Ten Reasons to Homeschool

To any parent out there thinking that homeschool may be the solution for your family I encourage you to learn more and think about your decision. Homeschool can be a great opportunity for children and parents alike but it is a huge commitment that should not be taken lightly. Here are my top ten reasons for homeschooling my children. It is hard to limit the list to ten so I did my best.

1. In public schools kids spend the majority of their actual learning time being taught how to pass standardized tests that do not accurately measure their learning. In homeschool test taking is optional. While it can be helpful to see some type of grade it is not required. Some parents may be more comfortable with a more traditional homeschool set up that does reflect some type of grading scale but for the most part parents can accurately gauge when their children have learned the necessary material.
2. Values can be more easily taught and better yet they can be taught by example. In a more traditional school situation parents have a very limited amount of time to influence their children’s behavior and often start to loose control when their children start school. In a homeschool situation values can be integrated into every day life and into the lessons.
3. School often teaches kids to dislike learning or look at it as drudgery. Homeschool kids are often able to devote much of their studies to subjects that they find interesting and will be motivated to learn more. This will eventually lead kids to see the value of learning and develop a life long love of learning.
4. Homeschool kids learn how to be individuals. They are not subjects to the group mentality that often develops in schools. Sure they may experience this in other situations but for the most part they will be spared the drama of the social magnifying glass that makes school a misery for many people.
5. Homeschool kids can start life now. They don’t have to wait until they are finished with school to start. I know homeschool kids that have started businesses, written books, undertaken scientific experiments, and travelled the world before most of their public school counterparts have graduated.
6. Public schools often tend to graze the top of many required subjects but go into depth on very few. This tends to lead to short term learning which often does not stick past the first standardized test. Home school kids often study subjects in much more depth and develop a much more full understanding of issues. This is partly due to the amount of quality time that can be spent learning as well as the lack of other distractions.
7. Homeschool parents are not subject to the same rules and regulations as the school system. They can teach their children what they believe is important. This is a double edged sword because the truth is that some parents are not qualified to homeschool their children and end up doing more harm than good. But for the majority of homeschool parents this level of freedom is an important aspect of homeschooling.
8. Home school families have a degree of flexibility that is unprecedented in any other school setting. Parents can base schedules around what works for them and what works for their children. Parents can set the year up how they like whether is be year round of summers off. Travel at any time is possible and travel can be integrated into teaching. Homeschool families are able to take advantage of off peak time periods for museums, travel, and many other outings.
9. Community service and giving back are very important aspects of being good citizens and are largely left out of the public school model. In a homeschool setting you can integrate volunteer work and community service into your regular school schedule. This will teach your kids to be compassionate and humble and have a profound impact on their formative years.

You get to know your kids. Many parents of kids in traditional school don’t know their children. They may only see them for a few minute per day and this short visits are often kids are barely awake or bone tired from a long day. Your kids will be grown and gone before you know it, if you send them away when they hit school age you are sacrificing much of your possible relationship. Homeschooling creates an important bond and level of appreciation between many children and parents.

I could continue on for ages. Homeschool has been instrumental in bringing my family closer together and building strong bonds and relationships. To be honest I was hesitant about homeschool at first but as the years pass my appreciation grows and as my family learns more tricks about how to effectively homeschool our experience continues to improve.