Meaning
Homeschooling means ‘Education at home’, You think I am talking about a child’s informal education at home. However, that is not the case. I am talking about formal education at home, Home Education, Elevation Home Education, or Homeschooling is not a new concept. Still, When pandemics knocked at the door, and all the schools got closed, all the parents were bound to give education to their children at home.
The first time people realize a new way of learning. Most parents find it difficult, but some of were already familiar with it. Around the globe, homeschooling is not a new concept. In the USA, Europe, and Asian countries, all the countries have some form of homeschooling.
In Homeschooling, Parents or parents appoint tutors to teach their kids at home, and they don’t send them to school. Children learn at home. Sometimes their parents, family members, tutor, or online children get their education.
Why do parents choose to homeschool?
Parents choose to homeschool their kids for a variety of reasons. Some parents want to give their children a safe environment and think the school environment is not good. And some parents believe there should be comprehensive religious learning. Here we have mentioned some of the reasons
- Religious Reasons
- The not suitable school environment
- Unavailability of good schools
- Trying new approach
- The child has special needs
- The child has physical needs
- Trying other philosophies
- Sick Parents
- Bad Economic conditions
- Other various reasons
All parents and their children have different needs, and their reasons are various. However, parents have the main goal to provide education at home. In the USA, those parents who prefer homeschooling have multiple causes. According to National Home Education Research Institute[NHERI], 2.5 million children are getting an education at home. These are staggering numbers. But when the pandemic hit, all children had to stay at home, and all the children were getting homeschooled.
Other reasons can be like Sometimes parents are sick, So child stays at home to take care of their parents. In this way, parents can instruct their kids from the bed also. Children can complete the homework without any problem.
Some families have strong religious beliefs, and they want to teach their kids the same. So they home-schooled their children. According to Elizabeth Bartholet, surveys of homeschoolers show that most homeschoolers in the USA are motivated by “conservative Christian beliefs, and seek to remove their children from mainstream culture.”
How to start homeschooling?
As mentioned above, there are various reasons for homeschooling, so homeschooling starts from very early childhood. And it can continue till different stages. Some students can be accepted in ivy league colleges who were homeschooled. But every county has different rules for homeschooling. Even in the USA, every state has different rules. Some states do not have any special provisions, but some states have made rules regarding homeschooling. Some school districts conduct standardized tests for home school students. At Some places, you have to inform schools that you are homeschooling your children.
According to National Center for Education Statistics, there are 3% of students getting homeschooled. So parents have to pay much attention to how to start and continue their kid’s homeschooling. Before you begin homeschooling, you have to think about this pre-requisite:
- Find a dedicated place in your home for your child’s study.
- It should be separate from your living place.
- All their books, notebooks, art supplies and other necessary things should be there.
- If parents are free, there is no need to hire a tutor, but you have to hire a tutor if they have work. Tutors can teach online or offline.
- Make lesson plans according to your children’s needs. There are many things you have to consider when you are adopting a curriculum.
- Make a specific time for learning.
- Arrange homework in advance so that you can give it to your child on time.
Homeschooling Plans
When you are opting for homeschooling for your child, you have to plan for it. Sometimes parents decide in haste, and they do not have any plan about homeschooling. Consider these things when you are planning to adopt homeschooling:
- Make a timetable for study
- Purchase all the books and notebooks
- Either you teach your child or hire a tutor
- Find appropriate Curriculum
- Fulfill all the legal requirements
- Make clear goals for your child
- Find some other parents who are also homeschooling their children.
That’s how you will be able to provide a targeted learning environment to your child.
Requirements to start homeschooling.
In every country, there are different legal requirements for homeschooling. In the USA, every state has additional requirements. Visit the Home school Legal Defence Association[HSLDA] and learn more about all American states’ current laws for homeschooling. There are four categories according to HSLDA,
- No notice, Low regulation
- Low regulation
- Moderate regulation
- High regulation
Every European country has different rules on homeschooling. Countries like Sweden and Germany have put on ban homeschooling. Sweden allows homeschooling only in some extraordinary situations.
For this, you have to go to your local school and ask for the rules. They can help you with this.
Homeschooling programs
There are various types of homeschooling programs.
Structured and unstructured homeschooling.
Structured homeschooling includes any method or style of home education that follows a primary curriculum with articulated goals and outcomes. This style attempts to imitate the structure of the traditional school setting while personalizing the Curriculum. Unstructured homeschooling is any form of home education where parents do not construct a curriculum at all.
Unit Study
In a unit study approach, multiple subjects such as math, science, history, art, and geography are studied concerning a single topic. Unit studies help teach various grades simultaneously as the difficulty level can be adjusted for each student. An extended form of unit studies, Integrated Thematic Instruction, utilizes one central theme integrated throughout the Currcurriculumthat students finish a school year with a deep understanding of a particular broad subject or idea.
All-in-one homeschooling curricula
All-in-one homeschooling curricula (variously known as school-at-home, the traditional approach, or school-in-a-box) are instructional methods. The student’s Curriculum and homework are similar or identical to those used in a public or private school. Purchased as a grade-level package or separately by subject, the box may contain all needed books, materials, tests, answer keys, and extensive teacher guides. These materials cover the same subject areas as public schools, allowing for an easy transition into the school system.
Autonomous learning
Autonomous learning is a school of education that sees learners as individuals who can and should be self-sufficient, i.e., responsible for their learning climate.
Hybrid homeschooling
Hybrid homeschooling or flex-school is a form of homeschooling in which children split their time between homeschool and a more traditional schooling environment like a school. It is a comparatively unpopular education model that can mainly be found in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this was sometimes enforced by schools.
Syllabus and Curriculum for homeschooling
As mentioned above, homeschooling can follow different types of syllabus and Curriculum. Sometimes parents can follow local or international board curriculum, Or sometimes they can follow the local school curriculum. In Homeschooling child can learn according to his understanding. Sometimes students learn some subjects faster than others. So then parents can provide extra advanced Curriculum for their children.
But most studies suggest that child should learn at his own pace. In his best-selling book The Element, Ken Robinson writes that “the key to [educational] transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child. To put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”
Parents need to see and take help from experts and develop a plan and Curriculum for their child according to his age, grades, or understanding. Because of this, on the same standardized test, traditional school goers got the 50th percentile, and homeschoolers got 87%. Because homeschoolers can study as much, they want.
Advantages and Disadvantages of homeschooling
Advantages of homeschooling
- Parents should Decide on the Curriculum and their child’s schooling schedule.
- Parents or tutor should Show their children that learning is enjoyable.
- Parents should Build strong bonds with their children.
- Parents need to choose teaching methods that best fit the way that students learn.
- Parents should Spend time with their children to discuss complex concepts. They can proceed after children have mastered concepts or subjects.
- Parents can follow A flexible schedule for learning according to their availability.
- Parents and family members can Offer moral and religious instruction for their children at home.
- Children can take shelter from school violence, drug use, and other undesirable behaviors.
- Children can experience the kind of personal interaction, which is not possible in a big classroom.
- Parents, tutors, and family members can spend more time helping their children develop any abilities they have, such as athletic, musical, and so on.
- Parents and family members can discuss Discuss controversial subjects at their discretion with their children.
- Parents and family members Spend more time with your children.
- Parents can help their children through the adolescent years and other difficult times.
- Family bonding can be strong with the homeschooling of children.
- Parents can take any time vacation whenever they want.
- Contact other homeschoolers who are homeschooling their children. They can help you brainstorm suggestions for solving challenging problems when they’re unsure of the best way to proceed.
Disadvantages of homeschooling
Many things can go wrong when parents are homeschooling their children. It became a very challenging time when both parents were working. Here are some reasons not to opt for homeschooling.
- Parents spend most of their time with their children throughout the day. This practice can be very challenging when children are agitated and misbehave.
- Parents have to explain their motives and reasons for homeschooling their children to family members who are apprehensive or unsupportive about their choice.
- Parents have to manage their anger time and again and be calm when children are struggling in their learning; It can be a challenging part.
- Sometimes parents have to effectively deal with learning challenges at a slower speed than instruction in public schools.
- Parents have to spend a significant amount of cash on textbooks, art supplies and other educational material.
- Parents have to adapt to become efficient teachers Continuously.
- Parents and tutors have to encourage their children to be motivated Continuously.
- Parents hace to Take time to review a variety of curriculum programs that meet their standards and are most appropriate to the children’s needs in learning. It’s a very tough job.
- It will be hard for parents to spend more time locating playmates and other friends for their children in similar situations.
Homeschooling v traditional schooling
The difference between is evident here. First of all, if you look at homeschooling, students get their education at home, and there is no classroom activity. Students can learn at his pace. And there is very unlikely to follow the Curriculum strictly. In homeschooling, children have learned by themselves, and this built some unique qualities in children. Homeschooling can sometimes be challenging, as I have mentioned above. Parents should decide according to their preferences.
As everywhere you look and see a big building, many teachers and students come to that building to learn. Traditional schools are places where schools follow some specific curriculum, and they follow all the routine steps- periodically test grade-wise students distribution. Public schools and private schools can lessen your burden. You have to pay less attention to your children’s education because they are already getting all the work done in the classroom. Children learn many things by just imitating and doing. In this process, they get a lot in their classroom.
Children’s Friends play a significant role in improving a child’s learning and understanding level. Parents do not have to look for playmates. Usually, school friends became playmates. Parents and children get a lot of support from fellow parents and their children. So parents need to think about this if they want to join their ward in school or provide homeschooling.
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Conclusion
Homeschooling is not a new trend, and when the pandemic hit the world, the most affected people were children and their education. People start giving education at home. Many schools began their online classes because offline classes were impossible. As now the new trend started ‘work from home. Now parents are staying at home, and they have plenty of time to educate their children. So now, people have begun choosing to homeschool over traditional schools.
Parents can have various reasons for choosing to homeschool, but at the same time, parents need to ask themselves why they are choosing to homeschool their kids? And parents should think twice before taking this new challenging role. Homeschooling can be beneficial or dangerous at the same time. Choose wisely.