Benefits To Homeschooling
Benefits to Homeschooling
Numbers don't lie, and more and more numbers are showing incredible benefits to homeschooling.
The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that homeschooling is growing each year with an estimated two million children currently being homeschooled. According to a Trinity University survey, almost half (48.9%) of these students are homeschooled because their parents believe that they can provide a better education for their children at home. Parents choose to homeschool their children for many reasons, disappointment in public schools, religious beliefs, or to strengthen family ties. Regardless of the reason, homeschooling can be a valuable form of education. While this is not an exhaustive list and personal research is encouraged, below are a few benefits to homeschooling.
Individualized Instruction
Given the number of students in an average size classroom, public schools today struggle with individualized instruction, teachers design lesson plans with multiple students in mind. Homeschooling allows parents to capitalize on their children’s interests allowing them to focus the learning around these interests. Creating an environment where a child is studying something he or she is interested in leads to more impactful, meaningful learning.
Real World Experiences
Tactile, hands-on learning in real world situations create lasting impressions and provide deeper learning experiences. Homeschoolers spend time in the real-world, interacting with people of different ages, ethnicity and socioeconomic level. These interactions encourage respect, friendship, conflict resolution and cooperation among other things.
Connectedness
Children that are homeschooled spend generous amounts time with their parents learning and playing. These interactions not only strengthen the family bond, they allow children to model their parent’s behaviors building strong character and social skills.
Tailoring of Curriculum
Meeting the needs of each student in a classroom can be an instructional challenge for teachers. Homeschooling allows parents the flexibility to spend extra time in subject areas they deem necessary for their children to be successful.
Sleep and Growth
Sleep is critical to the emotional and physical well-being of children. Research is emerging that teenagers require almost 2 hours more sleep than younger children and older adults, yet middle and high schools often start at early hours. Allowing flexibility in sleep cycles give children the much needed sleep time they need to grow and remain healthy.
Preconceived barriers associated with homeschooling can be debunked with research. Parents may fear how to teach something they are unfamiliar with, Home Education Magazine suggests,
“Homeschooling families have the world as their classroom. There are classes (correspondence, video, support groups, community centers, colleges, etc...) taught by experts. The most powerful learning experiences for a child is to have a parent learning right alongside the child. Parents, thankfully, do not have to be the expert in every area.”
Homeschooling children is a growing trend and research indicates that children that are homeschooled do well on standardized tests, are accepted at colleges and universities, and become self-directed, reliable adults and employees.
Homeschooling doesn't have to be expensive either. There are many sources of financial assistance. The SS survivor can even find help through the government.
For more information on the benefits to homeschooling as well as resources, visit the American Home Schooling Association at http://americanhomeschoolassociation.org.
