Is this a forum for people who are pro-homeschool to discuss homeschooling issues or is this a place for people to debate homeschooling vs. public school?

Question:
I have been reading a bit (so much to read, so little time) and I am left wondering, Is this a forum for people who are pro-homeschool to discuss homeschooling issues or is this a place for people to debate homeschooling vs. public school? I guess I thought that this was a homeschool freindly news group, as I assumed that anyone who would be interested in the topic would have arrived at that interest after deciding that public school is unacceptable for their family. Anyway our family has decided to homeschool and we will appreciate any advice to help us along the way. We are born again, fundamentalist, non-denominational Christians and of course will only consider curriculum that is Christ centered. As our son is only 4 months old, this may seem a bit premature but we are gathering as much information now so we will be informed later when he is old enough to begin. So far we have recieved catalogs from A Beka and we really liked what we saw. If anyone has used their services we would appreciate any reviews good or bad. We have heard about Christian Liberty Academy but we haven't been able to get any information on them.

Answer:
- This group USED to be about homeschooling. It's been taken over though. It happened a month or two ago and for some reason the take-over won't die out. education.home-school.christian is still about homeschooling. You can get a lot of questions answered there. For new homeschoolers, I recommend getting the Elijah Catalog. They break down the different home-schooling styles, give descriptions of them, that style's curriculum choices, and other resources about that style. Read about the different styles, find the one that matches want you want, and go from there. Their address is: The Elijah Company Route 2, Box 100-B Crossville, TN 38555

- The intention in forming this website two years ago was that it would be a place where Christian homeschoolers could discuss together, discussing mostly homeschooling issues. Like most the internet websites, this website is not moderated (today) and thus is plagued by crossposts from people who have never once visited this group. There have occasionally been sincere questions of concern posted here by people who think that public schools are a better place to educate children than home schools. It would, of course, be on-topic to respond to such a question, if it appeared. Alas, the internet doesn't operate on such commonsense principles, so more and more websites are choosing to become moderated. You are certainly ahead of the game with a child that age. May I ask why you are expecting information about curricula? Why not design your own? Is that a matter of personal conviction to you, or just an issue of feasibility? I'm always the wrong guy to ask questions about packaged curricula. I've never used one. I don't plan to use any for my four-year-old. "In multitude of counselors there is victory."

- I'm not reading some of the discussions because I am looking for homeschooling information and tips, also. I'm hoping that now that school has officially begun for most people, there will be more helpful information. I don't think you seem to be a bit premature in researching homeschooling. My oldest won't be five until late November, but I have been researching homeschooling since he was about three months old. I subscribed to "The Teaching Home" when he was about eight months, to "Practical Homeschooling" as soon as that came out (two years or more ago), and to "Homeschool PC" before that came out. I also read a couple of volumes of Mary Pride's "Big Book of Home Learning." I have read other books on homeschooling, also. I am familiar with the pros and cons of many homeschooling products and publishers, and that will help me in choosing curriculum. I also have been encouraged in my decision to homeschool through reading letters to the editors in the magazines, especially in "The Teaching Home" since that is a magazine specifically for Christian homeschoolers. I know that the Lord led me and my husband to homeschool. We started researching homeschooling as soon as we first heard about it. I feel that the Lord gave us all that time for a purpose, and I'm glad I've been using that time to learn all I can.