November 21, 2010
Homeschool | Homeschooling Children – Positives And Negatives
Before sending your child to a school to be educated became compulsory, teaching children at home was normal. In recent years more and more parents are turning to homeschooling for a variety of reasons. If you live in a rural area or live abroad, then it could be for convenience. You might have objections to what is taught at schools, like religious or moral teachings. Maybe you feel that your child will not thrive or achieve in a regular school environment, or perhaps you were taught at home and want your child to experience the same positives that you did. Some parents cite children achieving better academic results from being schooled at home as the incentive for choosing it.
Whatever your reasons are for considering homeschooling as the best option for your child, it’s important to thoroughly research the topic before making a decision. Do not only focus your attention on the positives – be sure that you are aware of the potential pitfalls involved.
Learn the positives and the negatives before making your decision.
Is this the best option for your child? Can you do it? Are you a competent teacher? You might be too strict, too lenient, or just not up to the task in terms of academic ability. One of the biggest fears and considerations parents have about teaching their child at home is that a homeschooled child will miss being around other children. She will not develop the same social skills or cultural understanding as a child taught amongst her peers. Many parents refuse to homeschool based on this reason alone, but thankfully the Internet is a huge help with this problem. A quick search online should reward you with local groups where you can contact parents and educators in a similar situation to you. Parents of home educated children are generally very keen to meet up and bring their children together in a social setting. It is very easy to arrange weekly social activities like visits to the park, swimming lessons, or a simple get-together at home to counteract this potential problem.
If you are able to manage your time well, organize well, plan well, stick to tasks, are open to new ideas, and can provide an adequate alternative to sending your child to school, then education at home can be a real positive for you and your child.
You are responsible for the cost of your child being schooled at home which, understandably, puts a lot of people off the idea, but most parents who have tried it say the benefits of home schooling far outweigh the costs.
If you are happy that these negatives are not factors, or are factors that you are aware of and you can overcome, then get ready for a whole truck-load of positives that go hand-in-hand with homeschooling your child. Here are ten of the positives, although successful and dedicated parents who teach their children at home will discover many, many more:
Ten reasons that homeschooling may be the best option for your child:
1. You are in control of what and how your child learns, and the pace of learning.
2. You know your child’s strengths and weaknesses and can adjust your teaching accordingly.
3. Avoid negative influences from other children and not-so-good school environments.
4. The bond between you and your child stays very strong.
5. Your child gets more focused, one-to-one attention which is crucial to learning.
6. You will have no concerns about your child’s safety.
7. You will be amazed at how much YOU learn while teaching your child.
8. Studies have shown that homeschooling is an incredibly efficient way to learn.
9. It strengthens the relationship between parents and children, and the whole family.
10. You can incorporate family days out and vacations into your child’s learning schedule.
There is no doubt that your decision to teach at home, or not, is a big one, and it’s a decision that you should think about deeply and sensibly before making. If you do decide that this is the best path for your child then approach the subject with commitment, organization, and dedication. Your child deserves the best.
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8 Comments on Homeschool | Homeschooling Children – Positives And Negatives »
April 3, 2011
Twitter @ 4:34 pm:
I have been teaching preschool for 4 1/2 years now. While I love teaching I have decided to stay home with my 2 1/2 year old son. I’m active and enjoy taking kids places when I can. I’m open to any age child. I will treat your children how I want mine to be treated when I am away. I enjoy teaching children art, basic sign language, age appropriate math, science and language, and of course we have story time. I am flexible with my schedule and charge 25 a day. I am registered to teach and work with children in Rockwall, I am CPR and First Aid certified, and have great references. I am looking to watch around 3 children and can start as soon as I am needed. Please feel free to email me at with any questions and to exchange contact information.
Thank You
Deandra
April 22, 2011
KdV @ 7:59 pm:
When teaching little ones it is important to start with things that are close to them and that they can relate to. They need to have a picture already in their minds so that the teacher can build on that. We teach them about "homes" in order to make them aware of their environment and surroundings. There are so many other things linked to the themes that teachers choose to teach – learning their sounds, word association, spatial awareness etc.
Hope this helped.
May 9, 2011
Belladonna @ 1:28 pm:
I really enjoyed this!!
May 18, 2011
home+education - Twitter Search @ 11:51 pm:
I’d like to teach my kids Spanish, so where can I find a set of lesson plans?
First off, let me say that my wife is a native Spanish speaker but she is not a teacher (as she often states) so I’m looking for a set of lesson plans for kids age 8 and 11 that will take them through a progression of exercises. I do have some education background but I don’t have access to any material other than what might be available through the Internet. I’m not really concerned that it maps to any of the state curriculum guidelines. That said, I do have a number of teacher friends that may be able to help out if need be. I don’t have a problem paying small subscription fees for access to pay sites but I don’t want to spend lots of money for formal programs and teach-at-home programs.
My kids would like to learn, so motivation isn’t a huge issue, but they also don’t want to spend more than about an hour per week in the "classroom". Bonus points for a variety of media!
June 13, 2011
craigslist | all jobs in shanghai @ 11:38 pm:
Parents who teach at home to get help – Statesman Journal –
June 24, 2011
Leslie @ 7:41 pm:
I'm so glad to hear that the classes are filling up. An additional advantage to this sort of class is the diminished overhead. While you certainly have to pay Ning something, it's bound to be less than travel (gas, wear & tear), hotel and eating out. When you first told us about the Fibro I was thinking this could become a really good way for you to teach – at home and in comfort.
August 13, 2011
Jack H. Smith @ 11:36 am:
After rereading this item I realize that what I told you this past week in person is true. You started in one direction realized where it was taking you and faked lose of mental capasity and went else where. you don't like the way public schools teach so you teach at home. you don't like the way store bought close fit certain of your children so what is the next step? Learn to use a sewing machine. i can see the humor in this item but when you throw me a logic problem you might get an answer you don't like.
August 14, 2011
Diane @ 8:24 am:
You might want to look at private or religious preschools in your area. Sometimes they tend to charge less than public ones, and give sibling discounts. You also might want to look into day cares–many day care centers for children aged 3-5 have morning "school" programs, and can also be cheaper if you only put them in a couple of days a week.
However, if everything is still too high priced, this is the schedule my three year old and I used in the summer when I had a newborn at home:
Breakfast
Park time – 1 hour
Library – 1 hour
Errands – 1 hour
Quiet rest time – 1 hour (napping, watching TV, laying down together and cuddling)
Dancing! – 1 hour or so (this was my exercise for the day, too)
Writing practice – this could be as simple as tracing lines, tracing letters, or even trying to color within the lines
Computer time (some excellent websites are starfall.com, pbskids.org)
Independent play time (aka – go play by yourself while I make dinner)
By then my husband would be home and we'd have dinner. Some days we'd have play dates set up with friends–I didn't have errands to do EVERY day–or we'd play with musical instruments instead of dancing if I was tired.
The Leapfrog Learning Factory DVDs are great for teaching letter sounds. There are a few of them: The Letter Factory, The Talking Word Factory, The Complex Word Complex. And the Leapfrog refrigerator magnet toys are also great for teaching letter sounds while playing. It gets a little hard on the back sitting on the floor teaching the kids their letters at the refrigerator, but it's a good break from having them write and just look at books.
As far as other books are concerned, just run to Wal-Mart or your local bookstore. There are lots of coloring books and letter practice books for young kids there.