Home Schooling

The topic of homeschooling is usually met with a barrage of controversy. With socialization issues at the forefront, a list of negatives are sure to follow a curiosity towards homeschooling your child. On the other hand, if homeschooling is so horrible, why is there an increasing number of parents who decide to educate their children at home? Four years ago, in 2003, the estimated number of home schoolers in the United States had passed the one-million mark. Some thing (or things) are drawing families to home school their children, regardless of public opinion. These parents are not intimidated by those decidedly anti-homeschool mindsets, and for good reason. Before you join the masses in opposition or jump into home education with both feet, you should have all the information necessary to make a decision.

It has to be acknowledged first that the biggest "flaw" that homeschooling is said to possess is lack of socialization. Before a debate can begin, however, we must establish what kind of "socialization" is in question. If you are concerned about a child not being placed in a large group of children and subjected to peer pressure that is beyond his years, only to find he doesn't "fit in" some circles and learns to exclude others in turn, then- by all means- don't homeschool your child. Multiple studies have confirmed the fact that children developing within the setting of a family unit, without pressures and exclusions and where they are needed, are more confident and "adjusted" in any environment. What's more, these children will grow to be an independent adult who is not swayed by outside influence. One study compared a group of formerly homeschooled adults with the general population. The homeschooled adults were found to be twice as likely to be involved with their community and nearly three times as likely to vote. Over half of them claimed to be happy with life, while just over twenty percent of Americans feel the same way. If socialization is your objection, it seems that the evidence clearly negates these concerns.

Another image of homeschooling that comes into question is the quality of schooling. One of two common perceptions are usually brought to mind: either the homeschooled child is thought to be submersed in schoolwork (usually isolated) for the duration of his "good years" of childhood, or he is pictured as never learning anything. The latter can be negated by simply checking the test scores of home schoolers. As a whole, homeschoolers will very probably have test scores well above those of their public school counterparts. This isn't to be attributed to the former picture of home schooled children having dull lives filled with bookwork, but rather a life that is simply full. The typical homeschooled family spends their days not only learning throught textbook materials, but learning through experiences. They are not bound to rigid schedules or another child's developmental schedule. These families are free to incorporate valuable learning experiences throughout each day, rather than a strict set of routines that last for hours and are followed by more work at the end of the day. This freedom gives each child the room to grow at his or her own pace and in the most effective manner.

This realization is likely to raise questions about the methodology of education used by homeschooled families. The simple answer is that there isn't one; at least, there is not one set method for all families to follow. In fact, a family may have several different learning strategies tailored to meet each child's individual needs, though there are a few main styles that may be incorporated into a child's home education. The most basic of these approaches is the All-in-One curricula. More expensive than other options, this is exactly what it says: all of your home school needs in one box. Similarly, curricula are also available in student-paced packets rather than complete books. Unit studies, drawing individual subject matter from one topic (i.e., learning math, history of foods and home economics from baking a cake) can be used on a variety of subjects for a relatively affordable price. Beyond simple textbooks and testing, home schoolers also outsource to gain education. Internet home school is becoming popular. Community activities and facilities are generally a staple of the homeschooler's "routine," including everything from museums to sports opportunities. Sometimes, families will rely solely on experiences rather than textbooks to home educate. This is referred to as "unschooling." Home schoolers with a strict curriculum program have not shown a distinct difference in testing scores from children who are alternatively educated.

Concerns often surface when a home schooled child reaches the age of high school and advanced topics. Especially if the educator does not feel confident in a particular subject, it can seem a daunting task to teach your child advanced subjects when you don't know them well yourself. Fortunately, home schooling does not require a teaching degree. Advanced materials can be taught through a variety of methods. Some curricula are relatively self-explanatory and, with a little patience, the parent and child can work through it together without any major complications. If you are still uneasy, there are also a variety of video courses available that are like a "classroom at home" and will walk your child through the subject matter. Group studies are quite beneficial here. They allow students to get together and help each other through that particular learning process.

In fact, home school groups are probably the best kept secret in home education. Home schoolers often gather, sometimes on a regular basis, for any number of activities. Classes can be offered by a parent or other individual knowledgeable in a certain field. Usually, more than one class is offered at a time in what is called a "co-op" setting, in which all the families cooperate to teach and learn new things. Many groups offer activities such as sports teams, academic bowls, debate teams, graduations and even senior trips and proms. Really, there is no limit to the fun and educational opportunities available to a home schooling family, particularly when they work in conjunction with other home schoolers.

Despite all of the evidence that supports home schooling families, opponents will likely continue to raise their voices against it indefinitely. While one can never quite say what causes these kinds of negativity, it is probable that public schooling being the "norm" plays its part. Public schooling has not always been the typical course of education, though. In reality, it didn't even begin to show its face in the Western world until the early 1700s; and, even then, not in the United States until the mid-1800s. Prior to these laws requiring mass education, families would teach their children at home using reader's and every day life. It was at this time in American history, the age of home schooling, that the US was considered to be at the peak of its literacy.

The latest home school movement was spurned by a man named John Holt writing books asserting that childrens' learning problems were actually the fault of the school system. His theory was that regulation of the learning process actually inhibits the learning itself. He desired to reform schools to better accomodate this process, but found no solution. Naturally, the answer then became "schooling" at home where a child is more free to explore and grow at his own pace. Along with Holt, professors Ray and Dorothy Moore also came to this basic conclusion. Particularly before the ages of 8-12, the public school environment was found to be detrimental to most children's growth and learning patterns by forcing them to develop before they were ready.

Obviously, not every parent is going to have the resources necessary to home school their children. At first glance, it may seem that no parent has the ability to parent their child, much less home educate them. Home schooling is a commitment for the entire family. Financial changes may need to be made or careers to be adjusted. Though difficult, single parents have even successfully schooled their children at home. The point remains this: each parent is responsible for discovering the best way to raise their child and seeing that through. Aside from doubts or excuses about your own ability to home school your children (Didn't you have doubts about being a parent in the first place? Didn't we all?), if that is the method that will best grow your child then you should have no doubts about the efficacy of doing so. Wherever and however you decide that your child will receive an optimum education, make sure you are completely confident in that method. If it works for your child, then you can smile proudly, knowing that you are giving them the best that you have to offer.

Now that you have made the decision to home school your children, take a look around at the resource links on this page.

A good resource to help you organize all of your favorite curriculum choices is:

Click this link to see - The Full-Year Notebook System

Affordable Home School Resource Websites

Another option is to research the exact titles of the resources you would like to use for your home school.  Search for used volumes on eBay, vegsource, and other message boards and email loops.  After you have finished using the book, sell it again!  Use the money from this book to purchase the next book on your list.

One of my favorite websites for finding Home School Resources is:

http://addall.com

They do most of the work of finding the books you need at the most affordable price.  They search dozens of online book stores to find the best price possible.  They even calculate shipping into the actual cost of the book.  All you have to do is type in the title of the book you are looking for and addall finds the least expensive one available online.

Remember that going to curriculum fairs is a great place to get ideas of what you would like to implement in your homeschool but you don't have to purchase everything you see to educate your children.  Take good notes about the curriculum that looked most appealing to you.  After you get home, ask yourself, "What was it about that particular curriculum that was so appealing to me?"  As you identify the components you can also figure out if this is something you can implement yourself without purchasing the curriculum or if this would be a wise purchase for you to make.  Keep in mind that your time is valuable so in many cases purchasing the curriculum will save you time and money in the long run.

The options are endless for making home school an option for your family.