The Basics Of Home Schooling
Posted on January 1, 2008 - Filed Under Education
It’s hard to believe that just 25 years ago home schooling was almost unheard of. Today there are millions of children learning at home, and the number increases each year.
Why are so many families choosing to teach their children at home? Does it require a special degree or something? Can anyone do it? These are the questions that will be answered here.
Some families choose home schooling because it gives the parents control over what the children are taught. This might offend some people, but it is what our country was founded on: freedom. If the government is allowed a monopoly in education they will be free to completely control what children are taught. If carefully considered, that is a frightening thought.
Another reason parents have chosen to teach their children at home is that children naturally learn better under a tutor system of learning. If one adult is teaching one to six children the children will learn better than if they are in a classroom of 30 children with one adult. Some people might disagree, but the studies show that the more personal attention a student gets the better they learn.
There are also parents who want their children to be able to learn at their own speed. It has been shown that children learn at different rates. Any parent and teacher will agree with that statement. Some are ready to read at a younger age than others the same as some are ready for arithmetic at a younger age than others.
It does not mean those who are ready at a younger age are smarter than the others. There are home school graduates at Harvard who did not learn to read until they were ten or older. But by learning at home these students were given the wonderful opportunity to learn at their own speed, whether that meant finishing high school by 14 or 15, or not beginning formal academics until they are 10.
Thankfully there are places in the world where anyone can teach their children at home. In the United States all 50 states allow anyone to teach their children at home.
However, not everyone should home educate their children. It requires a fair amount of patience and persistence. Also, the parent needs to be able to enjoy being with their children all day, as well as enjoying all the mess it can create. It is kind of like experiencing summer vacation all year long in that the children are always home.
It also requires a certain degree of dedication and the ability to be calm. It helps if the parent can model a love of learning, can make learning fun, and can relax and enjoy this time with their children instead of feeling pressured to produce a bunch of Thomas Edison’s.
Home schooling might not be right for everyone, but it is a wonderful opportunity for many families to grow close, allow the children to learn at their own speed, and give each child individual attention in a tutor and student setting.
The author is the publisher of the Our Time Now retirement Blog (http://www.ourtimenow.com) and the Online Christian Shopper (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com) Christian T-Shirt and Jewelry site.
Tags: children, family, infant, parenting, pregnancy, pregnant, teenagers, teens, toddler, vacation
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