Home Schooling

So what does it take to home school your child or children?  If you are at the stage of considering home schooling your children then read on as I am going to cover some of the considerations that you need to bear in mind when making this decision.

First of all there is the time that it takes and by this you need to think not only about the time you are teaching but the time spent preparing.  Unless you are lucky enough to have someone else to do all the household chores then you will find they don't all magically disappear so you need to find time to fit them in as well.  I guess this leads on to the fact that you really need to ensure that both parents, if they are around, are committed to home schooling to make it work.

Home schooling will generally mean that one parent is out of the workforce and the financial implications of this need to be considered.  It also means that this person will spend literally 24/7 with the children or close to it.  Time for themselves will be restricted.  For some people this is seen as a wonderful opportunity, for others this may seem oppressive, it is another factor to consider and see how you feel.

Another of the other more obvious issues is that of socialisation.  One of the benefits of home schooling can be that you will have more control over who your child socialises with.  Obviously it is very important that they socialise with other kids on a regular basis and do not become isolated.

Finally, and importantly, the child must be a willing participant.  You will face increasing difficulties if you are trying to teach a child who is resisting so it is important to discuss plans with the children involved.

Well if you have read all of that and are still wondering whether all that sacrifice is worth it then lets look at some of the benefits for you and your child.  First of all home schooling does not need to be constrained by certain hours or locations.  Visits to zoo's, museums, galleries and so on can be included frequently and can stimulate and provide all sorts of learning.

Children are natural learners and as many parents can attest to, spend many hours asking question after question to understand various issues.  With home schooling you are able to tailor your activities to the interests of the child.  For instance if their interest is with butterfly's then you can have maths lessons that involve counting butterflies, spelling and grammar exercises that revolve around butterfly related topics and so on.  You can set the pace of lessons and their timing to suit the child and their speed of learning and concentration levels.

Home Schooling can be an extremely rewarding and exciting activity as you watch your child develop and enjoy learning however it does not come without what some would see as drawbacks and these need to be assessed before you make the decision.  If you go ahead then a quick Google search should reveal the authorities requirements in your area or country.  For most countries you need to be registered and able to display some sort of plan for what you will be doing.

There are many reasons for going down the path of home schooling.  I think one last thing to remember is that it doesn't have to be a forever decision.  If you child is home schooled for a period it doesn't mean that they can never go school.

Happy Teaching