More Parents Choose Home Education
Many parents who would not have considered home education in the past do so now. Surprisingly, many parents indicate that time or scheduling informed their decision to homeschool. Students spend up to seven hours a day at school. Then they bring home one to two hours of homework. That leaves little time for family life, sports, or outdoor play. The homework stresses a family already short on time. Patience stretches to the breaking point. Some parents feel they are already homeschooling, after school! But they do it in the evening when the student and the parent are both worn out.
Does Home Education Hurt the Student Academically?
Most homeschoolers keep pace academically. In fact, home-educated students perform admirably on tests such as the ITBS and SAT. The average home education schedule includes just two hours a day of “book time.” In other words, the homeschooling parent and the public school parent invest about the same amount of daily contact time in their child’s education!
Does Home Education Work for Everyone?
Homeschooling is not an option for every family. Parents must consider daycare needs. The academic preparation of the teaching parent plays a role. Finances may determine if a family can afford to have a parent at home enough to home school. Additionally, some parents and children irritate each other. Working together academically causes tension and anger rather than bringing them closer together. In my experience, most, but not all, families creatively solve these issues, resulting in successful home education.
Home Education: Private School but less Expensive
Some parents, faced with the daunting decision of helping a child whose stress level is at “red alert,” consider private schools. This can be a great option. But the tuition ($8,000 – $30,000 or more per year) makes it unattainable to many. Alternately, the funds available could pay tutors to oversee the child’s education with focused one-on-one sessions. Tutoring leaves ample time for the child to see friends, pursue passions, or participate in a family business.
Generally, a tutor helping with homeschooling oversees a child’s core academics (reading, writing, science, and math) in about eight hours a week. A two-hour session, Monday – Thursday, makes a great schedule. The family supplements with history and science videos from the library, travel, music, art, dance, volunteer work in the community, independent reading time, or simply time for the child to discover his or her own interests in life.
Is Online School the Same as Home Education?
Most homeschoolers do not consider online schools to be homeschooling. Online schools determine a curriculum for the student. Homeschoolers determine their own curriculum or course of study and experience. There is no one right way to educate! Parents may decide to enroll their student in an online school, but find they need a tutor to help the student with some or all of the classes. This combination of online schooling with personal help from a professional tutor provides just the right balance for some students. In my experience, this option works best for high school students. Younger students respond less positively to a computer-based curriculum.
Make Education Decisions One Year at a Time
Home education with help from tutors isn’t for everyone. For one thing, careful attention to social development becomes more demanding. But this option should be on the table when decisions are being made. For some students, it makes sense. Home education decisions require a new look at least every year. The needs of the student change a lot from one year to the next. A year at home with tutors allows a child who has fallen behind grade level to catch up or move ahead academically. This makes re-entry into a school system more successful. It allows an academically gifted student to produce a portfolio of work that could gain the student entrance into Gifted/Talented programs or allow them to skip a grade to avoid boredom burn-out. It gives students (and their parents) a break when the pressure at school reaches the danger zone.
If School Isn’t Working for Your Student; Change it!
Many paths exist to a happy, well-educated student. So if the current situation seems less than healthy, change it!
by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed.
www.dyslexiakit.net
@GrahamYvonna
