How to Choose Homeschooling Programs That Fit Your Style
Posted on Apr 19, 2008 under Education |Parents are finding that homeschooling is becoming a more popular choice day after day. Every year there is a growth of about 7 - 15% of parents who decide to teach their children at home.
Right now there are close to two million children who are learning from homeschooling programs.
Homeschooling might be a controversial subject, but the evidence shows that homeschool children do extremely well. They often perform better than children who receive their education through the public school system. Homeschooled children do better on standardized tests and do well in college.
A passion for lifelong learning is passed on to children who are taught at home. Most families homeschool their children with college as a goal.
When families use homeschooling programs, they have some flexibility. Children don’t just learn basic skills and knowledge: They master the concepts. Since children set the learning pace, there are no time constraints that pressure children to finish a concept and move on to the next before they’re ready.
Children who are schooled at home don’t worry about competing or keeping up with other students; they compete with themselves. They also enjoy more one-on-one time with their teacher, and lessons are easily modified to suit the child’s needs.
For example, if your child is really knowledgeable in English but struggles in Math, you can establish homeschooling programs that allow you to spend more time in Math and less time in English.
This demonstrates one of the greatest advantages of homeschooling programs. You aren’t just teaching with your child’s pace in mind, you are also addressing certain strengths and weaknesses.
When you use homeschooling programs, you don’t have to stick to a rigid schedule. Since you’re teaching at home, you have full control over when and how the lessons are conducted.
This doesn’t mean that the discipline of paying to a schedule isn’t important. It just means that you have the flexibility of starting and ending a lesson when you want it, or whenever your child is through with his/her work.
One of the luxuries of homeschooling programs is being able to teach in a safe and well-known environment. Parents, however, have the choice of being able to create a learning environment where a child feels comfortable.
If your child is learning about animals or plants, you might decide to have school lessons at a museum or a zoo.
Homeschooling programs offer you the flexibility of including field trips to complement learning. Field trips are often more informative and practical than just lecturing as if you were in a regular classroom.