Homeschooling Guide for Parents and Students

Gone are the days when homeschooling was done due to insecurities for kids and some religious fundamentals. In recent years, the world of homeschooling has entirely changed and definitely for good. Even the best doctors and lawyers, who have ample resources, choose homeschooling their kids.

A study by National Home Education Research Institute states that almost 2 million kids are homeschooled, out of which 75% have adopted this trend since 1999, and these numbers continue to rise. In the coming 5 to 10 years, we can observe an exponential growth of the people who let go of the system and realized the benefit of homeschooling for their kids. However, before the parents and students dwell in homeschooling, it is important to be aware of several aspects of this method of learning. We have brought for you a homeschooling guide that will help you understand the process so it could work exceptionally for your kids.

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Why you should consider homeschooling?

Parents choose homeschooling for their kids due to different reasons. Some of the major reasons are mentioned below:

• Enrich strengths: With homeschooling, parents help their kids to work on their strengths by creating an educational plan that could center the area of interest of the student, allowing the student to grow in it.
• Better education: It is found to be a great way to receive a better education. Studies mention that the homeschooled students score 15 to 30 percent higher than the students in traditional schools.
• Teach values: Teaching kids at home allows the parents to teach them moral values and beliefs. Along with this, parents can devote time to help the kids understand the value of work ethic and the importance of being responsible.
• A safe learning environment: Sadly some of the conventional schools still face issues like bullying that can be very traumatic for kids. This makes homeschooling a safer way to gain an education.

What are the requirements for homeschooling?

The legal requirements for homeschooling are different for different states. There can be states that have few or no requirements, and there can be others that would go for standardized testing and portfolio reviews of the students. However, the major requirement would still be the willingness and desire of the parents for homeschooling their kids so they can get the best education for their wards within the comforts of the home.

How to get started with homeschooling?

In most of the states, it is not important for parents to have an education degree for homeschooling their kids. Parents who have young children who have never attended a traditional school can begin a home education program when their child turns the age of schooling. At that time they will start adhering to the requirements in their respective state.

This process is different for parents who already have kids in school and then decide to go with homeschooling. They have to first write a letter of withdrawal to the school principal. The letter should describe the intentions of the parents to remove their child from school and to move to homeschool. After getting the notification, parents continue to follow the specific guidelines of their district.

Preparing a schedule for homeschooling

Parents and students who choose homeschooling can plan their schedule for the day as well as for the year as per their preferences. They can always choose the schedule that is followed in conventional schools. But it is seen that most parents want to keep the difference between the home and school intact. This is why they keep their kids open to experimenting, allowing them to choose the calendar that interests them. Here the parents can even consider any of the educational philosophies like Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Montessori, etc. All in all, homeschoolers have the complete freedom to choose the structure and study pattern at their convenience.

Planning a suitable curriculum for homeschooling

As the number of people choosing to homeschool is continuously increasing, more and more types of resources and curriculum have been made available to them. Parents and students can go through numerous options in catalogs linked to different educational philosophies and methods of learning. The subjects involved in homeschooling include the standard ones that are taught in traditional schools along with subjects that center on the interests of the student. Because of this, homeschooling is not considered a transformation in the traditional education system but as a way to personalize education and to give attention to the subjects that interest a student.

In many ways, homeschooling is becoming the first preference of parents for their kids. They can teach their kids with suitable resources and focus on the particular area of interest of the student. This is something that makes learning more interesting and valuable. When followed by a proper curriculum, homeschooling can bring numerous benefits for the kids and could be great for laying the foundation of a bright future.