A Beka DVD's
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Question: This is not a question, but rather a comment based on your opinions of the A Beka DVD program, or "video school" as you refer to it.
I just wanted to say that my daughter is in her third year of A Beka DVD, and I don't agree with the disadvantages listed. I do more with her than just turn on the video. We watch all the video together after I have previewed each day's content. This allows me to censor any objectionable material (some of the doctrinal drill, obviously) and also to make sure she is actually taking the information in rather than daydreaming the whole time the video is on. I have the remote in my hand at all times, using the pause button every time the teacher asks a question, so that she has to answer every question the teacher asks before we go on.
If necessary, we go back and watch something a second or third time. We also can skip over something that has already been mastered.
I never homeschooled before, and I'm not a natural born (or trained) teacher. I had no idea how to teach my child to read. I've learned countless teaching tricks by watching the teachers. In short I feel that my daughter has the best of the classroom setting and the homeschool setting.
There are definite disadvantages. One is cost; it's close to $1000 per school year for my daughter. The second is that if you have more than one or two kids, you would have to "just turn on the video" (in separate rooms) and make sure the kids are working, because you wouldn't have time to watch video with each child. A third disadvantage is being forced to censor and having the child ask why we can't listen to that part of the Bible time.
I just wanted to give my opinion as someone who is actually going through this program, and who will probably continue to do so for at least one more year.
Answer: We appreciate the fact that you took the time to give us your opinion. We understand what you are saying. When I was teaching in a Christian school classroom, I once "taught" a Spanish 1 class, although I had never learned the language, using the A Beka videos (We recognize that DVD's are now used and that A Beka has changed the name of the program). Just as you do with your daughter, I would stop the video and expand on things they were teaching. The videos served a good purpose because there was no one on the staff who could teach Spanish. This was definitely not the ideal situation, though.
Regarding the disadvantages listed in the article, you recognize yourself in your comments that a family with two or more children would have to leave their children much more on their own and "just turn on the video," a phrase we have heard several parents use in reference to themselves. Also, you make reference to the person on the DVD as "the teacher." The child needs to see the parent as the teacher.
Most trained teachers (including ourselves) will tell you that they are often at a disadvantage in homeschooling, because they have a tendency to want to follow the classroom model in which they were trained. Parents like you who are not trained have the advantage of training their children in a more natural home-like setting rather than setting up a classroom in the home. This is true homeschooling rather than school at home.
We encourage all homeschool parents, or potential homeschool parents, to go to Home School Conferences. Attend workshops relating to areas you feel are your weaknesses. In the vendor hall, look at the myriad of materials that are available. Ask questions of the vendors.
Also, get involved in a local homeschool support group where you can get ideas from other mothers about how to teach various areas. We have an Apostolic Home Schoolers yahoo group where parents can discuss these things with each other.