There are many reasons someone might want to homeschool their children. Homeschooling can be one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences a parent might have.
Many parents were forced to try their hands at homeschooling in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that wasn’t homeschooling.
Homeschooling is parent-directed education from the comfort of your own home. Meeting social, academic, emotional, and spiritual needs is a prime reason for choosing to homeschool your children.
Before the 1850s, most children were schooled in the home or by tutors, if they were able to be educated at all. But in the mid-19th century, compulsory education emerged, and most children were then schooled in public or private schools.
In the 1970s, homeschooling saw a reemergence with some dissatisfaction with the public schooling system. And even more recently, with COVID-19, and over-crowded, underfunded public schools, homeschooling has seen a further resurgence of popularity.
Homeschooling allows families to be academically flexible, cater to their child’s individual needs, and support the whole child while emphasizing core values within a family. It allows for quality time and flexibility in a hectic world.
There are many reasons a family might choose to homeschool instead of enrolling in public or private school options. From academic flexibility to individualized learning, homeschooling has many benefits for both parents and students!
Benefits of Homeschooling:
Academic Flexibility:
One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is being able to be flexible academically. In a classroom, curriculum is driven by state standards and what needs to be taught in a given period. In a homeschool environment, children can spend more or less time on concepts based on their individual preferences and abilities.
Individualized Learning:
Homeschooling is the way to go if you want to make your child’s learning experience match the person they are. What they learn will be based on what you want to teach, and what they want to learn. You can meet their individual needs and tailor their learning experience to their abilities.
Flexible Scheduling:
Not a morning person? Doesn’t matter when homeschooling! Most homeschoolers accomplish a day’s worth of school in 2-3 hours at home. That gives you a lot of time for meaningful experiences at home or around the world! It also gives time for sleeping in!
Meaningful Learning:
Making learning experiences relate to what is real and meaningful is a sure way to get a lesson to stick! Homeschooling gives you the ability to make learning meaningful by going to the grocery store. Practice estimation. Learning about seeds? Visit a farm or plant a garden. Learning Chemistry? Spend some time in the kitchen cooking! There are so many life lessons that make for meaningful learning as well!
Family Core Beliefs and Values:
A huge reason many people choose homeschooling is to reinforce the core beliefs and values of the family. Public schools are driven by state and national standards, and have some things they teach that may be contrary to what a family may believe. Homeschooling allows families to teach their beliefs in the home without countering those values in the school.
Vocational Preparation:
Some kids have a real calling in life, and they know exactly what they want to do! Homeschooling allows for opportunities to shadow, intern, and focus on different vocations. If your child is very interested in mechanics, for example, you can set up a relationship with a mechanic, and allow them time to work alongside that mechanic. Apprenticeships allow for real learning from experts!
Lifestyle Benefits:
Families who have opportunities to travel find homeschooling to be a great fit into their family lifestyle. They can take a month away from home and travel anywhere! While on the road they are getting really meaningful learning experiences! Homeschooling also fits well with those into competitive sports, allowing for lots of practice time!
No Homework:
Your traditionally schooled middle school child spends 7-8 hours at school, then they come home and spend another hour or two doing homework! But not a homeschooler! Their schooling time is much more abbreviated, and they’re allowed more time to be kids and pursue other interests.
Meeting Emotional Needs:
In a classroom environment, a child is exposed to many stimuli, but without enough support to truly process and develop emotional intelligence. In a home environment, they are given ample time and training in how to manage their emotions and use them rather than suppress them.
Teaching the Whole Child:
Homeschooling naturally lends itself to teaching the whole child. You can support your child and nurture all the areas of development including emotional, social, and cognitive skills like literacy, math, and science.
Meet Special Needs:
Children with special needs can greatly benefit from homeschooling. One-on-one instruction can be a great match for a child with behavioral or emotional needs. Students with physical needs may also benefit from being in one physical environment tailored to their needs, rather than trying to make things work at a school building.
Quality Time:
In reality, parents get about 18 years with their child under their roof, and although that seems like a long time, it goes by so quickly. Homeschooling helps to slow down the clock and allow for more together time. It allows parents to be a greater influence on their children, strengthening their relationships, and allowing for lots of quality time together!
Conclusion
Is homeschooling right for your family? There are certainly benefits to homeschooling! Having more time with your family, giving your child the best possible education, being flexible, and removing stressors from your life are just a few!
But is it right for your family? That is something only you can answer. However, we hope that the benefits we outlined in this article can help you in making that decision.
If you already homeschool, what are some unexpected benefits you’ve seen from homeschooling? Let us know, drop us a comment!
If you are interested in learning more about homeschooling check out these other great articles!
- 5 Best Homeschooling Curriculum for Special Needs Kids
- 5 Best Homeschool Apps for Parents to Stay Organized
- 15 Popular Educational YouTube Channels for Kids
Thanks for the info. I know very little about homeschool so this is great info for me.
I’ve contemplated homeschooling my children when they’re older. I would like a better grip of understanding what they would be learning about instead of assuming they’re being taught everything they need to know at a public school