With the on-going COVID crisis, due to Online schooling even though homes are turning partially into schools for a few hours, for modern age parents, the thought of homeschooling your child is still an intimidating one. The concept of Homeschooling isn’t unknown or unheard of by most parents yet they are clueless on how to begin, select the approach, and decide the syllabus. Also, most parents feel that when a child is sent to school, he/she will not just learn academics but also adapt to the social environment which is a life skill requirement. Besides that, when things don’t go the way they are supposed to, there is always someone to blame, to point fingers at because as parents we, have an obvious fear of responsibility.
There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.
Mahatma Gandhi.
With the current scenario of schools opting for digital classes, there is a section of parents for whom Homeschooling is emerging as a more convenient alternative. Parents that do not prefer to expose their child to screen (no matter how interactive the class might be) or force online learning on their children are keener towards homeschooling them instead. Let’s discover all about the method of learning call HomeSchooling.
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What is Homeschooling?
Home schooling or Home Education is a way of education through which the child is taught at home by the parent/tutor without going to a formal school. The entire responsibility of the child’s education lies on the parent(s). In this method of teaching, the parent can decide which method of Home- Schooling suits them the Best. There are several methods and each of them will cater to each child different. They range from Montessori, Waldorf, Multiple Intelligence, Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Classical, Unschooling and School–at-home approach.
Advantages of Homeschooling
Flexibility to control the curriculum
“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in the same way.”
George Evans.
In a formal school, the subjects are taught at a general speed and it is assumed that every child of that particular age is efficient enough to grasp. But this isn’t true. , The pace of the curriculum cannot be adjusted as per the different capabilities of learning. Every child’s proficiency varies from subject to subject and only through homeschooling this can be customized as per your child’s ability. You can take 1 day to finish a level of Math or take a week. The time is in your hands. You don’t need to bother trying to figure it out because your child will help you decide it.
Liberty to focus on the subjects that are in line with your child’s interest
Every child has his/her favorite subject. Most often it is the same as their interest and passion. You might have to give the opportunity to the child to explore this but it is there. Some may love the outer Space World while some love to write alphabets and read books. It can be one, it can be plenty. Children love to learn, they have so many questions with one leading to another.
You can examine what they find interesting by analyzing their different questions and begin your journey with this lead. Your child will also show larger attention span on the favorite topic and start fussing over the least favorite one. With Home Schooling, you have the option of favoring the subject or topic your child loves and an opportunity to make the lesser liked one more interesting in the way they like to be dealt.
Undivided attention can be given to the child
Imagine the difference between a classroom of 20 children with one teacher and on the other hand a complete 1:1 ratio. Now imagine the effectiveness of the teaching when then there is only one person to focus on. There’s a big difference between 20 children at school and one (maximum 3) at home. Not just the child can listen to you attentively but you also will have the time to hear out your child. There is plenty of time available to be creative, read, dream, think and experiment.
An excellent way to connect and spend constructive time with the child
Homeschooled kids spend most of their time with their parents opening the world of opportunities to interact with them more. If you have more than 1 child, the bond between siblings can get stronger when both children have all the time in their hands. Older siblings can help the younger ones learn immensely too. Who said Home-schooling cannot be fun? Take advantage of the time and the liberty to do things at your own pace. You sure can focus on creating warm memories in this challenging time.
Freedom given to the child to decide when to learn
Kids are free to pick the topic on their own and follow the timetable as per their choice. Basically the child can decide if he would like to learn a language first followed by Science or get crafty first and then perhaps explore geography. They are free to set their own schedule. Also are free to skip studies all together on days they are not up for it. There is no caging the child at all in this kind of education. Imagine no pressure of a fixed timetable and no stress of studying just 1 topic. The world will be like an empty canvas ready to be painted in colors they deem fit.
Lets you cater to special needs of a child
Rather than following a strict teacher’s schedule, Home schooling lets you plan the lessons keeping in mind the special needs of a child. This kind of education can serve the purpose of teaching a child who thinks and learns differently from others as it makes the child open up better in the comfort of their house. The child feels secure enough in the familiar environment and learns better from a person closest to him/her. This way the child gets a brilliant opportunity to explore and develop who they are.
Provides greater control over how the child is taught
If you always complained about how your child was taught or treated in school, if you were worried about bullying and peer pressure, here is your solution. In homeschooling, the entire power is in your hands. The most interesting advantage of Home-schooling is that you don’t just teach subjects, you share the whole experience. It is important that we not just teach subjects and arts but life skills too that will help them later to survive in the society. Your child will learn what you teach. Habits, morals, and knowledge will almost all come from you. In lots of ways this can be a good thing (family values), but you need to be sure you understand the commitment and dedication that this will require from you. It is up to you to make it work, to learn what you need to learn, and to keep your enthusiasm up.
Homeschooling is life changing. It creates personal growth for both the parent and the child. All this may seem overwhelming at first, but there’s no need to worry. In the midst of so much uncertainty, let’s do our best to enjoy this unexpected gift of time with our children. We can take just one step at a time.
In our next blog, we will cover the different methods of Home Schooling and guide you how you can effectively enroll yourself in this field of education relevant in the current pandemic time.
What do you think are some of the benefits of homeschooling? Considering the above advantages, do you think it is worth giving a try?
Content Contribution: Tripti Jain
Tripti is a freelance writer who loves to express everything on her mind. A mother to a 4-year-old, Tripti shares her positive parenting and sustainable journey on Instagram in hope that all parents are able to make a better world and a better planet for their children.
