Month: November 2019

 

Homeschool is seemingly getting popular in a lot of countries. Over the past few years, the standard one-on-one learning supports an education that benefits both the teacher and the student. Let’s try to figure out why homeschooling significantly becomes an option in terms of educational learning.

1. There is an excellent teacher-to-student ratio when it comes to homeschooling. It is one of the factors that are extremely important in an effective education system. Since the number of students on which the teacher is responsible for attending matter, the lesser would be much better. That’s because smaller classes significantly increase focus and attention which is beneficial in early learning improvements of the students. Since homeschooling is done mostly on one-on-one interaction, it creates a more detail-oriented relationship when it comes to teacher-student learning.

 

 

2. Since homeschooling focuses on children’s individual needs, it creates a significant advantage in tailoring education according to the student’s personality and capabilities. Meaning, the one-on-one interaction can identify and accelerate the areas in which the student excels. For instance, if the student is a visual learner, the incorporation of more visual elements will become extensively beneficial for the learning process. Compared to the traditional book-oriented way of teaching in schools, homeschool provides the opportunity to design an educational approach specifically for the child’s needs.

Dona Matthews, PhD, wrote, “None of your child’s time is wasted in busywork, waiting for the other kids to catch up, or working on material they’re not yet ready for.” She also added that “their learning time and your teaching time can be spent actively learning and teaching.”

 

3. Homeschool permits children to have more time exploring things. It allows them to play and have fun. Compared to the traditional school approach, there are more things that children can learn when they are free. Since playing enhances early child development, homeschool increases kids’ learning adjustment and improves their language skills too. It also reduces kids’ stress and emotional problems as well. That’s due to homeschooling’s implication on both educational and intellectual development in children’s everyday life.

“Home schooling creates the opportunity for having education tailored to the child’s nature and the parents’ values. Children learn to discover and develop their individual interests, sheltered from the problems that same age peers can bring to school. Children learn to work on their own, in a self-paced fashion,” wrote Carl E Pickhardt, PhD.

 

4. Since bullying is the number one issue that children can experience at school, homeschooling prevents it from happening. The widespread adverse effect of physical and emotional torture in every child is the reason why school becomes unsafe for them. And when not properly assisted, victims suffer from emotional and mental turmoil such as anger, anxiety, stress, and depression.

Timothy Legg, PhD, PsyD, wrote, “A report issued by the Bureau of Justice Statistics states that bullying occurs on a daily or weekly basis in 23 percent of public schools across the United States. The issue has gained more attention in recent years because of technology and new ways to communicate and harass one other, such as the internet, cell phones, and social media.”

 

 

5. These adverse effects can potentially lead kids to suicide and self-harm. In homeschooling, everything is different. There’s no way children will experience humiliation in front of a lot of people. No kids will endure getting shoved into a locker. No one will make fun of what they do, and no one will care if they behave differently.

 

6. One of the reasons why most parents consider homeschooling their kids is due to time freedom. Homeschooled children don’t have to spend a lot of time sticking their physical bodies into their chairs for a whole day and still get exhausted when coming home. They can be free as much as they want. They can travel and have fun altogether without thinking about strict school schedules. Since homeschooling focuses on one-on-one education, the process of learning becomes twice as fast as the latter. Therefore, it gives children enough time to do what they want since the whole progress of a 20 minute to 40-minute teaching equivalents to an entire day school classroom discussion.

 

7. Homeschooling provides children a lot of napping time. Since sleep is a hugely important factor for kids’ development, it should become one of the things that they must have to do. That’s because sleep is a vital requirement for good health and better brain function. If young kids get enough of it, it will help in boosting their overall emotional and mental well-being.

There’s a degree of connection between homeschool and school. But as parents, it is still your choice to decide what’s educationally beneficial for your child’s learning development.

Homeschooling is getting popular again after a long time. It is not a surprising subject due to education getting overly expensive, slow, and uninteresting. There is also the issue saying that success is not entirely due to a person’s educational attainment. As such, some parents choose to teach their children exclusively on their premises. In this case, parents take the entire responsibility. As well as control the type of education their children will receive. However, is homeschooling practical and advantageous?

Life And Learning

Kids learn basic knowledge in schools and classrooms, but that’s it. Most of the children only learn how to make a living upon going to the college of their chosen course. It doesn’t prepare them for handling life outside the school. However, in homeschooling, parents teach their children more about living. There’s the combination of basic knowledge which shows children how the real world works. It gives them a significant advantage that traditional education doesn’t provide. Real learning is about stepping into the world and not just comparing test results with others. A diploma can land you a good job, but a wizened individual can start their way to success as a proprietor.

Flexibility

Traditional education focuses on textbook knowledge which is why customization is almost not an option. That’s because it practically kills the imagination and individuality of a child. The lack of choice and the firm reliance on test results in memorization and enumeration do not bring the best qualities of a child. That’s where homeschooling becomes better in a way. “You can take advantage of learning opportunities as they become available, and you can choose the teaching approach that works best for you and your child,” developmental psychologist Dona Matthews, Ph.D. explains. She also said that parents can also “make changes as you see fit, or as you learn about new, alternative methods,” Hence, homeschooling teaches children that every problem is solvable in a variety of ways depending on skills and understanding. Using trial by error, children can explore their imagination better than enumeration and memorization. It also focuses on the good qualities of children and ensuring that they can use it to their advantage once they go on different fields.

Special Needs And Disability

Some children may require more attention compared to others. It could be due to disability or unique traits. In cases such as this, it is better to get homeschooling than traditional education. Parents can create a suitable way of learning to fit the needs of their children. Additionally, the required focus that special children need may not be available on campuses. “Much inclusive education takes place in chronological age/ grade level classrooms, but many included pupils with autism are not as close to academic grade levels as their general education peers,” explains Bryna Siegel, Ph.D., developmental psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of California. She says, “If you can picture this, you can picture how inclusion in general education deprives many autistic children with IEPs to access to the social world of classmates as well as special education methods that have been shown to be beneficial.” Therefore, it might create a problem in the long run.

Convenience

Homeschooling is very convenient in many ways. Parents don’t have to check their children as much regarding the people they get along or the kind of friends they tend to choose. The long transportation problem is non-existent, and there’s also a reduced traveling cost which gives more allocation for time and funds. Additionally, the traveling time used to come to campus becomes available for other meaningful activities or projects.

Progress Control

Parents can decide and control what their children can learn. They can also adjust it to fit the unique qualities of their children. Judy Willis, M.D., a board-certified neurologist and middle school teacher explains that, “These discussions increase the relevance of new learning so it is incorporated into long-term memory.” She adds, “Even more critical, through your encouraging her to make comparisons and express and support her opinions, she is processing new learning through her executive function networks as she forms and defends her opinions, analyzes source reliability, and questions things she hears or reads using her developing critical analysis.” As a result, homeschooling can give better results with the right combination of subject concentration.

Family Travel

Homeschooling enables the family to travel more often compared to traditional learning. Parents can choose any free date and travel without the inconvenience of checking the schedules of their children if there is anything important going on at the campus. Parents do not need to make excuses for teachers to free their children on a specific date. As a result, the family has more time to bond with each other and create more happy memories.

Homeschooling is a desirable alternative way of learning. However, it all boils down to the children’s need and the conviction of the parents for it to work. Nothing is without faults, but homeschooling is indeed a cut above towards the interest of both parents and children. It is a kind of learning which revolves around practicality rather than intelligence comparison.

 

It is impossible for kids with a disability to get full educational essentials in a public school. Even if there are private schools that specialize in catering to their needs, it is not something that most parents can afford. But if parents can, there’s no assurance that it will fit the needs of their children. As such, parents ponder on how they can provide the proper education for their children with disabilities. According to developmental psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of California, Bryna Siegel, Ph.D., “While Americans embrace all sort of inclusion, desegregation, gender equality, and the need for public access for the physically disabled—arguably, educational inclusion of many children with autism is not cut from the same civil rights ‘cloth.’” She adds that, “Many children with autism have more behavior incompatible with instruction, and so many master educational content more slowly, and often only with the use of special methods not included in the training of general education teachers.”

As of now, the best choice for parents with special needs children is to opt for homeschooling. It is because no one can better understand a child than his parents. Additionally, there are numerous advantages to special needs homeschooling which we will discuss in this article.

The Advantages

There are numerous advantages of homeschooling for kids with special needs. However, parents need to exert more time and effort into making it possible. Here are the few of the following benefits they can potentially get.

• Individual Focus

Most children with special needs require guidance to a far greater degree. As such, it is within the expectation that a one on one education is more efficient for them rather than the usual educational curriculum. This type of focus-oriented education can deepen the relationship and understanding between parents and children. That’s because there will be an additional time spent together that a typical school curriculum won’t be able to provide.

• Specialization And Customization

In homeschooling, parents can build a specific program that complements the peculiar needs of their children. It also helps avoid the hindrances or dangers the children might encounter on campus, particularly bullying. Also, parents can make minute adjustments if the program is not practical in case of specific impairments or learning problems.

• Lesser Distractions

Most special children have a harder time focusing on their work. It is why distraction is the last thing they need. Homeschooling can remove all the unwanted disturbances or at least keep it to a minimum range. It will give the parents more opportunity to get the necessary learning attention they need. “It is the internal distractions that we have the most difficulty with during treatment because they are very difficult to identify and not easy to resolve,” says  Nicole Kolenda, M.S., CCC-SLP, P.C. She emphasize that, “You have to make sure you are working at the “line of learning”—where you are able to maintain the student’s attention and they are processing and learning.”

• Sharing Moments

Homeschooling provides more opportunity for parents and child to share more time thus creating more memories. The parents are there when kids learn, fail, struggle, and achieve something. The joy, excitement, and tears are all priceless treasures to recollect. There is nothing more rewarding than the familial bond created in such moments.

• Less Negativity More To Improvement

Special children face a lot of bullying, discrimination, and negativity at most public schools. Debbie Glasser, Ph.D. wrote, “According to the study findings, students who receive special education services are also more likely than others to be sent to the school office for discipline issues.” In addition to that, “children who are victimized by others may experience anxiety, depression, and various health concerns.” The negative environment hinders developmental improvement as well. However, it is a situation that homeschooling can prevent. Parents allow an environment where there’s no discrimination and judgment. It also keeps them away from bullying. There’s a focus on the kids’ strongest characteristics while boosting their confidence. As a result, there are more personal achievements gathered from homeschooling program.

• Understanding And Patience

Nobody understands children better than their parents. The familiarity allows them to adjust the teaching methods to what their kids’ are feeling, needing, or experiencing. Parents provide more patience and understanding because they know what particular things are required.

• Progress As A Family

When parents choose to homeschool their children, it is essential that they learned things before teaching. They have to use and provide a specific reference about the lessons they are going to add in the homeschooling program. Not only it helps children with disabilities to develop their skills, but it also allows parents to learn with them at the same time.

It is hard to educate children with special needs because they require the most attention, effort, and affection. However, it’s not enough reason not to provide them with proper education. If all else is not working, at least homeschooling can be a good option for learning.

Amidst all the advantages mentioned above, if your child has persisting mental health issues that are hindering him from learning smoothly, try reaching out to BetterHelp, an online platform composed of experienced and trustworthy counselors who are ready to listen and discuss your child’s emotional and mental problems anytime and anywhere. It has great reviews from clients that you can read here. You can also check out employee testimonials on this link. Good luck with you and your child’s homeschooling journey!

 

 

Are you aware that there is no perfect formula when it comes to parenting? Many people will probably tell you how to do things exactly, but you will still discover that the results are different on your part. As such, you need to avoid stressing yourself out about becoming the perfect parent to your child. At most, be sure that your goal would be to become the best parent and not a perfect one. Take note that the two are entirely different from each other.

As already emphasized above, there is no way that you can become a perfect mom. No matter what you do, there will always be room for error and improvement. This kind of experience is something that must not be the cause of your worry. The best and right thing to do is to follow the guide that we have provided below, but be sure to avoid pressuring yourself into doing everything on our list. As early as now, you must instill to your mind that what we have written below are merely suggestions:

 

Always Make Time

One of the vital things that you must never neglect is the importance of making quality time for your child. Regardless of your hectic schedule, be sure that you will always have an opportunity to bond with him. Never let your busyness take out the fun and excitement in your relationship. Keep in mind that failure to do this can have adverse effects on your child’s mental health. He may start to look for affection from other people. At the same time, he will also begin to think negative thoughts due to lack of attention and love from you.

Be Forgiving

Another thing that you must always put in mind is the need to become more forgiving to your child’s mistakes. Remind yourself that he is still in a phase in his life when committing mistakes is indispensable. As such, do not get mad or shout right away when he screws up. Instead, teach him the value of asking for forgiveness. At the same time, be sure to explain to him his errors so that he can improve. Consequently, Amy Morin, LCSW says, “If your parenting mistakes hurt your child, apologize. Role model how to accept full responsibility for your actions and show you’re committed to doing better next time.” Conversely, learn how to use positive reinforcement to let him know that you appreciate his good deeds.

Listen To Him

Communication is the secret to a happy and peaceful connection with your child. Take note that it feels good to establish the right relationship with your child, wherein he can trust you with everything he feels. Your goal is to make an effort or see to it that he will become more motivated to open up to you when something is bad in his life. The best way to make this happen is to learn how to listen to him well. “By listening you can learn more about your child’s situation so you don’t make assumptions and can eventually give better advice. Don’t just listen to see things from your son’s perspective, listen to understand how their perspective makes sense to them,” suggests Adam Price, Ph.D. an expert in child and adolescent psychology. Never judge him right away just because you think he committed a mistake. Make sure to encourage him to approach you at any time so that he can get the right guidance and support from you. “Trustful parents do not try to guide their children’s development; they trust their children to guide their own development.  They support, rather than guide, by helping children achieve their own goals when such help is requested and needed,” Peter Gray, Ph.D., research professor at Boston College wrote.

In recent times, homeschooling has started to gain popularity among several parents around the world. Many moms and dads have discovered how good this educational setup or arrangement is. As such, they are beginning to transition from being traditional parents to modern ones. Nowadays, many of these parents are already selecting homeschooling for their kids. Board-certified neurologist and middle school teacher Judy Willis, M.D. emphasizes that the parent’s role is to connect academics with the child’s interest to motivate him to perform well. She says that, “…by engaging their curiosity, their brains get a jump start on critical information processing skills that will promote success in academic, social and emotional challenges and opportunities throughout their lives.” She further explains that, “When children are motivated by curiosity and interest to ask and then find answers to questions, their brains build skills of prediction, deduction, expanded thinking, analysis, and the ability to distinguish fact from opinion, make judgments, and support their own opinions or ethical beliefs.”

If you are one of the smart parents who have decided to go for homeschooling, then be sure to read the rest of this article. For today’s post, we are going to provide you with a list of guidelines to remember when it comes to homeschooling. Keep in mind that no matter how smart you think you are, there are still some rules or guidelines that you must observe about this kind of arrangement. As much as possible, avoid assuming that you are well versed in the said setup. Otherwise, you will end up committing errors or mistakes.

Ask Around

The first thing that you must never forget is the necessity to get to know the other parents who have chosen to homeschool their children. Do not hesitate to ask questions about why they have decided to do so. At the same time, be honest in making inquiries as to how they make it happen. Keep in mind that talking to people who are similarly situated with you can help you a lot in experiencing convenience about homeschooling. 

Read About It

 Recently, there are already several studies or research conducted about the homeschooling setup. What you must do is to grab a copy of the findings of the said study. Once you do, learn how to use the information to guide you about homeschooling. “Homeschooling books and magazines often insist that all parents are capable of educating their children,” says Laura Brodie, Ph.D. However, she adds that, “While the vast majority of homeschoolers might be well-suited to “teach their own,” not all parents are cut out for homeschooling.” Hence, to figure it out, as early as now, you must already understand the value of keeping yourself informed so that you can avoid committing significant mistakes.

Contacting Homeschool Teachers

The next step that you must do now is to get in touch with professionals who are engaged in providing homeschool education. “If you don’t like any of the public high schools, you could spring for private school because it’s only for a few years,” wrote Marty Nemko, Ph.D. “And if you decide to keep home-schooling him through high school, you’d supplement, for example, with the many online courses that are available.” Take note that there are several options to choose from in this area. One of the options is to research for the top institutions that have homeschool teachers in their team. The second one is to look for direct contact with the said teachers. Do whatever you think is best for your child. The choice is not something that we will impose upon you. Be smart enough to select the right option, as you are the best person who can make such a decision.

Conclusion

Homeschooling can be challenging in the beginning, especially if no one is around to guide you on how to go about the process. There will be several issues or struggles that you may encounter. Nonetheless, it does not mean that you can give up because things are hard. The right thing to do is to see to it that you will become steadfast in providing your child with the best and outstanding education he can have. Learn how to get support from other parents to unburden yourself.