For the record, I really don't know if there is a 'great debate' out there over this topic, but there might be...
For the past six months I have traditionally home schooled my four year old son in pre-K education. Using a wonderful 'hodge podge' of exciting materials, books, and the Bible we have moved along throughout the school year with ease!
It is now that we have the decision of what curriculum we will be using for his kindergarten studies. In our state we have the option of a charter/virtual online school. My husband and I were very excited about the prospect of this option, especially because it was government funded by our own taxes and would be completely free!
It was only in the past twenty-four hours that I began to do some intense research through the HSLDA on virtual based homeschooing education. The question arose, "What price are you willing to pay for "free"?
So, I am laying it out to you, blogworld... What are your thoughts? What have you chosen to do in your own home and why? I look forward to your comments of experience and intuition!
We have done everything except full curriculum and cyber school. I know people who have done it and am not impressed. WE personally choose and ecclectic/unschooling approach and have found our children thriving in this environment. In fact, just this week my just turned 6 son taught himself to read, because he wanted to and saw his family reading all around him. There is so much more learning going on this way that we are willing to move if our state passes laws that would force us to do things the old fashioned way.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know much about this kind of schooling. I DO know how wonderful and challenging home schooling can be. I will actually send Ethan to Kindergarten at our public school because the teacher is a friend of mine and a wonderful teacher. From there I don't know. My small opinion? Don't choose anything because it is free or easy. Choose what fits your family without compromising what you feel is important. If this does fit, great. If not, reconsider. (maybe this isn't helpful since I really am not familiar with what this is) I do have a lot more to say about homeschooling kindergarteners (which I am 100% for), but I won't ramble on here...especially since I am sending mine to school. :)
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog by way of The Nester. My sister in law in Fl. did a similar program and thought it was good in the sense that if you are new to HS-ing it makes it easier to be given the curriculum. On the other hand, she is trying to wean her daughter off of it and going a more Charlotte Mason approach and it makes it harder to do CM when you have done a more rigid curriculum. I think she also got dis-enchanted with it because its not as creative(not that she is overly creative) and Emily wasn't doing super great. I personally don't like public school and we will be homeschooling in the fall and part of that is for the different and creative and more real world approaches that we can do. I sound like I am really qualified, huh??
That is just my 2 cents. Hope it helped.
Elise
athomeelise (at) yahoo (dot) com