Benefits and deficits of Homeschooling

Time is probably the crucial difference between homeschool and "send-off-to" school. Homeschool does not "take time" it "gives time" to your children.

Benefits ---this list may grow---

(BTW, I have a MS in Education and have taught in public schools. I now homeschool.)

You maintain a very close relationship with your child. Quantity is important. There is no way you can develop the same level of relationship when you send your child away from home for 7+ hours a day. Everyday, homeschoolers spend time with their children when everyone is fresh. Time is not limited to evenings after a long day and/or to weekends. You laugh and cry together all day long. You live life together as a family.

Your children's giftings can be individually encouraged. You can direct your child's learning toward their interests.

You know what your child is learning....And the homeschooling parent gets to learn new stuff. The benefit for the student is that he/she can actually carry on an intelligent conversation with an educated parent AND the student knows the parent does know something.

Your child can learn confidently on his/her correct developmental level. My dyslexic son reads and writes "one grade lower" and does math "two grades higher". He does not have to compare himself to anyone. He just has to learn.

Your child is not humiliated or frustrated by not doing well. You repeat, take a break and/or do it some other time. You can take as long as you need to teach something. The desire to succeed naturally motivates learners who have not been discouraged by failure.

Your child learns how to live real life. What is more important, family or job (school)? In homeschooling, family, not school is the focal point of your lives. Your child learns to be a functional member of a family. This cannot be taught in any school. In fact school-life might require a divided loyalty.

Thinking and self examination is not encouraged when a child must sit quietly, follow directions without question, read what and when told, do math when told, only move when told, have to ask to go to the bathroom, eat only when allowed, etc..... Schools are situationally artificial. For most people not in prison, life is not that controlled. Homeschoolers do naturally learn the skill of "quiet" but not for 7 hours a day.

The School is not in control of your family life. Your child can learn life skills by doing. They learn to shop wisely, cook, build, clean, even watch the news. You and your children can find time to attend weddings, funerals, visit nursing homes, do vacations, go to the vet.

If the dog dies, you take a break to grieve together without being left behind by the rest of the class. If your child is subsequently curious about illness of death, you can change gears and study it.

When they are 16 they can get a day-time part time job if they wish. However many homeschoolers invent their own jobs and maintain them long before they are 16.

Your child has adult family members for "major-time" role models, not peers. The homeschool kids that I personally know are generally more self confident and relaxed than kids who are put with a large group of peers for most of their day. Homeschoolers rarely succumb to peer pressure. It is much easier for them to become who they were meant to be, rather than who their peers feel they have to be. Homeschoolers do not develop their values according to TV commercial slogans.


Deficits of Homeschooling----

hmmm....I can't think of any right now...After 9 years of homeschooling, I will have to think hard...Some superficial ones might be;
I could make more money if I worked outside the home.
If I sent my son to school and didn't work, I would have more free time.
AHHH...I thought of one!!!!! The house gets messy!!!!!

Our Homeschool

I homeschool our one son, YES, who gets along well with his peers and is very social.

We use a variety of curricula, some canned, some that I develop.

We volunteer together to work at the local children's museum.

We participate in a coop. We have a "group co-op school" every other Friday. Some moms rotate teaching classes in which they have skills. They have a play production and a musical and holiday craft parties (all the good stuff from schools). They also have a 4-H group.

My son also plays in a homeschool band that started up this year. The director is wonderful, the kids love him. After 4 months they are already in the second year book.

He has taken fencing, karate, basketball, swimming and will start soccer this spring.

We participate in many church activities. He had a lead role in the last children's play.

He enjoys playing video games online and off. He is something of a computer nerd and at 11 has taught himself how to "hack" into some of the games he owns.