9 Benefits Of HomeSchooling

As each year goes by more and more parents are seriously considering homeschooling as a viable alternative to mainstream school.What are the benefits of Homeschooling then?

Sixteen years ago my husband and I made the decision to move our young family of five children from a rural area in Western Australia to Perth and with that move we also made the decision to home school.The reasons were many and so were the benefits.

Here is a list of what we feel were the greatest benefits:

*The end to the ever growing problem of bullying within our children's education environment.What a relief!
Many times our children could be victims of bullying at school and we may not even be aware of it.
However,once our children are taken out of the formal school environment we can find that the lines of communication become more open and as they confide more in us we realise the actual extent of bullying and the effect it has been having on our children.Therefore we are able to help our children overcome the effects of bullying and to develop a strong sense of self-esteem and renewed self-confidence.

*A very flexible daily schedule, much to everyones' delight.We all have days when we wake up tired or feel unwell.When homeschooling the daily schedule becomes much more flexible and allows for much freedom in coping with health issues and time constraints.
It is only a short time before the children become very good at time management and develop a personal sense of responsibility for accomplishing tasks within a certain time frame.This goes hand in hand with self-discipline.

*The freedom to choose topics our children are interested in and the willingness to change if there was a lack of interest in a particular topic.
For example,if one child is interested in Endangered Species,but another in Chemistry,there is no reason why these differing interests cannot be catered to.In fact,the children very quickly become self-learners:that is,they follow their natural interests until they are satisfied with what they have learnt in a particular area.Then they willingly go on to something else.

*Each child can be given as much one-on-one attention as necessary,therefore allowing for quick pick-up of any weaknesses or problems in their curriculum areas.
For example,when at school perhaps you as a parent did not realise that your child was struggling with Math simply because they did not know their Times Tables,or even that your child was not reading at a required grade level.Within a short time of homeschooling you can identify and deal with these problems.

*The children are eager to get into their work each day, knowing that much time for favourites was available when the formal side was covered.
For example,if your children are avid readers there may be time for an extra visit to the Library,or if they love the outdoors a bike ride or bushwalk.These are the things that enhance education for young and old.

*It was only a short time from when the children were taken out of school to see what each child's' strengths and weaknesses were.For example,our son developed a deep love for fishing and story writing.Our daughters all learnt musical instruments and were keenly interested in a wide variety of crafts and hobbies.Some were keenly interested in stamp collecting and loved to attend and be involved in stamp auctions.

*The children became very self-motivated and self-disciplined learners which qualities have carried over into their adult lives and work habits.They all love acquiring new skills to this day,because of their love for learning.

*If anyone was sick at any time the children were so far ahead in their program that it did not matter and ample time off could be given without fear of falling behind.This takes pressure off the whole family,as we all know how difficult it can be when there is a nasty 'flu or other bug doing the circuit.

*It is very easy to integrate a wide range of activities which allow for socialising with a wide variety of age groups and cultures.
For example,if you have elderly folk in your neighbourhood you can invite them for morning tea and as they and the children get to know one another the children can create biographies of the lives of these ones.
Or perhaps there is a family from another country just moved into your area.This is a great opportunity to get to know one another and for the children to learn the invaluable lesson of tolerance and respect for those of a different background,thus removing prejudices.

These are but a few of the many benefits that we have found come from homeschooling.It really is a practical and viable alternative to formal school education,in areas where it is permitted.

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