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I have toyed with the idea of homeschooling because I don't think the public system, at least here in the northeast, provides enough teaching time during the year. Our system has 180 days of class. It seems like every other week there is some kind of school holiday or teacher in-service when kids don't have to be in class.

My question for the expert here is how does a homeschool parent determine how long class periods are and how many school days there are in a year? If I started to homeschool my kids, I would want the learning to be an ongoing thing, with natural breaks, of course, to prevent burnouts. I think that long summer vacations like the ones here are counterproductive to learning. Naturally, if a high school student needs to work, that's a different story. You know what I mean (I hope). Thanks.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Saturday, September 22, 2001 - 07:40 pm: Edit

I whole-heartedly agree that the three-month hiatus from school is a big handicap to the public school child. In my experience, it takes almost the entire first half of any given school year to re-teach what was lost during the break. This past year, I decided to keep studying through the break, and am now finding it much easier to get into the swing of things. I know many other homeschoolers do the same thing. However, the majority of homeschoolers actually stick to the 180-day calendar and virtually mirror the public school system’s timeline.

There are a number of ways to meet your goals. First, you should determine how many hours in the day you have available to teach your children. For my mother, it was three to five hours per day (which is typical among homeschool families). This worked out well for us, and our schedule was only slightly longer than the 180-day calendar due to the fact that we spent days watching documentary films, the Clinton impeachment trial, and a five-day history trip to Philadelphia and Gettysburg.

Second, I suggest that you figure out how much time you want to spend on supplemental materials. Add this to the academic work you wish to cover, and you should get an idea of how long it may take you to actually finish a school year. At this point, you have a choice, you can either stretch that school year to be a whole calendar year, or you can zoom ahead to the next year at the completion of the current grade level. The latter of these two options does have the distinct disadvantage that it could put your child into an awkward social situation (being younger than his “peers”), but depending on the maturity level of your child, this is a viable option.

The most important thing here is what is best for your child. If you try to help him/her out, you can’t go wrong. Also, don’t be afraid to change the system. If something isn’t working, alter it to make it work for you.

By Marylander on Sunday, September 23, 2001 - 07:25 am: Edit

Thank you for your insightful answers. Are you sure you're not a parent? Your tone is very mature. Are most homeschool students more mature than their peers in public schools?

Your comment: "For my mother, it was three to five hours per day (which is typical among homeschool families)" raises another question for me. Can mothers who homeschool also work? As I said, I'm considering the homeschool option, but our economic situation requires me to work a part-time job in retail that has rotating shifts. Some times I have to work 10 am-2 pm and other times I have to work 2-6 pm. Do you think I would be short-changing my children if I tried to homeschool them under these circumstances? Do you know any h.s. mothers who work? Again, thank you.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Sunday, September 23, 2001 - 01:34 pm: Edit

A parent? Nope, just a senior in high school (I start classes this week). As to the maturity level of homeschoolers compared to their public school peers, it depends on the individual. If the homeschooler has been schooled at home most of his life, I’d say that they generally get along great with adults, but may have problems with other children. If they have had a mix of environments, or have been exposed to society more, I think they tend to be more mature than the average public school child. These are of course just my observations and probably shouldn’t be taken as gospel truth.

Would you be short-changing your children? Absolutely not! Many parents work, and they are still able to teach their children. In fact, some mothers are forced to work to pay for their curriculums because of budget restraints. You can work around your schedule.

I have a younger sibling in the public schools, and my mother has to be home when he gets home. So, she scheduled all her appointments, as well as mine during the day (generally in the mornings). Once she was done with her appointments, she’d come home and we do our classes. Sometimes we had to shorten the day to two hours, or we’d just go a little after lunch. Continuity didn’t seem to be a factor, and we would just pick up where we left off. It took some getting used to, but then it became the routine. I think you will have the same success if you are willing to make it work to your benefit.

By George from Tenn. on Friday, September 28, 2001 - 07:44 pm: Edit

Nathan, quick question: How do your parents approach physical education in your curriculum? Do you have specific physical goals to meet? Do you have a regular "gym" class in your schedule? I'm wondering if home schooled students are generally in better or worse physical shape than their public and private school peers. I think the tendency would be to avoid exercise requirements while learning at home. True? Thanks!

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 10:08 am: Edit

It varies. The guys on sports teams seem to be really buff and in above average health. The guys who aren’t on sports teams seem to be in below average health and have slight weight problems because they don’t exercise regularly. Personally, I use Bill Philip’s “Body for Life” program (which is a six day a week program plus eating regimen). I don’t adhere to it strictly, but it works and I’m in fairly good shape.

By George from Tenn. on Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 03:34 pm: Edit

Thanks for that answer, Nathan. It's pretty much what I expected to hear. One other quick one: In your opinion, from what you've seen from the students you know, how well do home-schooled kids stack up against the publics for being prepared for college? My theory is that home school standards are all over the map and, therefore, many home-taught seniors aren't as competitive as they could be when it comes to getting into tough colleges. Thanks again.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 04:35 pm: Edit

That would be my guess as well. Most homeschoolers aren’t competitive. Most of my friends have average SAT scores, and apply to private Christian colleges because they either don’t feel prepared to go to a more competitive school, or they feel most comfortable in the religious and social environment that type of school provides.

One thing holding many homeschoolers back is their lack of experience in taking standardized tests. This of course results in lower scores that don’t reflect their true academic capabilities. Another problem is that homeschoolers generally set their sights on “some Christian school” and that’s what they aim for. Many of them would feel very uncomfortable outside of the box, and so they choose to remain in the environment they are used to. Thirdly, most don’t know how to be competitive, and they don’t understand how the application process works, and so they shoot in the dark. Lastly, many colleges make homeschool admissions requirements nearly impossible, or very vague, and so homeschoolers shy away from those schools.

I think that if all homeschooling parents taught with the goal of preparing their child for college level work, and universities published set standards on admissions requirements, you’d probably see a rise in competitive homeschoolers. As it is, most public university admissions officers I talk to have only met one or two, and that is a shame.

By George from Tenn. on Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 05:04 pm: Edit

It appears as though you've hooked up with the right place (this website) if you're interested in getting into a competitive college. May I ask what your college plans are? Also, and this may seem patronizing (but it isn't), do you think a site like this that offers admission services can be useful for home school students? (I promise not to tell your bosses what you say, so be honest.)

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 12:38 pm: Edit

Gettysburg and American would be my dream schools, and wouldn’t be hard to get into. Monetary problems make them dream schools; which is a shame, but life isn’t fair. As such, I’m looking primarily at state schools with good history and political science departments.

As for the latter half of your question, it is hard to say one way or the other in a general sense. As I said earlier, most homeschoolers have their sights on lesser known private Christian schools (not Messiah or Wheaton). Even good Christian schools (Taylor, Hillsdale, and Cedarville) don’t have difficult admissions standards, so if you do your research, and write a decent essay, you shouldn’t have a problem with admissions.

If a homeschooler is looking at Wheaton, or Messiah, or good secular schools, some private admissions services may be in order. Going all out and getting the full package would only be really required if you were shooting for a top tier 1 school. Essay help and services which gauge your chances of admittance might be of some use in that case. In other words, the decision to retain outside help would have to be on a purely individual basis and within the confines of any monetary concerns.

By Marylander on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 08:54 pm: Edit

Nathan, how long are the breaks you take for holidays? Does you schedule generally track that of the publics?

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 10:36 am: Edit

My breaks vary. I started school about a month late this year (September 24th, or something). So, in order to make sure I'm not going into July with school, I cut down my breaks. Christmas break is like five days, and I think Spring Break is a three day weekend. However, I've already taken a week and a half vacation that was unplanned so I could go visit a university and do some other things. I just did all my homework ahead of time. In general though, I tend to follow the public school calendar as my brother is at the local high school.

By California Mom (Calmom) on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 04:56 pm: Edit

Hi, Nathan,
Why did your brother choose public school while you are homeschooled? Is he involved in sports, or does he just prefer the structure or social aspects of school? Has he ever been homeschooled?

Just curious.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 05:04 pm: Edit

He was homeschooled at one time, and hated it. He chose to go back for social reasons.

By MDmom on Friday, March 15, 2002 - 02:23 pm: Edit

Nathan, the other thread discussing spring break inspired me to ask you where homeschoolers go on spring break. Is there a big gathering of homeschoolers every spring at Daytona Beach or some other exotic location (Cleveland?) where you all can get down?

By anon on Sunday, March 17, 2002 - 10:32 pm: Edit

Mdmom, you must have missed the commercials for the new video, "Homeschoolers Gone Wild"...

By Dave Berry on Monday, March 18, 2002 - 08:40 am: Edit

Anon, did you happen to see our boy Nathan in that commercial? We haven't heard from him in a while, so I was wondering if he might be on a "Homeschoolers Gone Wild" promo tour. I think he may be scheduled for an appearance first on Jerry Springer, then later as a cameo on Max Bickford.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Monday, March 18, 2002 - 03:03 pm: Edit

I am not dead! What is the title to the Springer show I appeared on- Secret Pasts Revealed? A couple of past seniors have gone down to Florida or done camping trips with a few friends, but I think most people go wherever their folks are going. My Spring Break plans are up in the air, but they will probably involve a brief family vacation of some sort. A buddy of mine is spending his break researching potential monasteries he could join next year.