For the longest time, home schooling has been viewed with a somewhat contemptuous attitude by many. They’re under the misguided notion that home schooling is for weirdoes and social misfits.

People these days are much more open minded about the idea of home schooling. Lots more parents are choosing to put their kids in some kind of home schooling program.

So what are the possible reasons for parents to home school their kids? What are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling? Is it right for your child and what must be taken into consideration when choosing to home school your child?

Home schooling has traditionally been for those children who suffer from some kind of condition or whose current circumstances don’t allow them to attend regular school. However, more and more parents are choosing to home school their children because they believe it to be a more beneficial alternative to traditional schools.

There are a lot of advantages to be taken from home schooling.

Home schooling allows a child be taught in a more individualized way. The child will not have to compete with several other students for the time and attention of the teacher. Their parent is their teacher and the one-on-one teaching that the child receives will increase the quality of learning.

The nature of home schooling allows for an incredible amount of flexibility and freedom in regards to learning. The lessons and curriculum to be undertaken can be custom made to suit the particular educational needs of the child.

The child can also learn at their own pace, seeing as there’s no set schedule that must be followed. A child can take as much time as they need to learn something without being pressured, or they can go as quickly as they can, learning things that would normally take a much longer time to cover in a classroom.

In many cases home schooling will enforce an inherent love of learning and will strengthen the child abilities to learn on their own. These skill will become a valuable asset throughout their lives.

Many parents home school their kids in order to instill moral values that can’t be sufficiently achieved in traditional schools. This is especially true if they feel that the child is easily influenced and the schools in the area are a particularly bad influence.

Home schooling helps to cultivate family ties. The time that the family spend together teaching and learning helps to strengthen family bonds.

Thanks to more advanced technology and in particular the internet, home schooling has become even more effective. The internet is a vast source of knowledge and you can find a plethora of home schooling resources like sample curriculums, lesson plans, and all sorts of guides.

The greatest criticism aimed at home schooling is that it might hamper the child’s social growth. Home schooled kids tend to be more isolated and many feel that this is harmful.

This isn’t necessarily the case though, as studies have shown that many home schooled adults have excellent social skills and are living happy, meaningful lives.

These studies also show that home schooled individuals tend to do better academically than traditionally schooled individuals.

Despite the seemingly many benefits of home schooling, it isn’t for everyone. Parents should take in mind several considerations before taking the plunge.

Home schooling takes a tremendous amount of time and effort on the part of the parents.

Teaching will take up most of the teaching parent’s day, so this means that the they will most likely not have the time to work. The family must be able to cope with this situation. This is especially difficult for single parents.

Also, the parent must be sure that they will be able teach their child properly and handle all the possible problems and responsibilities that come with the home schooling their child.

Home schooling, when done right can have very positive results. However, getting it wrong can result in absolute disaster. Ultimately, it’s up to the parents to assess their child and decide if home schooling is the right choice for them.

Lee Dobbins writes for [http://homeschooling.biz-review.com] where you can learn more about home schooling [http://homeschooling.biz-review.com].

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Home schooling allows parents and family members to deliver content that they consider appropriate and important for their kids. Still, there is the reality that many home school students will enter the workforce and compete against students who attended larger institutions with more resources. How can families who have decided to home school add more breath and depth to courses at minimal cost? Below are five suggestions that can help make your home school courses more substantial and engaging.

1. Organize learning trips. To supplement the study of core subjects, organize exploratory trips to teach your kids real-world skills. For middle and high school students, organize trips to the bank. On these trips, have students open accounts, make basic transitions, and enquire about bank services and fees. Banking trips can work well with other math lessons. For elementary school students, organize trips to different food markets. Consider a chain grocery store, the farmers’ market, a kosher market, and a Chinese Deli. These trips can compliment lessons about budgeting, nutrition, or cultural cuisines. As a long-term goal, students can fundraise for out-of-state trips. These trips can be related to things they are studying (e.g. a fieldtrip to New York after a unit on immigration or a road trip through the state, chartered by your kids, after a course about geography and map reading).

2. Enroll in college. Courses at a community college can be an inexpensive way to add to your child’s learning. Consider enrolling your students in a community college for subjects such as literature or language. High-school-age students would especially benefit from such courses. Attending college courses will add texture to the school day. Additionally, attending these courses will offer accelerated study and it will give students exposure to a college environment. If community college is not an option, check within your network of family and friends for college professors. These professionals may be willing to give a lecture on a specific subject or allow your kids to sit in on a course.

3. Use the information superhighway. The Internet offers a host of resources than can make home schooling a breeze. From home school networks to online courses, there are many sites that can make your lessons more interactive and effective. For general home schooling resources, visit The Home School Mom’s website. For language study, consider purchasing a 1-year online subscription to Rosetta Stone. For beginning and intermediate math study, check out the resources on Math.com. For lesson plans and other teaching resources, check out Laura Candler’s website. (Search names to find websites).

4. Explore your community. Keeps abreast of speakers, performances, and exhibits by signing up for newsletters from local colleges, universities, and museums. You can organize a unit of study in preparation for an upcoming exhibit. Conversely, you can use a speaker’s visit or a performance to add levels of understanding to a unit of study you have already begun. PBS and NPR are two other great places to learn about events in your community.

5. Purchase plans. There is no need to re-invent the wheel, or lesson plans for that matter, when you can purchase them over the Internet. Websites such as Teachers Pay Teachers and We are Teachers offer a wide variety of lesson plans and curricula for purchase. These plans are especially useful when you are teaching the basics, such as paragraph writing or long division, or when you are teaching commonly read authors, such as Shakespeare or Toni Morrison.

Home schooling allows families a greater level of control over the content and the chronology of study. At the same time, families who choose to home school have the job of preparing students for a larger world context. To add texture and to give more breath and depth to your home school courses, use the suggestions listed above.

AUTHOR’S BIO

James Guilford has worked in education, as a teacher and a dean, for nearly a decade. He is the author of the young adult novel, THE PENCIL TEST. Guilford’s writing has appeared in The North American Review, Identity Envy, In The Fray, and other publications. Visit the author’s website at http://www.jamesguilford.com to learn more about his writing and his workshops. Purchase THE PENCIL TEST on Amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/Pencil-Test-James-Guilford/dp/1440166439 ) or at other booksellers.

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