Homeschooling: Benefits and Tips for Success

During COVID, when schools were on lockdown, there was a surge in the number of people getting homeschooled. With 9 million Americans receiving homeschooling by the end of 2020, people started to wonder whether or not homeschooling is better than traditional learning. However, recent research has revealed that 80% of people believe homeschooling is better than public schooling, with 66.7% of homeschooled children graduating college and scoring 15%-30% more than their public school peers on standardized tests. These stats emphasize the relevance and effectiveness of homeschooling on children's minds.

Homeschooling: Benefits and Tips for Success


Imagine how much your children could benefit if you used homeschooling for their primary education. Beginning from the age of 5-10, you could nurture your children's minds better than public school educators. If you had the power to build a bright future for your child through elementary homeschooling, would you? Suppose you're still skeptical of positive prospects. In that case, the following article will clear up any misconceptions and prepare you for the world of homeschooling.

Preparing for Elementary homeschooling
Primary education is the base that will hold the weight of all their future knowledge. Building a solid base allows your child to handle complex topics later. It would be best to prepare yourself by pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching, specializing in primary education. Though homeschooling is legal in all states of America, each state may have different laws and regulations. For example, in North Carolina, you must administer nationally standardized achievement tests to your students. An MAT can help with that by teaching you the following:

• Elementary education assessments
• Advanced classroom management
• Curriculum design
• Elementary language, math, and science

It cannot be easy to gain higher education when you’re a parent. However, prestigious universities like UNC offer online MAT programs for busy parents trying to provide better education to their children. By becoming a part-time student, you won’t compromise on being a full-time parent. This online Teaching degree can open new doors for you career-wise and enable you to provide better quality homeschooling.

Benefits of Homeschooling The beginning of this article spoke about how successful homeschooled children are compared to their public school peers. However, why is it so? What do students gain from homeschooling that puts them at an advantage? The following list contains the benefits your child can gain:

1. Higher quality education
A survey on parent concerns about public education reported that 14.5% of parents consider homeschooling their children because of the bad public education quality. When homeschooling your child, you have more control over their learning content.

Homeschooling lets you focus on your child. You can give them more attention and develop a personalized teaching plan to motivate them to learn. You can design lessons that align with their learning style, pace, and abilities. For example, suppose your child is a hands-on learner. In that case, you can incorporate interactive science experiments or field trips to deepen their understanding.

2. Stronger parent-child bond
When you give your child attention and focus on educating them, you learn about their interests and aptitudes as a student. With busy schedules, homeschooling lets you spend them with your child daily. This everyday interaction helps you communicate better. When you and your child become open about your feelings, your kid opens up to you and trusts you more. You learn about your child’s morals, belief systems, and their perspective of the world.

Teachers are often called second parents and have a more significant role in shaping young minds. However, when you are your child’s teacher and parent, you see your child from the lens of both positions. You can use this opportunity to create a stronger bond with your kid and push them to fulfill their potential.

3. Safer environment
According to the Department of Education, about 25% of parents want to protect their children from negative influences like drugs and peer pressure, so they support homeschooling. This teaching method enables worried parents to educate their children in a safe environment where they won’t be vulnerable to harmful behaviors like in public schools. You can be a comforting presence for your child as they struggle to grasp complex concepts. They may be more willing to participate and ask questions in a comfortable home setting.

Strategies for Successful Homeschooling

1. Planning and organization Knowing your child's strengths and weaknesses, you must make a plan and set clear goals to enrich their learning experience effectively. For example, suppose your child struggles with math. In that case, your goal can be to master long division. It would be best to organize a thorough curriculum encompassing all the subjects your child needs to cover. You can also create a schedule that outlines when and how you'll cover each topic.

Take time to review and reflect on your homeschooling journey regularly. Assess your child's progress, evaluate the effectiveness of your teaching methods, and make adjustments as needed. Seek feedback from your child, involve them in goal-setting, and celebrate milestones together.

2. Engaging and interactive lessons
98% of homeschoolers participate in approximately five extracurricular activities weekly, according to a 2023 survey. This data highlights how rich the learning experience of homeschooled students is.

You can have a hands-on approach by doing experiments in the backyard while teaching elementary science or taking your child to visit a museum while teaching history. You can also encourage discussions and help your child understand how to use what they learn in real life.

3. Encouraging independence
Students who have more control over their education have a lot more motivation compared to those who don’t. When you homeschool your child, it is crucial to build their self-esteem. These early years of teaching shape your child’s confidence for the rest of their lives, so you should take extra care.

You can encourage your child by letting them decide what they want to study. Nurture their curiosity and embrace their mistakes. If they make a mistake, don’t erase it. Instead, let them correct the error and learn that making mistakes is okay as long as you learn something.

Conclusion
The most critical ingredient children need to prosper is unconditional support, and who better to give that than their parents? Homeschooling is a huge commitment that requires immense dedication, but it is also a rewarding decision. As a parent, your child means the world to you. What could be better for them than learning from their parent, who would want nothing less than the best for them?

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