5 Benefits of Homeschooling
Homeschooling gives families the freedom to create an education that fits their children and their unique needs. It can also bring families closer together. Children have more time to explore subjects that interest them. They can learn at their own pace and use the learning style that works best for them. Homeschooling also offers a flexible schedule and gives parents greater control over the values, lessons, and learning environment. These are just a few reasons families choose to homeschool. Let’s look at 5 benefits of homeschooling and how they can positively impact your family.
1. Stronger Family Relationships
A child from birth to the age of 19 lives 166, 440 hours. If your child goes to daycare, preschool for 2 years, traditional school for 13 years and sleeps an average of 7 hours each night, almost half their life is spent away from you. This does not include hours spent at a job when they are teenagers. It also does not include time spent doing other activities likes sports, youth group, hanging with friends, etc. More time together typically means a closer bond. Yeah, you might get on each other’s nerves now and then but sending kids away for half their life won’t stop that from happening. Getting your kids involved in activities such as co-ops, youth groups, sports, and other activities is definitely a good thing. But spending time together can build stronger family relationships. It is one of the 5 benefits of homeschooling.
2. Learn What Interests Them
In a traditional school setting your child’s teacher chooses the curriculum and what is taught. It is typically a general, one-size-fits-all curriculum. But if your child takes a special interest in a specific topic, the teacher may not have enough time for them to explore it more deeply. In homeschooling you can be going through a biology curriculum and if your child super interested in the plant life topic you can pause the rest of the curriculum and spend an extra day or week or multiple weeks researching and learning about plant life. You can check more books out from the library, do more activities like planting a garden or flowers in a pot. You can take a trip to a greenhouse or nursery and ask the owner questions.
There are probably thousands of videos on YouTube about plant life that your child could watch and learn from. Yes, there are subjects a child needs to learn whether they like the topic or not. But if they can spend more time learning things that interest them then they will enjoy it more (and there will be less fighting to get them to do their school work 😉 ).
3. Learning Happens at Their Own Pace
Many homeschoolers have a hard time knowing what grade their child is in because they can be in more than one grade. Lets say you have a child that age-wise is a 4th grader. They might be in 4th grade for math but doing 3rd grade language arts and 5th grade science. This is because for this child language arts is not their strong area. As long as they are learning and making progress, even slow progress, that is all that matters. Also, this scenario says that science is probably a subject that this child enjoys and is good at. They can explore the topic more deeply and move through lessons quickly, allowing them to get ahead.
In addition to being able to learn at their own pace your child can learn in their own learning style. Maybe your child learns best by being read to, or watching a video, or doing hands-on activities. You can tailor a lesson to fit their learning style. They will retain the information longer if they learn it in a way that is best for them.
4. Flexible Schedule
Doing school doesn’t have to take 7-8 hours each day. There is a lot of wasted time in a traditional school setting. When your child is finished with a subject they can immediately move on to their next subject. They don’t have to wait for the rest of the class to finish or feel rushed to finish before the class hour.
Also, learning can happen at times when your child is most focused and productive. If your child likes to get up early in the morning and get their schoolwork done before lunch, let them. Maybe your family are late nighters and like to sleep in so you don’t do school until the afternoon. That works too! Homeschooling can fit into any family lifestyle.
You can plan vacations, travel, volunteering, field trips, and other activities whenever you want because you can fit schoolwork around your schedule. You can also homeschool from almost anywhere, giving your family even more freedom and flexibility.
5. Greater Control Over Values Taught
As the parent, you get to choose educational materials that align with your beliefs and priorities. Parents have more influence over the learning environment. Your child can read the books you want, watch the videos you want, go to the co-op you feel is best. Part of creating a different learning environment from traditional school is giving your child opportunities to interact with a wider range of age groups rather than only same-age peers. Many homeschool co-ops structure their classes so that they include a range of ages in them. Lunch time and clubs often include an even broader age range of students.
Wrap Up of the 5 Benefits of Homeschooling
Homeschooling offers families the freedom to create an education that fits their unique needs. It can strengthen family relationships and give children more time to explore what they love. Children can also learn at their own pace and in ways that work best for them. A flexible schedule can make daily life easier and more enjoyable. Parents also have greater control over the values, curriculum, and learning environment. These 5 benefits of homeschooling are just some of the reasons families choose to take a different approach to education. Ultimately, homeschooling gives you the opportunity to build an educational experience that works for your child and your family.