How Does Homeschooling Work: 6 Important Things That You Need to Consider

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How Does Homeschooling Work and Why Should You Homeschool?

Are you wondering how does homeschooling work and are considering homeschooling your child? You are not alone, this is now on the minds of a lot of parents today. Many parents have recently decided to homeschool their kids now more than ever. It is a very popular decision but there are many factors that play into parent’s decision to homeschool their kids.

For me, I decided to homeschool my daughter very early because I worked from home and wanted to teach her myself. My daughter was very advanced for her age and I didn’t want to hold her back, she even learned how to read at the age of two years old. I wanted to continue to encourage her learning while also controlling her learning environment as well as her association.

Fast-forward and my daughter is now 4 years old and she is in the first grade. I considered enrolling her in Kindergarten at a magnet school this school year but they told me that she was too young and try to enroll her in pre-K. The Pre-K program told me that she was too young only because she has a late birthday and would have to wait until next year.

I had recently gotten her tested independently and they told me that she was on a first-grade level so I saw no reason to hold her back a year just for her to have to sit through pre-K. The school told me that they would not test her to allow her to skip to her cognitive grade level. All of this confirmed the desire that I already had to continue homeschooling her. She had already completed Pre-K and Kindergarten at home so I began looking into first grade .

After weighing out the pros and cons, I decided to enroll my daughter in an online school program instead of the traditional homeschool method.

There are many options in the world of learning at home and no one option is better than the other. Homeschooling is a very easy process to get started and more importantly, it is legal in all 50 states.

Benefits of homeschool

There are many benefits to homeschooling. Homeschooling benefits the whole child and not just academics or emotional health. Continue reading for a list of the benefits of homeschooling.

Benefits of Homeschooling

1. Tailor-Made Curriculum– homeschooling provides the ultimate personalized experience. You can customize the curriculum to meet your child’s learning style
2. Classes aren’t regimented- Along with the tailor-made curriculum and learning at your own pace, daily classes aren’t regimented. If your child is into math and powering through math, they don’t have to stop because it’s time to do something else. They don’t have to end their “school day” at the height of interest. Likewise, if they’re struggling with something, you don’t have to power through that for an allotted time. You can revisit it tomorrow with fresh eyes and perhaps even a new approach.
3. Many Options– There are so many ways that you can go about homeschooling your child.
4. Learn at your own pace– With homeschooling, your child can accelerate through each lesson at their own pace.
5. More focus– Research shows that a larger portion of homeschoolers performed better on standardized tests and had higher GPAs
6. Getting into College– A 2009 study showed 67% of homeschoolers graduated from college compared to 59% of public school students. Homeschool transcripts tend to stand out in the crowd of college applications so that is a plus for when you are trying to get noticed.
7. Special needs are being met– Homeschool allows children with special needs to be more accommodated.
8. Encourage autonomy and independence– Homeschooling promotes independent thinking and spending more time at home gives your child the opportunity to learn life skills. You can include lessons on cooking, managing finances, etc.
9. Flexible schedule for the family-With homeschooling you can set your own schedule for your child based on what is best for the family. You can homeschool your child while working full-time. As a parent, you don’t have to worry about finding time to pick your child up from school or making sure you are home when your child gets off the bus. When your child goes to school in person your schedule is at the mercy of your child’s school hours. When you homeschool your child then you own your schedule.
10. Enjoy a close relationship with family– Homeschooling allows you all to spend more quality time as a family.
11. More time for field trips and volunteer work– Because your child is not away at school for 8 hours each day, homeschooling frees up more time for your child to participate in meaningful learning. Your child will have more time to volunteer and work for the community.

How many hours a day should you homeschool?

How long you decided to homeschool your child each day really depends on what is best for you and your family. There are many factors that will play in determining your child’s daily homeschool schedule such as age, skill level, learning styles, attention spans, and the number of children at home. If you are homeschooling while working full time, then this will also be a factor when setting up your child’s homeschool schedule.

You do not have to create a homeschool schedule that mirrors a schedule for traditional school. Traditional school hours are anywhere from 6-8 hours and teachers have 30 + students to keep track of which is very time consuming.

With homeschooling, your child gets one-on-one attention which makes learning much faster. Homeschooling days are likely to be shorter than traditional school. You can plan approximately 3-4 hours each day for your child and you can break it up however you like.

Due to homeschool being so flexible you can decide which subjects your child will learn on the day of your choice. As the parent and teacher, you can ensure your child will be in an environment where your child will be learning all of the time. You will be able to look out for teachable moments. Does homeschooling really work?

Homeschool vs. Public School: Is homeschooling more effective than public school?

Very rarely do I think with my emotions. I think with my head first and my gut second. As a medical professional, I am trained to look at facts first. That is why I will answer the above question first with the facts and then I will give you my honest opinion.

The answer is yes and no.  A safer environment, better social development, more effective learning, and a flexible schedule are several advantages that motivate parents to choose homeschooling rather than public school.   Studies show that homeschooled children scored higher on standardized tests than public school students so academically homeschool is just as effective if not better.

Truthfully homeschool may be the better option for one child but the public school option could seem to be the better option for another child.  Just like public school students, homeschool students can be well socialized. Due to having a more condensed school schedule, homeschoolers will have more time for socialization. You can find a local homeschool group to join or join a 4-H group. Homeschool students have more time for extracurricular activities so they will have many opportunities to make friends. I personally feel that public school and homeschool are both great options. Homeschooling is the better option for my family and it works for us.

How much do homeschool cost?

The average cost of homeschooling is from $300-$600 per student a year which includes curriculum, games and books for homeschool. There are so many options for homeschooling that the cost can certainly be much lower or higher than average. It just depends on how you tailor the curriculum to your child and what method that you choose. Homeschooling truly can be as affordable or as expensive as you make it.

How to Homeschool on a Budget?

There are many ways to buffer the cost of homeschooling. Some of the ways to homeschool on a budget include:

• Borrowing or renting curriculum
• Library
• Buy used books
• Find reusable curriculum
• Find free curriculum
• Use Free homeschool apps like Khan Academy
• Find free online resources
• Find a friend and split the cost of the homeschool curriculum
• Utilize money saved from back to school supplies and clothes
• Homeschooling coops
• Find a Groupon to save for field trips
• At home Science Projects
• Writing letters to friends and families
• Activity workbooks
• Art projects
• Find a Homeschool Subscription Box

How do I Homeschool my Child?

If you have decided to homeschool your child you can get started right away. To get started you should choose a homeschooling method. Like I mentioned homeschooling is very flexible and it gives you many options. This is also the case for homeschool methods. Just to name a few:

• School at Home or Traditional
• Unit Studies
• Unschooling
• Montessori
• Relaxed or Eclectic
• Classical
• Multiple Intelligence
• Charlotte Mason
• Waldorf
• Game schooling
• Online School
• Unplugged

How to homeschool without the internet?

Is it possible to homeschool without the internet? Of course!

Homeschooling without the internet or Unplugged homeschooling is really how homeschooling was started. There are many ways to learn outside of the internet such as:

• Making each moment a teachable moment
• Reading Books
• Playing Board games
• Cooking teaches life skills, math, reading, and following instructions
• Go to the Library
• Puzzles
• Community service
• Nature trails
• Scavenger hunts

Homeschool vs online school

I taught my daughter Pre-K and Kindergarten using the traditional homeschool method. Now that my daughter is in the first grade I decided to switch to online school. Online school was the best method for me because I am a Registered Nurse by profession and not a teacher.

My daughter was so advanced that I was having such a hard time staying ahead of her. I wanted to keep her mind stimulated but I needed a more structured done for you curriculum. Because I work full-time I still needed a curriculum that allowed her to have a flexible schedule. Since my job can be very demanding at times, I also needed a curriculum that my daughter could follow without my constant supervision.

Quite a few of my friends have their kids in online school. I looked into it and it has been the best decision for me. There are so many options in the world of online school. My daughter is enrolled in a STEM online school that also offers AP courses for when she starts high school.

 I found a program that we can stick with until she graduates high school and I am very satisfied with our choice. You can find free online school options as well as private online school options that are fully accredited so that their transcripts will be accepted seamlessly from the college of their choice.

The Takeaway

If you have read the full post then you have learned that homeschool is just as good as a public school if not better in certain cases. Many say that homeschool is not for everyone but should you decide to homeschool your child you will find that the options are almost limitless. That is why homeschool is a way to completely customize your child’s education experience. Because of its flexibility, you will find that there are homeschooling methods and schedules for every parent and child.

Read: Ultimate Guide to Teach Your Child How to Read