so Seton HomeSchool is GREAT

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Jul 25 2005, 04:14 PM'][color=purple][b]"Four out of five priests recommend Seton for their parishoners who homeschool!!"[/b][/color]
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And the other 20% are liberal!

haha, j/k. They probably just own stock in the competitors. hehe

[Socrates]

[quote name='kateri05' date='Jul 24 2005, 09:05 PM']hsmom, i'm not even kidding   :

dudette, if it wouldn't betoo much troulbe, i'd LOVE to see some curriculums.  but only if its not a hassle

as far as "shoving" it down their throat, i think it depends on how you approach it.  if you do all their super fun religious stuff and still have an active, "normal" childhood: sports, playing, barbies, trains, drama clubs, boy scouts, etc etc, i think its just part of the big picture, integrating your faith into every element of your life.  sorry, soc, thats one of the most appealing parts of the program
although, the testing comment worries me, can you be more specific?
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I've approached this as a grader, rather than a parent - so the perspective might be a little different. Lots of little things with the tests - some are better than others. Vague and confusing fill-in-the-blanks (making it difficult for the student to know what answer is expected, and for the grader to decide what answers are or are not acceptable), vague test questions (which beg for vague answers, raising the same difficulties), careless clerical errors, multiple choice questions where the right answer is left out, questions where the answer is not clearly found in the text book used, etc., etc. Almost half of one particularly heinous reading-comp test is labeled "do not mark wrong" for the grader, because most of the questions are very poorly concieved and do not have any clear "right answers." The problem is the people who make the tests never have to actually deal with them in any way once they're written, and the beauracracy there is so rigid that even the simplest mistakes to fix never get corrected.

Maybe none of this is a big deal from the parent's perspective - I don't know - but it gets to be a royal pain in the arse dealing with the same (easily fixable but unrepaired) problems day in and day out.

Edited July 25, 2005 by Socrates

[Socrates]

[quote name='kateri05' date='Jul 25 2005, 03:47 PM']yea i'm hopinthat by the time we start homeschooling, i will have figured a way out of CCD requirements since i'm sure they'll learn WAY more at HS.

as for the mucho instrucciones, thats what appeals to me right now, sicne i have negative experience.  but i'm kinda a "in-charge" person so i think it would be nice to learn how from them and then do my own thing.

in your reference to using Saxon as supplements, thats the text that they use.. isn't it?  i mean they have them included in their hgih school curriculum info.  maybe i'mreading something wrong?  
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Currently they use Saxon, though talk is they want to replace it with their own "Catholic" math program - wouldn't wantthe kids losing their faith by doing "secular" math! (Expect hundreds of word problems concerning nuns and rosaries).

[Luthien]

I do Saxon Math in High School (I do Seton). They dont use nuns and rosarys...

[Dudette]

ditto.

[photosynthesis]

if you homeschool your kids, what do you do when they get to be in their teens and want to take stuff like Calculus?

Honestly, I always had trouble with Math... When I was in high school, I only got up to Algebra II and that was it. I don't think I would homeschool my kids because I'd want them to get a good education, i.e. not being taught by me. I'd want them to know stuff like Calculus and Physics and I'd want them to be taught by people who actually had college degrees in such subjects.

I STILL haven't gotten the math requirement for college over and done with. It's that bad. Next semester is my last semester, and if I don't pass math, I don't graduate. I don't want my kids to be learning math from me.

I once had to tutor 6th graders in math when I was on a missions trip. I honestly think they knew more about dividing fractions and calculating slope than I did, probably because the knowledge was still fresh in their brains.

I'm sure a lot of people who homeschool aren't experts in every subject... I could imagine homeschooling would be easy when the kids are in elementary school, but once they get into secondary school, I couldn't imagine teaching kids upper-level math, science, literature, foreign languages, social studies, history, AND electives all at the same time.

[kateri05]

actually a lot of it is them teaching themselves because the textbooks are designed that way. also in HS, you have the option of taking classes at community colleges for not only high school, but also college credit. homeschooling builds such a strong base of study skills and self-discipline that you are able to really move at the pace that ables you to teach themselves. there are also homeschool groups sometimes where different people help tutor in different areas that they are qualified to help with. just ask Dudette or HSmom! :

[homeschoolmom]

Yeah... What she said.

As for the poorly written tests... I don't really know anything about Seton, so I'll take your word for it. I have, however, given the Iowa Basic Skills test for our co-op. (My kids take a different standardized test, but they need people with a college degree to give the test, so I do it). One year I gave the second grade test and it was pretty bad. It was a booklet with rows of pictures and the children had to choose the correct picture (and fill in the dot)... One particularly bad question went like this:

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. Fill in the circle under the picture that shows Dr. King's dream."

Picture 1 a guy playing a concert piano performance
Picture 2 two men (one black, one white-- though you could barely tell) sharing lawn equipment
Picture 3 a guy playing pro baseball

guess what they all put for their answers...

That's why I don't take standarized test scores too seriously.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='photosynthesis' date='Jul 25 2005, 08:13 PM']if you homeschool your kids, what do you do when they get to be in their teens and want to take stuff like Calculus?

Honestly, I always had trouble with Math...  When I was in high school, I only got up to Algebra II and that was it.  I don't think I would homeschool my kids because I'd want them to get a good education, i.e. not being taught by me.  I'd want them to know stuff like Calculus and Physics and I'd want them to be taught by people who actually had college degrees in such subjects. 

I STILL haven't gotten the math requirement for college over and done with.  It's that bad.  Next semester is my last semester, and if I don't pass math, I don't graduate.  I don't want my kids to be learning math from me. 

I once had to tutor 6th graders in math when I was on a missions trip.  I honestly think they knew more about dividing fractions and calculating slope than I did, probably because the knowledge was still fresh in their brains. 

I'm sure a lot of people who homeschool aren't experts in every subject...  I could imagine homeschooling would be easy when the kids are in elementary school, but once they get into secondary school, I couldn't imagine teaching kids upper-level math, science, literature, foreign languages, social studies, history, AND electives all at the same time.
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Some of the families I know collaborate with homeschooling. This can help in situations like that. Also I know of families who hire tutors for specific things that they are not comfortable teaching and there is no one in the community to do it.
Usually this is things like musical instruments. But I've seen it also for languages and advanced mathematics. Often for things like a language or advanced math, it is possible to hire a college student as a tutor for cheap (although I do live in Steubenville so this might not be an option everywhere).

It can be rough though. I know a family in the countryside who drives 45 minutes for one of the childrens latin lessons, and 2 hours for a harp lesson every week. That's a dedicated mom.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='Jul 26 2005, 07:57 AM'] and 2 hours for a harp lesson every week. That's a dedicated mom.
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My friend's daughter takes harp lessons. I never knew of anyone else taking them (obviously people do...) But this is my excentric friend-- the one with the harp, the murals in every room, the professional pottery studio and kiln in her house, the son with a Noah's Ark bed that she built... and the Great Dane.... Hoo boy.

[kateri05]

a noah's ark BED?!? wow that is Sooooo cool!!

man, could i be a bigger catholic geek? i'm not ashamed tho, cuz i totally want one of those now. not a great dane tho, what a weirdo :

[goldenchild17]

I was never very impressed with Seton. Of course I never actually did the whole program, but nonetheless.

I usually did a mix of Kolbe and Mother of Divine Grace. But once I hit High School I didn't actually sign with any school. I'm doing okay in college so far(4.0 ain't bad ) Anyways, yeah... just blabbing now. I'll shut up, maybe.

[reelguy227]

Seton is ridicuolous. I'm with it right now, the tests are way to long. Many of the kids who take it are very behind, not to mention it takes up your whole life and summer vacation. Unless you want your kids to be English and History professors, don't go with Seton! Yes, their religion classes are good, but the rest of the work is just outrageous. and hardly worth the time. Might as well forget extra currircular activities altogether.

God Bless

Ricky

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='kateri05' post='657573' date='Jul 24 2005, 08:26 PM']
WHY did we stop using the baltimore catechism?
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Because it doesn't take into account the Vatican II Council and was largely used for memorizing passages, rather than teaching the kids about Jesus, often giving them the impression that the faith was all about a bunch of doctrines, rather than the Person of Jesus Christ. That of course was how it was used...it's not intrinsically a criticism of the text itself, which is very good and orthodox.

[homeschoolmom]

Excellent answer.

[kateri05]

well obviously micah, i wouldn't use it like THAT!

besdies, who's fault was that, the teachers or the book? its just such a sharp contrast to MOST modern catechetics materials are SO banal and watered down that the baltimore catechsim is like a gold mine! my friend who "teaches" confirmation classes to 9th and 10th graders who don't know their prayers or who or what the Trinity is uses it because its the only resource she has thats all inclusive.

so yea. baltimore catechism rocks my socks until the turn the new one into a Q&A format for kids with pictures :

[Theoketos]

[quote name='Socrates' post='657614' date='Jul 24 2005, 07:55 PM']
I worked for them. I'd say Seton definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. I think a lot of its tests are rather poorly designed at the practical level, and the curriculum tries too hard to "shove Catholicism down the kids' throat." I'm all for a Catholic education, but does this mean that every sentence on an English test has to be about priests, nuns, and Church? This seems like a prescription for teenage rebellion against religion.
And homseschooling's definitely only worth what you put into it. A lot of parents and families who use Seton do not put adequate effort into it (or lack the necessary teaching talent).
[/quote]


I tutored a student using their method and am teacher right now. I have to agree 100%.

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='Kaeldra' post='658247' date='Jul 25 2005, 11:47 AM']I hate seton witha burning frigging passion :-| Actually most people I know who take it do. Its all right for elementary school I guess...but in high school its so stupid.[/quote]
what makes you say that?


[quote name='photosynthesis' post='658917' date='Jul 25 2005, 08:13 PM']if you homeschool your kids, what do you do when they get to be in their teens and want to take stuff like Calculus? ...
I'd want them to know stuff like Calculus and Physics and I'd want them to be taught by people who actually had college degrees in such subjects. ...
I couldn't imagine teaching kids upper-level math, science, literature, foreign languages, social studies, history, AND electives all at the same time.[/quote]
yea, i'm worried about that too


[quote name='reelguy227' post='1001172' date='Jun 9 2006, 11:29 AM']Seton is ridicuolous. I'm with it right now, the tests are way to long. Many of the kids who take it are very behind, not to mention it takes up your whole life and summer vacation. Unless you want your kids to be English and History professors, don't go with Seton! Yes, their religion classes are good, but the rest of the work is just outrageous. and hardly worth the time. Might as well forget extra currircular activities altogether.

God Bless

Ricky[/quote]
can someone respond to this? i really need to hear both sides of the story b/c i plan on homeschooling my children too, and i'm pretty worried about it

thanks,
nick

[homeschoolmom]

There are lots of resources besides standard textbooks for upper level instruction-- DVD instruction, community college, co-ops, on-line etc. That's just what is available NOW. My oldest will be a fifth grader next year. I have no concerns whatsoever about "what will happen" when she's in high school. I don't even worry about it at all. I have no idea what will be available when my youngest gets to high school. Things change and advance so quickly. It's just not going to be a problem. Wherever there is a need in the homeschooling market, people have come in to fill it.

[Theoketos]

The best thing about the Seaton Hall Method is Baltimore Catechism, but even there still are some issues to over come (minor).

My biggest beef with the program are the constant mistakes the text books, and even some of the tests, make. That really is not acceptable. I mean I have severe dyslexia and usually do not pick up on minor spelling mistakes, but these books had enough for me to get frustrated as a tutor.

That being said, Home Schooling is not instrinsically flawed, even if the Seaton Hall method of poor quaility, as I have seen good fruits from it.

I think people like HSM mom make homeschool work because she has teaching experience, the time to do it right, and the feeling a gravity when it comes to homeschooling.

As with any educational system, when it fails, the results are pretty sad.