There is also the matter of time, since these classes can be rather time-consuming.   Particularly in larger families and in homes where both parents work outside the house, it isn’t always possible to be primary teacher and hand-holder during every one of the tougher classes in high school.   Besides, by the time students reach this age, lots of parents don’t want to, either.

Every parent has probably had this question at one time or another.  I recently heard from a mom who said, ”I want my daughter to get the best education she can but I don’t think that would be the case if I tried teaching her these courses.”

Luckily, when homeschooling, this is not a problem.  Nobody knows everything.  It’s OK.  Modern homeschoolers have many choices when learning the tougher subjects.

These include:

1. Partnering with other parents who possess the skills or expertise you lack, and group the students to learn the subjects together.  You teach (or supervise) the classes you can, then ask other parents to teach the ones you cannot.
2. Joining a homeschool co-op where these subjects are offered at the level your child needs.  If no co-op exists, starting one isn’t difficult, either.  In fact, starting one that offers exactly the topics your student needs to learn can be the perfect solution.
3. Enrolling the student part-time at a local college, adult center, technical school or high school .  Most communities offer courses in many subject areas for around the same price as a good textbook and answer key, or an online course.
4. Purchasing curriculum products for high school credit.  Courses exist for most anything  a student might want to learn, from web design to playing the piano.  Most include detailed lesson plans and resources, too, therefore students can usually work entirely on their own.
5. Inquiring with a local support group or phoning a homeschool volunteer will often uncover other options that may not be as obvious.  Connecting with other people is sometimes the only way to find out about people in the group or in the community who offer tutoring services, mentoring programs or might be willing to teach a subject to local school children who have an interest.

Don’t fear the high school years, as there are many solutions for teaching “tough” subjects.  After helping to connect students to the world of available resources, parents may sit back and watch the learning take place, often without needing to be involved with delivering the difficult subjects at all.

Related reading:

 Award high school credit 3 different ways

Earning credit for life skills

Advance high school credit

Lab science

College-prep homeschooling

High school math (series)

A quick scan of the literature, for example, will reveal that first-borns tend to be superior and dominant, perfectionist and responsible, task-oriented and respectful of authority.  Middle children are described as competitive attention-seekers, children with the tendency to be forgotten or overlooked, and children who often develop special abilities in order to stand out from first-borns.  The youngest child in the family is usually seen as developing well socially and having very high self-esteem.  The youngest may be confident, too, sometimes overly so — a dare-devil of sorts.  As ”the baby” of the family, the youngest sibling is seen as “spoiled rotten”, too.

It is hard to deny that birth order characteristics seem to appear to some degree in every family, sometimes having notable psychological consequences, as well.

A basic understanding of birth order theory may be helpful when homeschooling.  Much like getting to know student personalities and discovering learning styles (affiliate link), knowing how to recognize birth order characteristics is just another tool in a parent’s tool-kit that may help with better understanding and teaching of a child.

During the homeschool years, it can be helpful for parents to keep birth order differences in mind.  As much as parents believe they parent and teach every child in the family equally, this is usually not the case.  Even if it were possible, equal treatment of all homeschooled kids is not desirable, as each every student has different needs than his or her siblings anyway.

Recognizing these differences is useful, as parents can learn to adapt materials to their children, use different approaches, schedule time with children differently and even use different conversational approaches, depending on the child they are working with.   Perhaps you have noticed that using the same curriculum for every child in the family does not work?  Or scheduling subjects in the same order for every child in the family?  Or explaining concepts to different children in exactly the same way?

As a homeschool advisor, I cannot tell you how many times parents tell me that they do not understand how one product which worked so well for one child now works so poorly with another.  Understanding student differences is crucial to making the right choices for every child — independent of what other children in the family did before him/her.

Tips for homeschooling and parenting children based on birth order may include things like:

• Whereas first-borns may be successful curriculum users, middle and younger siblings may need to learn some other way
• Spending extra one-on-one time with middle-borns, or encouraging middle-borns in their pursuit of special skills and talents
• Validating and nurturing the special talents of the youngest children, and allowing them to develop in their own way
• Resisting the urge to compare one child to another, and not guilting children into feeling they must “live up to”  older brothers or sisters

Explaining birth order differences to [mature] children via helpful books and web sites can sometimes have positive results.  This article from PBS kids, is straight-forward and easy for children to understand, in my opinion.  Just like deciding whether to tell a homeschooler he is gifted, decide whether sharing birth order information would be a wise choice given the particulars of your family.

Consider the notion that gaining more information about a child is always better than having little or none at all.  Though some may argue that a parent’s expectation of child in a particular birth order produces more results than the birth order itself, I believe this is another bit of valuable information that may be useful somewhere along the road to successful homeschooling.  Whether birth order plays into your homeschool decisions or not, it is an interesting discussion to follow nonetheless.

When homeschooling, parents have the option to select the way that works best.  Best for the student.  Best for the parent.  Best for the budget, lifestyle, educational philosophy, geographical location, available resources…well, you get the idea.

What is a homeschool method, you say?  In a nutshell, it refers to the general educational model, philosophy and methods a family may follow throughout the days and years of homeschooling.  Or unschooling, which some call a method in itself, though others equate unschooling to an education and parenting philosophy entirely different from traditional homeschooling.

Nevertheless, the chosen method is one which parents find they “click” with. One they are comfortable executing day after day.  And one which they believe will benefit the students in the household while meeting the educational goals set forth at the beginning of the journey.

Choosing a homeschool method may sound easy.  Watch what others do, then duplicate it at home, right?

Wrong.  What works for one family doesn’t always work in another.

Some families like homeschooling that resembles traditional classrooms.  That is the model, or homeschool method, they use at home.  Others prefer to use a method that is entirely different, like Classical Education or Thomas Jefferson Education.  Additionally, some parents mix up their methods and resources, while others prefer to stick with just one alone.

I often find in my work that parents tend to begin homeschooling using a single method or style, then end up relaxing it, modifying it somewhat, or switching to a different method over time.  (This level of customization is the trademark of homeschooling, since it can be designed to match learning styles, personalities, and desired outcomes.)

No matter where in the United States families live, all homeschoolers have the option to select and use any method they desire.  While some states dictate certain subjects that must be taught (not all states do this, but check if yours does) the method of delivery — the homeschooling “method” – is up to each individual family.

Careful research into each method is recommend at first.  Reviewing other approaches over the course of homeschooling may be beneficial, too.

These posts may help parents get an initial feel for what every general approach entails.  Using the links provided in each article, be sure to learn more before making a final selection.  And always remember, nothing in homeschooling is ever set in stone — changes are not only possible along the journey, but desired, if a chosen method is not having the expected results.

Start here to learn more about some of the most popular homeschooling methods:

Charlotte Mason

Classical

Leadership / TJED

Curriculum Method

Waldorf

Eclectic

Relaxed

Enki

…and these:

Hybrid

Unschooling

Other posts you might like:

Required or learning ‘a la carte’

Parents don’t know everything.  In homeschool, that’s OK

Though I’d love to offer a pat response, a list of recommendations, or a fool-proof system that works for everyone, I can’t recommend a product or system without knowing a great deal about the family and the student first [advisors who do this should not be trusted].  Even then, I don’t always get it 100%  right the first time, either.  That’s because so many factors go into selecting — and then enjoying and learning from – products used in the homeschool environment.  It can take time (though it’s time well spent).

Instead, I have prepared a series of posts to address many of the subjects commonly taught in homeschool.  These may be used as specific product suggestions, or as a spring-board to find others, too.  Often, reading about products helps to eliminate features you don’t want in a homeschool product or system.  That alone can be very helpful, too!

Browse these links to find the names of some top product picks and popular curriculum products in each of these areas.  But when reading about curriculum picks, please remember — these are just a few of the many, many different ways to teach and learn new things at home.  If nothing here seems to fit, please keep on looking!  Something will eventually click with you, and with your student.

Click on these links for information about teaching:

Language Arts

Character Education

Math

History

Science

Money and Finance

Music

Physical Education

Reading

Art

Writing

Complete Curriculum Packages

More posts you might like:

Better curriculum fit = better experience

The best curriculum of all

Changing horses (when the curriculum isn’t working)

Math-fearing parents can create math-loving students

What to use? What to choose?

I am delighted to announce that I have been nominated for the Circle of Moms “Top 25 Homeschooling Moms of 2013″ list!  What an honor and a privilege to join in the company of so many wonderful moms who give of themselves to serve homeschool families!

There are no prizes for winning, just the satisfaction of knowing I have touched the lives of the families I have devoted my life to serving.   Reaching “Top 25″ would also enable me to display the award on my web pages, lending credibility to my work and opening up even more opportunities to serve homeschoolers in the future.

Voting takes about 30 seconds, and you DO NOT even need to register to vote.  (If a subscription box appears, simply close it.)

Just head over to Circle of Moms, scroll down until you see my photograph and the name of my web site, then click on the heart-shaped voting button!  That’s all.  Just look for me:  Marie-Claire Moreau / Quick Start Homeschool!

You can vote every 24 hours until June 13!  Ask friends to vote, too!

While you’re at it, be sure to check out some of the other terrific blogs and resources in this year’s line-up…I know you won’t be disappointed with the freebies, ideas and relevant content.

Thanks for your support!

Marie-Claire Moreau

CLICK to VOTE!

Did you know that many families homeschool all summer?  With the freedom to homeschool comes the freedom to take time off when needed — NOT just because the calendar says so.

Ask a hundred homeschool families how they handle time off, and each will give a slightly different response.  While some families follow the district calendar and take summers off like other children in town, the majority report some variation on this schedule.  And many families never take time off at all.

In our home, our homeschool year begins roughly in August of every year, and runs a cycle for 12 months until August of the next year.  Most years, we take off the month of July for “summer vacation”.  But sometimes, late November into December is when we take a “summer” break instead.

The nature of our lives and work also requires us to take days off at the last minute, making it impossible to plan the whole year before it even begins.   Thus, vacation days we take throughout the year are not usually planned at all.  (As a die-hard planner, this unpredictability used to bother me, but I have learned to make it work.  I try to build in flexibility by making sure lesson blocks can easily be rescheduled and activities are never planned too far out.   Practice has taught me that we never quite accomplish everything I used to plan for the year anyway, so I now build more flexibility in, and our family can more easily take time off when something unexpected occurs.)

Other families have shared with me their strategies for taking summer vacation from homeschooling.  Some of these schedules ideas are explained, below (notice not all vacations occur in the summer!):

• The “10-months of homeschooling” method is similar to the calendar used by district schools.  Families homeschool for 10 months, and then take a 2-month summer vacation.
• The “One week on, one week off Method” requires homeschooling for a week, then taking the next week off.  The cycle is repeated throughout the entire year.
• The “Three weeks on, one week off” idea is used by families who homeschool for 3 weeks, then take off the last week of every month.  The schedule is repeated every month, making adjustments for 5-week months if desired.
• The “Five months, one off” cycle allows for 2 one-month vacations at different times of the year (say, July and January).

When children are enrolled in courses that occur on fixed schedules (online courses or dual enrollment, for instance), this flexibility may not always be possible.  But, by and large, homeschoolers coast to coast can make the most out of the freedom to learn by creating the time-tables that work best for them — summer vacations, or not!

[Image: Flickr]

Below, you’ll find a list of articles that address many of the questions both new and veteran homeschoolers have about the legal process.  See if one of these titles may be exactly what you’re searching for:

Need to find your state laws?  Click HERE and we’ll help you find them.

Do homeschooling laws ever change?   Click HERE to see how changes may affect you.

Can you move to another state while homeschooling? Click HERE for an easy answer.

Do homeschool parents need special qualifications?  Click HERE to see.

Is there any proof that homeschooling works?  Click HERE to read the latest research.

Must homeschoolers be tested?  Click HERE for information about standardized tests.

May grandparents help with homeschooling?  Click HERE for a list of resources that will help.

At what age must kids start homeschooling?  Click HERE to learn about legal age requirements.

Are homeschooled students legally able to enter college?  Click HERE to get full details.

What is a portfolio?  Click HERE to find out what to put inside.

Are there tax benefits for homeschool families?  Click HERE to get the answer.

Pulling a child from a bad school situation?  Click HERE to create a “paper-trail” that should prevent the problem from following you home.

For a comprehensive list of legal articles from Quick Start Homeschool, click the LAWS tab, above.  Our “Free Homeschool Report” contains links and all of the latest research  — get yours by subscribing (above).

When I see the perfect photo of a beautifully renovated kitchen, a lovely jar of bath salts, the perfect man’s bow-tie or a batch of freshly canned pickles, like you — I immediately swoon.  After a split-second however, I often find myself chuckling as I wonder what the rest of the family was doing while the brave photographer snapped the photo.   Sometimes, I imagine a chaotic, messy house, where the only clean area was the corner of the kitchen counter where the picture was taken.  If I’m feeling especially irreverent, I allow myself to imagine what the kids were doing during the big photo shoot, too.

What about blogs depicting perfect family life?  Are these accurate, either?  As a homeschool mom myself, I tend to read into the stories I find, too.  As respectfully as possible, I admit that I read these stories knowing darned well that for every great homeschool lesson/field trip/project/experience I read about, there were at least a couple of moments that weren’t so pretty, too.

How do I know?  Because I’m a mom.  I’ve had all of those moments, too!  Remember, I have been at this for a long time.  Chances are, my stories can top lots of those hands-down.

If the photos and stories I see are anything like our home, at any given time, one might find dogs running wild, kids arguing over the last donut, or a telephone ringing out of control.  Knock on the front door at the right time and you just might see half-dressed children, a kitchen sink overflowing with dirty dishes and — not one – but sometimes two clogged toilets at once.  As I speak to clients on the telephone or instant message with them on my computer, I sometimes cringe as I try not to become distracted by things going on the background…husband’s requests, childrens’ hand signals or rude body noises, dogs barking at the worst possible moments…well, you get the picture.

Despite what you see on my blog, it isn’t always pretty here.

So, today I’m confessing.  I’m guilty, too.

Is homeschooling a great life?  Absolutely.  But, do we have our ups and downs like everybody else? Of course!

It’s a matter of perspective.  It’s all about looking at the overall picture and the accumulation of experiences — not the details.

Most times, in our home, everything is rosy.   Our children are obedient, their school work is completed with care and diligence, I work uninterrupted, and both the indoor and outdoor chores are completed on schedule.  BUT…knock on the door at just the right time –say, during a spill/bruise/disagreement/tantrum/you-name-it – and you’ll see another picture altogether.

It’s just life.

So many examples come to mind of the things you don’t see when I meet with you, speak to audiences and type these blogs.  Like the day I felt so bad I wanted to crawl in bed instead of meeting with a newspaper reporter.  Or the time the dog pooped on the rug and I had to leave it there because I was in such a rush to get to a meeting.  Or the day the laundry hadn’t been done so I wore an ill-fitting sports bra to speak at a state-wide homeschool convention!  And don’t forget the day my kids behaved so badly I really didn’t want to bring them on a field trip but I had to, since I was in possession of the money for the entire group.

Should you ever find yourself wondering why your life isn’t as pretty as a picture or as peaceful as you read about, please remember this post.  Remember that what you see and read online is nothing more than a little snapshot of a moment in time during one person’s day.  It doesn’t represent all of the actual moments in the real life of homeschool (or any) family!

And if you need further proof, stop by my home any day unannounced.  I’ll be more than happy to show you around.  Just try not to step on that LEGO……….

Other posts you might like:

Clean Enough

A day in the life of a homeschooler

Homeschool tips for sleepless moms

15-minute organization saves time now and sanity later

Although the moms are each a little bit different, homeschooling moms have much in common, too.  It can be comforting to find another mom like yourself to click with instantly!  On the flip-side, there are benefits to meeting a mom so different that you learn something new every time you get together!

I have met many homeschool moms over the years and I am so grateful for this aspect of my job.  I enjoy chatting with them and hearing all of the ideas and points of view they bring to our conversations.  Actually, it is one of my favorite things to do!   I notice similarities during these conversations, and can often spot things I’ve heard from other moms so many times before.

Call it “research”, “people watching”, or whatever you like, but I love meeting homeschool moms wherever I go.  Meeting with moms (and dads and kids, too) drives my work and fills my soul.

In the spirit of fun, I have assigned names to some of the kinds of homeschool moms I meet.  I thought by labeling the moms I meet that others might find comfort in knowing there are other women out there just like them.  In the community of homeschoolers, no parent is ever alone!

So, which type of homeschool mom are you?  Read on to find out!

Are you a…Newcomer?  The Newcomer is the mom who is new to homeschooling or hasn’t done it very long.  Everyone was a Newcomer once, so it’s important  to remember our own beginnings by welcoming this mom with open arms and a helping hand.  This is the mom who takes everything in and sometimes takes lots of notes, too.  Sometimes, she hits the ground running with loads of questions, but other times she may be timid and shy.  She is excited and eager, but might secretly be just a little bit nervous, too.  Take The Newcomer by the hand, introduce her to other moms and help her get plugged in.   The Newcomer doesn’t always know all of the vocabulary or understand everything that may be going on in town, so be understanding and try not to overwhelm if you feel she wants to take things slowly.

Or, maybe you’re…The Nervous Nellie — the mom who has been homeschooling for quite a while but is always second-guessing herself.  Though she’s doing a great job, she worries about every detail and wonders if she may be doing a terrible job.  Other homeschoolers try to reassure her.  Her kids are happy and her husband is supportive.  However, Nervous Nellie is so busy planning and worrying about her next lesson/next homeschool purchase/next schedule, she doesn’t notice that things are great just the way there are.   Moms who have been there/done that, can help Nervous Nellie relax and see that her efforts are really yielding great results.

How about…The Busy Bee?  She’s the mom who does it all.  She’s signs up for every field trip and attends most activities that happen in town.  She’s an expert at planning life around activities and knows the community calendar like the back of her hand.  Never without a book or a magazine plus cooler full of snacks, this mom is ready for whatever the day takes on.  Nothing happens in town that this mom doesn’t already know about or hasn’t tried before, evidenced by the mileage on her vehicle and change of clothes in the back of the car.  Exhausted as she may seem (and sometimes her children, too), she somehow thrives on events and believes in finding as many educational opportunities for her homeschoolers as she can.  Though Busy Bee’s lifestyle isn’t for everybody, she must be left to make her own choices for herself and her children, since only she knows what’s best for her family.

How about these moms?  Do you see yourself, or a friend, among this list?

The Time Keeper is the mom who usually ”does school” with her children in the mornings and doesn’t do anything else until the school day is done.  Carefully tracking lessons and hours, this mom is devoted to planning and dutifully following what is on her daily agenda.   This mom is often a curriculum user, a firm homeschool supervisor and usually a strict record-keeper, as well.   She is rarely willing to sacrifice planned schooling for other activities that infringe upon this time, though she makes time for outside activities if they fit into the overall curriculum plan.  A great resource, The Time Keeper can be trusted for information, as she tends to save important documents and information for a very long time.  She sets an excellent example for other moms who desire to follow along the same path, so other moms can turn to her for advice, too.

The Freeform Mom is usually up for anything!   An experiment, a great book, a museum visit, or a day at the water park are just some of the activities this mom allows into her day with comfort and ease.  She changes plans easily, too, never really knowing where the day might lead her.  Freeform Mom tracks her time rather loosely and doesn’t worry much about meeting specific goals on specific days.   She’s often the mom who shows up late or not at all!  Instead, she looks at the “big picture” and is confident that the cumulative value of experiences is what’s most important at the end of each day.   Freeform Mom occasionally looks to other moms for ideas about reaching important educational milestones if she isn’t quite sure how to get there on her own.  Other moms may privately envy Freeform Mom a little bit, for she seems to hold the key to homeschooling relatively stress-free.  Time Keepers in particular may look to this mom for tips on how to relax their efforts just a little bit.

The Seeker just can’t quite commit to anything for too long a time.  This mom changes gears like the weather, and has the tendency to switch up what she’s doing on a regular basis.  Never afraid to try something new, The Seeker is always looking for something a little bit better/harder/cheaper/more organized/a better fit.  She listens and watches what others do, conducts careful research, and doesn’t hesitate to try many of the methods and products she hears about.  The Seeker eventually settles upon a routine for some length of time…but don’t be surprised if her homeschool undergoes a complete overhaul somewhere about mid-year or sooner.  Children of The Seeker learn to be flexible, and where consistency lacks, they benefit by exposure to many different things.

The Fizzler is growing tired and almost burnt-out on the same-old homeschool routine.  She runs through the motions of her homeschool day and her children are served very well; however, The Fizzler she has all but lost her zest and motivation for homeschooling.  Often the mother of many, but sometimes just the mother of 1 or 2, this mom has temporarily forgotten the joys of homeschooling and has allowed fatigue or boredom to dominate her daily routine.  With help, The Fizzler can regain her enthusiasm and become refreshed all over again.  Other moms can help by inviting her to support meetings, mom’s nights, and homeschool conferences for some well-deserved R&R.  Her spouse can help by suggesting a little bit of time off from regular schoolwork, too.  A change of pace, including good nutrition and regular exercise, plus a dose of personal time, can get The Fizzler right back on track in no time flat.

There are lots of other kinds of moms, and these are just a few that I have identified for fun.

Can’t find yourself on this list?  Add to the fun!  Won’t you please add to my list in the COMMENT area?  Thank you!

Homeschooling is an excellent alternative for gifted students.  It’s the only alternative, in my opinion.  There isn’t an AP class, IB program, Honor’s curriculum or other “advanced” or “gifted” program that compares to a parent educating a gifted student at home.  I hear this from other parents, too.

But, not all parents feel this way.

Surprisingly, many parents of gifted kids feel their students are better served by the public, private or charter system.  By talking with these parents, I have come to understand their thinking – that teams of specially trained ”experts” exist at these schools who possess secrets to unlocking the gifted child’s potential.

Truth or fiction?  Let’s look at the facts.

Schools make many promises when it comes to gifted programs.  Districts typically lead parents into thinking they know best, their specialists know exactly what they’re doing, and no parent could ever possibly understand what it’s like to educate a gifted student on their own.  Gifted programs are so beneficial, parents think, they’re worth changing schools or driving the extra distance to get kids there.

Do specially trained personnel actually exist in these schools?  In some of them, yes.  Some schools really do employ teachers who have completed coursework in gifted, hold gifted endorsements and/or have worked with gifted youth.  Some are in ”regular” classrooms and others are assigned to work solely in gifted programs, if they exist.  Some have extensive experience, too.

However, districts do a great disservice to students by luring parents into believing that unlimited numbers of these individuals are employed by  every school and that extensive program resources exist to serve every single child.  That part isn’t always true.  But, it helps explain why parents imagine experts taking every child by the hand, giving them the special attention only afforded by favorable student-teacher ratios, providing endless educational opportunities and challenges, and responding to each and every one of their distinctive learning needs.  Sadly, those images are usually fantasy.

The assertion that parents are unable to raise gifted children on their own is preposterous.   As parents of gifted (parents of any child, for that matter), we must see through and fervently object to this way of thinking.  Parents absolutely can school gifted students at home — with great results.  Lots of parents are doing it right now.

I advocate homeschooling gifted students whenever possible.  Homeschool gifted is not new, thus, many resources exist to help those who feel lost at first (some listed below, but many others to discover).  Since nothing can replace a parent’s own caring, investment and intuition when it comes to their own kids — parents really have the upper hand.

Take, for instance, the claim that gifted students are “easier” to homeschool than other kids.  Surely, these children are “so smart” they must teach themselves, no?  Not so fast.  In reality, the opposite can sometimes be true.  (Because of some gifted students’ overexcitabilities and peculiar sensibilities, homeschooling these children can be nothing short of exhausting. ) However, there is no other way to allow a gifted student to reach full potential, receive the time and space they need to exercise their active minds and interests, blossom exactly on their own time frames, and have the support of individuals who cherish and appreciate them as they are, than via homeschooling.

 ”…gifted children develop cognitively at a much faster rate than they develop physically and emotionally, posing some interesting problems.”

Homeschooling is a parenting choice, a lifestyle and a labor of love.  Can anyone do it better than the parent of that child?

Far too much has been written about homeschooling the gifted student to repeat it all here.  That is why I advise parents to begin by conducting basic research on their own and then join a great network to connect with other parents like them.

I also advise following instincts instead of relying solely on “experts”.  A personal anecdote may help illustrate this point:  I had a student tested for gifted some years ago.  (I knew the child was gifted but wanted to read the results.)  After a few moments of initial questioning, the child was returned to me, having flunked the test.   I later learned (by the teacher’s own admission) the test administrator had taken 7 attempts to pass the teacher certification examination herself, and did so only by guessing correctly the 7th time around.    Though I am not fond of tattle-taling, I use this story to caution those basing school-related decisions on “expert” testing alone.    I hear similar stories about students who don’t score high enough for gifted programs or “just miss it” by a point or two from many of the families I meet.

“Parents are a key, perhaps the key, in identifying gifted children,”
says Dr. James T. Webb, co-author of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted
Children.

There is tremendous satisfaction and great joy in bringing a gifted child home and directing the education via homeschooling.    Gifted students may not always thrive in school environments the way their parents think they do.  Sadly, many gifted students are merely assigned petty classroom roles like tutor or teacher’s helper, for lack of other challenging coursework in the classroom.  Yet the choices available at home are limitless and without boundaries, in contrast to the limitations placed on gifted kids confined to classrooms with dozens of other kids (many who actually prefer to work independently anyhow).  Some gifted children are not particularly high achievers in the classroom, anyhow.

I have a saying I use when talking to families who are on the fence about homeschooling.  It is, “Anyone can homeschool, but not everybody should.”  Parents of gifted (of any child they homeschool) must be willing to put in the time and must be ready for the twists and turns the path the gifted child may decide to take.  In my opinion, any parent is qualified to allow a gifted student to develop on his/her own at home.  But, the choice is always up to the family, given individual circumstances, financial considerations, and so much more.

Homeschooling gifted students from the beginning, or withdrawing gifted students from school to work at home is not just possible, but highly recommended.  Check the links below, then find others on your own to help make the decision.

Useful links:

National Association for Gifted Children

Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth

Hoagies List of Resources

Gifted Homeschoolers Forum

A2Z Homescool Resource List

Homefires List of Resources

Disclaimer:  I am not an “expert” in gifted education, at least not by common definition.  I am, however, the parent of gifted students, an advisor to families with gifted, and a college professor and school teacher who has encountered many gifted students in my many years in the classroom.  Nevertheless, readers are advised to use the information and advice in this article with caution, and to seek the services of trained professional if in doubt.