Ivan Illich made a strong case for creating alternative ways of schooling children when he wrote his masterpiece Deschooling Society. Numerous studies corroborate the view that school does more harm than good to children. In recent years there has been a greater awareness of the need to find alternative ways of educating our children. It is worthwhile to consider homeschooling as an effective alternative for the following reasons:
Freedom from Regimentation: Most schools impose a regimented lifestyle on students, which leave a brutalizing effect on them. At home children are protected from such an unfortunate situation, and they grow up in more humane conditions.
More Positive Environment: Your home provides your teens with an environment that is more conducive to their holistic growth. Here they are cared for from moment to moment without the fear of any bully. There is absolutely no peer pressure to yield to.
Opportunity to Pace your Progress: At home children enjoy the freedom of choosing their own speed and rhythm. They don't have either to hurry to catch up with cleverer children or to slow down to let the mediocre ones catch up.
Chance to choose your own Subject: At school, children have no choice but to conform to the set pattern and schedule of the school. At home they can choose a subject to work on, according to mood and inclination, without any compulsion.
Customized Approach: Every child has a unique way to learn. Since a school has to address the needs of a group rather than that of an individual, it applies the 'one-size-fits-all' policy. It hampers the academic growth of many children. At home, parents are able to customize education and provide their children with tailor-made teaching strategies and material.
Flexible Schedule: The study schedule at home needn't be divided in to fixed periods of equal length. Lessons can be scheduled as per the needs of the child. Similarly, children can have more time to unwind and relax between lessons.
Cultivate Self-responsibility: Since children are not constantly under the supervision of their teachers and instead are working mostly on their own, they learn how to take care of themselves and cultivate the quality of self-responsibility.
Greater Bonding between Parents & Children: School life works as a major distraction for children and their relationship with their parents. Homeschooling provides them with parental guidance and reinforces their bond with the family.
A Better Sense of Identity: In a school environment, children get exposed to cross-cultural influences which sometimes work negatively for them. Constant cross-cultural interactions make them lose their sense of identity, impeding the development of their personality. At home they are nurtured in a familiar cultural traditional environment, which helps to add value to their identity and contribute to their self-esteem.
Immunity from Hazardous Influences: Cases of rampant drug abuse and violence on school campus in recent times have emerged as a threat to the healthy development of children. Homeschooling protects them from such dehumanizing influences and helps them to grow up as responsible and law-abiding citizens.
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Homeschooling for 1st grader with some online classes
By: velma82460 | 16-07-2008
need a homeschool that is for a 1st grader and has a little online classes because I don't want something that does'nt have it because I had gotten one but On this One I had to print all the paper and teach him myself and I perfer somebody else to teach him I don;t mine doing some but not all if you know of anything like that please let me know Thanks Velma
We are very dissatisfied with the elementary ...
By: brosen | 08-05-2007
We are very dissatisfied with the elementary school for our children. There is a great deal of friction between the principal and the teachers so that many of the teachers don't give their all to the children. We are otherwise happy with our neighborhood because of our neighbors, it is in close proximity to our respective offices and easy to get there so moving is a last option. I would like to get an opinion about home schooling since we can afford the expense.
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