In today’s ever-evolving and challenging world, parents are turning more and more to homeschooling as a viable and attractive alternative to educational facilities. Homeschooling has become increasingly popular in recent years as parents attempt to control the environment in which their child is educated, as well as the curriculum, structure and quality of their child’s education.
Here we look at the reasons why parents are choosing homeschooling, and how this can benefit their children.
Safety, Comfort and Convenience
Parents may be choosing to homeschool their children due to safety concerns, feelings of unease or discomfort in their local school environment, or for simple convenience and comfort. In today’s world, bullying and crime in schools is becoming more and more common, with alarming reports of physical, sexual and emotional abuse occurring in schools.
This can leave parents feeling anxious about the safety of their child, and homeschooling can be an effective solution. Furthermore, homeschooling removes the need for the child to travel and commute to school on a regular basis, limiting their risk of accident and allowing them to dedicate more time to their studies. Homeschooling parents also have the benefit of being able to structure the educational structure and learning environment in such a way that is comfortable and convenient to their home life.
For parents with young children, childcare and school run concerns are removed, allowing them to better dedicate the necessary time and resources to their child’s educational pursuits. Additionally, with homeschooling parents have the freedom to select a curriculum that is catered to their child, and do not need to stick to a predetermined syllabus or curriculum that may be too advanced for their child.
A More Tailored Learning Experience
Homeschooling can be an attractive option for parents looking to provide their child with a tailored learning experience. With conventional schooling, the level of the subject matter is often preordained, leaving those students advanced for their class struggling to apply themselves, and those students not up to par becoming quickly left behind. With homeschooling, however, the learning experience is more customised, allowing teachers to move at the pace that suits their student’s level, allowing them to focus more on the topics they are proficient in as well as expanding on areas they are weak in.
Having a one-to-one learning environment can give the teacher a deeper understanding of their student’s goals, interests and passions, allowing them to hone in on the areas of study where the student will best excel and flourish. There is also an increased opportunity for the student to speak their mind, allowing them to ask more questions, talk more openly and learn more efficiently.
As a result, this closer, more personalised learning experience can be more effective and more stimulating for students.
Higher Moral and Academic Standards
Homeschooling can be an attractive option for parents looking to keep a closer eye on the moral and academic standards to which their child is exposed. Parents may want to ensure that a higher moral standard is instilled in their child in terms of the kind of language and discussion topics that are used in the home education environment, for example. With homeschooling, a more strict educational environment can be created and more discipline can be enforced, allowing parents to be sure of what their child is exposed to and to keep them on the right track.
Additionally, parents looking to maintain high academic standards can feel comfortable that they have a tighter control over the entire learning experience, with checks and balances in place to ensure that grades are kept up to a comfortable level and objectives are being achieved.
The Ability to Tailor the Learning Experience Around Other Interests
Parents looking to provide their child with a well-rounded approach to their learning may be attracted to homeschooling’s flexible structure and ability to implement other interests. A traditional schooling environment has very few free periods or opportunities for students to pursue other interests, as the focus is kept firmly on the classroom and its activities. With homeschooling, however, the structure can be flattened, removing traditional periods and rules and instead focusing on the project in hand.
This can provide the student with a more exciting and varied learning experience, sacrificing study time where needed in order to expand their learning to cover more topics or pursue more interesting activities. Rather than just focusing purely on a textbook approach, students could potentially devote more of their learning time to practical courses, experiential learning or attending workshops and seminars.
This could increase their knowledge set and provide more varied and stimulate experience than a traditional schooling environment, giving them a wider view on the world and a broader array of skills.
Better Performances and Better Opportunities
Parents may also choose to homeschool as they feel that their child will perform better, have more opportunities, and have a better chance of reaching their true potential. With homeschooling providing a more tailored learning experience and a more structured environment, parents generally have a better chance of having a hand in their child’s learning, allowing them to focus on areas where the child excels, give extra attention to problem subjects and ensure that their child is learning all the necessary skills for later in life. Homeschooling can lead to better test scores, higher GPAs, more acceptance into higher-level courses, more job opportunities and more scholarships, than traditionally schooled children.
As parents and guardians can control the curriculums, environment and assessments to which their child is exposed, they can take an active role in managing the demands of their exams and the track they will take in their educational future.
Independence and Flexibility
With homeschooling, parents have the opportunity to be more flexible with their child’s learning. If a child is passionate about a certain subject or career path, parents are more likely to be able to provide the necessary support and resources for them to pursue the option.
With more quality learning time, students can potentially progress quicker and commit more time to the topics that appeal to them. Moreover, homeschooling parents have a greater ability to prepare their child for independence. As teaching takes place in the home, home-schooled students can potentially become more independent and learn to manage their responsibilities much more quickly than traditionally schooled children.
With the teacher acting more as an advisor than a figure of authority, the student can understand the power of decision making, problem solving and self-direction, essential qualities for leading a successful, independent life.
Conclision
As we can see, homeschooling is becoming an increasingly popular choice for parents looking to control the environment in which their child is educated, as well as the curriculum, structure and quality of their child’s education. Homeschooling grants parents the freedom to provide their child with a tailored learning experience and better Moral and Academic standards, as well as the ability to tailor the learning around other interests. Homeschooling could also lead to better performances, better opportunities, more independence and more flexibility, propelling their child forward into adulthood with the skills and knowledge to be successful.