In recent years, home schooling has become increasingly popular around the world, especially in countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US. In the UK, almost 50,000 children are currently being home schooled, whilst in the US, figures are thought to stand at around 1.5 million.
Although homeschooling is currently enjoying a surge in popularity in some places, this is not true everywhere. In fact, in some countries, homeschooling is considered controversial or socially undesirable and generally frowned upon, whilst in other countries like Germany, it is banned outright.
So what is all the fuss about? What exactly is homeschooling and does it have the potential to revolutionize the way your child learns?
What Is Homeschooling?
Homeschooling is generally defined as a type of progressive movement in which parents consciously choose to educate their children at home instead of enrolling them in a conventional state-run or private school.
Often, one parent will stay at home and take on the lion’s share of the teaching, while the other parent takes on the role of traditional breadwinner, although there are exceptions to this rule – there are also many single-parent and dual career families who home school too.
Experts tend to split homeschooling styles into two broad categories:
- Home Education/Unschooling – This is the path followed by the so-called ‘radical unschoolers’, who generally don’t stick to the traditional school curriculum or style of teaching. Instead they prefer to follow their child’s lead in terms of interests and aptitudes in particular subjects when planning their lessons.
- Conventional Or ‘Regular’ At-Home Schooling – By far the most popular style of homeschooling, this style of teaching consists of parents following a set curriculum that includes subjects such as maths, reading, writing etc. Often they will also traditional classroom-style teaching methods, and preplan their curriculum using a range of textbooks and teaching materials – in some cases, buying the same books as those prescribed for children in traditional schools.
A Few Reasons To Homeschool Your Child
Parents choose to homeschool their offspring for a host of reasons. Many have come to believe that the conventional education system is letting their kids down; either because the system or environment is too rigid, or because they are concerned about issues such as bullying and prejudice, allergies, a lack of special needs facilities. In other cases, parents may feel that their child has a special talent that needs nurturing, perhaps in the field of the arts or sports, which a traditional school cannot cater for.
Some of the most common reasons parents cite for choosing to home school their children include:
Individualized Learning – Homeschooling allows you to tailor your teaching style and the pace of lessons to suit your child, rather than force them to endure the one-size-fits-all approach that most schools, with their bigger class sizes, are generally obliged to take. Lessons can therefore be more fun, tailored to appeal to specifically to your child, and be as short or long as is needed for them to ‘get’ a particular concept or subject.
More Scope To Nurture Your Children’s Talents – Given that parents care about the development and welfare of their children, you may be more motivated than most teachers to bring out your child’s natural strengths and improve on areas where they’re not so capable. Many parents feel that homeschooling provides their children with more of an opportunity to reach their full potential.
A Chance To Follow A Less Traditional Curriculum – Along with academic subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, you may want your kids to learn life skills such as leadership, civic responsibility or environmental conservation; or acquire more pragmatic abilities like how to budget, grow their own food or perform CPR. Alternatively, you may want them to express themselves artistically, spend more time outdoors/in nature or visit museums and galleries. Home education-style schooling gives you the freedom to determine what, when and where your children learn. Many parents feel this gives their offspring more of an opportunity to become well-rounded, responsible adults equipped with skills that’ll help them survive in the real world.
Increased Lifestyle Flexibility And Control Over Children’s Daily Routines – Rather than having to fit your life (or your children’s schedule) around school opening and closing times, school holidays or pre-arranged after-school activities, you can determine your own schedule when you homeschool. This means cheaper, less crowded vacations; and the freedom to arrange field trips and playdates/extra-curricular activities around you and your kids.
Solution To Peer Pressure And Bullying – Homeschooling means that parents have more control over who their children interact with. They also enjoy more one-to-one adult supervision. This often eliminates the daily dramas and stress associated with bullying or peer group pressure that can mentally scar children or cause social anxiety. Rather than being seen as ‘different’ or ‘slow’ or ‘weird’, homeschooled children are also affirmed for being individuals.
A Happier Family Life – Many parents report that family life also tends to improve – often dramatically – once children no longer have to put up with constant bullying or continuous academic pressure, all of which can create psychological and behavioral problems. Being able to share learning experiences and having the freedom to travel as a family also helps cement strong bonds between parents and siblings.
No More Mandatory Exams Or Tests – The pressure to study for, and excel at, endless rounds of tests and achieve certain marks in their exams is not for every child. Many parents find that their children do not respond well to the target-driven, academically-oriented environment of school. In the UK, parents can legally opt out of testing completely if they choose to. Alternatively, they can also choose to pay for their children to sit for exams privately in order to obtain certain qualifications or certificates – but only once they feel they are ready.
No Conflict Of Interest When It Comes To Religious/Cultural/Moral Values – Some parents object to the attitudes taken by the state or individual schools when it comes to sensitive/controversial topics such as sex education, religion or politics. Home schooling removes all of this from the equation and allows parents to decide how/what they incorporate into lessons when it comes to cultural, religious or moral themes and issues.
Common Misconceptions About Homeschooling
Teaching Qualifications – One of the things that puts many parents off homeschooling is the misconception that they need to have a teaching qualification.
Although you might decide to hire a private tutor who does have a relevant diploma or degree, in the UK, if you chose to do it yourself, you would be perfectly entitled to do so from a legal perspective.
Formal State Or National Curriculum Requirements – In the UK, parents are not legally obligated to follow the UK National Curriculum, giving parents a lot of leeway when it comes to what or how they choose to teach their kids.
In the US, though, the situation is slightly different: Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, requirements tend to vary from place to place, so it’s worth checking what rules apply in your area. Some state authorities require your children to undertake periodic testing to ensuHome Education Revolutionizing The Way Children Learn | Kidditre they’re not lagging behind, while others may ask you to submit lesson plans or enroll in a state-approved home schooling program. The plus side of the latter is that you may be entitled to some form of support and/or funding.
The Not So Good Things
As with everything there are also challenges associated with home schooling. Here are a few:
Cost – Some argue that having to buy equipment, educational toys and pay for field outings can soon add up. Others contend that this is only true for families who choose to participate in specialized programs or pay for private tutoring. By swopping equipment with other parents, joining home-schooling co-ops, planning joint outings with other families and sharing lessons/tips/teaching aids, parents can often make homeschooling much more affordable.
Time – If you choose to homeschool your children, then you may have to take into account the time and effort involved in planning lessons, acquiring materials and organizing outings or activities. You certainly wouldn’t be able to have another job or spend two hours at the gym in the mornings, so you may want to consider this before taking your children out of school.
Multiple Children = Multiple Learning Needs – If you have more than one child and they are of different ages or abilities, then you may need to consider the additional work involved in preparing more than one lesson or activity per day. Again, fans argue that there are workarounds. For one thing, you can teach the same subject to multiple students and then simply arrange various activities or exercises aimed at different levels/ages for your children to do afterwards. Alternatively, you could get older siblings to help younger ones, or even hire a tutor to lighten the load.
University/Colleges Require Formal Qualifications/Certificates – If you aren’t a fan of formal testing or exams, you need to take on board the fact that you may be limiting your child’s options further down the line. Many employers and higher education institutions have minimum entrance requirements that include certificates or diplomas – something to bear in mind before choosing to home educate your children.
What’s Next?/Next steps
Thinking of homeschooling? Here are some tips on what to do next.
Do Your Research – Good places to stHome Education Revolutionizing The Way Children Learn | Kidditart are websites such as the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website (US) and the You Gov website, which outlines the British government’s guidance and rules on home educating in the UK.
Join A Local Homeschooling Support Group – Using social media and by joining local support groups, you can get the benefit of speaking to other parents who have ‘been there and done that’. They can help guide you through the process and provide you with advice on everything from legal requirements to ideas for lessons, tips on tried and tested teaching resources, useful local facilities etc. Some also regularly club together to buy school books and work materials in bulk = great savings. It is also a great medium through which to organize group field trips, art classes, playdates or joint classes in order to maximize time and resources or encourage kids to socialize more.
Removing Children From Formal Education – While parents are at liberty to begin a program of homeschooling as soon as their children reach school age, the procedure for removing those children already enrolled in school may be slightly different. Parents may need to write a formal letter of withdrawal or let their local state department know of their intentions. When in doubt, check with your school head or local authority to find out what is required.
Plan Ahead – How long do you plan to home school your children for? Until they reach high school? Or once they reach university or working age? If so, what skills, aptitudes or certificates will they need to acquire whilst in your care in order to be considered suitable candidates for employment or further studies? Finding out about private exams or ways to get accreditation for what your kids learn is well worth the effort. Beginning with the end in mind could save a lot of wasted time or heartache further down the line, both for you and your children. After all, you want their prospects to improve, not lessen, as a result of your decision to home educate!
Home education is a growing phenomenon and is seen by many parents as a way to revolutionize the way their child learns, as well as take back control over their family’s lifestyle and improve their child’s future prospects. Even though homeschooling may not suit everyone, or follow the traditional norms of the classroom setting, for many families it has proven to be just as, if not more, effective at encouraging the social, emotional and psychological development of their children that leads to success in the “real world”. The key is doing your research beforehand and understanding the commitment involved. Happy home teaching!
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