Home schooling is fast gaining popularity among families across the globe for the numerous advantages that it has to offer. It has become one of the best alternatives to formal schooling because of its flexibility, minimal cost, excellent academic framework and safe environment.

Different Learning Behaviors

Studies over the years have shown that a person’s learning behavior differs from that of another. One person may learn better by listening or by seeing something demonstrated to him or her. Another may learn better by reading and writing. Not everyone can benefit from a single structured method of teaching. Public schools and private schools teach based on a single method or form of teaching. They cannot provide custom-made teaching methods to fit the learning behavior of every child. The child is forced to adapt to the particular teaching method being used in the school, regardless of whether or not such a teaching method is the best manner by which to educate the child.

Home schooling gives children the opportunity to maximize their learning potential, by providing them with the best possible teaching method to meet their needs. This makes children learn their lessons easily because they are learning through a method that is more comfortable to them. This, in turn, boosts up a child’s self-confidence, increases his or her sense of security, and improves his or her emotional and mental development.

Unavailability of Formal Schooling

Home schooling is the only alternative in situations where the option of formal schooling is not available. This usually occurs where a child has learning disabilities or requires instruction that is more advanced than what children of the same age require. It also takes place in the case of missionaries, military families, or other families where the parents’ occupation or profession require them to constantly travel from one place to another. There are also situations where the family’s religion does not permit them to enroll their children in regular schools or require them to teach subjects which are not offered in regular schools. In these situations, home schooling provides educational stability to a child. It is flexible enough to meet the special needs that children and their parents may have.

Formal Schooling’s Disadvantages

Studies show that through the years, the increasingly earlier enrollment of students in schools have led to juvenile delinquency, increased enrollment of students in special education classes, behavioral problems, and even nearsightedness. These studies confirmed that young children may suffer mentally, socially, psychologically and academically if they are exposed to school at an early age.

Contrary to what most people believe, home schooling does not obstruct the development of a child’s socialization skills. In fact, it does the complete opposite. When children are educated at home, they are exposed to people of different ages and maybe even different backgrounds. They learn to interact with these people and develop their social skills. On the other hand, children’s socialization skills may not be as developed in school. In school, they are exposed to children within their own age group other than their teachers. The environment is controlled and artificial.

The option to resort to home schooling children has been available to parents for years. However, it was not as popular as formal schooling. Today, millions of families all over the world resort to home schooling to educate their children. The rise in its popularity may be attributed to better awareness of children’s educational needs.

Tags: Academic Framework, Boosts, Flexibility, Formal Schooling, Globe, Home Schooling, Learning Disabilities, Military Families, Missionaries, Occupation, Parents, Popularity, Private Schools, Profession, Religion, Self Confidence, Sense Of Security, Teaching Method, Teaching Methods, Unavailability

Home schooling is fast gaining popularity among families across the globe for the numerous advantages that it has to offer. It has become one of the best alternatives to formal schooling because of its flexibility, minimal cost, excellent academic framework and safe environment.

Different Learning Behaviors

Studies over the years have shown that a person’s learning behavior differs from that of another. One person may learn better by listening or by seeing something demonstrated to him or her. Another may learn better by reading and writing. Not everyone can benefit from a single structured method of teaching. Public schools and private schools teach based on a single method or form of teaching. They cannot provide custom-made teaching methods to fit the learning behavior of every child. The child is forced to adapt to the particular teaching method being used in the school, regardless of whether or not such a teaching method is the best manner by which to educate the child.

Home schooling gives children the opportunity to maximize their learning potential, by providing them with the best possible teaching method to meet their needs. This makes children learn their lessons easily because they are learning through a method that is more comfortable to them. This, in turn, boosts up a child’s self-confidence, increases his or her sense of security, and improves his or her emotional and mental development.

Unavailability of Formal Schooling

Home schooling is the only alternative in situations where the option of formal schooling is not available. This usually occurs where a child has learning disabilities or requires instruction that is more advanced than what children of the same age require. It also takes place in the case of missionaries, military families, or other families where the parents’ occupation or profession require them to constantly travel from one place to another. There are also situations where the family’s religion does not permit them to enroll their children in regular schools or require them to teach subjects which are not offered in regular schools. In these situations, home schooling provides educational stability to a child. It is flexible enough to meet the special needs that children and their parents may have.

Formal Schooling’s Disadvantages

Studies show that through the years, the increasingly earlier enrollment of students in schools have led to juvenile delinquency, increased enrollment of students in special education classes, behavioral problems, and even nearsightedness. These studies confirmed that young children may suffer mentally, socially, psychologically and academically if they are exposed to school at an early age.

Contrary to what most people believe, home schooling does not obstruct the development of a child’s socialization skills. In fact, it does the complete opposite. When children are educated at home, they are exposed to people of different ages and maybe even different backgrounds. They learn to interact with these people and develop their social skills. On the other hand, children’s socialization skills may not be as developed in school. In school, they are exposed to children within their own age group other than their teachers. The environment is controlled and artificial.

The option to resort to home schooling children has been available to parents for years. However, it was not as popular as formal schooling. Today, millions of families all over the world resort to home schooling to educate their children. The rise in its popularity may be attributed to better awareness of children’s educational needs.

Tags: Academic Framework, Boosts, Flexibility, Formal Schooling, Globe, Home Schooling, Learning Disabilities, Military Families, Missionaries, Occupation, Parents, Popularity, Private Schools, Profession, Religion, Self Confidence, Sense Of Security, Teaching Method, Teaching Methods, Unavailability

Social skills is an area of deep concern when it comes to
homeschooling. Many critics point out that since man needs to hone
his social skills, a homeschooling environment where social
interaction is limited is detrimental to his growth and
development. But studies have proved this wrong.

Children put into the fiercely competitive school environments
lack the confidence to hold a conversation. Such children show
little genuine interest in the topic of conversation and don’t
know how to interact with people of various age groups,
especially their elders.

Children who learn at home are more aware of the implications and
the purpose of their learning. They will ask intelligent questions
and make accurate observations. Children begin their life by
imitating their parents. Homeschooled children therefore pick
up the sterling qualities they see in their parents. On the other
hand, they are protected from the detrimental influences of their
peers.

These children are thus better equipped with the tools necessary
to face the world. The positive reinforcement that takes place
in the homeschooling environment as opposed to being abandoned,
embarrassed or ignored in a normal school environment strengthens
their self-esteem. Children turn out to be better balanced and
well-rounded as they progress into adulthood.

Tags: Accurate Observations, Adulthood, Age Groups, Confidence, Elders, Genuine Interest, Growth And Development, Homeschooled Children, Homeschooling, Intelligent Questions, Parents, Peers, People, Positive Reinforcement, School Environment, School Environments, Self Esteem, Social Concerns, Social Interaction, Sterling Qualities

Why let Tim and Lisa learn at home than send them to school?
Well, first of all, you don’t have to wake them up at 7 every
morning and bundle them off to school with umpteen numbers of
instructions, and wait with an anxious heart till they return.
Homeschooling gives you more control over the influences that
affect your child. The growth and development of your child
is removed from the realm of the unknown. You, and you alone
can decide what your child needs to do or learn. Tailoring
the curriculum to suit the needs and interests of the child
is one of the most obvious benefits of homeschooling

Individual attention is another salient benefit of
homeschooling. For instance, if Lisa needs more time to learn
Math, then she can reduce the time for her English lessons.
There are no fixed hours of learning per subject. This means
that a child has the advantage of assigning more number of
hours to the subject that seems tough WITHOUT any additional
pressure. The amount of time needed to learn each subject
will depend on the abilities and interests of the child.

The schooling of the child becomes an extended family activity.
Parents get involved in every step of the learning procedure.
Field trips and experiments become family activities. Thus,
the child receives more quality time with his parents. The
entire family shares games, chores and projects. Family
closeness becomes the focus here. The child is also free of
any negative peer pressure while making choices and decisions.

Competition is limited when it comes to homeschooling. The
child does not need to prove his ability with regards to other
children. His confidence remains intact. Since parents have a
deep understanding of their child, they can plan the learning
program to pique the child’s interest. It is also possible to
intersperse difficult tasks with fun activities. A tough hour
with Algebra can be followed by a trip to the nearest museum.
Learning becomes fun. Parents can also tailor the curriculum to
suit the learning style of the child. Some children learn through
reading, while others need to write, and still others need to see
objects in action.

Homeschooling allows parents to take control over the moral and
religious learning of the child. Parents have the flexibility to
incorporate their beliefs and ideologies into the child’s curriculum.
There is no confusion in the child’s mind either because there is
no variation between what is being taught and what is being practiced.

Lastly, more and more parents are getting disillusioned with the
public school system. They believe that their children are being
pushed too hard or too little. Other worrying issues pertaining to
discipline and ethics also make the school system less welcome. Many
repudiate the educational philosophy of grouping children solely on
the basis of their age. Some parents themselves have unhappy memories
of their own public school experience that motivates them to opt for
homeschooling when it comes to their own children.

Homeschooling is the best way to teach a child if you have the time,
the ability and the interest to follow through with his education. After
all, nobody can understand or appreciate your child more than yourself.

Tags: Algebra, Amount Of Time, Anxious Heart, Choices, Chores, Confidence, Curriculum, Decisions, Extended Family, Family Closeness, Family Shares, Field Trips, Fun Activities, Growth And Development, Homeschooling, Learn Math, Math, Negative Peer Pressure, Parents, Pique, Quality Time