Home School Me!

Kris Koonar asked:


Home- schooling as the name suggests is the method of educating children at home under the guidance of their parents. This is a paradigm shift from the conventional way of imparting knowledge to kids at school. A couple of centuries earlier, it was common for many members of the privileged society to employ governesses who were entrusted with the responsibility of teaching subjects such as Mathematics, English, geography and even social etiquettes to their children. Over a period of time, this system became unaffordable and impractical, and conventional schooling became the norm for people irrespective of their relative affluence. The beginning of the twentieth century has marked the re-emergence of the home- schooling trend amongst many people and this time around, it is no longer the prerogative of only the elitist group. Families that decide to educate their children through home schooling are not limited to any particular group, community, religion or area. They come from almost all sections of the society and from various economic backgrounds.

In order to achieve a valuable home schooling experience for both parents and the children, it is very important for parents to be dedicated and possess patience. There must be an interest and an undying passion to teach your child personally. Home schooling when relegated to a sense of obligation or burden can adversely impact the future of your child. Determination is a key factor that guides the culture of home schooling. It is very necessary that you think, plan and analyze new and fascinating ways to engage your kids while teaching them at home. The curriculum and teaching methodology employed should be interesting enough as to ensure complete concentration on the part of your child.

Home schooling has its own share of pros and cons but when carefully implemented, the benefits certainly outweigh the disadvantages in many ways. Some of the pivotal advantages are:

a)It allows you to systematically imbibe the religious/ philosophical convictions that you wish for your child to inculcate.

b)It provides for the development of adequate social skills in the child without subjecting him or her to peer pressure or influence.

c)It ensures that your child inclinations and talent are tapped during the academic process.

d)It facilitates your spending quality time together as a family.

Religious/ philosophical convictions: Convictions are personal beliefs based on our principles that can infuse a sense of enthusiasm in both the children and the parents. Home schooling allows parents to weave the passion for convictions in their children.

Socialization: Home schooling has the benefit of actual socialization in terms of being involved with classmates in a real sense. It is not a superficial and restricted kind of association. In schools, the different variables are controlled in order to maintain the decorum of the school while at home children are exposed to real life.

Academics: Home schooling allows children to work according to their capacity rather than competing with other children. Parents can teach their children at their own pace and not till the bell rings. Every child has a different style of learning and parents can usually understand their psychology better thereby helping them do well in academics.

Quality time for the family: Parents can spend relatively more time with their children and get to know their behavioral tendencies, strengths and weaknesses in a natural manner.

Home schooling proves to be an option worth considering owing to the advantages mentioned above. It helps in the overall development of children and enables them to succeed in life. However, before deciding on home schooling for your kids, it is important to consult with other parents who have traversed this path, assess your own ability to spare what it takes in terms of time and efforts, and also perhaps take the opinion of a trusted child psychologist to determine if your child is equal to it.



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Kb Lim asked:


What makes homeschooling better than traditional schooling? Lately, there is a rising trend in families choosing to homeschool their child than send their child to a traditional educational institution.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of homeschooling over traditional schooling:

1. Flexible Schedule

Homeschooling enables a flexible schedule. For example, the child does not need to wake up at 7 every morning. With homeschooling, your child can start homeschooling at 9am or later depending on your preferred schedule. You can schedule your child’s homeschooling education as you see fit with materials or subjects that may be not available in a traditional school.

You can tailor the homeschool curriculum to suit the needs and interest of your child.

2. Individual attention

In a traditional school setting, thirty to forty students are assigned to a teacher in class. Therefore usually, the teacher cannot devote 100 percent attention to any child since it will not be fair to the other children. Plus, it is quite impossible to provide individual attention to all students.

With homeschooling, your child gets all the individual attention he/she needs. For example, if your child is weak in mathematics, you could devote more time and energy into teaching mathematics.

Your child’s homeschooling schedule can be adjusted to crater for that. For example, if your child is better at science than at mathematics, simple devote more homeschooling hours to mathematics and cut back on science. With homeschooling, the choice is yours. Traditional schools can’t do that.

3. Family Activity

The schooling of the child can become an extended family activity. Examples are field trips and experiments. Plus, the child also receives more quality time with his/her parents. There is more time for family bonding. The child is also free of any negative peer pressure or influences.

4. No peer pressure

With homeschooling, the child does not need to prove his/her abilities to other children. Parents are able to deeply understand their child better with homeschooling and therefore are able to plan the learning program according to his strengths and weakness.

Parents can also change the curriculum to suit the learning style of the child. For example, some children learn better from reading while others need to write. Some children even learn better from experiencing or seeing things in action.

5. Religion Learning

Religious learning is a sensitive issue hence most traditional schools shunned it. However, with homeschooling, parents can take control over the moral and religious learning of the child. Parents can impart their ideologies and deep beliefs into the child rather than let the school dictate what moral and religious education the child will be receiving.

Homeschooling is the best way to educate a child as you can see from the advantages listed below. If you have the time, the interest and the ability, why not give it a try?



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Warren Yarnall asked:


Of course in America there are many options to educating our children. There are public schools, private schools, charter schools, Montessori schools and, of course, the option of home schooling. There are advocates of both home schooling and public schooling. Those of us who don’t home school, which is still the majority of Americans, need to fully understand the reasons why people choose to home school their children.

Religious or Philosophical Convictions:

Religion is not permitted in the public schools. Many families feel that religion needs to be a larger part of their child’s education than that which the public schools allow.

People who have deep religious beliefs show great passion. These are the individuals who are passionate about their children’s education and feel that only they are able to teach them to the best of their ability and the content that they feel they should be learning. The home schooling parent is in charge, they call the shots and they like it that way.

Socialization:

Some people that don’t understand home schooling believe that it is confining rather than socializing. But those individuals that believe that are stuck in thinking about the stereotypical socialization of an age-based classroom. Children that are home schooled are exposed to social situations in a mixed age range. They have “age-mates” instead of “class-mates”.

Many home schoolers feel that their children need to be exposed to the appropriate ways to behave not inappropriate. They feel that their child should be exposed to the model behavior of people who have learned to make decisions and handle themselves in various social settings. By being exposed to appropriate modeling of social behavior, home-schooled children will learn how to act appropriately.

Parents of home schooled children can also see when their child “gets-it” when they model for a younger child appropriate behavior.

Home-schooled children get a reality based social lesson. On a daily basis they see adults they know, love and trust manage and balance life day to day. Modeled for them is academics balanced with real life chores; caring for a sick friend or neighbor, shoveling the driveway and walkway, doing the grocery shopping and dropping of the dry cleaning, cooking dinner while folding laundry, putting laundry away and talking on the phone with Aunt Sara. These are real life situations that home schoolers are exposed to and public school children are often sheltered from or are privy to a controlled school environment.

Academics:

Home schoolers have several advantages over publicly schooled children. The curriculum is designed specifically for them – not for children their age and what children at a particular age are expected to know and learn. Public schools differentiate instruction the best they can. However, a home-schooled child has a curriculum tailored to their needs. They may read at a 4 th grade level, spell at a 3 rd grade level and complete math at a 6 th grade level.

A home-schooled child is neither rushed nor not given enough time. There are no other children to “keep busy” so they are free to work at their pace and move as quickly or as slowly as need be.

Much research has been done on how children learn best. A home-schooled child is not only taught by the person who knows them best in the entire world but also since they are the only student, the learning style never has to be varied. If a student learns best through music, then the curriculum of a home-schooled child can be tailored to meet their needs so they will be more successful.

Home-schooled children get to spend more quality time as a family. They are not trapped in a traditional school setting for 6 hours a day but are free to spend quality time as a family every day.

It is said that parents are a child’s first teacher. Families that home school want to continue to be their child’s teacher because they feel that their children need the guidance of their family and God and not the guidance of someone hired to do a job that is naturally theirs from the day their child was born.



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Donald Saunders asked:


If you discover that your child is struggling in a public school and is becoming increasingly downcast as the weeks roll by then home schooling may be an option that you should look at. If so, be prepared for a changeover period after removing the child from the public school system before jumping into ‘full-time’ home schooling.

If your child is in public school at the moment then you will have to start by acquainting yourself with the home schooling laws in your state. Be certain that you can comply with all of your state’s requirements before you take any action. Once you are confident that you can meet all of the state requirements you should contact your child’s school and inform them that you are removing. If you fail to formally remove your child then this may lead to truancy issues at a later date. You must also be prepared for them to question your action and possibly to resist your action.

The manner in which you withdraw your child will depend on where you live however it will frequently involve simply writing a letter to the superintendent of schools. You will have to inform the superintendent that you have decided to school your child at home. You will also have to provide proof that you are complying with your state’s laws and that you are legally allowed to remove your child from school. If you are able to quote part of the law in your letter then this will show that you are acquainted with the law and your rights to home school your child.

Having taken care of the formalities you ought then to consider the following:

1. Your child is not a prisoner of the rules and regulations of the public school system any more and should be given some time come to terms with the change. In view of this, you ought not to rush headlong into full time schooling but ought to allow your child a bit of time to get used to this new lifestyle.

2. Take some time to get to know each other again. You might think that you know your child however you might be surprised to find that you do not know him at all. You may discover that there are parts of your child’s character that you did not know were there and he may also learn a few new things about you as well.

3. Do not be shocked if your child does one or two things that he has grown used to doing at school. Some new home school children will put their hand up when they have a question or when they have to use the restroom. It may take some time to do but those habits will disappear eventually.

4. Try to hang on to some of the better habits that he has learned at school. If, for instance, your child is in the habit of having spelling tests on a set day of the week then add this into your home schooling plan. If you let him stop doing everything he did in public school then you may end up with more problems than you are solving.

5. Take the time to enjoy home schooling with your child. Choosing to home school is of course above all for the student however it should also be a pleasure for you as well. Do not take yourself too seriously and cut yourself some slack and have fun. Perhaps most important of all do not forget just why you elected to home school and enjoy the independence that home schooling affords.



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Michelle Bery asked:


The face of schooling has changed over the years. From learning at home from one’s family, to one room school houses that served as the classroom for children of many ages, to schools housed in massive buildings where students have access to resources that used to be reserved for the finest universities, schools have constantly evolved throughout contemporary history. Today we are witnessing a reversal of that trend as more and more students find themselves out of the public schools and back at home receiving a home school education.

There are many reasons that parents may opt to provide their children with a home school education. Some parents prefer a home school education because public schools are not legally allowed to provide religious guidance and instruction. Other parents may believe that a home school education can provide higher and more stringent academic standards, or a safer learning environment than the public schools can offer. For others, a home school education is the best option because the parents travel extensively, or the child has special needs that are best met at home. For those reasons, and many more, home school education is a booming business that is gaining momentum with each passing year.

For those who are considering home school education, and those who are already engaged in that endeavor, there are several factors on which to focus. Public schools offer more than just academic instruction, and a good home school education needs to fill those gaps in order to be most effective.

Socialization is a primary concern of many parents who provide a home school education for their children. While students can learn the “Three R’s” at public school or at home, they also need to learn how to share, listen, take turns, and get along with others. Students who are receiving a home school education are often enrolled in clubs, sports, and other extra curricular activities that will help develop the child’s socialization skills.

Educational resources are another element of education in which home school education must strive to match the level of the public schools. Public libraries, internet, and specialized home school education publishers and curriculums can help parents provide an adequate and effective home school education for their children.

Ultimately what matters most is that our children are educated. Recent studies show that children receiving a home school education perform as well, and in many cases better, than their counterparts in public and private schools on standardized tests. That success has continued even after students leave the comfort of a home school education and move on to colleges and universities. Parents who feel that their education options are lacking might consider a home school education. It could be the best fit for their child and their family’s needs.



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Peter Johnson asked:


Record Keeping is a topic which is frequently bought up at homeschooling meetings and forums, and its importance in the homeschooling curriculum can not be overlooked. Record Keeping for homeschooling is not only legally required in various States, but also provides important goals in your child’s learning experience. An interest-initiated homeschooling approach means that the topic of studies is far ranging and diverse. It can become very confusing to write accurate homeschooling reports, due to the interest-initiated approach to learning being so difficult to classify and pigeon-hole.

Record keeping in homeschooling is vital not only for the sake of regulations, but is also an exciting way to record and document the learning process of the child. When most of the learning is done through play and there is no clear indication of topics that have to be covered, it becomes necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log which records the child’s progress.

The method for your record keeping can be as simple as a piece of paper and and as complex as a computer pro gramme- it is completely up to you to decide which method will be more effective. If you are participating in a support group, you most likely have set forms and requirements. However, staying on top of daily assignments and reports will make the process so much more efficient and easily achievable in the homeschooling environment.

The most popular record keeping methods used by various home schools are listed below.

Daily planner:

Lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher’s planning notebook. Check each item as it is covered, and make additional notes if issues arise which might be improved on in the next semester. Maintain a separate area where any additional things can be recorded. This may include educational trips, visits and videos, homeschooling online materials etc. Any extra topics that were covered should also be recorded in this area. Make sure you make a summary at least once every quarter.

Journal:

This can be maintained by either the teacher or the student. This basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was done in the homeschooling sessions. No only is keeping a journal of your homeschooling a fantastic way to reminisce in the future, it is also a means to monitor the effectiveness of your teaching and your child’s interpretations of the homeschooling process.

Portfolios:

This consists of a collection of diverse materials that display what the child has achieved and done during the course of his/her homeschooling study. Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to chart the child’s progress. It gives structure to the otherwise loose and flexible form of schooling called homeschooling. A drawing portfolio will consist of some paintings or sketches that are considered the best in that quarter. A language portfolio may consist of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters. Progress in subjects such as mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social studies can all be recorded in this manner. The biggest advantage is that portfolio assessment places control in the hands of the home schooled child. Having a tangible record of what they have achieved in their homeschooling will only serve to motivate them to achieve more and more.

Conclusion

Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased record-keeping systems that lay out a great checklist and help to automate the homeschooling process. There is now an abundance of homeschooling organizers and planners available online- do use due diligence when considering homeschooling products- preferable use a recommendation where you can see how effective the product is going to be. Whichever method of record keeping you decide on for your homeschooling, it is an essential part of the homeschooling process and will be beneficial to initiate from the start. You never know, your child’s future may depend on this system of record-keeping.



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Low Jeremy asked:


Home schooling programs vary from state to state in the U.S. As a personal option of parents for their children, the need to comply does not end in enrolling. Parents play a big role in its success.

In California, it is a compulsory for all children to acquire public or private schooling and be given the right education. Under the educational codes of California, methods of exemptions to the mandatory school attendance have alternative learning options as follows:

1. The child has private tutors who have valid credentials for specific subject matter. The number of hours of instruction must be three hours a day, 175 hours a year. All parents who opt for this choice at their discretion do not need to send the child to formal schooling.

2. Home Study Program (HSP) and Charter Schools of California – Parents have the option to enroll their child to the nearest public school for a home-based study program, where the school will assign a teacher who will facilitate and check the student’s home-schooling on a monthly basis. The tutorial program sessions are under the parent’s responsibility at home.

3. Private Independent Study Program – almost similar to public chartered school enrollment with differences in curriculum and rigidity in training. Private schools in California are not required with heavy restrictions on credentials.

4. Complying R4 Form (Private School Affidavit) – Home education system can be established by individuals in their respective homes by just complying the requirements set by educational codes of California Department of Education. With least restriction from among the alternative methods of home-schooling schemes, this is purely a program for very few students of not more than five attending schooling at home in a very private environment.

Certainly, change in a child’s schooling scheme affects parental goals and orientation. The advantage of institutionalized schooling is the amount of time parents get liberated to spend on their career while their children get the substantial education they pay for. Home schooling on the other hand, requires the entire time of parent participation, which is a great career sacrifice in exchange of personally educating a child. The price is spending quality time and close bonding with the child.

Assuming how the child will have substantial positive socialization is the main consideration of home schooling. To families of reputation or those who have “special child,” the need for home schooling is not questionable. The correct formula to child education cannot be determined because the whole process will not be projected by imagination. It happens in a span of decades.



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James Brown asked:


The decision on whether or not to home school your child can be a very difficult one to make. Most two income families may not be willing to make a financial sacrifice when one of them will have to give up work to take on the reigns as a teacher in a home school set-up. Many are even thinking on whether or not their children will still obtain the same level of education in a home school set-up.

There are many more concerns about home schooling but despite certain apprehensions home schooling is on the rise. There are various reasons why many parents are considering home schooling education. If you are thinking about home schooling your child, it is important for you to consider several factors.

Your commitment to time is one important factor to consider. Home schooling will have the tendency to take up a lot of your time most of the day. Home schooling is not merely sitting down for several hours with books. There is more to it as it involves experiments, activities and projects plus lesson plan preparation, grading of papers, music lessons, field trips and so much more. To get an idea of a typical day, you can always research online for a sample schedule.

Home schooling entails personal sacrifice. As a home schooling parent, you may not have that much personal time for yourself as you will be spending a great deal of time with your child. The parent can feel overwhelmed if he or she will not allot personal time for himself or herself.

Home schooling will require one parent to stop working and sacrifices will have to be made if the family is used to having two sources of income. The gravity of the problem increases when you are a single parent.

It is of utmost importance in any home school set-up that the child be given enough time for socialization. It is essential to get your child together with his or her friends. With home schooling though, you get control over your child’s social encounters. One drawback of home schooling is that it can isolate your child so you must prepare him or her with the necessary social skills to be able to socialize with other children.

Both of the parents must agree to home schooling. Chances for its success are slimmer if one is not in favor of it. It is also very important that the child is willing to be home schooled. Critical to the success of home schooling is a willing student. You might have a hard time teaching your unwilling child. The decision though rests ultimately on the parents.

Every parent knows that education is very important to ensure any child’s future. There is more to home schooling and your time, commitment and involvement is very much important. If you are considering home schooling, associate with other parents in the area who are into home schooling their children for some helpful tips and advice. A good network will help in the planning process and sharing of ideas is very much possible.



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Tango Pang asked:


Deciding to home school your children is a big decision to make. Now that you have decided it is the right thing for your family, you certainly have to make sure that your children are getting the best out of the entire learning experience. Having a home school group is a great way to make sure that it happens.

So What is a Home School Group?

A home school group is something that every home school atmosphere can and should take advantage of. You can have a school group with other children who are being home schooled in your town or city. When you have a home school group meeting, all of the children who are being home schooled will be able to get together, to talk, and to share their learning experiences.

A home school group is very important to the development of your home schooled child. One of the benefits of home schooling is that you can be in charge of what your kid is learning, how, and when the learning taking place.

However, one of the major drawbacks of home schooling is that your child is not getting the socialization that is necessary for good social development. If you have a home school group that meets quite often, you are going to be giving your children the right dose of socialization as well.

There are several things that a home school group can probably do. They can get together to participate in sports, or they can even get together to have certain learning classes at the same time. You can also go on field trips with your group.

You can even do things together in a home school group that your children would do in regular school, like holiday parties and other events. If you can have a home school group that your children can be a part of all the time, they are going to also learn how to get along well with others, and you are going to have a well rounded child.

You should check with your local home school association to see if there is already a home school group that your children can join, when you decide to home school them. Having kids at home, but also giving them the support of a home school group is very important to their development as a whole. Remember that this is something that every home schooled child should be a part of during their lives.



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Kris Koonar asked:


Henry ward Beecher once said, “The mother’s heart is a child’s class room”. This is quite true. Being a mother, you can teach your child through the process of homeschooling. This is one of the best options if you want your child to be safe from the dangerous public situations and inculcate strong family bonds in him or her. For moms, this is the most exciting and rewarding journey to play the role of both as a mother and teacher. These days quite a number of such homeschooling moms could be found in church and towns. However, there are certain steps to follow, not only to be successful in homeschooling, but also prove to be beneficial for the mothers.

Here are some homeschooling tips for mothers, to help guide them through the process of teaching.

Be clear with your approach: First make a firm decision to opt for homeschooling and you should have a strong reason, why you opted for it. There could be many reasons such as safety of your child, individual attention in academics, religious or philosophical. You should be very much clear with your approach, before you plan out for your homeschooling program of your own and execute the program to guide your children in the right track.

Update self with the homeschooling programs: Usually education laws change and varies in different town and state. It would be better, if you can consult the local school district authority to know the basic requirements of the homeschooling programs in your area. Some of the schools may require a strict curriculum, whereas others may specify particular subjects to be covered.

Be flexible and patient: Till now you were playing the role of a mother, but now having decided to homeschool your child, you become a teacher as well. It is a very difficult job, as some moms could be pushovers. But, on the other hand the teacher’s qualities in you would expect excellence, as the target or goal is productive education.

Discuss with other homeschooling parents: Internet or the local community groups are the best way to find other homeschooling parents. Parents can meet to discuss about the kids’ science projects, field activities and seek support and advice. However, once there is a get together, new ideas may open up to adopt new process for homeschooling. You can discuss various homeschooling approaches or methods, which could be implemented and prove to be effective. This kind of discussion or get-together can also help to broaden views and the social life circle, which would help the kids too to interact with other home schooling kids.

A working relationship could be developed: Try to develop a working relationship with your child by sitting together and setting the goals. This will make him feel more attached to the studies, as you are also working with him.

Be organized and fix a time and place for studies: You must have noticed that those who have home offices have a specified area or place to conduct business. There is no involvement in family activities during the working hours. Similarly, when you start a homeschooling, its better to keep a specific place for kids, where they can study at the fixed time. The place should be well lit, neat and clean. A secluded area in the home would keep away any kind of distraction. Or the kids may not be able to concentrate and develop interest in studies.

Design a method to evaluate your child: There are programs, which are set to evaluate the child either yearly or quarterly wise. This includes an oral test, project report, test, or anything as per the criteria of the programs.

There are children who have succeeded to achieve best results and these are the same children raised by a homeschooling mother. Follow the above mentioned tips and you could train your child to be the best, as you are able to provide not only the academic knowledge, but also to induce moral and spiritual values.



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