling - they would throw away the key!