1. Family togetherness
2. Control over curriculum - the ability to choose quality materials that are geared to my children's learning styles and that have a Christian worldview
3. Flexible schedule, and being able to work around various appts.
4. Fewer distractions for these two ADHD children!
5. The ability to move as quickly or as slowly through the lessons as required for the student to understand and master the concepts
6. Just KNOWING what it is they are supposed to be studying rather than being in the dark.
7. No homework in the evenings - more family time. Homework is to prove to the teacher that a student mastered the material. A homeschool parent knows from working with the student individually whether he or she mastered it; no homework is necessary.
8. The ability to gear lessons to the child's interests
9. More time for extracurricular activities such as sports, science, or the fine arts
10. Field trips geared to child's or parent's interests!
11. Three meals together, and time to teach the kids how to cook and other life skills they will need
12. Social benefits. At one time I had more control over who the kids played with, and they played well with each other too. My kids never felt that the opposite sex had "cooties" or that they should only be friends with kids that were their age. Homeschooled kids typically get along with all ages and are more likely to carry on intelligent conversations with adults as well!
13. Reduced peer pressure
14. No labels among classmates - who's got brains, who's stupid, who's artistic, who's clumsy. There is safety in learning, testing, experimenting at home. Example: a developmentally-delayed 9-year-old who has only mastered stick figures will be humiliated by her peers in art class. Her artistic development will probably end right there. At home, she can experiment and enjoy art, and by the time she is 14, she will have developed more drawing skills, all because no one judged her and told her that she couldn't draw.
15. The opportunity to work on character issues. I may have a lot of friction at home (did I mention that I'm dealing with two teenagers now?), but when the kids are off with their various groups, I get good reports on their behavior. They are kind and helpful kids.
I could probably think of more, but I'll stop here. Yes, I know that homeschooling is not for everyone. When I share the joys of homeschooling, someone is bound to get defensive, but this is my blog about my interests - one of which is homeschooling! I know that public, private, and Christian schools churn out some model students each year. So does the homeschooling community. You do what works for you, and I'll keep doing what works for me.
Peace and blessings!
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Great list of reasons!
ReplyDeleteNow that I have been doing this for a few weeks--I can completely identify with all of your reasons for homeschooling. Immediately I liked the fact that I always know exactly what he is studying and where he is at on a subject. With homework--it caused so much stress for me to have to rush and read through his work to figure out exactly why he wasn't getting it. I am amazed at how it has improved our family life in the evenings--without the stress of 3 hour homework sessions that split the family apart--when everyone is exhausted. If I had no other benefit than THAT--it would still be worth it for me to homeschool.
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