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OK...after reading all of this I have got to post. I am mother to 4 children and going to India after the 5th next week. My two oldest sons are bio and ages 17 and 14. My three girls are adopted from India and ages 7, 4, and our new little one coming soon is 23 months. As someone who has both bio and adopted children and someone who has dealt with the public school system as well as homeschooling...I am going to give my 2 cents worth. My boys started out in the little elementary school where I had gone to school years ago. In fact we searched for 5 years for property before building to make sure it was in this particular school district because of my fond memories during grade school. Long story short...John was taken out after 5th grade and Aaron after 2nd grade. Not only were the teaching styles lax...but I got tired of them watching videos in school every day and then coming home with tons of homework. Half of the children now are medicated for hyperactivity etc. the "socialization" that everyone seems to think a child needs was tearing down any self confidence my two boys did have before entering school. The garbage out of the mouths of children on the bus and in the play yard was a constant stream and my children were subjected to listen to it every day. The reading program and math programs at school were unbelievable...nearly to the point of cheating so that all the children would stay together mentally and move forward as a class. When one second grader knocked another one unconscious in class because he wouldn't let him cheat off his paper...I had had enough. This is not a tough inner city school...this was a very quiet outlying school in a very conservative part of Western PA!! Those who knock homeschooling usually have no idea what they are talking about. We attached ourselves to a local group of about 100 other homeschooled children for activities outside the home. I love my children being around kind, respectful, kids who make it a point to include them in activities etc. The homeschooled child is not the social idiot that everyone makes them out to be...exactly the opposite occurs. When they don't have children or teachers "putting them in their place" or scoffing at something they have done...it helps the child to turn into a wonderful, kind, responsible, and caring teen and then adult. Not only is the education better...but the one on one time with me is priceless. I have just finished up school for the year...John has completed 11th grade and is a very fine teen with respect for me and other adults. He is hard working and helpful. He is kind to everyone and gentle to his little sisters. Aaron has just completed 8th grade and loves the fact that when school only takes him about 2 hours...he has free time in the afternoon to help Dad in the shop...explore the woods...or work on rockets, etc. Both of my boys are able READ fluently from the Bible and carry themselves well. They have great self confidence and a strong belief in God. My daughter Sejona is 7 and just completed 1st grade at home. She will be my first to be homeschooled from the beginning. I took her last year to the local elementary school for Daisy Girls. I knew she would love it and thought to continue on in Brownies and Girl Scouts etc. I was very sad to see that when I went to pick her up after the meetings...she would be sitting by herself and the others in her class would be all grouped together. Sejona is East Indian...looks different...and NOT allowed into the pecking order of the girls in the class. Even though Sejona is very kind and a lovely child...she was an outcast with the other girls. She didn't realize what was going on...but I did. So much for the needed "socialization". At the homeschool group from the day she came...she was welcomed and formed close friendships with the girls in her group. I think that the person asking why they cannot homeschool their adopted child...needs to educate the social workers. The quality quiet time at home with children who are confused initially is something that will be so good for them. If social workers would take the time to expose themselves to the homeschooling process...I believe they would see how beneficial it would be for a hurting/confused child. I am at a loss as to why they would consider it harmful. God being part of the daily learning is always the best. If they will not allow you to homeschool until adoption is final...you can always do so after the adoption is signed. I know I am responding to an old post and hope that anything I have written is beneficial to anyone else considering homeschooling. Adopted or not...it is a good way to go. Karen
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