My school age children are 5 and 6 1/2. They both started school this past August. I had taught them what I thought was alot myself, but at times they didn't want to learn, they wanted to play. Once they started school, I couldn't believe how much they learned and how fast they learned it. They listen to their teachers much better than they listen to me. I think the environment had alot to do with it. They did whatever all the other kids were doing. They were in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. My one in Pre-K took an end of the year test that is for Kindergarteners and he not only had the highest score in his class, but had a higher score than some of the Kindergarteneres!!!! And my one in K was right up there in the top group!!!! I am sooooo proud of them. I know they would never have learned so much here at home. A friend of mine had 2 daughters 11 months apart and could only get the oldest into headstart at the school so she enlisted the youngest in home bound headstart. She isn't teaching her herself, a teacher comes to her house. She can really tell a difference in what they have learned. The one in school is much more ready for Kindergarten. So, as you can tell, home schooling wouldn't be good in her case and I don't believe it would be in mine either.

My cousin was home schooled and she doesn't know how to react around alot of people. She starts to hypervenilate (did I spell that right?) just going to walmart if it is too crowded. She had no friends other than me. She never dated until she met a guy at church and is now unhappily married to him. She and I think it would have been much better if she had went to school and learned to deal with people, problems, and peer pressure.

I also know 2 teenagers who have been home schooled by their mother since they were in grade school and they love it. They love the freedom, they are very smart, the only problem is that the girl is 17 and has never had a boyfriend. She doesnt' get to associate with anyone her age. But if you asked her which she wanted to do, she would say home school. So I guess it just depends on the personality of the kids.

Amanda