Home schooling education started to become popular during the sixties, and since that time has shown the consistent growth necessary to become a very legitimate and effective method of schooling. So legitimate and effective that now over 1000 colleges and universities accept applications from children who have been schooled at home.
Early on, educating children at home had it’s public image damaged by the percentage of home schooling parents who chose to keep their children home from public school, but did not actually teach them. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, as there seems to be no point whatsoever to this. These unfortunate children would emerge from this form of home entrapment with severe learning and social disadvantages. They found it quite difficult to socially interact, and their knowledge of life’s bare necessities regarding academics was extremely low. When viewed in this state by the general public, the impression was understandably, that home education does not work.
Those who opposed home education based a lot of their opinion on the belief that public school teachers were better trained and equipped to teach children than their parents. They would also point out that the facilities in the public school system were better in many areas, particularly the area’s of laboratory science and the offerings provided by a public school library.
Today, however, these arguments are no longer valid. There are a great many parents who are very well equipped, and capable of teaching their children. Should assistance be needed for a specialized science, or for that matter any other subject, a qualified tutor is just a phone call, or mouse click away. There are a wide variety of very good curriculum available specifically for home use that provide a strong foundation for educating in the home. In addition, they are easy to follow for both student and parent.
Another negative belief that just is not true, centers around socialization. The average home educated student will no more suffer from social ineptness as any other student. There are a multitude of activities available for the home student that will provide them with social experience. Families who home school find it easy to locate each other to form home education groups and to jointly participate in various activities such as sports, and group game playing. This provides not only enjoyable group activities for the students, but also allows the parents to discuss and share home teaching experiences and techniques.
It is true that certain classes such as physical education and science can be a little more difficult at home. However, this can be made a great deal easier by having several home school families pitch in and purchase the required equipment necessary for a very functional science lab. Also, depending on the state where you reside, it is also possible that your home schooled student may be allowed by law to participate in one class, such as laboratory science. Check with your local Board of Education to see if this option is available to you.
Both the teaching and the receiving of a home education can be a very rewarding experience. But, don’t mislead yourself; it is a great deal of hard work for both teacher and student, and will require a disciplined approach. With the resources available today, should you be considering a home schooling education for your family, you now have the peace of mind to know it can be done with every bit of the benefit that any other education option offers.
Copyright ©2007 Carl DiNello
Carl DiNello is an Article Author, Researcher, and Website Owner whose articles are featured on websites covering the Internet’s most popular topics.
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Tags: home schooling, home schooling education
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