Michelle Duggar isn't just the mother of 19 children--she's their teacher as well! Michelle has homeschooled all of her kids from the beginning, and she and Jim Bob agree that it was one of the wisest decisions their family has made.
Why did the Duggars choose home education? Their inspiration came from Scriptures like Deuteronomy 6:6-7.
"Bible says to train up your children when you get up in the morning when you sit down, walk by the way, and when you go to bed at night...and we really felt like in order to do to fulfill that command, we really wanted to home school our children," Jim Bob told KLTV in an April 2011 interview.
Why did the Duggars choose home education? Their inspiration came from Scriptures like Deuteronomy 6:6-7.
"Bible says to train up your children when you get up in the morning when you sit down, walk by the way, and when you go to bed at night...and we really felt like in order to do to fulfill that command, we really wanted to home school our children," Jim Bob told KLTV in an April 2011 interview.
The Duggars were also drawn to home education after visiting with several homeschool families years ago, when Josh was young. Jim Bob and Michelle were thoroughly impressed by how well-behaved the children were, and they wanted that for their kids.
Now, roughly twenty years later, the Duggars are still going strong! Several of their children have graduated and are pursing higher education through CollegePlus! (click here to read more), and Michelle has many more years of homeschooling to look forward to.
Oh, I am so confused. My oldest is ready for Kindergarten. I have been praying and believing earnestly for the Lord to make a way for me to be home full-time with my kids and begin homeschooling. Time is growing short and nothing has changed for us. I don't know what to think. Then I read a post like this and desire so much more to be the one teaching my children...I wish I knew what the Lord was up to.
ReplyDeletesigning_charity at yahoo dot com
I have been homeschooled all of my life and I love it!
ReplyDeleteThis was our first week of homeschool. We are homeschooling our highschooler. It was a little bit of a doozer but last night we were watching the presidential debate together. My son knew little about current events even though my husband and I follow them regularly. So, I kinda smiled and thought we are in the right place.
ReplyDeleteDuggars are definately experts on homeschooling. I hope when their commitments to TLC end that they will be national speakers for the good results of homeschool. We have got to do better in education.
As a homeschooling parent, I love the fact that my ds can see on television another hs family.
ReplyDeleteLake Lili
I have heard good things about home schooling though I went to the Public schools most of my school years and I went to the Catholic High School for a bit. My brother was home schooled for a year and it sounded pretty neat! I don't know if I will home school my kids when I start a family but I am not going to put them into public schools! I think its said that even praying in school is such a crime! We need Jesus more then ever but the government wants to ban him from school! I just don't understand!
ReplyDeleteI'm only 21 and not in a relationship at all, let alone married with children, but I'm strongly considering homeschooling for elementary school (at grade 6 they go to my junior high/high school because it was AMAZING-private christian-with some of the best teachers you could imagine), in part because I feel that the education at the local elementary schools is not exactly where I would like it, I had plenty of miserable experiences in elementary school that I would not like to see repeated in my children's lives, and my career as a Music for Young Children teacher means that I'd be working most evenings-so homeschooling would allow me more time to be with my children.
ReplyDeleteLily, Are you and Ellie going to do College Plus?
ReplyDeleteHomeschooling, when done well, definitely has amazing results. From watching your show your children seem very well rounded and articulate. We are lucky in our area to have the best of both worlds; a small school with a huge amount of parental involvement. Otherwise homeschooling would have been our pick as well.
ReplyDeleteI wish my parents had cared enough to teach their 5 kids. If it wasn't taught in public school we didn't learn it. Life has been tough with no guidance. The intent of public school seems to be about intimidation and not encouraging self development. I am so impressed with how the Duggars teach their children music, house cleaning, basic car maintenance, food preparation, and communication. Even homeschoolers in my area are so much more confident, well spoken and secure with their purpose in life. I'm 40yrs old and still finding things out the hard way, by feeling foolish. We were very sheltered because my parents didn't like to leave the house so just driving to the nearest big city causes stress and nervousness and that's where hospitals and schools are located. Imagine being too afraid of just the drive itself to obtain the gifts and rewards of this world. The love and support of family means so much more than most people realize. Life shouldn't be this hard. I truly believe there wouldnt be so many problems in the world if we had more families like the Duggars.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Public school's is they treat the students are all the same which is untrue! They treat the slower kids like they are a burden! I also can't stand getting sent the idea of sending a student to the office just because they were giving grace over their meal in the lunch room because that is harming the separation of church and state! I don't understand that but oh well! I was told it offends others when you pray in school even at lunch just giving grace for your meal.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the best thing you can do for your child... homeschool them... God wants us to raise our own children, not expect others to do it!
ReplyDeleteI was homeschooled. It was great. I am an A+ student, and am now proving I learned well as I am taking tests to get into a secular college.
Homeschool students are often treated as "stupid". Not true. We are as smart as any child in a public school, and because there is more one-on-one, often, we are smarter. :D
I thank God every day I was homeschooled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE HOMESCHOOL YOUR CHILDREN! YOU CAN DO IT! IT'S TOTALLY POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry that this is so long; my experience is very different than what others have shared.
ReplyDeleteThere are many good reasons to home school. On the other hand, I am grateful that I was in public school all the way through. I attended public schools in CA,PA,Ohio,MD and MA. I had opportunities in those schools that I wouldn't have had at my particular home, including extra trips, the variety of activities, and large group events. I interacted with people of different ages, races, cultures, income levels, outlooks and was able to be friends without losing my identity and standards. I have a love for all of God's people and creation that would have been much harder to develop without those experiences.
I believe that my parents were the reason that public school worked so well for me. School was not the main formulator of what we believed - home was. We would talk about what was presented and my parents could and did offer other contrasting views, always helping us (my sisters and I) choose and live according to our own beliefs. We would share with them what our friends and other kids were doing and again they would use such discussions as teaching times.
So we got the benefits of public education while potential negatives were blunted. I prayed everyday in school, often more than once! I prayed in secret with God, not in the "street" (Matt. 6:5-7). Again this was from the leadership of my parents.
It is clear to me that my parents followed the Duet. scripture that you quoted. Even with us spending much of our time out of the home our parents were our leaders, taught us when we were together, and gave us the strength to follow those teachings when we weren't. It is obvious that neither type of schooling is right for everyone and am glad that we have the freedom to choose, and to make those choices work for us.
I am thankful for that freedom as well! My own kids went to public school (one is 20 and the other is 17). I certainly would not want to remove all Christian students from public schools. Our mission as Christians is to reach out to all kinds of people to show God’s love. I found that students still have a lot of religious freedom in public schools as well.
DeleteI think home schooling is wonderful. I would have loved to but my husband wouldn't let me.
ReplyDeleteInstead we augmented their public school education with extra lessons in: art, music, literature, history, science, religion, and others. My kids would often go to school saving, "we already read that book."
Once a teacher didn't believe my daughter, and quizzed her on said book. The teacher had to apologize when Amy aced the quiz effortlessly.
Bible studies have always been part of this which comes in handy for Amy now 35, and a minister's wife. :)
Through the testimony of the Duggar family I found th ecourage to listen once again to the thought of homeschooling my children. Although my eldest had already completed her education thru the public school system I took my other 2 children out of Middle school. I have never regretted it. My son just graduated over a year early and is looking to study Computer Forensics. My daughter is very interested in Psychology and is thinking of pursuing it even now at the age of 15. Our children have become much closer to us and have learned to think as oppsoed to just believing everything they are taught.
ReplyDeleteEllie do you home-school year round or are you getting ready to start a new school year? Do you know if the Duggars take off for the summer?
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteThe Duggars homeschool year-round, taking time off for field trips, traveling, and other events.
I (Ellie) just started homeschooling last year, so I took a semi-break this summer but still kept up with one subject.
Do you homeschool?
Blessings,
Lily and Ellie
Hi Lily and Ellie,
ReplyDeleteHomeschool sounds interesting but I go to public school. I'll be back on the yellow bus and be a sophomore starting next week.
I went to a public school and a private college and I´m very glad that my parents made the decisions they did. My teachers inspired me and brought me closer to G-d. They are the reason that I chose to become a teacher myself. It makes me sad to read that some parents feel like failures if they are unable to homeschool ---- not everyone has the time or the talent to be a good teacher and it´s important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. While I would consider homeschooling for younger children ---- I´m humble enough to say that when it comes to advanced subjects such as trigonometry and physics, I want my children to have capable teachers and, no offense, I don´t think that a computer program is a substitute for a really good teacher. I want my children to have the best of both worlds ---- good teachers and parents who will read to them and take them to museums and be at their side as they do their homework, assisting and encouraging them.
ReplyDeletei think that home school is bad for the children amd my son who 12 years old goes to state school he is top class in maths drama and histroy and i win a adaward for kick boxing all my son teacher is that i should very please with hom
ReplyDeleteI was homeschooled until the 5th grade. Now I'm finishing up the 7th grade at a once-a-week charter school, and I'm homeschooled the days I'm not at school. Would the Duggers consider something like this?
ReplyDeletemy parents are christans who sent us to public schools for 2 reasons 1)in college you won't get individual attention and 2]in the real world you need to deal with people who have different worldviews ttat plus both had jobs your taxes pay for the schools anyway so might as well get your money 's worth
ReplyDeleteSame with Girl Rural! I don't homeschool. We go to a community school. Parental involvement is a key factor in the school. Most of the teacher's are professed christians. The school only consists of about 100 kids k-8. The teacher's rarely use curriculum and teach thru just a teacher's manual, not textbooks and tons of hands on activities and group circle teaching. And most of the families who go to that school are also christians. I love our school very much, it is definitely different from the usual public school. I am so thankful to God for that!
ReplyDeleteClarification, the teachers do not regularly teach thru text books, instead they use hands on activities and group circle discussion
ReplyDelete@Brietta Izabella, that is soooo interesting. My kids are lucky to go to a school like that too.
ReplyDelete@briettaizabella@anonymous@girlrural I don't plan on homeschooling... yet and that is so cool that you go to that type of school! We go to a christian country school. hahahaha that is sooooo000 funny! I used to go to that type of school back in my day, hahahaha!!!
ReplyDeletegina~
Gina, you should try homeschooling! It is amazing!!!!
ReplyDeleteHarley Ann J.
Hi my name is Cristiane , I am from Brazil , married and we just had our first little baby Esther ( she is 3 months). I just want to say thank you for your show and for being such a wonderful testimony of servants of Christ on tv ( so hard to find now days). I have a question... we are seriously considering homeschooling, but since I Am from Brasil I really want my daughter to be speaking fluently Portuguese,because my whole family dont speak English ;) My question is about homeschooling. Do you think I should be translating lessons? keep speaking in Portuguese and mixing with English or just use English? I Just would like to hear some opinion about...I really appreciate your response thanks
ReplyDelete@briansbabe74
ReplyDeleteto briansbabe74 who doesn't understand why Jesus is banned from public school, it states in our Constitution that there should be a separation of church and state. It is not the state's job to teach religion or spread religion, it is their job to educate children. If you feel strongly about Jesus being taught to your child, then most definitely home schooling is the route to go.
@Bekah
ReplyDeleteEducating a child is not the same thing as raising them. As a parent, it is your job to teach them character and how to treat themselves and others, but academic subjects like reading, math, and science, etc., should be taught by those who are qualified to do so.
@briansbabe74 As someone said, "As long as there are tests, there will always be prayer in schools."
ReplyDelete@Paulette Paulette, what a thoughtful and reasoned response. I was raised, and am raising my kids, the same way.
ReplyDelete