Homeschooling- no longer a shame but rather an opportunity
Bell ringing at the exact time of the exact moment, students taking seats and getting ready for the class that is already set throughout the day. Can you get the idea of place when you hear about the images? As many people would guess, it’s traditional school. It’s no exaggeration to say that schools help students get ready to be in tuned with the real world.
The main role of schools should remain but the forms could vary. One is homeschooling and the number of it is growing as more parents are considering what’s best for their child. Home schooling once considered as the last resort for students who fall behind is no longer a shame, but it’s more of one’s choice. Home schooling can heighten student’s efficiency by providing customized curriculum, reduce burden that can affect them mentally and allow parent-child bonding. First, homeschooling can improve a child’s efficiency by providing him a customized curriculum.
Unlike public school where every child is forced to follow a fixed time schedule, home-based education allows the curriculum to be changed according to the child’s capabilities and personalities. At home parents can assess their children’s strength, weaknesses, and learning styles at a very objective perspective. With all the aspects considered, parents can provide the fittest curriculum for their kids to maximize learning efficiency. For example, if a child shows giftedness in a specific area, parents can support him so that his strength can be accelerated more; whereas his weaker points can be improved with intensive training and additional resources. Furthermore, the efficiency of homeschooling has been proved officially.
The study conducted by Brian Ray of National Home Education Research Institute has revealed that homeschooled students outperformed public school students by 30 percentile points on standardized test SAT. Therefore, tailored education guides a light for parents on how to maximize their child’s learning ability. The positive effect of homeschooling is not only limited to improving child’s understanding of studies. Homeschooling can also take off whatever burdens that could possibly affect a child when he attends schools.
One of the most evident stresses a child can get is peer pressure. Students at public schools are required to take tests regularly and they are graded from first to last. This constant competition can discourage students resulting in lower self- esteem and perhaps affect their academic performances afterwards. Excessive competition can also distort the true meaning of learning. Student’s focus on learning should not be inclined to earning grades. Rather it should be more focused on sake of knowledge itself. Since homeschooled students are not excessively exposed to competitions and all sorts of pressures, they have better chance to appreciate learning for knowledge. Lastly, homeschooling allows to build a stronger bond between parent and a child. By spending more time, they will get to know and understand each other better. For parents, the productive time spent together is enough to teach their children manners, social behaviors, or personal boundaries. One-on-one communication and direct feedback are very crucial when building a child’s characters.
Direct communication would be hard if a child goes to public school where almost 20 students under the control of only one teacher. Furthermore, close attachment gives a child a sense of security. This secure feeling can lead the child to grow up in a person who is independent and not swayed easily. Although choices in education abound, many children are still educated at public schools in traditional ways. It’s hard to doubt the advantages of public schools in concern with social interaction or costs. However, we are all different individuals with different thoughts and that counts our children too. Homeschooling is the key to raise our children into a fully mature grown-up. It can enhance our children’s learning abilities with customized curriculum, give them less pressure, and allow to build stronger bond between a child and parents. So why not step aside and consider homeschooling our kids?
