Homeschooling

[pasmith]

I noticed there are a lot of people on this forum who either homeschool their kids, were homeschooled, or advocate homeschooling.

I was thinking about it and realized I don't think I've ever talked to someone who was homeschooled.

What reasons did you have for choosing it?

In answer to the original question:
Our reasons for homeschooling are mainly for academic reasons. We weren't satisfied with the level of academics in both the public and private schools in our area. Even the highly rated schools fell short of our expectations. Additionally, we like the ability to fully explore topics and to be able to accelerate or slow down as needed in order to ensure that the children fully mastered concepts before moving on. Using the best and most appropriate curriculum that suits our needs is also, IMO, a huge plus. We are not religious and never have been so that has nothing whatsoever to do with our homeschooling. We do not see homeschooling as a way to limit social interactions. On the contrary, we find homeschooling has made it possible for the children to be more involved than the average institutionally schooled child. The various volunteer programs and college dual-enrollment that our children take advantage of give them ample opportunity to meet and appreciate a variety of cultures and situations. I've met some ultra-religious homeschoolers but they aren't the norm now. Homeschooling is growing and a lot of that has to do with the academics and issues concerning bullying and safety in schools. As school violence escalates and the schools bounce around trying new and potentially disastrous curriculums (i.e....new math), more parents are making the choice to homeschool or explore other options like charters etc. The stereotype of the homeschooler as a rabidly religious, plain dressing oddball is certainly no longer the norm.