Fifty years ago, we had to leaf through an encyclopedia for minutes looking for the right word. Nowadays, we can find everything we need in a matter of seconds with the help of search engines. Education is changing and formal schooling is no longer enough. The main resource is knowledge and how we use it.
Those dissatisfied with the traditional education system can try homeschooling. Alternative forms of education imply more free time for children and fewer restrictions in the curriculum. Also, they require parents to be more responsible. However, what makes it so great is that you can show your kid that studying can be a lot of fun. In fact, the essays and research writing will become the most interesting things for them!
So let’s find out all the pros and cons of homeschooling!
Advantages of Homeschooling
- Personalized learning – the instructional approached is optimized for the needs of your kid. Homeschooling lets you independently design a curriculum based on the interests, temperament, and IQ of your child. You can study several topics at once, conduct an experiment, do a project, carry out research or go on an educational journey. Amid these customized learning paths, focusing on mathematics offers tangible benefits. Mastering fundamental math concepts like techniques to find the LCM of two numbers can not only enhance their problem-solving skills but can also be made engaging with the right approaches. Identifying least common multiples is not just a curriculum requirement but a critical skill that aids in understanding more complex mathematics and real-world applications.
No one else will tell you when and which topic to learn, what tasks to do and what subject to study. Learning will be an exciting process, full of amazing discoveries and surprises. Of course, you shouldn’t forget about the exams, either.
- Better results. Homeschooled children learn better and get better results. According to a comparative study of home school and regular schools graduates, the former demonstrate consistently higher results. Moreover, it’s essential to consider individual needs, especially for children facing challenges such as autism or dyslexia. For instance, when noticing dyslexia signs in children homeschooling can offer personalized attention and flexibility, which may benefit children with such conditions. Homeschooling allows parents to tailor the curriculum to accommodate various learning styles and paces, providing a supportive environment for children with dyslexia to thrive. Additionally, homeschooling can minimize potential social challenges and bullying that children with autism may encounter in traditional school settings, fostering a more comfortable learning atmosphere conducive to their development.
- Opportunity to focus on learning. At regular schools, children waste a lot of time due to ineffective teaching. Add to this classroom activities and time spent to get to school, and you’ll see why homeschooling can be a lot more effective than traditional education.
- Using the latest technology. Homeschooling is the fastest growing alternative form of education. Since family education is chosen by parents who are truly interested in quality education for their child, they only pick high-quality programs, materials, and methods.
Modern technology can make learning more flexible and diverse. Nowadays, children master the newest technologies faster than their parents, so they’ll have no trouble adapting to new forms of learning.
- Saving time. Less time is spent on learning than at school. This is a major plus which is duly appreciated by almost all children studying at home. And that’s not because homeschooled kids have a friendlier curriculum or treat their studies more frivolously.
On the contrary. It is a responsible approach to learning that allows you to cover more topics than at a traditional school. As a result, homeschooled children learn topics faster than kids studying at traditional schools.
- More creativity, less boredom. Studying does not necessarily have to take place at a table or in a classroom. Nothing stops you from going to the nearby park to study botany or visiting a planetarium to learn the solar system.
You are not limited to school constraints, and for you, the whole world is educational space. The ability to gain knowledge not from textbooks but from primary sources not only improves efficiency but also develops an interest in the subject.
- Setting your own goals. At school, children study under a program created by someone who does not know your child and their needs. With homeschooling, you get to choose what, how and when you will study.
- No meaningless tasks. Senseless tests, tasks, and reports will remain a thing of the past. Every high school student has experienced the formal approach to presenting material and boring tasks which have nothing to do with real life. How can they learn if they are forced to perform similar tasks and meaningless tests?
With homeschooling, children can write a blog post, review a YouTube video, read the opinion of other people and learn more about the author and their other works.
- Flexibility and convenience. You no longer need to drive to school at a certain time and then pick up your kid from school. A vacation can be had at any time, and not just in the summer time.
Disadvantages of Homeschooling
- Responsibility. If you pick homeschooling, you will be fully responsible for the education of your kid. If something goes wrong, you can no longer blame the bad teachers or the school system. Although parents of children in traditional schools are also responsible for teaching their children, they share the responsibility with the school and have fewer opportunities to influence the result.
- Time spent together. In addition to holidays or weekends, your kid will always be with you: every day, all day. But this is only one of the advantages of family education. Thanks to it, you will get to build close relationships with your children and get to know each other.
- Freedom. Now you can not send your children to school and go about your business. On the other hand, homeschooling will help you learn how to better manage your time and become more creative. You can take advantage of homeschooling, contact specialists who will offer the best education program for your child, and you can work remotely and find time for yourself.
- Qualification. Many parents are not sure that they have enough knowledge, skills, and patience to teach their children. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn everything yourself. Homeschooling has taught so many parents to remain calm when their children are naughty. It also lets them show flexibility if they are tired and become wizards if they are bored. There are no ideal parents, as there are no ideal teachers, but we all develop and learn from our own experience.
- Lack of knowledge. Are you afraid that your children will have gaps in knowledge and end up knowing nothing? What if they ask you questions that you do not know answers to? You can not know everything but it is not necessary. The main thing is to give your children the tools to search for essential information and teach them how to work with it. Just imagine how exciting it is to seek answers and learn with your children!
- Home restrictions. Most likely, there is no playground and swimming pool at your place, but life is not limited to your home. You can choose places that best meet the needs of your children.
- Independence. Having to go to school makes children rely on each other, but your kid’s peers have little experience in life. As a result, they can make a lot of mistakes. Family education provides parents with the opportunity to be an authority for their children. They can also maintain their influence over them and give them as much freedom and independence as they want.
- Criticism. Most likely, some of your friends and relatives will not support your decision. Well, it’s impossible to please everyone. Just remember that any form of schooling is very far from perfect. But most parents prefer to walk down the beaten track and do not bother to look for better ways.
- Lack of socialization. Some people believe that homeschooled children do not know how to communicate with their peers. Of course, all responsibility for their socialization lies with their parents.
However, there are a lot of places where your kid can communicate with their peers and not feel isolated from society. In fact, you will have a much wider choice than parents who prefer traditional education. And all because you will get to build your own school schedule.
In addition, homeschooling will allow you to protect your kid from negative influence and give them the opportunity to develop comprehensively.
Pros and cons are only abstract concepts. And what is a minus for one person can be a plus for another. There is no singularly way of getting it right, so keep trying and you will ultimately get the result you’ve been aiming for!
