What are the benefits of homeschooling? As Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes – Let me count the ways. Really, there are SO MANY benefits! Here are my Top 10!
- As a homeschool parent, the benefits of homeschooling include spending more time with your kids than other parents spend with their kids. This is wonderful, valuable, bonding time. Why would anyone want to give this time up? In addition to having more time with your kids, your kids have more time with their siblings. Again, this is bonding time. I truly believe that homeschooling families are closer to one another than non-homeschooling families. Time together growing = bonding time.
- The benefits of homeschooling include giving your kids a better education than public schools can. Why? Because of #s 3-10!
- When you homeschool, you can give your kids individualized attention. My kids get one on one time on a daily basis. Yes, daily. That’s just not possible in the public school system – even if teachers want to do this, they just don’t have the opportunity or the time. Of course, I teach my kids all together, as well – so then the ratio is a bit higher – it’s 4:1. It’s never 20:1 or 30:1!
- The benefits of homeschooling include teaching to your kids’ different learning styles. Did you know that there are different learning styles? There are! I have auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. So, I make sure my lessons have something for each of my kids – and when I teach individually, I teach specifically to my child’s learning style. Complicated? Difficult? Not really. Almost all the homeschoolers I know, do the same.
- You can teach to your kids’ interests. Wow – this is HUGE. I have a daughter that’s presently obsessed with go carts and a son that’s interested in architecture and construction. Because of this, we have a lot of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) lessons. My daughter’s math printables are go-cart themed, and recent science experiments are velocity related. My son who is interested in architecture and construction, has offered to build her a go-cart and he’s presently researching optimal designs. This is a lot of fun for the ENTIRE family – and I guarantee that both kids are learning a lot. Plus, as mentioned in #1, this is a bonding experience for both of them.
- If your child has strengths or weaknesses, you can address them. Immediately. One of my kids had trouble learning to read. He just didn’t think reading was important, and used to pretend he was reading, when he was just looking at the pictures and turning the pages. Of course, I discovered this right away and found a reading program that worked for him. But I wonder – had he been in public school, how long would it have taken for the teacher to realize he wasn’t reading at all? Another one of my kids is a math superstar. I admit, math wasn’t my strongest subject in school. I just didn’t enjoy it. So, I’m boning up on my math – and hiring a tutor as well. Not because I can’t do the math, I can – but because I think my son can benefit from someone else teaching him – someone that has more insight than I do. Again, would a teacher in the public schools have noticed his math aptitude? Would the teacher have done something to address this aptitude? I don’t know – but I know that I did.
- The benefits of homeschooling include more time efficiency with schooling/learning. I’m so into efficiency, aren’t you? In 2-4 hours a day, I can teach my kids MORE than what they would learn in an entire day at public school. That’s because a lot of time in public school is spent doing “make-work”, standing in line, moving from room to room, etc.
- Because of #7, your kids have the extra time necessary to play and to pursue their outside interests. Research has shown how important play is – much more important than learning how to stand in line, how to be quiet while walking through the halls, etc. In addition to extra play time, kids can pursue their interests. My kids are taking woodworking and welding classes, dance and pottery classes, and more. This extra time (and what they’re doing with their time) has made my kids more well-rounded, and more interesting people.
- The benefits of homeschooling include actually learning how to learn. Homeschool kids tend to be self-starters, self-learners, and they tend to embrace learning throughout their life. This is just one of the reasons why colleges and employers are embracing and recruiting homeschool students.
- The benefits of homeschooling include increased socialization. What? Increased? Yes. Studies have shown that homeschooled kids are better socialized than their public school counterparts. I know my kids are out in the community more than they were when they were in traditional school. That’s because they have an abundance of field trips, time for outside classes (including dual credit courses), opportunities for community service, mentorship and job opportunities, and more. Plus, my kids have all the activities that public school kids have, such as scouts, community sports, 4-H, etc.
I could go on, and list additional benefits of homeschooling, but I think these ten are pretty solid, don’t you?
If you’re considering homeschooling, here are some additional articles that might be of interest:
