Home Schooling when done the right way can be extremely beneficial to a child. These children can actually far exceed a child who is receiving their education in a public school setting. They can explore areas of interest in depth and specialize their education to meet their needs more than a public school classroom can. It also takes up less time in their day to complete their studies since they are not traveling and their education is so individualized. This frees them up and allows them more time to explore other interests. This type of schooling can be very beneficial if your child is very involved and talented at a particular sport or musical endeavor. I know of one parent who chose home schooling for her son because he was training for the Junior Olympics.
My experience with home schooling has been limited to seeing students reentering the public school system. Some found themselves being placed in advanced classes, but many found themselves very far behind their fellow classmates and some even had to repeat a grade. Often times the choice of home schooling comes out of a negative reaction by a parent or student to something that happened in the school setting. When we find ourselves making decisions reactively, we often don’t make decisions in an informed way. Be careful that you make this decision after careful thought and not in response to something. Home schooling is hard work for both the student and the parent who is going to be overseeing their schooling. It is a huge commitment on your part that will affect your child for the rest of their life, please don’t make this decision lightly. It may be less of a time commitment on the part of your child, but it is certainly a huge time commitment on your part. Preparation and implementation of a home schooling curriculum is time consuming and does not fit into everyone’s busy life style.
One thing I think it is important to include in your home schooling curriculum is access to other home schooling parents who may have expertise in a subject that you are not strong in. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and it is important to play to your strengths and find support in your areas of weakness. I am very strong in Mathematics and somewhat weak in Language Arts. If I were home schooling my child, I would find another parent who would compliment my abilities in order to provide the best education that I could for my child. I think “swapping” teaching in a circle of home schoolers will strengthen your child’s education. These groups already exist in most areas, you just need to go out and find them. In addition, many virtual schools are providing “ala carte” classes for homeschoolers to supplement the curriculum. Virtual schools are not yet available in all areas but I believe that they will be soon.
I also think is important to include social interaction with same age peers. I have found that some home schoolers are lacking the ability to interact with their peers when reentering the public school system because they have had little contact with groups of their peers during their home schooling experience. This peer interaction can be obtained through participation in sports leagues. classes at the local YMCA, or church groups to name just a few. Public schools will sometimes allow students who are being home schooled to participate in Art, Music, P.E. and some itinerant Special Education classes. You will need to check whether your district allows for this.
When choosing Home Schooling, it is important to consider your commitment to educating your child. There are many benefits that can come from Home Schooling your child if you are committed to doing it the right way. It is important to choose this option with your eyes wide open to the amount of time and energy that is going to take in order to do it right. Before making this decision, talk to parents that are currently home schooling their child. You can find them by researching on the internet for Home Schooling groups in your area. Again I emphasize the importance of doing your homework before making the decision about which school will provide the best learning environment for your child.
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