i think that there NEEDS to be some kind of  checks and balances for the home schooling kids, however it would have to take into account that home schooled children do not learn all things at the same rate as public school kids.

for example, one of my daughters home schooled friends is pretty much already at the grade 12 level for english and literature, but when it comes to math she was assessed at about a grade 8.  

my feeling is that all home schooled kids should have to take grade 12 with the public board. 

signs - the same applies to public schooled children.  At Grade 5 my son was tested as reading at the Grade 12 level in some aspects of the subject, at the university level on others.   I'm sure that he wasn't nearly so advanced in all subjects, despite the fact that he was bright.  Some teachers appreciated the fact that he was reading above grade level and let him choose some books intended for senior students or adults for his book reports.  Others seemed to feel threatened - "He shouldn't be reading those books (Sports, Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird), they are not Grade 5 books'. 

It sounds very reasonable Kay.

I agree with most of your points Kay and the last point about a plan for handling subjects beyone their capability is great...the rest of #3, I'm not so sure about.  How far do we go as a government in telling parents what to do with their children?  Scholastics...check, the rest....hmmmm?

Seriously?  I read LOTR for the first time in Grade 4--having been introduced to The Hobbit by our teacher who read it aloud to us (although I actually finished it well before the chapter a week he was reading to us)

good grief, i didn't read the LOTR trilogy until after i saw the first peter jackson movie... it was SO CONFUSING.  i found tolkein puts in so much descriptive stuff i couldn't keep the characters straight.  i never made it past TTT.

once i saw the movie, though, and was able to picture the characters in my mind as they had been portrayed by the actors, i breezed through those books.

sad, isn't it!?!?  LOL!!!

Abpenny - I included the expectation for parents to include the 'extras' because exercise art and culture are an intrinsic part of a complete education.  I didn't include many other things that I think are vitally important, such as critical thinking, problem solving, general knowledge, things I have found lacking in SOME home educated children I have met.

 It all sounds like way too much intrusion to me.  What's next, profiling women before they become pregnant?  In Alberta, a parent signs up with a school board, makes a with a facilitator, follows that plan and the child is eventually evaluated by the facilitator depending on the level.  I suppose if a parent really wanted to keep their kids a home and use them for hard labour, they could put on a show for the facilitator and then abuse their kids for the rest of the time.  But seriously, is that likely?  Is that the concern here, Kay?

Not at all!  Many years ago I seriously considered educating my own children at home.  There are many things about home based learning that appeal to me.  That doesn't mean though that I think all parents are the best educators for there children.  Neither does it mean that I think it is in the best interests of the children to be at home without outside influences.

I confess that I've never read the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Seelerboy tried to get me interested but I guess I'm just not into fantasy, and I found the descriptions long and boring.   But Seelerboy loved them from a young age. 

This particular teacher seemed to have her hangups.  She didn't like my son - that was obvious.  She seemed to have a definite idea of where kids should be in certain subjects at a certain time.  He didn't fit in.  There were books he was supposed to read at that grade level - it didn't matter that he had already read most of them - they were what he should read and write his reports on.  Apparently in that school system at that time Lord of the Rings was taught at a much higher level.  It had a lot of symbolism (or something) that kids my son's age couldn't possibly understand.  He shouldn't read it - and definitely not expect to write a report on it. 

I, on the other hand, felt that there was no book (except porn) that he shouldn't read if he wanted to. 

Home schooled or in the classroom kids are going to develop at their own rates  - and be ahead of expectations at one subject and perhaps lag behind at another.  Seelerboy had absolutely no talent for arts and crafts.  He used his imagination in reading on a wide range of subjects and creative writing.  His math wasn't bad either - probably at about grade level.

Oh but sighs the books are SO much better than the movie (Jackson mangled the story line at points and reenvisioned Aragorn's character as a much less likable fellow IMO).

Strange thing is, I had no trouble following the story at that first reading.  Did I get everything out of it that I did when I was older?  No.  But the story held me in.

75% of our household of 4 have read the LOTR & The Hobbit - two are major fans!

But back to the original post - there are very specific policies governing curriculum etc. for kids who are homeschooled in Ontario - I would guess they are similar in other provinces, but perhaps not, as education is provincially regulated.  I was interested to take a scan through the materials - including proposals parents must submit each year etc.  -  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/131.html#b    Parents have access to a variety of curriculum materials too. 

that is my understanding as well carolla.  That if one opts to home school one has to show the government that schooling of the child(ren) is in fact happening

And not all parents are the best parents for their children either.  But, it's one of those things in our society where unless baltant abuses are committed parents get to make decisions for their children.  Some would say that offering a child an education at home is the most loving and committed and dedicated act a parent can do.  Other have said that it's akin to abuse.  People are free to have their opinions.

I really don't know where people get this idea - that homeschooled children are not exposed to outside influences.  It baffles me entirely.  Can you tell me where you have found this information?  It simply is not true in the least.  

My kids, like other kids, have friends, art and music and gymnastics teachers, a loving minister, neighbours, a Sunday school teacher.  They meet and get to know all sorts of adults in their daily lives.  They just do not need the outside influence of a teacher in a school setting...  Why would they?  In case I'm a nutcase?  ;-)  I can understand the concern but it's just not like that.  We are in a major city, we work within a school board, we are members of a church...  I'm a regular person as are all the homeschooling mothers I know.

it is a bit baffling to me too agnieszka; but there are many beliefs held by people - many of which do not have a rational or factual basis - just the way it is sometimes.

I wasn't saying that home schooling is necessarily a poor choice.  For me, the jury remains out on the topic.  Under some circumstances it is a great choice, under others it could be a collossal failure.  No two cases are the same - no two schools are the same - no set of parents is an exact match for another.

I really don't think that anyone (including myself) can make the call for all families.  Please note too that I said in one post that I had considered teaching my own children at home - but didn't.  There were many reasons for that decision.  Occasionally I regretted that choice - and much of the time I thought it was the best decision.

The bottom line is that you must think it through for yourself and do what you think is best.  One good thing about making choices is that you do have the option to change your mind and make a different choice later.

This from saskatchewan

The parents that I know that homeschooled were very intentional about socialization with other home schooled children, as well as children at church and or camps.  I am thinking specifically of two families and each took a different approach to homeschooling, one being more integrated to the school curriculums.

In both situations the parents had chosen to remove their children from the public school system due to children's difficulty to be successful in the school system.  In the cases that I am aware the children have been quite successful; and I suspect much more successful than had they stayed in the school system.

There are negative consequences of peer pressure, especially for children who don't quite fit in. 

 B., you, as a participant in a debate on the subject of homeschooling, equally biased, pseudo-informed, narrowly focused on the issue of social development of homeschooled children and generally rather arrogant in your presentation, will never be able to even know what the homeschooling environment I create will or will not offer my children. Why then make proclamations about something you simply cannot know?

Ahhh, if you can't win the argument attack the person making it.
Ironic, you yourself offered the Latin term for that type of attack on the other thread? But I understand. It's infuriating when you can't support your statements, isn't it... I asked you a question. It's okay to admit you don't have an answer.

 Let's get something straight - what are you arguing, precisely?  That children need to be away from their parents to truly develop, as per the theorists you are presenting?  Do they suggest the needed number of hours per day of separation from parents?  Or are you doubting that a homeschooled child actually gets to spend time away from parents.  Because if it's the latter, there isn't much I can do to persuade you that my kids, for one, spend on average about three hours away from me per day.

Also, there is plenty of information easily accessible about the facts around homeschooling, both the ideas and the practices.  I am sure that if you really wanted to be informed you could find your way.

 This topic got me interested in knowing more about homeschooling in BC, so I did a little research.

In BC,  there is only the obligation for homeschooling parents to register a child's name at a school, and then the rest is 100% up to the parents.  Because there is no obligation to adhere to the provincial curriculum, BC homeschooled students don't receive the Dogwood Certificate of Graduation.

That may sound like a dead end for the kids, but BC also has a terrific Adult Graduation Certificate that people can take any time they like, if they don't graduate from high school.  As well, colleges in BC accept anyone 19 years of age or older as a mature student, and placement is based on a series of basis assessment tests.  If you are solid on your basic academic skills, you're in.  Do 2 years at college, then transfer to university if you are so inclined.  All the doors stay open.

I think that sounds pretty good!

Not that I need to show you that there is in fact evidence to support what I believe to be the truth... but you might find this educational.

Dr. Alan Thomas is a developmental psychologist, a visiting scholar at the Institute of Education, University of London. He was formerly at the Northern Territory University, Darwin, Australia. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.  For the past 20 years he has been researching how children learn.

Here is an article written by Dr.Alan Thomas:

www.infed.org/biblio/home-education.htm

Beshpin, youtube is a tool, as is email, the web, or even books.  Youtube is used for sharing quality conference material as well as foolishness from children.  In the same way that you look at references / sources / approvals on books or websites, you look at the same for videos.

your dismissal of it says a lot about your awareness of methods to get material.  In fact, the United Church of Canada has a youtube channel used for sharing mission material.

Besh, you are so contrary. if I said black, you would say white.

Hmmm, so that settles it.

Kaythecurler, Here is one of the more extensive research studies put out by a think tank in Canada: http://www.fraserinstitute.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2953

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

 just a note to be cautious of bias in the above link - the Fraser Institute is a conservative think tank whose stated objective is to privatize education.   

That being said, I really don't think home schoolers have to justify their choices to anyone.

Hi Diana

Yes, I was aware of that...

I sincerely hope that your intention in offering this qualifier is not to stop people of a differing political persuasion from gatherin information.

But... This article is NOT an opinion piece or an editorial. The data the article compiles is not produced by the think tank, it is gathered from original sources and put together by them. The reader can easily go directly to that information, foregoing the thesis and conclusion entirely.

To the original question in this topic, here is a compilation of research on the academic outcomes of homeschooling AS IT IS currently in North America.