Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

What are the Advantages And Disadvantages of homeschooling? Looking at the both side some type helps to see a balanced picture and here it is a balance view of pros and cons of homeschooling.

People new to the idea and concept of homeschooling often have a thousand of questions to raise.  Here is some helpful information to guide you in weighing things out:

Some homeschooling advantages:

1.    Allow quality time, providing individualized attention and instruction.  Homeschooling parents can better understand their children; observe how kids progress, what areas they find difficult and help them out.

2.    Children learn in their own pace.  At homeschool, children can advance at any time, not waiting on others or if the kid is a slow learner or having difficulties in a certain subject area, she/he can remain to focus on that area without pressure that others are already moving on.

3.    Parents pattern their teaching style and curriculum in accordance with the child’s learning style, allowing him/her to successfully understand the subject matter, thus better results are achieved.

4.    No peer pressure.  At a homeschool, age classification is not a factor, therefore children not only associate with children their same age level, but with children of different ages and adults as well, so they can decide on their own without the influence of peers.

5.    “Hands on learning”.  Activities which are outside the context of books are very much essential to the child’s learning process.  Trips to the park, the museum, the zoo, going fishing with mom and dad can be a great time to spend an afternoon educating your child.

Some homeschooling disadvantages:

1.    For the homeschool parent, much time and effort is required for preparation of teaching materials, lessons and managing the child’s opportunities in order to cultivate friendships and expand on the child’s interests.

2.    Parents who homeschool do not have enough time to spend for themselves when kids are constantly at home.  This frequent time of being together can be at times suffocating and, therefore, can not work in certain families.

3.    Homeschooled children do not have a lot of opportunities to bond and develop friendships with peers.  For many families, this really is not a problem and is supplemented by taking the kids out to play in the park, attend lessons in ballet, jazz, etc.  However it takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to insure that their kids have these opportunities.

Whether to homeschool or not, it all depends on you, as a parent, on how much are you willing to give your child.  On top of all the learning materials, the field trips, home schooling entails a lot of love, patience and encouragement.

You can check out homeschooling tips and how to start homeschooling and homeschooling curriculum ideas.

How to avoid Burnout When Homeschooling

When you are home with kids and teaching them, there bound to be burn out at some point of time. Homeschool burnout does not have be difficult to deal with, if we take some precaution to avoid it and make homeschooling more fun and enjoyable for you and your child.

When a parent takes on the responsibility of educating his or her
child, homeschool burnout is one of the more common issues they
have to deal with. There are many reasons that lead to this
burnout: an illness, a new baby, added responsibility, change in
routine etc.

The symptoms of burnout vary from lack of patience to overeating
and crying without any apparent reasons. Surprisingly, a burnout
need not be such a bad thing. It is a wake-up call - an indicator
that things are not going well and that you need to reschedule.
Reversing or avoiding a burnout is possible if you get fair
warning.

Firstly, lower your expectations. Do not be a perfectionist. Take
the good days with the bad. Next, when something does not seem to
work, look for alternative methods. Flexibility is a key
factor. If tension starts mounting, take a break. When necessary,
change the style of teaching. For instance, small children love to
take on their spellings when they quiz an adult.

Avoid overkill. Do not pack too many activities for the sake of
socializing your child. A worn out mom means a grouchy kid and
that means no happiness. Get support from your spouse or a
neighbor or a support group. Don't try to achieve everything by
yourself. Homeschooling means 'happy schooling' - don't forget
that.

You can check out homeschooling tips and how to start homeschooling and homeschooling curriculum ideas.

Field Trip Ideas For Homeschoolers

One of the best we can learn is from going to museums, field trips and actually seeing and doing how things works. Regular public schools also have field trips to educate the children. When you are homeschooling, you can customized and cater the field trip according to your child's interests. You can check out various museum and other ideas at homeschooling site.

Homeschool - Field trips

If you are going over a particular subject with the family and
feel that a field trip would be beneficial, then that's what you
should do - go for a trip. If you are attached to a support group,
you can plan to include other children too.

Here are some guidelines that will help you plan:
1) Collect the rates
2) Allowed ages
3) Special highlights
4) Size of the group
5) Timings
6) Eating facilities

Inform your support group of all these details well in advance so
that the necessary circulars may be sent out. On the appointed
day, arrange to meet with other parents and children in a
particular place. Plan the mode of travel and reach the place at
least 10 minutes in advance.

The field trip is not just fun. So, let your kids bring their
writing material. Allow them time to stare and admire. Do not
hurry them along. Collect data beforehand so that you can clear
doubts. Get help from a guide, if necessary. And most importantly,
have fun and enjoy the time you spend with your children.

You can check out homeschooling tips and how to start homeschooling and homeschooling curriculum ideas.

If you are new to homeschooling, curious about homeschooling or veteran homeschooler who wants to try out a new ways to teach at home, there are plenty of books out there. I have read them all (okay, most) and I am sharing the top and best of best homeschooling books for you here so you do not have to waste your precious time reading duds.

1. The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom

This 240 page book shares Unschooling, a homeschooling method based on the belief that kids learn best when allowed to pursue their natural curiosities and interests, is practiced by 10 to 15 percent of the estimated 1.5 million homeschoolers in the United States. There is no curriculum or master plan for allowing children to decide when, what, and how they will learn, but veteran homeschooler Mary Griffith comes as close as you can get in this slim manual. Written in a conversational, salon-style manner, The Unschooling Handbook is liberally peppered with anecdotes and practical advice from unschoolers, identified by their first names and home states. The book also includes resources such as one teenager's sample "transcript," a typical weekly log of a third-grader's activities, and helpful lists of magazines, online mailing lists, Web sites, and catalogs. Griffith, a board member of the Homeschool Association of California (and the author of The Homeschooling Handbook), names Margaret Mead and Thomas Edison as two examples of those who have profited from unschooled childhoods, and further claims that research validates support for this controversial form of education. The "evidence" she cites, however, is predominantly theoretical writings from noted educators about the benefits of child-centered learning. The handbook suffers from a mild case of the Lake Wobegone syndrome--every unschooled children is seen as an above-average self-starter on the verge of genius--yet despite this overly rosy approach, the book is a well-organized guide for homeschoolers and other families contemplating the "un" life.

2. Homeschooling for the Rest of Us: How Your One-of-a-Kind Family Can Make Homeschooling and Real Life Work

Here what back book Jackets says
"Overwhelmed?
Wonder how others do it all?
Not sure you're cut out for homeschooling?

It's time to break a myth: Homeschooling families aren't perfect. In fact, real-life families like yours can be--and are--successful homeschoolers! That's the life message of Sonya Haskins, who is dedicated to helping everyday families meet the challenges of home education and enjoy its countless benefits.

In this practical, encouraging guide, Haskins shares tried and true ideas for how to:

Discover a realistic vision of homeschooling for your family
Help your child get excited about learning
Find a routine that fits your goals and lifestyle
Nurture a biblical worldview in your child's heart and mind
And much more

Whether you are already homeschooling or just considering it, this book offers the support, answers, and flexible strategies to help you succeed. Great resources for many homeschooling parents.

3. The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12

This comprehensive collection of tried-and-true—and generally inexpensive—ideas provides the best-of-the-best homeschooling activities that can be done anywhere, anytime, and by anyone. As a homeschooling parent, we are always looking for new and creative ways to teach our child the basics. Look no longer! Inside this innovative helper, you'll find kid-tested and parent-approved techniques for learning math, science, writing, history, manners, and more that you can easily adapt to your family's homeschooling needs. And even if you don't homeschool, you'll find this book a great teaching tool outside the classroom. You'll discover fun and educational activities for kids ages 3 to 12, including how to:
·Create maps based on favorite stories, such as Treasure Island or The Wizard of Oz
·Make letters out of French fries as an alphabet learning aid
·Explore architecture by building igloos, castles, and bridges with sugar cubes and icing
·Review spelling words by writing them on the sidewalk with chalk
·And many more!

4. The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start

This was so useful when we started homeschooling and I use it even now for reference once in awhile. Here one reader said in her own words. "This book was so amazing I am lending it out to people who aren't even thinking of homeschooling... it was just so wonderful to read! I was about to start homeschooling my oldest and didn't have any idea where to start. Lisa Dobson addressed each of my fears and questions... and I don't even know her! This book is so down to earth that it will put anyone at ease, and the advice she and the many many other homeschoolers give is so practical. I started using the information immediately. There are two wonderful features I would like to detail for you: first of all, she takes nine different styles of homeschooling, explains them thoroughly, and then takes you through "A week in the life" with a family using each. As a new homeschooler, this helped me immensely by helping me eliminate those philosophies which I know would not work for our family, but find some philosophies that I will research further. The second feature are the abundance of "What I Wish I had Known the First Year" highlights throughout the book. You will not regret this purchase! "

5. 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style

This 320 pages book is must for every homeschooler.The key to successful home education, homeschool veterans will tell you, is determining your educational philosophy and marrying it to your child’s learning style. Then you can make an informed decision in choosing the right educational curriculum for the child. This is the formula for success. In 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, homeschool guru Cathy Duffy can help you accomplish these critical tasks. Cathy will give you her top choices from every subject area, approaching everything through a Christian worldview perspective. This book is a critical volume for the homeschooling community.

What are you favorite reference books for homeschooling?

Read Homeschooling reference books at Homeschool world site

Homeschooling FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

If you are new to homeschooling or have questions before you get started, please check here. We have tried to answer most frequently asked questions here.

1. What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is where usually one parent takes responsibility of their child education. It is one of the most flexible and easy to adapt education system as it adapts to child's skill and pace they can learn. That means learning classes from private vendors, community colleges, co-op schools, and at home. Everything we do in daily life can be learning experience, so education continues even after school hours.

2. What is not homeschooling?Myths about Homeschooling:

Some people consider that only poor people, lazy people do homeschooling and kids do not learn much at home. This is hardly the truth. There are many rich and famous people have done homeschooling in past and current time. Please check out famous homeschooler articles for current actors, musicians and other famous people who are homeschooling their kids right now.

Other popular myth is only Christians do homeschooling. While there are many Christian who do homeschooling, many homeschooler are various religion or not religious at all. Some are doctors, engineers, teachers, some are from constructions, janitors and so on. Homeschooler like you and me, normal human being who wants to be charge of their child's education.

3. Come on, it is not legal is it?

Homeschooling is legal in 50 states of USA, Canada. Some other countries in Asia and Europe have varied legality for homeschoolers, some are more friendly then others. Every state and country have their laws, some are very basic to just let your current school district know about, some school also offer homeschool or independent study program that parent can do home. We are in process of putting data up for each 50 states and other countries, so watch this space.

4. What about Socialization? Will not child be lonely?

One of the major concern for new homeschooling family is lack of social aspect that traditional school may bring. It is also keeps from potential people from trying out homeschooling. However, homeschoolers get plenty social time with other children and adults when they have field trip, park days and classes being taken at vendor's or at co-op. Sometimes, there are also sports, scouts and other social aspects that any other traditional school going kids do plus more. Kids can be part of soccer team, pen pal, art camps, piano and other music gathering along with educational part of school that will be sure to give plenty of social time to talk, learn and play together.

Many homeschooler kids do well with kids their own age along with adult conversation as they are part of mixed ages social gathering just like in real life.

5. Why people choose to homeschool?

Why would anyone want to homeschool when there are free public school available? Many parents or kids choose to homeschool for following reasons;

1. Your child can learn things he or she is interested at his or her pace.
2. If your child is gifted and ahead of learning, he or she might get bored learning things he or she already knows.
3. If your child is behind in learning, he or she might be confused and feels frustrated as he or she may not understand concept being taught.
4. If you child has a special need, traditional school teacher or kids may not be able to give right kind of attention he or she may need.
5. Special need kids or gifted classes can be expensive, tough to find for some parents.
6. If you child needs a special attention in some subject, traditional schooling may not be able to provide with large student to teacher ratio.
7. With homeschooling, kids get to learn things they are interested while keeping up with what is required by law to study basic skills.
8. Some parents like homeschooling as it strengthen the family bond between them and siblings.
9. Learning can be part of real world for example, learning colors and shapes while doing grocery fruit shopping for early learning,  learning math while paying money to cashier and so on.
10. Flexibility to choose subjects and time. For example, if you child loves animals, he or she can spend 2 hours on animal science while visiting a petting zoo or watching birds, you are not bound by bell of class to stop when child is interested in more learning.

6. What to watch out for in Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is not easy way out, it requires proper planning and discipline to doing school work while living daily life of chores and other necessary things. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing to homeschool.

1. One parent might have to give up income to stay home to teach kids. Loss of income can be huge deal for many families.
2. If you are single parent, you can still do homeschooling while working part time or making other adjustment but it can be tough.
3. Loss of private time; If you have small kids you will know this already, parents do not get much personal time to do things they enjoy. If you homeschool that means your kids and you will be mostly together, unless they are in some private class, so lack of time is something to think about.
4. Sometimes, parents may not think they can teach their kids or have enough knowledge. That can bring issues to teaching.
5. There is not much information and acceptance about homeschooling in world, specially some areas so one may feel isolated, and criticized about their choices. There are legal entity that supports homeschooling parents such as HSLDA.
6. Convincing your spouse, friend or loved ones might be tough for some parent who wish to try homeschooling.
7. You will still have to do all required learning by your state and you will have to keep records like school for your own record.
8. House chores such as cooking, cleaning and doing other necessary things will have be planned with school class activities.

7. How much homeschooling costs?

Homeschooling can cost little to thousands of dollars per semester, it depends on how you teach and what resources you can use. Homeschooling does not have to be expensive though. There are free resources available to all tax payers regardless they choose public school or private, you can use them; They are public library for learning materials, educational videos, reading, phonics programs, free museum days, pbs children and educational shows, internet, you tube sites.

There are some costs for taking classes, buying boxed curriculum, paid field trip, sports, piano/music classes, art classes and so on. Some of the expense people have to do it, even for free public school. You can minimize the expenses by buying used curriculum, buying what you need and reusing them with other children and selling them once you are done to keep cost at reasonable budget.

8. If my Child is homeschooled, can he be qualified for good college later on?

This is one of the major concerned for any new potential homeschooler and it is valid question. To answer it in short term: Yes, your child will be able to go to good college or even IVY league college even if he or she is homeschooled. Matter of fact, some of the best college actually seek out homeschooler kids to recruit fot their college. According to stats, homeschooler kids tend to have higher ACT scores compared to traditional school counter parts, which helps. Universities like Stanford and Purdue have homeschoolers kids in engineering, sport scholarship as well. So, there are good chance for your homeschooler for admission in college and university to be admitted.

9. If my child is homeschooled, will he or she be able to fit in normal society?

While it is true, homeshcooling done in smaller group class or at home, many homeschooler do not have practice raising hand to ask question or stand in lines, in most cases homeschoolers fit in very well in society as well or sometimes better compared to other kids. How so you ask? Well, if you see in traditional school class, kids are approximately same age, (plus or minus 6 months), so kids in school do not get much practice to converse with other ages of kids or adults. How many time you work as an adult in office where you see people same age as you? Hardly never, so when you actually homeschool, one tends to be around, younger kids to older adults, just like in real life situation at life and in office, kids tend to be better prepared to handle world in most cases.

Traditional school has other issues such as bullying, guns and violence which is much less when one is homeschooling or one parent is there to intervene right away; At school, there are good teachers who look after kid's benefit but typical high 20-40 students to 1 teacher ratio does not make it easy for them to watch all of them.

10. What if I am out of US and Canada, can I still homeschool?

Homeschooling has its roots in America and it is legal in all 50 states and Canada, other countries have followed the suit and many countries have small to big homeschooling community. You may want to search on net for your local area homeschooling program to be sure to find support community. You may want to look at look in our resource area as we are in process of updating and adding details that can be helpful to homeshcooler no matter where they live.

You can check out homeschooling tips and how to start homeschooling and homeschooling curriculum ideas.

Famous Homeschoolers

Here are some of the famous Homeschoolers You May know of:

You can check out homeschooling tips and how to start homeschooling and homeschooling curriculum ideas.

Famous Homeschool Parents

• Will Smith - singer, actor
• ·  Michael Card - singer, songwriter
• ·  Mike Farris - lawyer and co-founder of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
• ·  Robert Frost - Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
• ·  Christopher Klicka - attorney and Senior Counsel of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
• ·  Len Munsil - attorney and President of The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP)
• ·  Paul Overstreet - musician, songwriter
• ·  Kelly Preston - actress, wife of John Travolta
• ·  Mike Smith - lawyer and co-founder of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
• ·  John Travolta - actor, pilot
• ·  Lisa Whelchel - former actress, "The Facts of Life", now a pastor's wife and author
• ·  Darrell Waltrip - NASCAR Racer

Performing Artists

• ·  Louis Armstrong - king of jazz
• ·  Charlie Chaplin - actor
• ·  Whoopi Goldberg - actress
• ·  Hanson - sibling singing group
• ·  Jennifer Love Hewitt - actress
• ·  Yehudi Menuhin - child prodigy violinist
• ·  Moffatts - Canadian version of Hanson
• ·  Frankie Muniz - child actor
• ·  LeAnne Rimes - teen-prodigy country music singer
• ·  Barlow Girl - Alyssa, Rebecca, and Lauren Contemporary Christian Music
• ·  Jonas Brothers - Kevin, Joe, and Nick Performers
• ·  Jacob Clemente - Broadway Actor

Scientists

• ·  George Washington Carver
• ·  Pierre Curie
• ·  Albert Einstein
• ·  Michael Faraday - electrochemist
• ·  Oliver Heaviside - physicist and electromagnetism researcher
• ·  T.H. Huxley
• ·  Blaise Pascal
• ·  Booker T. Washington
• ·  Erik Demaine - Popular Science Magazine

Inventors

• ·  Alexander Graham Bell - invented the telephone
• ·  John Moses Browning - firearms inventor and designer
• ·  Peter Cooper - invented skyscraper, built first U.S. commercial locomotive
• ·  Thomas Edison - invented the stock ticker, mimeograph, phonograph, and perfected the electric light bulb
• ·  Benjamin Franklin - invented the lightning rod
• ·  Elias Howe - invented sewing machine
• ·  William Lear - airplane creator
• ·  Cyrus McCormick - invented grain reaper
• ·  Guglielmo Marconi - developed radio
• ·  Eli Whitney - invented the cotton gin
• ·  Sir Frank Whittle - invented turbo jet engine
• ·  Orville and Wilbur Wright - built the first successful airplane

Famous Writers

• ·  Hans Christian Anderson
• ·  Margaret Atwood
• ·  Pearl S. Buck
• ·  William F. Buckley, Jr.
• ·  Willa Cather
• ·  Agatha Christie
• ·  Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
• ·  Charles Dickens
• ·  Robert Frost - Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
• ·  Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• ·  Alex Haley
• ·  Brett Harte
• ·  L. Ron Hubbard
• ·  C.S. Lewis
• ·  Amy Lowell
• ·  Gabriela Mistral
• ·  Sean O'Casey
• ·  Christopher Paolini - author of #1 NY Times bestseller, Eragon
• ·  Isabel Paterson
• ·  Beatrix Potter - author of the beloved Peter Rabbit Tales
• ·  Carl Sandburg
• ·  George Bernard Shaw
• ·  Mattie J. T. Stepanek - 11-year-old author of Heartsongs
• ·  Mercy Warren
• ·  Phillis Wheatley
• ·  Walt Whitman
• ·  Laura Ingalls Wilder

Business Entrepreneurs

• ·  Andrew Carnegie - wealthy steel industrialist
• ·  Amadeo Giannini - Bank of America’s founder
• ·  Horace Greeley - New York Tribune founder
• ·  Soichiro Honda - creator of the Honda automobile company
• ·  Peter Kindersley - book illustrator and publisher
• ·  Ray Kroc - founder of McDonald's fast food restaurant chain
• ·  Jimmy Lai - newspaper publisher; founder of Giordano International
• ·  Dr. Orison Swett Marden - founder, Success magazine
• ·  Adolph Ochs - New York Times founder
• ·  Joseph Pulitzer - newspaper publisher; established Pulitzer Prize
• ·  Colonel Harland Sanders - started Kentucky Fried Chicken
• ·  Dave Thomas - founder of the Wendy’s restaurant chain
• ·  Mariah Witcher - founder of Mariahs Famous Cookies
• ·  Daniel Mills - founder of Salem Ridge Press

Famous Homeschooler Video