Disadvantages of public schooling

When we consign our children to public schools, we feel satisfied
that they are receiving 'quality education'. But, are we really
getting our money's worth? More importantly, are the children
gaining anything from this kind of a learning procedure?

Socialization is hailed as one of the greatest advantage of
schools. This is the place where the child picks up the rudiments
of social skills that help him survive. But in truth, a regular
school-going child can interact only with his peers. He may bully
younger children or fear older ones. He does not know how to
behave with an adult. This is because in the school environment
he interacts only with his peers. A homeschooling environment
brings in a more natural social environment.

A regular school going child cannot read literature. He cannot
keep silent or think in depth about any one thing. The artificial
'busy'ness imposed upon him by the school disallows quiet
contemplation. Rowdy and destructive behavior, as seen among
peers, is more noticeable in school-goers.



There is little long-standing knowledge among regular school goers
because most things are learnt for the exam. There is no
correlation of facts with life. The child may know a lot, but
understands very little. This is where the homeschoolers beat the
regular school goers. Ultimately, homeschoolers emerge more adept
at facing the outside world.

Financing homeschooling

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When people talk about teaching their children from home in the
absence of any definite or structured curriculum, it is perhaps
natural to think that homeschooling is cheap. But this is far from
the truth. Although homeschooling does not stick to any particular
text, this is perhaps more of a bane than a boon, when it comes to
finance.

When you need to make sure that your children receives
state-of-the-art education so that they can compete with regular
school goers, expenses will naturally mount. The actual cost of
educating a child at home is surprisingly high. Up-to-date
textbooks, course materials, a library, computing equipment,
lighting, specially designed furniture all cost money. In this
case, the cost may be slightly lesser when it comes to
homeschooling the second child. Add to this any additional tuition
cost for tutors who come to teach subjects that cannot be handled
by parents, like higher-level math or science. The total cost can
be a bit mind boggling.

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If you take another important factor into consideration,
homeschooling costs may effective triple. The need for having one
of the parents tied to the house and fully dedicated to providing
education deprives the family of a second earning member. The
average homeschooling teacher is usually a lady with a college
degree. This means that she can easily bring home a pay of $35,000
or more. It is also interesting to note that most families that
have more than 2 children do not opt for homeschooling at all.

But, there are those who have been successful in carrying out
homeschooling at low rates. This is dependent on the size of the
family, the support group, the type of materials used and the
availability of the material. When successive children can reuse
the materials, cost goes down. Much of the course material can be
got from vendors of homeschooling materials. A membership in a
public library, theatre, concerts, ballets and other cultural
events also help in cutting costs. Sometimes, it is even possible
to barter expertise. For instance, the mother of an 8-year old
gives dancing classes, and her daughter receives drawing classes
for free. Support groups allow you to divide the cost of field
trips, science projects and fairs.



Whatever the cost, advocates of homeschooling say that the
benefits far outweigh these considerations. When you are able to
decide what knowledge your child receives and when he or she
should be taught and to what extent, it gives you a lot of freedom
and a lot of power. Both the children as well as the parents
benefit from this mutually enriching experience.

Grading in homeschooling

Grading in homeschooling is done by the teacher-in-charge. In most
of the cases, this means mom! In this situation, grading can get a
bit tricky because it can be a little difficult to grade your own
child. There is no benchmark against which you can evaluate your
child's performance. In most cases, you also have no awareness of
how well other children are doing. So, obviously the traditional
method of grading is perhaps not the best method to follow.

When grading a child undergoing homeschooling, it is more
important to assess whether the child has understood the subject
that is being taught. Inherent in this is the fact that if the
child has not understood something, you will go over it again.
This will work in your child's favor in 2 ways. Firstly, the child
knows that if he or she fails to catch on, the topic will be
repeated till it is mastered. Secondly, the child also knows that
once the topic has been mastered, he or she will get full credit
for his hard work. Getting full reward for the hard work put in is
a great motivational factor, especially for kids.



When assessing your child's abilities, do not allow emotions to
overcrowd your rationale. Do not yield to the cries and tears of
your child if he or she resists certain topics or subjects. If
mastering these skills is necessary, then you as the teacher (and
not as the parent alone) have to go over the topic over and over
till it sinks in. When dealing with tougher concepts, the child
may get restless and may even show frustration or belligerence.
When the child is still young and unable to understand the
importance of his lessons, it is your responsibility to see to it
that the child develops the skill set necessary for future growth.

In case you belong to a state that requires yearly tests, this
will help you to judge your child's ability vis-à-vis his peers.
Even if it is not mandatory, you may want to test your child every
year. These tests will reveal the variations in the child's
learning pattern. It may show up unexpected areas of strength and
hitherto unknown areas of weakness. This enables you to structure
your teaching to cover the areas that are weak, and build upon the
areas that are strong.



In case your state requires a homeschool report card, keep a
record of the yearly development and scores of your child. Include
pertinent areas like punctuality, discipline etc in the report.
You may also need to keep a record of the number of working days
and attendance schedules.

While grading your child, make sure that you use as many external
tests as possible. There are several websites that deal with the
various age groups, and allow free downloading of question papers.
This is an excellent and cost-effective method to assess your
child. Homeschooling, if done in the proper manner, will boost the
child's confidence because he will be studying to satisfy his
natural curiosity. The scores therefore will reflect his true
intelligence.

Homeschool - staying connected

The world has become a jungle of knowledge. Wherever you turn, you
find a new fruit that just has to be passed on to your child. In
the middle of all the knowledge flying to and fro, we sometimes
forget to talk and relax with our children. A mom who doubles as a
teacher needs to leave the teacher behind and simply become mom
for a few hours everyday.

Listen to your child. Do not just hear the words, but notice the
emotion too. Many children find it difficult to express exactly
what they want. Talk to your child about general stuff and allow
him to be 'just a kid'. When you talk to your child, as for his
opinions. Few things please him more. It also adds kilos to his
self-confidence.



Most parents interrupt when their children talk. We, as adults,
detest it when someone cuts across our lines. Kids keep mum
because they are forced to be silent when we shut them up. But
this is unhealthy and unfair. Allow your child to finish and then
express your views in a rational manner. The child should have the
confidence to confide in you.

Gentle parenting is the key to successful homeschooling. Be a
parent first, and then a teacher.

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.

Homeschool burnout

Homeschool burnout



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.

Homeschooling hours

Homeschooling hours




How many, how often and when? These are some oft-repeated
questions when it comes to homeschooling hours. Flexibility is of
course one of the key underlying principles behind homeschooling.
This flexibility applies not only to the curriculum but also to
the number of hours. It is only natural that parents, especially
if they have just started out on homeschooling should feel that
their children should be at their books all the time when regular
school-goers are at school. This is not only fallacious but can
also be damaging and counter-productive.

One of the most ignored but glaring drawbacks of the public
schooling system is the sheer waste of time and energy that it
causes. Many periods are simply wasted away and the child
effectively derives only 1-3 hours of study everyday. Then, there
are days when the studies become too intensive and other days when
it's only games and no work at all. There is a lot of 'invisible
wastage' involved here.

Early on in your homeschooling practice, work out a schedule. It
is advisable to stick to the same hours everyday. A routine makes
it easier to learn and gives structure to the learning experience.
It also tells the students that parents are strict about their
learning. A routine also allows your child to free his mind from
other activities and concentrate on studies. He knows that a
particular time is strictly set aside for learning.

The actual number of hours that you need depends on the curriculum
you have chosen and the learning style that suits your child. If
you are dealing with a subject that seems to be more complex, you
may need to sit with the child for a longer period. Using various
techniques, it may be necessary to demonstrate what you are trying
to teach. For instance, a lesson in Algebra may take more time
than a lesson in English.

Homeschooling does not refer to the practice of sitting in front
of the books and learning the printed matter. Field trips,
watching documentaries, visiting factories and libraries also make
up an important slice of the homeschooling process. It makes sense
to intersperse these activities so that learning becomes fun.
You may want to finish off the few hours of textbook learning
in the morning and dedicate the afternoons to these kinds
of activities.



Given the fact that too many public school hours are wasted in
meaningless activities ranging from talking to extra-curricular
activities, do not allow public school hours to dictate the time
you should spend teaching your child at home. Remember that at
home, he is getting a high-quality one-to-one time that is highly
productive. About 1-3 hours of study is enough in the primary
level. It is of course true that the more number of hours you put
in, the more learning takes place. This is also the reason why
homeschooling children are much smarter and more balanced than
regular school going children.