Home Schooling and Raising Chickens

[SeaChick]

Thanks for the HS math input! Luckily I have a couple years to figure it out so I will look into all your suggestions: many thanks!

Stacey

 

[Chelly]

You guys are so awesome!
I have this weird fear of homeschooling, that my children will get left behind the general public school kids.

 

[BirdBrain]

"I have this weird fear of homeschooling, that my children will get left behind the general public school kids."

Chelly,
This is the precise reason why this will not happen to your kids. You are concerned about it. Any reasonably concerned parent is going to do their level best to provide a nurturing environment in which their child can learn. You will have the freedom to seek out those opportunities to meet the needs of your kids. you will have your share of both good and bad days, just like the rest of us, but it is still so much more fun than getting on a big yellow bus every day and standing in line or waiting while the teacher deals with a discipline issue. We usually spend about 3 hours on school a day and are done by noon. We spend the rest of the day on real life. You need one of those t-shirts with Rosie the Riveter on it. "We can do it...yes we can!!!"

--Bird

 

[rain_chix]

Chickens in our home learning offer the "inclusive-project-based-cross-subject-lines-integrated" THANG! It's an entire curriculum wrapped in feathers with a sound-track, of sorts, included. HA!

Also, it's very nice to sit outside with the hens while the sun is actually shining, reading a book or conjugating Spanish verbs on the patio with sidewalk chalk. We also worked a bit out of the Saxon Math 8/7 book in chalk, but the chickens weren't very interested in it.

We have a great public library and have read many books on chickens and we've done a tremendous amount of internet research. Research is THE most valuable aspect of our learning environment. Chicken books are fun to research and chicken facts are good to know...did you know, for example, that factory chickens - the broilers (the ones you buy at the store to eat) are killed at 8-16 weeks old?!

I'd also like to offer a book list to this thread - Education/related authors and books that I like: Derrick Jensen wrote a cool book called "Walking on Water"; Edele Faber & Elaine Mazlsih, "How to talk so kids can learn"; The Unschooling Handbook by Mary Griffith and Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones" and Alfie Kohn and John Holt.

Thanks for the good reading in this thread!

 

[Grace Boyer]

Our family homeschools, and we've definitely learned a lot about chickens in the years we've kept them, but haven't really used them as part of the 'school work'. I'm sure my older brothers learned a lot back when they used to butcher their chickens, but they stopped doing that before I can remember.
Chickenmama - do look into homeschooling- it's great. My Mom's done it for-26 years(?) , has 11 left to go, and says it's definitely worth all she went through to get where she is.

 

[Grace Boyer]

Chelly,
Your kids will not get left behind the public schooled kids, because there are less than a classroom full of them (presumeably), because they listen to you better than a classroom full of kids would listen to a teacher, and because it is so much more interesting to learn at home where you can take a break every now and then, leave a room if it gets too loud to concentrate - a BIG plus, and you can spend time with your family instead of a bunch of kids your age. Another big plus. Also you can go at your own speed, instead of hurrying or slowing down to stay with the other kids. For instance, I know a girl who plans to graduate by the age of 16 and take cosmetology classes at CVCC. Also you are more free to spend time learning about and doing what you're interested in doing.

 

[SeaChick]

I agree.
Olivia was way ahead of her peers, academically, when she re-entered public school in 5th grade after 2 years homeschooling. I have spoken with the parents of other homeschooled sailing families who eventually returned to regular school and they all said the same thing.
Also, more and more colleges are actively seeking homeschooled applicants and not discriminating against them. Harvard accepts a lot.
Homeschooling is apparently a hugely fast-crowing movement right now.
STacey

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Quote:
You are absolutely right.
There is a website..an SAT prep type thing, that is free to use. (I'll hunt down the link and post when I find it.) It allows the student to log in and go through practice tests. It is a great resource for college bound homeschoolers. It's one that you can log in at any time, test for as long as you want, and it will save your progress for you, continually telling you where you stand in relation to passing the SAT's. My son uses it-not very frequently right now- but in the next year we will start relying heavily on it to let us know what subjects we might need to brush up on before he takes the college entrance exams.

EDITED TO ADD: Found the link and it is for ACT, SAT, and GRE prep:

http://www.number2.com/

 

[Lunachick]

I homeschooled my two daughters when they were middle school age. (they hated the overcrowding that was going on, the girl fights - it brought on alot of low self-esteem on them.) We did this til graduation age. It worked out well for us, but we didn't do the chicken thing til now! My oldest has Asperger's syndrome - a sort of mild version of autism. She's fine but struggles a little with emotional problems. She is very beautiful and smart. My other daughter is a skin care specialist. Of course she's just as beautiful and smart! They come over and check out the chickens all the time for their antics and calmness they provide! I only wish I did the chicken thing sooner...

 

[Chelly]

I must say, the biggest motivation factor for me right now to homeschool my kids, is the amount of violence going on, just a few weeks ago a few of our schools were locked down due to someone running around with a gun.
I would be MUCH happer knowing my children are safe at home!

Just today, some 13 year olds put sanitizer in a teachers drink cup when the teacher left the room.... the teacher was found on the floor in the bathroom and rushed to hospital - what on EARTH were those 13 year olds THINKING!

I dont' want my children exposed to that, the target of that or heaven help me.. BE LIKE THAT!