Public, Private, or Homeschool. What Did We Do?

Each child in a home is different from their siblings. With each one comes a whole different set of skills, opportunities, possibilities, and issues. One of the issues is how to school each child as they reach school age. Should you send them to public or private school? Or, would they benefit more from homeschooling? Many adults think there is only one option. Truth be told, there are several options for each child. And, they change as children grow. Because each learns differently, they should have their education planned specifically for, and tailored to each one of them individually. We have both public- and homeschooled our children. Our oldest was primarily homeschooled. She is a brilliant young woman and graduated towards the top of her class with a high SAT score. We decided to homeschool all of our children when she was in second grade, the middle in kindergarten, and the youngest yet to be in school. We held lessons mainly while the youngest was napping. The kids excelled in this environment during the early years. They enjoyed school. Of course, I did a lot of research and found ways to make homeschooling fun for our children. We made lap books, did science experiments, and had tests to see what they were retaining. We also had problems which stemmed from variations in the way they learned best. Our oldest was quite self-sufficient when it came to schoolwork. All I had to do was give her a schedule and her books and off she went. Our middle child is more of a visual learner. He learns best from hands on work. He required a lot of oversight to keep him on task. I had to make school fun for him or it would be difficult for him to pay attention. Our youngest is a quick learner. You show her how to do something and she would get it right away. The trouble with her was that I couldn't hold her attention for long. She can also be quite lazy with anything resembling or called "work." She would rather be off playing than doing her schoolwork most days. After much discussion, we decided to send the two younger kids back to public school. With our son, it seems the best decision. Our youngest, however, is still struggling a bit. She is now in high school. Her difficulties are social rather than academic. She feels more mature than her classmates and doesn't fit in well; which makes sense considering how much time she spends with her older sister, who is also quite mature for her age. They are best friends, even with three-plus years separating them. So, the peers of our youngest simply aren't interested in the same ideals and goals. She also prefers having guys as friends because of the lack of drama that her other classmates seek out and cling to. So, the social aspect of education can actually be a reason for homeschooling rather than the other way around. With all the drama, bullying, and other distractions, the purpose of school can be defeated completely.