Waffle
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Post by Waffle on Apr 18, 2013 11:57:59 GMT -5
It sounds like this family has found the "secret" to successful home schooling. They've sent 6 kids to college by age 12. It seems like a success to me, but I'd love to hear other opinions. From the article:By 12, Seth was hanging out with students nearly twice his age, studying the Middle Ages at Faulkner University, near his home in Montgomery, Alabama. "How's he doing?" I ask assistant professor Grover Plunkett.
"He's got the highest average in the class." Seth was motivated by his brother Keith's success. Keith is just down the hall, studying finite mathematics, a college senior -- at 14. "It makes you wonder,” their friend Wesley Jimmerson says, shaking his head. "Are they advanced, or are we just really behind?"
Sister Hannah was the first of the Harding kids to take college entrance exams -- at age 12. "I didn't expect to pass,” she says, “so I started crying, because I was thinking, 'Now what?'" By 22 she was designing spacecraft. She holds master's degrees in math and mechanical engineering.
read more here
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Apr 18, 2013 11:59:11 GMT -5
Future cat food eater.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Apr 18, 2013 12:00:24 GMT -5
But seriously, these kids are obviously very bright and homeschooling worked for them. Gopd for them.
I worry more about the kids who are home schooled because mom and dad don't want the kids to know about evolution, dinosaurs, sex, or other silly nonsense.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Apr 18, 2013 12:01:05 GMT -5
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 12:01:49 GMT -5
I don't want my kids going to college before they get pubic hair. That isn't success to me. That just seems like acceleration for no reason. I've known a few people who were teenaged wonder-boys and went to med school before they were 17. They all hated their childhood and felt they missed out. There is plenty of time to be an adult. Why force it?
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Apr 18, 2013 12:04:45 GMT -5
How is not having a childhood a success? this actually makes me very sad...kids deserve to have a childhood
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Waffle
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Post by Waffle on Apr 18, 2013 12:08:55 GMT -5
What makes you so sure that they didn't have a childhood (not to mention what's so great about childhood, in the first place)? The only thing I saw as a downside was that they are all probably missing the social aspects of the college experience.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Apr 18, 2013 12:13:33 GMT -5
I don't know if this is success or not because I don't know these kids. THey can still have a childhood going to college at 12. There's nothing saying you can't go to finite mathematics and then go play little league later. Maybe they're having a great childhood, playing games but still being mentally stimulated.
If they'd rather be hanging out playing pokemon at recess with their peers, then it's not a success. If they're actually happy doing this, then it is.
But lets also be realistic, if you have smart kids, and you are homeschooling them well (as in you're not just parking them in front of a computer on their own), then they are probably going to be way ahead of kids in school. They don't have lesson plans based on the average, they don't have to wait to move on until eveyrone else gets it too, they get more individual instruction. My preference for my own kids would probably be to teach them some other random stuff or take trips to national parks or something...but maybe these kids love this stuff.
I don't want "acceleration for no reason" as thyme called it, but I also don't want to hold them back for no reason either. I wouldn't send them off to college to live alone, but what's the real difference between a 15 year old who takes a couple college classes through their hs and a 12 year old who takes all college classes? The real difference of college is the lifestyle outside of class. If they aren't getting into that, they aren't missing much (if anything, it's not a childhood they're missing, it's the fun of college they're missing cuz they're going at age 12 when they can't do that stuff)
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Apr 18, 2013 12:14:49 GMT -5
By 22 she was designing spacecraft
Pfft. That's nothing. I also design spacecraft.
Here's my latest one: ![](http://static.urbantimes.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kids-rocket.jpg)
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Apr 18, 2013 12:40:39 GMT -5
Our family has smart kids in public school that could start college young. One mother refused to allow her son to start college until he was 15. The daughter finished college at 20 and son probably 19. He had skipped 4th grade so was youngest in his class and small for his age.
This proves public schools work for smart motivated kids. Home school isn't always at home either they send them other places to learn even to public school sometimes for math, gym or other classes. No reason not to take some college level classes young if you like that subject.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2013 12:47:27 GMT -5
Props to those kids...but I'll say that at 12 I had no idea what I truly wanted to be doing as a career.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Apr 18, 2013 12:51:25 GMT -5
I worry more about the kids who are home schooled because mom and dad don't want the kids to know about evolution, dinosaurs, sex, or other silly nonsense. I worry even more about the kids that go to public schools where subjects like evolution and sex are avoided...
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Apr 18, 2013 12:51:46 GMT -5
I think these kids are exceptionally bright. No amount of homeschooling is going to make every kid bright enough to get into college at 12.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 12:56:13 GMT -5
Props to those kids...but I'll say that at 12 I had no idea what I truly wanted to be doing as a career. They will have burn-out at 30, but they will have plenty of time to start a second career. I guess when you burn-out at 50, you are sort of stuck. So that is upside for them.
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Waffle
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Post by Waffle on Apr 18, 2013 12:56:39 GMT -5
I think these kids are exceptionally bright. No amount of homeschooling is going to make every kid bright enough to get into college at 12. I wonder. According to their mother ""I don't have any brilliant children,” she contends. “I'm not brilliant. My husband's not brilliant. We're just average folks.” I think the parents have got to be at least a bit above average to be able to guide their children the way that they did. Maybe this is something that could be done with any smart and curious child.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 12:58:43 GMT -5
Maybe they ate radioactive broccoli.
Maybe she is being humble.
Maybe she is as delusional as some people who say "Anyone can be a billionaire, if they just believe."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2013 12:58:44 GMT -5
Props to those kids...but I'll say that at 12 I had no idea what I truly wanted to be doing as a career. They will have burn-out at 30, but they will have plenty of time to start a second career. I guess when you burn-out at 50, you are sort of stuck. So that is upside for them. True enough...but if all you get is a "Middle Ages History" degree then you aren't doing yourself any favors....regardless of age.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 12:59:28 GMT -5
The kid might be smart enough to get into college - but he still isn't YM approved!
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Waffle
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Post by Waffle on Apr 18, 2013 13:04:15 GMT -5
Burn-out at 30 is too early. Afterall, 12 is only 6 years earlier than the normal college entrance age - so they'll be burned out in their mid-forties. On the up-side if they find and follow the advice here - they could be ready to retire by then. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/tongue2.png)
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goldensam
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Post by goldensam on Apr 18, 2013 13:04:36 GMT -5
Props to those kids...but I'll say that at 12 I had no idea what I truly wanted to be doing as a career. I'm still trying to figure that out at almost 30 ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png)
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Apr 18, 2013 13:07:44 GMT -5
But seriously, these kids are obviously very bright and homeschooling worked for them. Gopd for them. I worry more about the kids who are home schooled because mom and dad don't want the kids to know about evolution, dinosaurs, sex, or other silly nonsense. I worry about kids who are being homeschooled bc their mothers 'can't possibly be away from my baby for so many hours every day"
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Apr 18, 2013 13:07:49 GMT -5
Props to those kids...but I'll say that at 12 I had no idea what I truly wanted to be doing as a career. I'm still trying to figure that out at almost 30 ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) I am still trying to figure it out at 40
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 13:09:56 GMT -5
Burn-out at 30 is too early. Afterall, 12 is only 6 years earlier than the normal college entrance age - so they'll be burned out in their mid-forties. On the up-side if they find and follow the advice here - they could be ready to retire by then. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/tongue2.png) I'm burned out at 43, and I didn't start until I was 25. Plus, if they are super-accelerated, why wouldn't they burn out faster?
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Waffle
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Post by Waffle on Apr 18, 2013 13:12:00 GMT -5
Burn-out at 30 is too early. Afterall, 12 is only 6 years earlier than the normal college entrance age - so they'll be burned out in their mid-forties. On the up-side if they find and follow the advice here - they could be ready to retire by then. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/tongue2.png) I'm burned out at 43, and I didn't start until I was 25. Plus, if they are super-accelerated, why wouldn't they burn out faster? I was going backwards from your burn-out at 50 statement in the earlier post - so mid-forties was earlier. I can't help it that you burned out earlier than the burn out age you posted.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Apr 18, 2013 13:29:16 GMT -5
What makes you so sure that they didn't have a childhood (not to mention what's so great about childhood, in the first place)? The only thing I saw as a downside was that they are all probably missing the social aspects of the college experience. I think kids grow up too fast as it is. My oldest could have skipped a grade a few years ago but I didn't want that for her. Being a grown-up sucks ass, why rush to get through high school/college just to get a job all that earlier? no to mention, I would NOT want my 14 year old around 20 year old guys all day long...that is asking for a knocked up teen heading towards a trailer park (and that basket weaving degree ain't going to help! ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png)
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 13:31:43 GMT -5
I'm big on "fitting in" - not necessarily conforming, but having things in common with people. These kids don't have much in common with their classmates, or their same-aged neighbors. It seems a little lonely to me. But, I'm needy.
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Apr 18, 2013 13:47:52 GMT -5
I'm big on "fitting in" - not necessarily conforming, but having things in common with people. These kids don't have much in common with their classmates, or their same-aged neighbors. It seems a little lonely to me. But, I'm needy. I am much the same way. I don't care if my kids start working at the regular age. But to conform to the people or area you are living in brings a boost in confidence IMO. I WANT my kids to enjoy their childhood and look back at it and rememebr it fondly. Heck, when I die I am sure not going to remember that I got degree at age 15! But I sure am going to remember the fun times of childhood and the nonsense of college days. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) I am not very positive that a 12 or a 14 year old enjoy college as a a 18 year old does.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Apr 18, 2013 13:50:16 GMT -5
I'm probably not making any sense here...but I wonder how much of the fact that the kids are all doing self directed learning is a product of their home life.
There's 10 kids in the family, including an infant. The kids have no choice but to pursue learning on their own. Mom can't sit down with each school aged kid and work with them for 2 hours each individually. There aren't enough hours in the day.
What if the kids are doing it to escape? By the time I was 13, I figured out that the way to escape home was to pretty much throw myself into my interests. Being a workaholic was noble and acceptable in my house. So, that's what I did to get out of it. (Course, I understand that I'm miles "behind" the other kids, but still.)
It would be interesting to see how much nature vs. nurture plays a role here..
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2013 13:56:08 GMT -5
So what happens when they have completed their education by the time they are 16? What do they do in the meantime? They aren't old enough to sign a contract, so they get to live at home and do what? Work?
Exactly who are their peers? They would not be able to socialize with their coworkers, and would have nothing in common with them. The peers their own age are doing things on their 'normal' schedule.
Seems to me that it would be a lonely life because their education has pushed them to the point where their emotional/interest age is at their age, but their education is the same as someone 10 years older. I don't think it is doing them any favors.....
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 18, 2013 13:59:01 GMT -5
gira - as often happens with these things - someone is looking for the benefits of homeschooling, because they are interested in doing so. They google around, and find some success stories, and some extreme success stories, and then post them as the gospel truth that homeschooling is the way to go. Meanwhile, homeschooled children probably fall into some normal bell curve, just like kids in public school and kids in private school. Schooling is so local and so personal that you can't make a generic statement about anything and have it be applicable to many people. Anyway, so instead of us jumping on it and saying "What a raving success story!" we criticize, and point out the flaws (because we are awesome at that.) And then the OP feels we have clearly misunderstood, and our reading comprehension sucks - these kids are obviously perfect, happy and well educated. Maybe. But, as I've said with other things - there may not be anything wrong with it, but it isn't what I want for my children. Which gives me the perfect excuse for why my kids are doing 3rd and 4th grade level work when they are in the 3rd and 4th grade age range.
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