There are so many pros and cons of Homeschooling,
but in actuality you need to do what you think
is best for your child.
“According to Wikipedia Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than school.[1]
All parents want the same thing. What’s best for their child? Due to the pandemic parents turned to homeschooling for different reasons.
While it can be confusing and overwhelming, you need the right tools and resources which will make all the difference. Once you decide to homeschool you should make a list of pros & cons.
One frequently asked question among families just starting out is what are Homeschooling laws? The simple answer is they vary by state. So check with your school system.
Some were still waiting for schools to be safer, some wanted the flexibility, while others simply wanted to take control of their child’s education.
One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility it offers. Through personalized, one-on-one instruction and student-paced learning, children are able to build academic skills at their own pace.
Homeschooling is easier than you think. I’m sure you’re tired of looking around and seeing parents and kids struggle with homeschooling. So many people are struggling with it, and there are not a lot of resources created to help them.
These are my thoughts and some research I did on the the pros and cons of homeschooling
Let me explain the what’s, why’s, and how’s right now.
Learn and Laugh With Tonie was Designed for parents, kids, and teachers.
“ The What “
You probably think you need to know it all to be a successful homeschool mom, but I’m here to tell you that’s a myth…you don’t need a degree to help your child.
So take a deep breath, have fun with your child, and remember…Rome wasn’t built in a day! ( now smile )
First of all homeschooling doesn’t have to be the same as if your child is going to school so stick with the basics in the beginning and don’t bite off more than you can chew!
And please, please, please remember to have fun with this. You may be doing this longer than you thought because you and your child will love it so much!
Every child is different ( even your own ) so try not to compare to Suzy down the street’s mom. Take your time and enjoy the journey.
“ The Why”
My first why and one thing you must do is know your states rules and what’s required from your child’s school. Let your kids be kids no matter what they are learning. Under my parent page you will find many fun activities that I will continue to build to help your homeschooling journey.This is a great time to really build on your relationship with your child.
The first step to making an organized plan and keeping things running smoothly in your homeschool is a calendar.
My 35 year old daughter who works as a Behavioral Consultant and since she was very young always loved an organized calendar. She color codes everything, uses stickers to bullet important dates, and taught me to use her methods.
You can download a free one by googling free calendars. Or my personal favorite is to find one like below on Pinterest.
They come in different shapes and sizes and different levels of usefulness for homeschooling. Have your child design it with you. I’ve worked hard over the years to refine my personal calendar to be simple and straightforward & found that creating a master schedule works miracles I love it when the calendar is pretty and inspiring.
Secondly try to touch base at least once a month with your school. That will help keep you grounded and confident that you’re on the right path.
Try to figure how your child learns! My all time favorite is hands on learning. When I was a public school teacher I focused on learning and progress in “little” things.
You can go the route of assigning each school day to a subject…..you can do two subjects a day…. the sky’s the limit… do your own schedule. Do what works best for you and your child!
While I looked at each individual child I still taught to each of them as if they were the most unique child I’d ever taught and we had fun!
My personal preference:
I used Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences, learning centers, and Blooms Taxonomy which is for another post. Just enjoy the time with your child and remember…don’t listen to Suzys mom cuz Suzy is different than your little Mellie. You can find out more about them below:
https://www.verywellmind.com/gardners-theory-of-multiple-intelligences-2795161
“ How “
It’s important to realize the most important subjects are math and language arts. Everything else is just extra…just expose them to different things.
If you’re a pen & paper type of person you should make a list with your child [or children] across the top of the paper and include their grade level. Then down the side list subjects. [ if you need textbooks, you can get them from school.]
You can pick other homeschooling moms or dads for ideas if you need a kickstart because there are so many ways to homeschool. Listen to them and then choose which ideas you want to use.
Don’t be hard on yourself or your kids! There are many pros & cons on homeschooling, however since Covid so many of you have decided to continue with homeschool. Focus on the journey and enjoy the ride. When life gets in the way just realize it’s ok. Even I called it taking advantage of a “ teachable “ moment. Every experience is a teachable moment.
The other thing I would suggest is when you start to create your child’s learning space have them do it with you. Create a time when you can have fun designing it with them! Remember you can learn as you
There are many great resource for showing the pros and cons on homeschooling , why not join some Homeschooling Facebook groups.
Try one or all of these ways to make homeschool fun this year.
- Play More Games.
- Incorporate Music. Try playing music first thing in the morning. …
- Get Messy with Art. …
- Play with Language. …
- Hands-On Crafts
- Go on Field Trips.
- Incorporate Cooking.
Some Pros of Homeschooling
Flexible Curriculum – Parents are able to control the pace of the curriculum and tailor lessons to the needs of their child. A flexible curriculum allows for the parent to adapt to their child’s learning style. Parents may decide to do more hands-on activities to supplement lessons or they can review previous lesson to strengthen their child’s understanding.
Intimate Relationship with the Family – A strong relationship is formed when parent and child are learning together. Homeschooling creates an environment where intimate connections are formed because the parent and their child have time spent together.
Religious Freedom – Michael Farris, a strong homeschool advocate, quoted an educational psychologist saying “kids get their values from whomever they spend a majority of their time with”. Homeschool gives parents the freedom to teach their child values and beliefs that may not be taught in public or private schools. Homeschool gives the opportunity for imparting important life lessons.
Reducing Negative Influence – Negative influences or distractions from schoolwork will not be as likely to detract from learning because parents are able to monitor their child. Children will be able to focus more when there is no bullying or teasing in the classroom. Self-esteem will not be affected because parents are able to help develop and nurture their children.
And some Cons of Homeschooling
Income – Homeschool requires one parent to stay home and teach their child. This has the family taking in a single income. Despite this constraint, most families believe the second income was not necessary. Giving up the second income is worth the education and bond gained from teaching their child.
The Fear of “Falling Behind” – Parents have a fear that if they homeschool their child, the custom-academic curriculum may cause their child to fall behind from peers. The pressure to keep up may get to some parents because they are spending more time on a subject than other subjects. However, the fear of falling behind is not a reality for most families. By spending more time with their child, parents are able to dedicate time on subjects that are harder to grasp for their child and review subjects that are easier to understand.
All Day Affair – Homeschooling is a time crunch. It requires a lot of planning and a lot of effort and dedication from the parent and child. The parent has to juggle driving their child to activities, planning the curriculum, and much more. Patience is needed from the parent. The teaching style may be hard to -master at first, but after a while the parent will be able to see their child’s strengths and help develop his or her skills along the way.
Taking Criticism – Homeschooling may be growing in acceptance across the world, but there will still be some critics out there. There are people who will criticize parents for homeschooling because it has not been in the mainstream. Despite what people may think, parents believe they made the right choice in helping develop their child.”
And there you have it, several pros and cons of homeschooling. Now, it’s up to you to decide. Do the pros outweigh the cons?
Remember why you started in the first place.
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Thanks for reading and I hope this post has helped in some way, even if it’s just to realize that you aren’t alone on this journey. And as always, feel free to leave any advice or comments below!
In Conclusion Remember this…
No one knows your child better than you!
If you’ve already been homeschooling what are your pros & cons ?
What advice would you give to first timers?
#Books #Readingskills #helpparentsteachtheirchildren #Homeschooling #Studyathome #Howtoread