Benefits of Homeschooling

Homeschooling has many benefits, and different families will put more importance on some benefits than others. I have homeschooled since 2003 and have graduated one child and am about to graduate a second this year; I still have 2 more at home. Before we started homeschooling my children went to public and private schools, so I can contrast their homeschooling experience with their regular 'school' experiences. Looking back over the years, these are the 4 major benefits we have derived from homeschooling.

If you have more than one child, you will know that each child has a very different personality. They also will each have their own learning styles. Some are auditory learners, some visual, some hands-on and some a combination of these.

In a typical classroom situation it is impossible for a teacher to let each child learn in the style that suits them best - but it is very easy to do this if you homeschool. You can tailor your homeschool program to fit the learning style of each child.

This will enable your child to assimilate new information as quickly as possible, and without getting frustrated.

This was one of the reasons we chose to homeschool. My husband travels abroad regularly, and we wanted to be able to accompany him occasionally. Homeschooling has given us the flexibility to do this - in fact we took a 7 week trip around Asia and Europe a few years ago. (We took school with us). You can also make local trips when you want to, without your children's education suffering.

Of course there are other areas of flexibility too - when you start school each year, whether you school year-round or not, what curriculum you use. As a homeschooler you get to decide all these things - and you can make them fit your family and your schedule.

There are some great public and private school teachers out there (I know - I follow some of their blogs!) and kids in their classes will be getting a great education. But sadly, many students have sub-standard educational experiences at school. As a homeschool parent you can be sure your children are stimulated and finding enjoyment in their studies.

There are so many resources available today - I use curriculum that incorporates wonderful books that make our studies come to life, and then I add in computer games and jigsaw puzzles and movies and board games and hands-on kits that relate to what we have learned. As a result my kids love to learn.

In addition, I can tweak their educational experience to fit their interests and abilities. I have allowed my kids to select electives that interest them. Some electives they have chosen have been Game Theory, Logic, Computer Graphic Design and History of Cinema. This allows them to delve deeper into areas they may be considering for a future career.

No education is neutral. Any teacher teaches with their worldview, their assumptions coloring everything they teach. Homeschooling allows you to teach from your worldview. I appreciate being able to filter everything we learn through a biblical worldview. If your children are in school, you may or may not agree with the worldviews of their teachers. Of course, you can still discuss what they are learning at home - but it is so much harder to do that effectively.

I choose to teach my children what other people believe as well, so they can compare worldviews. For instance, we study the theory of evolution even though I believe in God, the intelligent designer of our universe. We study global warming, even though I think there are many fallacies in the theories proposed by scientists who believe in it. I would not like my children to be in a school where only one worldview is taught ... I would rather teach my children to be able to evaluate conflicting ideas for themselves.