Exploring different methods of teaching and learning can help us increase student success overall as a community. To do this, districts like Charter Schools Orange County offer a variety of programs, workshops, and classes for students and parents to help them thrive. But there is another method that could help your child learn better and experience personal growth: homeschooling. There are many misconceptions that exist about homeschooling: who can participate, what it looks like, and how it will affect a child’s ability to interact (to name a few). The trust is homeschooling yields successful results for students not only with their performance but also with their quality of life. In all, the benefits of homeschooling vastly outweigh the reasons for hesitation. Take a look at some of these benefits below:
Small Class Sizes
Classrooms can be tough to navigate for children who learn differently or need more time to understand. This is where homeschooling comes in. Where in-person classrooms generally teach in a way that most children in class will understand while leaving the others to play catch-up, homeschooling teaches children in the way that is most impactful for them. Instead of a classroom full of students, most children are homeschooled in a small group or in a singular learning setting. With smaller numbers, the teacher and/or program are able to focus on the individual needs of each student rather than having to worry about the class development as a whole.
Choose Teaching Method
Believe it or not, homeschooled households have a variety of teaching and learning options to choose from. Normally, students and parents don’t have a say when it comes to teaching methods and learning environments. But when it comes to homeschooling, students can choose to learn at home straight from their parents or learn in an online setting. No one method works for everyone, so maybe both methods are needed for some students to excel. Along with this, plenty of workshops, tools, and resources are available to both students and parents to ensure learning is as fun and formative as it can be. Bottom line: you have the ability to choose.
Flexible Scheduling
A traditional school day consists of undesirable tasks such as an early wake-up time, learning continuously for eight hours, and rushed transportation to and from school. However, with homeschooling, there’s no need for strict guidelines that are set in stone (unless you want it that way). The point is, it’s up to you to decide what’s best. Whether your children are learning via an online program or directly from you, you can adjust their schedules in a way that allows free time, breaks between classes, and even interactive learning. What’s more, you can schedule learning in a way that works best for your schedule, too. No more doing things on someone else’s time.
Customized Learning
It’s a given that not everyone learns the same, but it’s not always clear what this may look like or what solutions are necessary. Unlike the traditional route, homeschooling allows you and your children to figure out what works best, as opposed to just sticking to a set curriculum. A one-on-one homeschooling environment allows you to assess what learning strategies work well with your child and which strategies aren’t as efficient. Do they learn better visually or by hearing? Are hands-on examples helpful or does repetition yield more results? Once you know what does and doesn’t work, you can adjust your plan to assure the best path to success for your little student.
Personal Growth
Child development is at the forefront of education, but growth outside of the grade book can sometimes fall to the wayside. When children learn at home, they are able to do so in a safe environment led by adults that they love and trust. This environment can help foster their own personal growth by encouraging independence, teaching self-discipline with lesson plans, and increasing their overall self-esteem. Even better, homeschooling is known to have a hand in strengthening family relationships. Bonds are created and strengthened when a group is focused on a common goal. In all, homeschooling can prove to be good for children’s personal development.
Family Matters
Proven and effective, education by way of homeschooling can be a huge benefit to the entire family. For some families, homeschooling was just what they needed to lead a happier, healthier life. With a flexible schedule, early morning wake-up calls transformed into easeful mornings. Time spent commuting to and from school is now spent at the park with the kids. And most importantly, kids are able to break more, snack more, play more, and learn more. Homeschooling has proven time and again to work well for families of all sizes and backgrounds—it may just work well for you and yours, too.
