What Do You Think about Homeschooling Kids?
«What do you think about homeschooling kids? Is it safe/can they still learn well enough outside of normal school settings?»
Homeschooling is an increasingly popular option for families. In general, research shows that homeschooled children do as well (or even better) than school-educated children on measures of academic achievement, social, emotional, and psychological development. However, we cannot assume that children do well because they are homeschooled. The reason why homeschooled children do well might be that their families are very involved, that they have more resources, more time to be with them… There are a variety of reasons explaining why they do well, other than the fact that they are homeschooled.
If you are thinking about homeschooling your child, you should consider whether it is the right option for your child and for you. Typically, parents choose to homeschool their children when they are struggling in a traditional setting, when they want to give them a different education experience, or when traditional schooling does not fit their own lifestyle.
If you are considering homeschooling, take some time to learn what is involved. Consider issues such as:
- Does your child want to be homeschooled?
- Are you up for it? Homeschooling your child is a massive responsibility. You become not ony the parent, but a teacher, a headteacher, an administrator… You must prepare, plan, organie, and keep your child’s session plans, tests, and projects.
- Are you up to being with your child all day long everyday?
- Can your afford/are you OK not being able to work outside the home or cutting down your hours significantly?
- Are you willing to facilitate your child’s social life? Your child will need to socialize with other children and to achieve that you will need to get him involved in extracurricular activities, what takes some extra effort from your part.
In sum, homeschooling is not better or worse for children than attending school, it depends on your child and your family’s characteristics.
You may find these articles useful:
Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA): Everything You Need to Know
My Daughter Has No Interest in School
Why Is my Son Failing School and How Can I Help?
I hope this information helps. I wish you and your family all the very best.
Love,
Ana
