Homeschooling has become a movement that continues to progress across the US, and globally, where parents have made a decision to educate a child or their children from home rather than sending the child to a private or public school.
When explaining what is homeschooling, it needs to be explained based on various factors such as religious beliefs that are different, dissatisfaction with available educational options, and mainly with a belief that involves the child not progressing as they should in a traditional school setting.
Who Decides To Homeschool And Why
A few of the main reasons that parents provide for homeschooling usually include religious preferences, educational benefits or concerns about the safety of the child. Homeschooling for a number of families also reflects the emphasis they place associated with being together. Some parents also feel it offers an effective method to offset pressures out of and in school which usually involves to conform, acquire and consume.
Some of the other common reasons that a family will choose to homeschool include:
- To travel
- To accommodate the work schedule of the parents
- To offer a gifted child with materials that are more challenging or to allow the child to work and progress at a pace that they prefer
- To accommodate learning disabilities or special needs
What Is Homeschooling: Pros And Cons
For most parents, all they really want is to offer the very best for their children. Homeschooling a child can provide various learning opportunities which are not always available in traditional or even private schools.
However, it is very important for a family to consider the pros along with the cons, to make sure they have made an informed and educated decision.
Homeschooling Pros
- The parent has a role that is more direct when it comes to the daily learning of the child.
- The parent is offered with the reassurance that their child is developing skills, learning, and progressing in the way that aligns with the values and goals of the parents.
- Buying learning packages that are bundled can assist with budgeting as well as assist in reducing overall costs.
- The abilities to pursue the interests of the child with learning that is more personalized by matching the lessons to the learning style of the child.
Homeschooling Cons
- The parent is responsible for planning activities and school-time along with handling administrative tasks of having to be the teacher.
- The child will miss out on daily interactions with children that are the same age.
- The parent will be teaching various subjects. Greater flexibility and freedom will require more responsibility and time from a parent.
- The child loses out on social interactions with friends or peers that go to a public or private school.
- The parent may have less available resources like technology which is usually available in a traditional school setting.
- The potential to create more fatigue and stress, when the parent takes on both teacher and parenting responsibilities.
Homeschooling legal requirements in the United States vary from state to state. Some of the states have no or few requirements, while others request standardized tests at specific intervals or portfolio reviews.