For centuries parents have been keen on their children's education, taking the initiative of teaching them at home.
Despite such arrangements, public schooling continued to reign in the academic sector until recently, when most people began to see more value in homeschooling.
As a result, the number of individuals who prefer their children to learn at home has increased, sparking discussions on the advantages of homeschooling.
Homeschoolers often choose to educate their children at home due to the various benefits inherent in homeschooling.
For those considering homeschooling as an option, you might be wondering just what these benefits are.
Studies have shown all sorts of benefits to homeschooling, here are some of them which can help ensure you make the best decision regarding your child's academic life.
What are the Benefits of Homeschooling?
Homeschooling encompasses various ideas and techniques. However, the most common is that parents have the final say regarding the curriculum their children get to learn.
But there are many other advantages of homeschooling:
1. Studies Can be Tailored to Individual Strengths
Homeschooling means you have significantly less students to teach than a public school teacher.
And, of course, no-one knows your children better than you do!
The opportunity to give your kids a customised education, tailored to their own individual aptitudes, strengths and interests is one of the greatest advantages of homeschooling.
Homeschooling gives parents insight into their child's learning style as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses.
This allows them to customise a curriculum and find the teaching style that best fits their child.
Homeschooling also means that the teaching parent can give each child special attention to ensure they grasp everything that is being taught.
2. Love of Learning
Homeschooling is often geared towards making learning fun and engaging, setting the stage for a lifelong love of learning.
This love of learning is something that may get lost in a public school setting, where a child may be at a level different than the class's teachings or may associate learning with boredom.
By its nature, a public schooling system enforces pre-developed curricula on its students.
In many cases, teachers then need to offer overly simplified explanations for all the learners to benefit.
This result in a curriculum being covered more slowly, and faster or slower students missing out.
With homeschooling, parents choose the type of curriculum, the complexity and the pace it is covered at.
3. Readiness
Homeschooling gives the opportunity to teach your child in whatever capacity and at whatever level he or she is.
Some children, for instance, may be highly skilled in reading and read at an early age, but find handwriting a challenge.
Others may write beautifully but struggle with maths or science concepts.
There are a great many variations across the learning spectrum, and homeschooling allows parents to work with these strengths and weaknesses.
Social readiness is another benefit of homeschooling - that is, being able to socialize your child at his or her own pace in settings he or she finds comfortable.
4. Testing is Optional
Homeschool programs do not have fixed testing periods, or indeed any tests at all, so the parents can decide whether the child is ready or needs a test or not.
As children get older, parents may decide to give them some typical academic experiences in preparation for college or university.
In such an instance, the parent can use online paper writing services to ensure the child learns some of the skills involved in formal writing or use other paid programmes to help their child progress.
In the US, and increasingly in the UK, a high school transcript written by the parent is sufficient for university entry.
Although formal exam programmes such as GCSEs and A levels in the UK, or SATs in the US, can also be pursued through external organisations.
Read more: Unschooling
5. Real Life Experience
Homeschooling leaves a lot of time for the students to learn about their environment, travel, and enjoy the freedom of a flexible schedule.
As a result, they get the chance to explore and develop other aspects of their learning, for example, within their community or by spending time with older people forming friendships and learning about their lives.
One of the fears of those outside homeschooling is around 'socialisation' as children are not exposed to a large number of children their own age as they are in a public school setting.
But 'home' schooling happens only a small part of the time at home!
They run errands with their parents, learn DIY and practical skills, spend time in their community, talk to people on field trips and in museums, attend homeschool groups or co-ops, and spend time with a wide variety of people of all ages in many walks of life.
In fact, you might argue that homeschoolers are out experiencing interpersonal reactions in the world with a wide range of people, while public school kids are sitting in desks forbidden to talk to each other apart from during a short daily recess!
Homeschooled kids get exposed to the post-academic world - the world outside of school - at an early age, which may better prepare them for the future.
Read more: The 6 Realities of Home Education
6. Children are Safer
We've all seen the news reports of knife crime in schools, terror and gun attacks, alcohol and drug use among teens, bullying and more.
Homeschooled kids are less exposed to these bad influences and dangers, and parents are better able to keep track of their child's friendships.
As a result, it is much easier to ensure the child is associated with the right people, reducing the chances of engaging with peers of questionable character.
Freedom from bullying is also a big factor for parents choosing to remove their children from public school.
Bullying is a major concern in today's schools and freedom from bullying is a significant benefit of homeschooling.
Children learn in a safe environment and can concentrate on their school work, rather than being worried about their next encounter with the school bullies - or that teacher that's mean to them!
Read more: Could You Home Educate Your Kids?
7. Family Time
Many families are concerned about the lack of family time in our modern world.
Between work, school, and extracurricular activities, many parents and children find it difficult to find time to spend together.
Homeschooling families spend a lot of time together and learn a great deal about each other in the process.
Rather than being on the getting ready for school conveyor belt every morning and the getting homework and dinner done conveyor belt every night, they have the freedom to spend their time as they choose.
Homeschooling takes significant less time each day than public school, so there is plenty of time to do other things.
They can bring history alive with field trips, follow a particular interest, channel energy into a sport or musical passion, spend every afternoon doing art or ballet or fun science experiments.
This freedom to follow interests and spend time as you please is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling.
Homeschooling has many benefits and advantages. This article has presented some of these, enabling you, as a parent, to decide on the best approach for schooling your child.
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