How does it affect university application? How do parents know whether they are doing a good enough job of it? When you get into high school, how can one person teach everything at a high enough level? Are co-ops basically the only viable way to do it?
It doesn't seem to affect university application in the least. Parents know the same in homeschool as they do in public school or private school. Testing, knowing the material, and here in PA you work with a mediator every year (usually you find a mediator you like and they are your mediator for your entire homeschool "career"). They come in and administer testing, you keep work examples and work completed and curriculum stuff etc etc and they look it over and help you out if you ask for help because many of them have been doing this for many years with many families. One of the more popular mediators that many people in one of our co ops use is a former public school teacher, turned homeschooler, turned mediator.
how can one person teach everything... that I'll answer in the next part of my post.
Co ops are not the only viable way but I do love our co op and plan to join a second co op this year when Hannah starts kindergarten (which she would not be allowed to do this year in public or private school because her birthday falls after the start of September... so she would not be allowed to start kindergarten until next year)
I can't imagine trying to learn higher level math or math-based sciences (chemistry, physics) from a video
Just about everything else I think would be doable. With the internet available for discussions and debates, you can mimic the classroom discussions you'd find in a traditional classroom, and with most subjects you can learn everything you need by reading tons if that's your style.
I just can't see the vast majority of people being successful learning algebra or calculus from a video or a textbook. The Khan academy model (watch a video, apply what you learned) model for math is failing miserably because that's just not how the majority of kids learn. They need to ask questions, interact with others, do exploratory activities, etc.
You can't imagine learning from video but other students thrive with that sort of learning. That's the beauty of homeschooling. What doesn't work for you might work GREAT for someone else and what does work for you might not work for someone else. In homeschooling you get the option to learn the best way possible for you. If a student tries the video way and it doesn't work... they are free to try the next option.
There are SO many resources available to homeschoolers that there is almost certainly a way to teach them that subject in a way that works for them. There are videos, there are online classes, there are classes they can take within the community (in lancaster there are all kinds of teachers that run homeschool classrooms for certain subjects), there are classes through the local college here they can take... the list goes on and on and on. The resources are endless.
Homeschooling when done incorrectly can be terrible... but when done right it can be Oh so amazing.
I know it's hard to imagine but hundreds (if not thousands) of kids in Lancaster county alone do it every single year and THRIVE.
there are endless resources and an incredible support system here.
and the best part... if you find homeschooling isn't working for you or your child you are FREE to switch them into public or private school, or charter homeschool, or any other number of options. It's not "once a homeschooler always a homeschooler" you can start out in public school and switch to homeschooling and vice versa.
The freedom to individualize learning so that child learns in a way that works best for them. By the time they get to algebra and calculus it's likely the child and the parent have a very good handle on how that child learns best and if you try something and it doesn't work... change it
It's a beautiful thing.
As for the socialization thing mentioned earlier in the thread, I think that's a personality issue and not a strictly homeschool vs public school issue. Hannah is no slouch when it comes to being social. She is extremely social with ALL ages of people from baby to adult. That's her personality and I nurture it as best I can.