The Homeschool Advantage

When one talks about education, the quintessential image that comes to mind is a teacher in front of a blackboard with a rod in one hand and a stick of chalk in the other lecturing to a group of attentively listening students. This is the traditionally accepted context of where education happens. This makes people think that there are no advantages of home schooling.

While seeming to break tradition, it does incorporate some basic elements of traditional classroom instruction. This has led it to become a preferred educational alternative in many parts of the world.

It utilizes some of the known orthodox educational approaches such as The Theory of Multiple Intelligences and the Montessori method, to name a few.

But there are some notable advantages that home schooling has over traditional schooling.

First, it allows the learner to be flexible with his or her time. A child will no longer be required to wake up at 7 in the morning to prepare for school. Lessons can start at 9, 10, 11 am or even later, depending on the child's preference. In other words, a home school curriculum can be tailor-fit to suit a learner's preference. Plus, the pace at which learning takes place is also entirely dependent on the student's ability making the home schooling schedule a very open one.

Second, it allows for individualized attention. A traditional classroom is made up of an average of 25 to 30 students. Despite the fact that the classroom teacher puts out her most valiant efforts to manage the class, it is true that each student will only receive so much attention from her. A home school setting will allow the child to get all the attention necessary to master the lesson. The parent is free to devote more time to a child's areas for improvement over other areas where he or she already excels. This is not possible in a traditional, structured school setting.

Next, home schooling can turn into a family bonding activity. Since the parents themselves will be guiding the child, they will have more time to learn and explore things together. As an add-on, the parents will also have the freedom to decide what morals will go into their child's values system without having to be concerned about trusting their child to someone they don't know.

Furthermore, the learner will not have to worry about peer pressure. Since the child studies on his or her own and learns at his or her own pace, there is no obligation to live up to certain standards. The insecurity of being compared to others will be virtually non-existent.

Lastly, it is significantly cheaper for a child to be home schooled. Eliminating expenses for travel, meals, uniforms and other school requirements is already a very big source of relief for parents.

The advantages of home schooling are definitely worth considering. It is a big and brave new step in a new and exciting direction.