Homeschooling is on the rise in the United States, with an estimated 3 to 7 million students being home-educated in 201
But why exactly do so many families choose to homeschool their children? This article explores the advantages of homeschooling – from the freedom to design a completely customizable education experience, to avoiding harmful social pressures – and explains why people choose to homeschool their children.
What Is Homeschooling?
Homeschooling, or home education, is a form of education that is delivered outside the traditional classroom setting by either parent, tutor, or by outside providers (such as correspondence schools). Homeschooling is different from traditional schooling in that home-based instruction allows a much greater degree of control over the curriculum and teaching styles, as well as a much greater degree of individualization due to the intimate nature of studying within the home.
Benefits of Homeschooling
There are numerous potential benefits to homeschooling. One major benefit is that in homeschooling, students can learn at their own pace.
They can spend more time on topics that interest them and dive deeper into subjects that are more challenging. This is in stark contrast to traditional settings where students must follow predetermined timetables and often spend a significant amount of time working on topics that are not necessarily of personal interest. Second, homeschools allow for increased flexibility.
Parents can customize the curriculum to suit their child’s individual needs, abilities, and interests. For example, parents can decide to focus more heavily on STEM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) or humanities if that is what their child is particularly interested in.
Additionally, families can tailor their learning methods to suit the parent’s desired style of teaching, whether that be Montessori, Charlotte Mason, or any other method, which is not an option in most traditional schools. Lastly, homeschooling allows relationships between parents and children to remain strong and get even stronger while giving the children quality time with the parents. Within the home schooling environment, conversations often happen organically, both within the home and with other homeschoolers.
This gives children the opportunity to build quality relationships with their parents and peers, as well as a chance to develop social skills.
Disadvantages of Homeschooling
Despite the many potential advantages to homeschooling, as with anything there are some potential disadvantages. One potential issue associated with homeschooling is the inability to provide children with the same level of social interaction as traditional schooling.
This can be a particular issue for children who are only homeschooled, as they may not have access to traditional extracurricular activities or engage in social activities with others of their own age. Furthermore, if a family’s economic means are too limited, they may not have access to the same resources as more affluent families who homeschool. Moreover, if parents are not well trained or knowledgeable in a particular area, they may not be able to adequately teach the subject to their children.
For example, while a parent may be able to teach a number of academic subjects, they may not be able to teach a complex scientific subject. Furthermore, if a homeschooling parent is not knowledgeable in a specific area, it may be difficult to properly assess their child’s understanding and progress.
Lastly, without the structure of traditional schooling, homeschooling can be a major commitment for homeschooling parents. Parents are responsible for choosing the curriculum, monitoring their children’s progress, providing support and guidance, and ensuring that their children learn the material. This can be a major undertaking, especially for families with multiple children and limited resources – it is therefore important to ensure that parents are up to the task before deciding to homeschool.
Conclusion
Homeschooling can provide many potential advantages for both children and their families, such as the ability to tailor their education to suit their individual needs, increased flexibility, and the opportunity to build strong relationships with both family members and peers. However, there are some potential disadvantages as well, such as the inability to provide the same level of social interaction as a traditional school, and the commitment and resource requirements required of the parents. Ultimately, it is important to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling before making a decision to homeschool.