As a parent, you will always want the best for your child. This is especially true when it comes to their education. Remember, though, that not all educational institutions are created equal, and there may be times when you will feel that your local school’s educational system is not up to your standards. There is also the possibility of your child getting bullied or losing interest in studying. This is a risk all parents take when they send their kids to school.
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The good news is that there is an alternative way for your child to get the best education possible, all under your watchful eye. Why not try homeschooling? What is homeschooling, though? How effective is homeschooling? How does homeschooling work? This article aims to show you the key benefits of homeschooling, its potential setbacks, and how to conduct it effectively and efficiently.
What Is Homeschooling?
Before we get started, we should address an important question: what is homeschooling, and how does it work?
Homeschooling is a progressive movement wherein parents choose to educate their children at home. According to studies, around 2 million kids are homeschooled in the US, and the numbers continue to grow.
The number of homeschooled kids has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Children were no longer mandated to attend school personally and had their classes conducted via remote learning. This may seem like homeschooling; however, it is very different.
Homeschooling entails the parent taking a more active role in the child’s education. Remote learning, on the other hand, is far less personal, and your child may get overlooked by the teacher.
Overall, homeschooling is a great option for parents who want to educate their kids personally. But before you start on the homeschooling journey, you should know the answer to these: how does being homeschooled work, and what are its benefits?
Benefits of Homeschooling
As a means of education, homeschooling is quite innovative and effective. Many parents nowadays choose to homeschool their kids and have positive results. Here are some of the key benefits of homeschooling.
A More Efficient Curriculum
A key setback that traditional schooling has is an inefficient curriculum. Remember that each child is unique and will have different aptitudes. Most traditional school systems are too broad.
They will cover an overly large number of subjects without considering whether the child is thriving. By homeschooling, you can observe your children’s aptitude and create a curriculum to help them achieve their full potential. How does a homeschool curriculum work? Make sure to do ample research, and implement what you learned in your child’s homeschooling.
Children Will Learn According to Their Pace
As stated earlier, every child is unique. This means that kids will learn at different paces. Some children have faster comprehension and thus learn a specific subject quicker, while some need more time to progress.
In more traditional school systems, some kids will get left behind academically. With the homeschooling method, each child will have ample time to develop.
Closer Bond Between Parents and Children
Yet another benefit of homeschooling is a closer bond between parents and their children. The child will interact with the parent more and foster a more open and progressive relationship.
Homeschooling your child will give your more opportunities to get to know each other and get closer. It’s important to build bonds early on for a longer-lasting and stronger relationship with your kid. Plus, kids who grow up with parents who are present and supportive will be happier and be more well-adjusted adults.
Emotional Growth
Children are often emotionally sensitive and impressionistic, and they need constant affirmation and love from their parents. Some parents are too busy and leave this part to the teachers at school.
However, not all teachers are equipped nor have the luxury of time to lavish attention on just one child. This is where homeschooling truly shines. The parent will be present to give their child all the love and affirmation they need.
Potential Setbacks of Homeschooling
While homeschooling is a great way to educate your child, you should know that it is not foolproof. No educational method is perfect, and there may be setbacks along the way. With this short list, you can spot these potential setbacks and mitigate their effects.
Lack of Social Interaction
Although homeschooling is very effective and can help you develop a closer relationship with your kids, there is a chance that your child may feel isolated. Remember that they will need to interact with kids their own age.
Lack of social interaction, especially at a young age, may result in your child not developing the right social skills.
To mitigate this risk, you could have your child go on playdates with other kids. This will allow your child to develop strong and lasting relationships.
High Cost of Homeschooling
As you homeschool your child, you may notice that it can get costly. You will need to invest in educational aids to help your child along the learning process.
There will also be subjects you will not know of, so you may need to hire a professional tutor. Private tutors could be costly and paid by the hour.
As a rule, you should ensure that you are financially stable enough to pay for your child’s homeschooling before you take the next step.
Possible Lack of Facilities
When homeschooling, it is important that your home is properly equipped with the right learning equipment. You’ll need a stable internet connection, a laptop, and access to books.
You may also need a quiet place for your child’s workspace. You should address this issue before you have your child homeschooled. Most traditional schools have the facilities, from computer rooms to science laboratories, have the amenities to facilitate better learning. It’s impossible to have these facilities built at home unless you’re willing to spend a lot of money. Therefore, you must figure out where you can get access to these before you even begin homeschooling your child.
Time Constraints
One of the biggest setbacks in homeschooling is the fact that it can take up a lot of your time. This is a setback because most parents have to go to work and may not have the free time to take a more active role in their child’s education.
This can be addressed by proper scheduling and hiring a professional tutor to supplement the teaching process. Overall, you should learn how to work and homeschool at the same time.
Key Tips for Homeschooling
Now that you know the benefits and setbacks of homeschooling, it is time to address the question: how do homeschool methods work? Here are some key tips on how to effectively homeschool your child.
Invest in the Right Equipment
Before you consider homeschooling your child, you should ensure that you invest in the right equipment. Remember that many schools invest a great deal of money in equipment, such as laboratory tools for science experiments, supplies for arts and crafts, and other educational aids. The most basic equipment you could have is a desktop computer or laptop.
You will also need a stable internet connection. Tutorial and activity books will also prove useful. Sometimes, your child will participate in online group classes, so a pair of good-quality headphones and speakers will prove useful.
Get Professional Help
While many parents homeschool their kids, there is no set rule that you can’t ask professional homeschool teachers for help. Sometimes, your own store of knowledge will not be enough.
Don’t be too prideful to ask for help. There are many homeschool teachers who are more than willing to help.
Before you hire any private teachers, you should ensure they are trustworthy. Always do a background check on them, and make sure that they have the right credentials. You should also make sure that the study sessions are under your strict supervision. Remember that your child is very vulnerable, so you should be careful.
Create A Comfy Workspace
An important aspect of homeschooling your child is the workspace. Remember that every child needs a comfortable workspace to thrive. If the workspace is uncomfortable or badly lit, your child will also have a hard time learning.
You should invest in a sturdy desk and office chair. The desk should be neither too high nor too low for your child. The seat should also be the right size and provide good back support.
You should also make sure that your child’s workspace has proper lighting. Your child is still developing physically. If they have to study in a badly lit room, they risk developing eye problems in the long run.
Customize Your Child’s Curriculum
If you want your child to achieve their full potential, you must customize your child’s curriculum. Remember that every child has different aptitudes, so it is up to you to check which subjects they are interested in and focus on these.
Establish A Set Schedule
When you homeschool your child, you should make sure that there is a set schedule that you will follow every day. You should ponder the question: how many hours a day do homeschoolers work?
When setting up a schedule, it is important to be as efficient as possible. Remember that long study sessions are not conducive to learning because the child may lose interest in the long run.
As a rule, you should have your classes for a maximum of one hour. By doing so, your child can absorb your lessons and not risk losing interest.
Teach Your Child Core Values
Developing core values in kids is crucial. Children can learn academics at any part of their lives; however, good values can only be developed in a child in the early stages.
You should include a faith-based approach in your curriculum if you are religious. Your approach will depend on your chosen faith, of course. Suppose your family is Christian. You could make Bible study sessions a part of your child’s curriculum.
Taking the time to conduct classes on values and ethics will ensure that your child is academically competent and morally upright.
Have A Merit System
While children’s minds are easy to mold, some may have difficulty when it comes to focusing on their studies. Establish a merit system for your child’s study sessions. Whenever your child gets good test scores or does something right, you should occasionally reward them.
This is positively reinforcing desirable behaviors and recognizing their accomplishments. This will instill a sense of initiative and have your child strive harder to succeed. On that note, you should also check this: how does homeschool graduation work? The feeling of progression will also give your child a goal to strive for.
Join Study Groups
Although homeschooling is effective, studying alone could get stifling for a child in the long run. With this in mind, you should have your child join study groups. This will allow your child to interact with kids of similar ages and have fun. Before you join a study group, answer the question: how does a homeschool group work?
The study groups must be well planned out. All the classes must be designed to cultivate the minds of all the children in the group. You should also ensure that the class takes place somewhere conducive to the learning process.
You could have the children meet up in a local cafe or library. However, you should remember that these places are too loud or constraining for the children. A great option is to have the meetings at one of the children’s homes each week. That way, the kids can take the classes in comfort.
Conclusion
Education has always been a major concern for many parents. This is understandable because not all schools are made equal. There are also potential dangers, such as bullying and loss of interest. Homeschooling allows you to control the risks and maximize the benefits. You can be sure that your child is getting the attention and support that they need. With this article, you’ll know all you need about homeschooling and how to do it properly.
