What You Should Know About Homeschooling

Home-schooling is slowly becoming a favorite choice for parents who seek to break from the norm of the conventional classroom and school system. Its popularity has been further fueled by statistics which show that homeschooled children have unique attributes and competences that children who go through the usual school system do not possess. Homeschooling definitely has its own advantages but before you decide to jump on the bandwagon, here are five points to consider.

Finances

Homeschooling requires a wide range of materials that might either be difficult to get or expensive to buy in few numbers. Schools negotiate prices with big numbers which makes it least costly for them to buy different learning and teaching aids. They buy in bulk, therefore the cost is spread through the class. As much as there is no school fees in a homeschooling set up, the cost of printing, photocopying, buying papers, drawing papers etc.. can be tough in the long run.

Time

What you should know about homeschooling is that it needs ample time for both the student/child and the teacher/parent to make it a success. In the class setting, there is a timetable that is faithfully followed by teachers who are paid and supervised. For a parent with an 8am to 6pm job, it might be difficult to cover lots of lessons in a small time which limits the progress of the child. The teacher must find a lot of time. One of the challenges faced by most homeschoolers is finding a convenient time for both child and parent.

Discipline.

Personal Discipline is much tested at home than at school. The presence of teachers at every turn in a school and the repercussions involved when you do not do your homework or finish assignments pushes children into forced self-discipline. The home setting however provides an opportunity for self-motivation; this however is tough and should be evaluated before a decision is made. There are also many distractions at home like noise from siblings, the TV, aromas from kitchen. All this tests self-discipline and unfortunately some fail miserably so think about it as well.

Family setup

Some families are suitable for homeschooling while others would be difficult. Examine the age difference in your family. Younger children adjust and adapt easily than older ones. If your family has a huge difference in ages then it is most likely going to be tough to balance the needs of all the different age groups in one home. There are solutions for that however, it is important to evaluate the unique needs that your family possesses before you make your decision.

Curriculum

Homeschooled children also go to college or high school, therefore it is very important for the parents to have that in mind and make an informed decision on the curriculum to adopt. Though most homeschooling parents choose their own homeschooling curriculums and may not be comfortable with the school setting, it is better to consider what will be better for the child in future.

Before making a decision, find out what you should know about homeschooling your children, start by weighing in on whether you possess enough finances, time and discipline to do it successfully. Evaluate your family set up to find out whether you will be effective with every child then take a look at the curriculum and decide what to use.