Home School College

Amar Mahallati asked:


Why should you homeschool? Why you opt to do so, or not, is a personal choice; those who choose to do so have many different reasons. Some parents want to instill certain values, while others want to protect their children from what they see as an unsafe public school environment. Still others think that they can provide a more superior education than the school system can. However, the most common reason is that parents simply think homeschooling is better for their children.

Just what “better” means can vary from parent to parent, but it means the exclusion of certain things as well as the inclusion of others. For instance, children who homeschool are seen as being less susceptible to peer pressure or bullying. Simply put, however, the opinion that homeschooling can provide a better education versus that of public or standard private schools has been quite well researched.

Studies, in fact, agree that homeschooling is generally educationally superior versus public or private schooling in the vast majority of cases.

For proof, we can look at many individual success stories. The winner of the 1997 national spelling bee was a homeschooled student. In addition, one family of four sisters who had all been homeschooled went on to get Master’s degrees from an Ivy League college. One young lady who had been homeschooled went to college and got her Master’s degree by age 16.

Now, detractors might dismiss such achievements as rare and unusual; the students and/or their parents were simply of genius IQ, right? However, the number of people in the world who have a genius IQ is not high enough to account for the steady rate of success among homeschooled students in these areas. Members have said in general the students who are homeschooled are in the 60th to 70th percentiles by the age of 12. On average, this means that these students test at least a grade ahead of their public school peers.

The numbers are even better for older students. By the time a homeschooled student reaches what is the equivalent of eighth grade, that student is roughly four grades ahead of his or her peers. This is as much due to the poor results public school generally provides as it is to the impressive accomplishments of homeschoolers. These numbers, in fact, are not just provided by those who advocate homeschooling, but by the US Department of Education itself.

Simply put, homeschooling works. Of course, most homeschooling parents know that this is not easy. Parents who homeschool often experience burnout, especially when they’re just starting out. It takes a lot of work to teach young people everything they need to know educationally, in addition to being the parent. To expect excellence from one’s children as students and function in the role of teacher takes extra effort. Therefore, the focus is on the parent in homeschooling efforts even more so than it is in general.

Homeschooling parents in general insist that children are natural sponges for knowledge. Although this may be true, many homeschooling parents nonetheless feel that they need to research curriculum options, define goals, and guide their children’s education, as well as a myriad of other tasks on a day-to-day basis. Parents who homeschool but who have not been well educated themselves also face the additional challenge of educating themselves even as they educate their children. They may have to catch up on their own educations before they can truly function as teachers for their own children.

Nonetheless, homeschooling advocates say that the results are worth the effort. Indeed, studies bear this out, as homeschooled students are usually well-adjusted, deep thinking individuals who are ready for whatever challenges life may throw at them.



Pedro

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?



Erica

Donald Saunders asked:


Despite the fact that Homeschooling is legal in every state, the choice to homeschool your children is not one which you should take lightly. Extensive research and discussion will be necessary if you are to make the right decision. But, how do you tell whether homeschooling will be the correct choice for your children?

Here are 6 questions which you must ask yourself when you are considering homeschooling as an option for your children.

1. Am I happy spending almost all of my day with my children?

An important reason for opting for homeschooling is frequently that people love their children and want what is thought to be best for them. Also, they really do enjoy spending time together with their children, which is a good thing since you will be spending all of your time with them. If you find that your children irritate you fairly easily then homeschooling may not be a good match for you.

2. Will questions worry me?

Homeschooling parents are generally asked a constant stream of questions about things like what curriculum they are using and about the affect which homeschooling has on their childrens’ development of good social skills. If you choose to homeschool your children then it helps if you do not mind answering the same old questions over and over again.

3. How can I find out all about homeschooling?

Begin by checking out the books at your public library where there is most likely a large selection of books that will furnish everything you will need to know. The staff at the library may even know whether there are any homeschoolers in the area, because the vast majority of homeschoolers rely heavily upon the library for source materials.

4. Am I going to have a support system available?

Locating support groups of other homeschoolers is very important and is frequently be done by getting onto the internet and searching for ‘homeschool groups in (your state)’ or ‘homeschooling groups in (your city)’. Homeschooling co-ops are available in a lot of cities as well as plenty opportunities for families to get together and have a bit of fun.

5. What do I do when I have other unanswered questions?

Having located some families which already homeschool you need to ask them about the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling. The majority of parents will be open about their reasons for deciding upon homeschooling and will be quite happy to share their experience and help you in making an informed decision. Question them about the types of problems they ran into when starting out and about things like how you should go about deciding on a curriculum and whether or not you should be worried about socialization for your children.

6. Which curriculum should I choose?

The curriculum choices open to you are wide in terms of both variety and often in terms of the price you will have to pay. Although you can have a ‘home school’ by choosing books which are very similar to those used in public schools, you can also have a homeschool without following a set curriculum. The books which you found in the library earlier will hopefully explain the different methods and given you a good idea of just what your children should be studying in each grade.

If you are contemplating homeschooling your children then finding the answers to the 6 questions laid out here should help you to make an informed decision. Although not everybody will decide to homeschool after researching this option, if you want to have a greater involvement in the education of your children then homeschooling may well be right for you.



Rosemary

Heritage homeschool asked:


In America, there was a time when the idea of homeschooling raised eyebrows of concern and could result in a visit from social services. A lack of trust by the government and public in general in a parent’s ability to educate their own children made homeschooling a bit of a stigma.

Even today in some circles, there are still many “old school” thinkers that go so far as to say that homeschooling is tantamount to deliberate child abuse. As ridiculous as that sounds to most of us, overcoming such ignorance has been a problem for some parents looking into homeschooling.

Overseas, it can be much worse. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, a law instituted under Hitler and still enforced today. German families who choose to home school must do so in secret and run the risk of arrest; or worse, having the state take their children away.

Performance of home schools versus public and private schools

It doesn’t take much effort or investigation to discover that homeschoolers excel above their public school counter parts in nearly every category. According to a study conducted by Dr. Lawrence Rudner:

• The average home schooled 8th grade student performs four grade levels above the national average.

• One in four home school students are enrolled in a grade level that is above their age level.

• In every grade and in every subject, home schooled students outperform both public and private school students.

Other studies confirm these findings, showing that home schooled students have a much higher college entry rate, score higher on SAT’s and ACT’s, have a higher rate of college graduation, and earn higher incomes in the workforce.

These numbers come despite the fact that about 25% of parents in America who choose to home school either never attended college, or attended but never received a degree. An additional 7-10% have only an Associate degree.

Why do homeschooled children perform so well?

The advantages to homeschooling are many, and are quite revealing as to why homeschooled children do so well.

One on one attention – Whenever a child needs assistance, the parent is there to give him or her full attention, whereas in public schools a teacher must divide their attention between dozens of children.

Ability to focus more time where needed – If a student excels in math, but flounders in science, then a parent can very easily devote as much time as is needed to teaching science. Public schools are regimented, with each subject receiving equal time regardless as to the performance of the student.

Homeschooled students move at their own pace – If a student excels in math then they can advance much quicker than students in a public school, where all students are required to move at the same pace.

Diminished distractions – The parents control the environment, and there is no peer pressure from other students trying to talk a homeschooled student into doing things other than school work or study.

Do parents need some kind of special training or certification?

Some states highly regulate home schools, requiring training and certification in some instances. However, studies show that there is virtually no difference in performance between homeschooled students in highly regulated states versus homeschooled students in states with little or no regulation.

The truth is that homeschooling is gaining in popularity and as such, more and more information and help materials are becoming available. The modern homeschooling parent can now effectively teach their children, regardless of the parent’s own education level, thanks to pre-developed curriculums such as those provided by Heritage Home School Academy.

Parents today can use these curriculums to guide their children. Some curriculums are so effective that parents can study ahead of their children in any subject for which they are lacking and effectively teach the same subject to their children. Furthermore, many children often “learn to learn,” reaching a point where they are able to teach themselves and follow a curriculum with little interaction required from the parent.

Each year more families choose to start homeschooling, spreading knowledge about its benefits, and erasing old stigmas along the way. For more information about homeschooling and home school curriculums, visit Heritage Home School Academy.



Pauline

Amar Mahallati asked:


Homeschooling is a special type of education, a do it yourself education, if you will. So, if it is a do it yourself education, just who is the “you?” Parents have hectic lives with work and other pursuits that benefit their children and family. It is somewhat of a challenge for many parents, particularly single parents, to find the time to devote to giving their children a full time education. So, what is the answer?

There I good news. Parents have a wide variety of homeschooling options. More than a million children are home schooled every year so it is obvious that parents are finding ways to make it work for them and their families. Those ways are as diverse as the parents themselves.

Often, in the case of a traditional, two parent family, they have an arrangement where one parent works outside of the home and the other works in the home. The one who works in the home also assumes the primary responsibility for homeschooling the children.

Many parents choose homeschooling for their children because they are dissatisfied with the quality of education as well as the values that are taught, implicitly or otherwise, in public schools.

However such traditional arrangements, one parent, usually the man, works, the other, usually the woman, cares for the home, is not the only option and certainly not the only choice that parents can make. The options have expanded exponentially since the 1960s. With the introduction of role reversals, same sex couples, extended families and many other less conventional families are emerging; alternatives in homeschooling education are presenting many more choices.

Many families, regardless of family structure, are making creative choices in selecting someone to educate their children. Some may invite an older relative or a friend into the home. This is an arrangement that actually goes back to a much older tradition. Whether it is an older aunt or uncle, a grandparent or a friend, that person can bring to the table valuable experiences and can often be exceptional homeschool education providers.

As the homeschooling movement has come to a point where second generation education is possible, children who were homeschooled are often homeschooling their own children. They are also often the best choices in providing homeschool education.

On the other hand, those who endured public school education also have many valuable contributions. They have many valuable life lessons to impart but they should take care to avoid falling back on public school methods.

Neighbors can provide homeschooling as can stay at home moms. These moms provide childcare services as well as incorporating homeschooling. Another option is to find a family who is already homeschooling their own children and have them take on your children as well.

Busy parents also have a somewhat newer facet to homeschooling but is centuries old and that is finding a tutor. In many other countries, tutors are often the primary education giver. In fact, the public school system which is modeled after the Prussian system of the 1800s is a relatively recent endeavor which has, for the most part, failed.

Tutors come is all varieties with a wide range of backgrounds. Some may specialize in a certain area such as music or languages while others have a broad background. Some are even former public or private school teachers who were unhappy with the system, yet love teaching.

Parents often mistakenly believe that they can not afford a private tutor to homeschool their children. However, they soon realize after research that this is simply not so. The cost of a tutor is somewhat nominal when the quality of the education is considered. They may even elect to start a home based business so that they can still be a part of their children’s lives while the tutor carries the bulk of the educational load.

Often parents will discover that children who are fairly motivated and independent thrive well in a homeschooling environment and the time required for schooling is actually less than anticipated. When a parent or tutor provides a child with guidance and resources the children largely teach themselves. This in itself makes tutoring far less expensive. One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that homeschooled children are usually at the top of their classes in college because their love for learning is self generated.

Before discounting homeschooling as a venture that will not work for you, take some time to explore all of your options.



Annette

Mimi Rothschild asked:


Homeschoolers engage in self directed learning far more than their publicly schooled counterparts. Homeschoolers quickly become self motivators and the self motivation they come to possess will last them their entire lives, making them responsible citizens in the future. How is it that homeschoolers become self-motivated learners?

First off, because homeschoolers are taught in the home setting, they already have two things going for them on the path to self-motivated, or self directed learning: homeschoolers have their parents as responsible role models, all day every day. Secondly, the homeschooler is not exposed to the poor behaviors of other children. Parents, by example, provide the homeschooler with myriad examples of self motivation and are available to encourage self-directed learning behaviors. Meanwhile, homeschoolers avoid the baneful affects of peer pressure, and they do not mimic the habits of less motivated students.

Homeschoolers develop enthusiasm for learning, because they are in a freer atmosphere than the publicly schooled child. Homeschoolers are encouraged to follow their own interests and will pursue such subjects with unmatched eagerness. The result: a strong sense of self directed learning develops. Homeschoolers establish their own challenges and their own educational adventures- making education a fun thing to embrace.

Homeschooling parents nurture their homeschoolers and urge them to be self directed learners. By acting as a guide to a subject, instead of an authoritarian instructor, homeschooling parents help their children learn without controlling how they learn. The homeschool objective is to allow the student to pursue areas of interest in an interesting way. One homeschooler may want to create a collage about an assignment they are learning, while another may want to write a report. Either way, the subject is mastered, and the homeschooler comes to enjoy the lesson because of the freedoms the child is allowed.

It’s no secret that children seek out the approval of their parents, and it is no different for the homeschooled child. Homeschoolers, eager to please their parents will strive to do their best on projects where self-directed learning is required. The warm encouragement that only a parent can offer promotes further self-directed learning in the future. Further, because it is the parent that knows the homeschooler best, they can help their child link their learning experiences to real life experiences that the child has had; it is a proven fact that a new lesson is retained better when it is linked to former learning and experiences.



Herbert

Scott English asked:


Homeschooling software used to educate children has become very popular for a number of reasons. Many situations require different solutions, and homeschooling, is no different. As you can well imagine, there are also many different opinions on the effectiveness of this homeschooling software.

How is Homeschooling Software Used?

Homeschooling software may be individually purchased and licensed to the used to be executed as an educational tool, or it can be used by joining and participating in an online homeschooling program. In both scenarios, it is extremely important for parents to supervise the schooling time of children, butt homeschooling software would take care of all the essentials in general education. Reading material, course studies, instructional video and homework along with testing is all part of homeschooling software.

What is missing with software? It should be obvious, but maybe it is not. The human element is missing. Parents will have to implement and introduce hands on learning by way of introduction of field trips, playing instruments, art projects, science experiments and biology projects. Many of these items can be coordinated with other homeschooled students and introduce another aspect, social behavior.

Homeschooling Software In an Enrolled Online Education Program

After typically paying a tuition fee, and/or an enrollment fee, parents would have full scope usage of homeschooling software. It saves money because parents will not have to invest in the homeschooling software used through the homeschooling program. Every aspect of education and schooling is covered; including progress reports as well as grades are documented and shared with parents.

Parental involvement is still required to ensure that homeschooling over the Internet will be successful. There are sometimes tutoring programs in addition to the general education programs offered through homeschooling programs online, which helps to enhance the learning experience for kids, especially in grade school.

Purchasing Homeschooling Software for Use at Home

Depending on the quality of the homeschooling software you choose to purchase, this may be an expensive choice but could also prove to be well worth it. For parents who plan to be home with their children and be the teacher for homeschooling, using homeschooling software at home may be idea. Some parents have no expertise or experience in creating a complete school program, so using homeschooling software may be an ideal solution for them.

Homeschooling software, in many instances, may inspire parents to generate ideas to broaden and enlighten their children making the software that much more valuable as an additional tool.

Some parents choose to use homeschooling software for part of a school day, and then finish up the day on their own. This works well too, as the software can pick up the slack where a parent might not be as skilled in teaching. Children enrolled in public and private schools may very well offer benefits that would benefit their overall schooling situation. In the end, it’s thought that homeschooling software can benefit a child’s schooling at home no matter what the situation is.



Claude

Mimi Rothschild asked:


The concept of homeschool has fast been catching up with the local population. Since it is a relatively new model of education, it is bound to be embroiled in controversy. There have been certain accounts and statements written in the media that have been meant to tarnish the image of homeschool, so that the public schools continue to receive government funding and private schools maintain their profits. However, things do not remain the same when people aspire to change, and homeschool is a sign of a new revolution in the world of education.

One should not forget the fact that homeschool is a reputable organization that has boldly been able to break the shackles of dependence and neglect that are rampant in local schools. A recent study sought to divide homeschooling into two groups: believers and inclusives. Believers tend to put homeschool parents on a pedestal, and the mother specifically is given a high status. Inclusives follow the children’s lead in learning. In other words, the former group is parent-centric while the later one is homeschool child-centric. In reality, this is a misrepresentation of the concept of homeschool, because one cannot divide a family that believes in unity in functioning.

It is also another wrong conception that people choose to homeschool their children only if they have had a bad experience with a public or private school. This is not entirely true. A parent may choose to homeschool not because of a bad experience with a public school, but because he or she believes that homeschool is the best way to give wings to his or her child’s overall academic and extra-curricular development. It does not matter if the public school is bad or good; it is a question of choice rather than circumstance.

Homeschool is known to spread positive feelings among families. Not only are religious values instilled in homeschool children, they also become socially conscious and contribute to the betterment of the family. There are many elements in the freedom that homeschool provides. The most important component of the freedom of homeschool stems from parental rights and the spirit of private education. The second component is the ability and the enthusiasm of homeschool children and their parents to work cohesively as a team. The third is the way in which people are, by and large, accepting the fact that the concept of homeschool is the welcome change in which education is imparted and knowledge shared. There are, and always will be, mouths which may keep on rattling about the perils of homeschool education, and the only way they can be silenced is to experience for themselves the winning crusade for education-the homeschool!



Lois

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Every parent dreams of giving their child an exceptional education. For many parents this means looking at the different schools within their home areas. For others this can mean looking at a suitable homeschooling program. While there are lots of different types of homeschooling programs that are available each state has its own set of rules regarding homeschooling. These homeschooling laws are worth checking out before you enroll your child in a home school program.

To find out what your local homeschooling laws are like it is best if you know some facts about your state’s policy towards homeschooling. This is due to the fact that some states seem to have no need for documentation from parents or homeschooling programs about their enrollment policies or the subjects that they teach.

When you look for this information on the internet you will find that there are four categories of homeschooling laws. These laws range from no legal requirements about homeschooling to very strict laws regarding homeschooling. At present there seems to be about 6 states where the homeschooling laws are very strict. On the other hand there are 10 states where there is no need for homeschooling laws.

These homeschooling laws are also found in the territories of the US. Since there are many different criteria that states have for homeschool studies there are times when as parents you will need to provide documentation. The documentation will include parental notification to the state about your child’s studying as a home school student.

For the states where the homeschooling laws are very strict the state requires more than a parental notification from the parents. The documents that you must produce are achievement test scores, the homeschool curriculum approved by the state, professional evaluation of your child’s educational progress.

You will also need teacher qualifications of you and your spouse as teachers for your children while they are engaged in homeschooling. Some states may require that state officials visit your home to inspect if the children are receiving a high education. These are just a few of the various documents and other facts that you need to be aware of regarding your state’s homeschooling laws.

Since each state has different rules regarding homeschooling it is a good idea if you can find information about the state laws for homeschooling. The main fact that you should keep in mind with state laws and homeschooling is that before your child becomes a home school student you might need to see what the homeschooling laws are.



Carl

Mimi Rothschild asked:


Homeschooling parents can educate their children by teaching them in a real world setting. For instance, homeschooler parents might consider taking their homeschoolers on a nature trail or hiking in the woods. When out in nature, homeschooling parents have a prime opportunity to teach homeschoolers about the various animals, trees, plants, and flowers that grow in the wild, and they can teach their homeschooler to appreciate the world-God’s masterpiece. Meanwhile, while out in the woods, homeschoolers can be taught about the significant dangers that exist in nature-homeschooling parents can teach homeschoolers about poisonous plants, dangerous animals, and they can even explore hiking safety.

Another option that homeschooling parents may want to utilize is taking homeschoolers to the waterside. A beach or a lake can be a prime educational setting. Homeschooling parents can teach homeschoolers about aquatic life, the nature of water, and how to fish or swim. Meanwhile water safety can be taught to children: homeschoolers can learn about the dangers of hypothermia and how to properly save someone from drowning.

A real world setting is the ideal place to educate homeschoolers. After exploring all of the aspects of the natural setting, homeschoolers can later explore the history of the area. After a day out in the woods or a day on the water, homeschooling parents can supplement their homeschooler’s learning with a lesson about the history of the area. The former inhabitants of the region and life in different eras can all be explored, and homeschoolers can learn about how much life has changed through hundreds of years.

Real world experiences can be fun for both parents and homeschoolers. It gives the entire family the opportunity to spend time together, and parents may be surprised to find that they learn a thing or two from their homeschoolers. In the end, spending the time to shape a homeschoolers experiences is really what homeschooling is all about. Parents must remember that they have chosen to educate their children in every way, especially in terms of what their children encounter in the real world setting.



Walter