Well, let’s address the elephant in the room. There are families that might find it very difficult to homeschool—single parents without any other help, or families dealing with serious health or financial issues, for example. But in many cases it’s an option worth pursuing.

Oh I see, I haven't finished the last 2 eps. Well that's a tad refreshing I suppose.

Yes, but the douche got nicer. Although I think the daughter has a crush on the other boy, fat lot of good that’s going to do her.

I’ve done a year of homeschool with my daughter. She completed two grades. She went from barely reading to a very advanced level (turned 7 last month and she’s read five Harry Potter books). She writes at an advanced level. She knows her times tables and has full understand of math concepts a year ahead of where she’d…

All of the well adjusted homeschooled people I’ve met 1) had fairly secular parents and 2) stopped being homeschooled before high school. I think when properly done, such as through a correspondence course, it can be fine through 6th-8th grade. Whether people realize it or not, there is a lot of important social…

Yeah... I dunno if denying her children structure and encouraging them to follow their every whim and inspiration is exactly preparing them for normal adulthood where you have to show up for a job everyday and do the things that are assigned to you. I hope they have trust funds.

Actually, it’s my understanding that studies support the idea that reward structures cause a decrease in intrinsic motivation. In effect, you're teaching the child that the only reason to read, or do math, or whatever, is to get the reward. So kids end up doing the minimum required for the reward and then stop. For…

The term “homeschooling” often conjures up images of Christian conservatives isolating their ten children from the secular education found in public schools, teaching “traditional values” at the kitchen table.

I did homeschool abroad too and it was great as a young kid but thank God I got to go to JH and HS because my mom and I would have killed each other. We're very close...too close for her to have been the one making me study Calculus! (Also neither of my super educated parents could have helped me with math or science…

99.9% of homeschoolers don’t have parents who work for the State Department.

Agreed. So are they all wrong? I’m guessing not so much. Humans run on external motivators.

It’s almost like that’s what most of the time in teacher training programs is devoted to teaching.

I’m not receptive to this idea because whether schooling works for parents isn’t the point. The point is to educate children. And given the relatively short shrift paid to what her children get out of this arraignment (they socialize fine! If they dont want to be inside, they don't have to be!) I think the focus is in…

Good read. I was homeschooled k-12 and enjoyed it (though I was realllly ready to move out when college came around). One thing most people don’t know about is the prevalence of homeschool associations or groups. I was able to play basketball, baseball, and soccer from 6th grade on and compete against the local public…

I took senior Physics and Biology and have literally never used either. What basis do you suggest that people “need to learn” that stuff? Ask yourself this question “do I know how the modern education system was developed?” Because when you find out the answer you might not be so quick to judge.

I could be wrong, but to me this article makes it sound like it’s almost easy to instill intrinsic motivation in a child to want to learn. That some sort of reward or motivation system shouldn’t be necessary.

I was homeschooled from kindergarten through 8th grade. Being from a state department family posted overseas, I grew up in places where there was no English speaking school within two hours. So if we wanted to be educated in English, and didn’t want to go to boarding school, homeschooling was the only alternative.…

I’m glad this works for you and others, I don’t expect these comments to be very receptive to the idea.

Michelle Obama is my age. I haven’t been able to do this since I was in college, 30 years ago.

re: Kumail