To Homeschool or not to homeschool – that is the question!
“Maybe we should homeschool the kids.”
I don’t know how many times I’ve said this to my husband. It seems it is an ever-present, back-burner consideration for me. I was a teacher before we had children. I know the joy of journeying with a child along the path of learning and I cannot think of any other children with whom I would rather share that adventure than my own. I have many friends who homeschool and recognize what a fantastic approach it can be. However I have yet to come to a definitive conclusion about whether or not it is a good fit for our family. Here are the pros and cons I consider:
PROS
One of the strongest arguments in my mind for homeschooling is the opportunity for the parents to determine what is taught to their child. The parent can choose the curriculum to be followed. If the parents feel their child’s education should have a strong emphasis on math and science, for example, they can make that priority a reality. Parents can choose the very best curriculum for their child in every area of study. Values and beliefs are also taught to (and caught by!) children. If they are solely responsible for their children’s education, parents decide the values instilled in their children. They can guide and direct the influences upon the character development of their children much more effectively and choose what will coincide with the family’s beliefs.
Another advantage to homeschooling is safety. Of course accidents and tragedy happen in all settings, but it is hard to trust the physical safety of your child to someone else. Although statistically violence in school is rare, it is there. It is part of the experience on some level for every child who goes to school. Many children are greeted at the door of their school by a police officer. While I am so thankful for those who protect our children, it is tragic that school is a place where they need protection. The day I registered two of my children for kindergarten, the elementary school was responding to a bomb threat. Of course it was a hoax and everyone was safe, but it made me sad that my 5 year old had to ask, “Mommy, what is a bomb?” I explained as simply as I could. They were not frightened as I thought they would be. This almost bothered me more – they merely accepted that this was just part of going to school. Certainly it made me question whether or not this is the best environment for my children! Home-based education means parents are directly involved in the situations of their children and can perhaps better ensure their safety.
When my oldest child was going through some digestive issues, I recognized that homeschooling would offer the advantage of being able to more closely monitor his diet. School lunches are known to not be the healthiest of choices although many are trying to change this. Of course packing lunch from home is the option we chose, but still there are other food related activities (e.g. celebrations in the classroom) that can be challenging if a child has allergies or special dietary needs.
Bullying continues to be a threat to some children. An advantage to homeschool is that this is less likely to occur at home. Of course there may siblings to contend with, but parents are on hand to teach how to navigate through difficult situations and relationships and to intervene before a child is harmed physically or emotionally.
Another on the “pro” side for homeschool is simple yet profound – more time. Because a smaller setup can run more efficiently than a class of 20, there is more pure learning time. I know from firsthand experience that instruction time in the classroom is lost to necessities like attendance taking, lining up, classroom management, school fundraisers, and behavior issues. At home with fewer children, there would be more time for reading which in the early years is paramount to success in the later years. More time for a child who needs longer to complete a task or a master a concept can be the key to open the door of learning that would otherwise remain locked to them. Creativity and learning momentum can be hindered by having to stop because of a schedule. Time to allow uninterrupted focus could be such a gift afforded by homeschool. Ironically, this “more time” approach actually requires fewer hours of the day! Homeschool families can spend more time learning in fewer hours. This means there is more time for experiential learning like educational field trips or community service.
Yet another advantage to homeschool is that it can be a whole-child approach. The goal at school to efficiently meet the needs of all children can mean missing some needs of some children. At home your child is a whole child, not merely part of a whole. For example, I have 4 boys and am convinced that the originators of “school” did not have the nature of boys in mind! Young boys are not wired to sit focused for long periods of time. Of course they must mature and practice and learn to do so, but in the early years they need movement, movement, and more movement! At home you have the flexibility to take a run-around-the-yard break or jump up and down while counting by 5’s. Some children may not be up for the pressures faced in school, whether academic or social. Homeschool could take the pressure off. Some children need to be challenged more academically and could find that at home. At home you can address the social, developmental, physical, emotional, educational needs of your child as an individual.
Homeschool has a “real-life” feel to it – that is another tally in the favorable column. Learning can be more easily associated with day-to-day experiences. For example, doubling a recipe can be a lesson in fractions and writing a letter to Grandmother can be handwriting and grammar practice. At home older children interact with younger children, which is closer to real-life than only interacting with a homogenous class. After all, when is the last time a work or social setting involved only people exactly your age? For many homeschool students, learning is more independent. This requires them to take responsibility for their learning, a necessary skill for becoming a life-long learner. The other “real-life” aspect to homeschool is that the world is your classroom. Learning happens not only with an open book, but also in the community, on trips, and the endless possibilities of online resources. Learning becomes not just what we do for 6 hours between bus rides, but it is a way of life.
The final advantage of homeschool is how it can build family ties. Our children grow up so quickly, our time with them is so fleeting. I have heard it said many times that when you come to the end of your life you may have regrets, but time invested in others will not be one of them. Many homeschool families I have observed are close because of the time invested in each other. Not only the parents and children, but also the siblings are close with one another. I am sure there are days that are messy and hairy in the laboratory (that is what the family should be – a laboratory for figuring out what it means to live in relationship with other people) but it seems the end result often speaks for itself. I have noticed that strong family ties not only benefit the immediate family, but also positively impact their many spheres of influence.
Now that I have basically portrayed homeschool as the answer to all society’s problems, it is time to look at the other side of the argument.
CONS
The first disadvantage that comes to mind is cost. Families have to cover the cost of curriculum and materials, unless they live in an area in which at-home learning is a public school option. There is such a wide variety of curriculum and programs that every budget can be accommodated. However it is still an expense to consider. Beside the outright cost, there is the indirect cost of potentially forfeiting a paycheck. After all, someone will need to be home providing the homeschooling! Unless there are creative scheduling and flexible jobs, a homeschool family usually has to live on one income. Another financial consideration is that homeschool families still pay school taxes even though they do not use the service they are helping to pay for.
Another disadvantage to homeschooling is the potential lack of structure. This is the flip-side of the freedom to plan your own day. I can imagine myself getting swept up in the excitement of a project and then turn around and realize, “Ooops! We haven’t done math in 3 days!!” While there is benefit in being about to go off on a learning tangent, if it is not balanced with some discipline, the lack of structure could be a detriment to learning.
Similarly, what if a parent *thinks* they are providing an adequate education for their child, but they are not? The lack of supervised instruction is a “con” in my mind. Perhaps the curriculum choices are not adequate or the assessments not stringent enough. Without the standards and guidelines that are a part of traditional schools, a student could be off course and eventually not prepared for higher education. Or if a child has a learning disability not understood by their parent, learning at home could prevent the child from getting services they need to manage their learning challenge. Supervised instruction provides somewhat a safety net for many students.
I have been very thankful for the excellent teachers in my children’s lives. I feel my children have benefited from the diversity of their teachers. While I may know my child best, I appreciate those who best know “children.” They have helped me to get a better perspective on my individual child. I know there are aspects of my children’s learning and development that would have been lacking had those particular teachers not been a part of our lives. Thus, a “con” of homeschooling is the lack variety of teachers and their experience.
Last, besides the effort and cost to create an excellent academic experience, it takes effort and cost to create other important learning experiences for the homeschool child. Instead of merely signing up for the band, chorus, drama, sports programs offered by most schools, the homeschool parent has to seek out these experiences and provide the means to make them happen. Also, the homeschool parent must be proactive in providing opportunities where friendships can be fostered, since the child is not in the automatic social pool that is “school.” Sometimes this requires so much running around, I teasingly asked one friend if she was sure she actually “HOME”schooled?! Attempting to provide lots of experiences can really wear on the homeschool family’s budget, wear on the homeschool parent’s peace, and wear OUT the homeschool family’s minivan tires!
As I addressed these “cons,” I found myself saying, “Yes, but . . . “ Certainly these things are not true for every family nor would rule out homeschool as a viable option. Yet they are important considerations, nonetheless.
Conclusion? I would have to say the conclusion I draw is we need to know our children well. We need to be clear on who we are as a family and our goals for our children’s education. Then we need to look at all the options available and choose accordingly. Sounds so simple in black and white! Basically, what keeps everyone learning and enjoying the journey is the right path.
Do I homeschool? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Just like the decision about how you educate your children – it’s up to you!
I wish you all the best in your journey!!
Copyright © 2013 J. Hoffman / GSN (NV)
“If you liked this post – Great!! Please ask before you re-post. Thanks!”
Email: JHoffman@GlobalStudentNetwork.com