The Best Time to Transition from Homeschooling to Public School
Question: I've been homeschooling for a few years, and don't think I want to homeschool through high school. When is a good time to put the kids back in school to provide the best transition?
Answer: From my personal experience, it seem that about 60% of homeschoolers put their kids back in school either at the beginning or end of middle school. A lot of homeschoolers begin homeschooling at the same age, so my guess is that is why we don't see such a big decline in homeschoolers in the upper grades.
It seems to me that 6th or 9th grade are common grades for children to return to traditional schooling because it allows for a smooth transition. The child is clearly ready for middle or high school according to age and maturity, and most likely subject matter, and the school is less likely to be nitpicky about what grade you say they are in and just start them at the beginning of that schools program.
Should you decide to return the child to school after they have homeschooled 6th or 9th grade, there is a greater chance that the school will want to put the child back in the starting grade for that school instead of 7th or 10th grade where they belong. This is not to say that they can't be admitted to the grades they should be in based on what they have studied at home, but that the school will make it difficult to do say, requiring documentation and rigorous testing.
With that said, of the two easiest times to return a child to public school, the most ideal time to begin traditional schooling is 9th grade. It is my opinion that the middle school years are too emotionally taxing to introduce a child to a school environment where this will me multiplied exponentially. If you have time, it is better to use the middle school years to transition the child and acclimate them to a traditional learning environment.
Hypothetically, if I were going to put my kids in traditional school, and they were currently in the 5th grade, I would use put them in co-op or hybrid homeschool classes in the middle school years, so they could get used to a classroom structure. In the 6th grade they would take one or two classes, and by 8th grade, they would do all of their academic classes in a homeschool hybrid school.
Answer: From my personal experience, it seem that about 60% of homeschoolers put their kids back in school either at the beginning or end of middle school. A lot of homeschoolers begin homeschooling at the same age, so my guess is that is why we don't see such a big decline in homeschoolers in the upper grades.
It seems to me that 6th or 9th grade are common grades for children to return to traditional schooling because it allows for a smooth transition. The child is clearly ready for middle or high school according to age and maturity, and most likely subject matter, and the school is less likely to be nitpicky about what grade you say they are in and just start them at the beginning of that schools program.
Should you decide to return the child to school after they have homeschooled 6th or 9th grade, there is a greater chance that the school will want to put the child back in the starting grade for that school instead of 7th or 10th grade where they belong. This is not to say that they can't be admitted to the grades they should be in based on what they have studied at home, but that the school will make it difficult to do say, requiring documentation and rigorous testing.
With that said, of the two easiest times to return a child to public school, the most ideal time to begin traditional schooling is 9th grade. It is my opinion that the middle school years are too emotionally taxing to introduce a child to a school environment where this will me multiplied exponentially. If you have time, it is better to use the middle school years to transition the child and acclimate them to a traditional learning environment.
Hypothetically, if I were going to put my kids in traditional school, and they were currently in the 5th grade, I would use put them in co-op or hybrid homeschool classes in the middle school years, so they could get used to a classroom structure. In the 6th grade they would take one or two classes, and by 8th grade, they would do all of their academic classes in a homeschool hybrid school.
Published by A. Hermitt
Andrea Hermitt is an artist by nature and an educator by necessity. As a homeschooling mom of 10 years, she stays current in all things educational, and cutting edge to help her homeschool her children, and... View profile
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