Considering homeschooling your children? Choose from the best homeschool programs in the country that offer the appropriate curriculum for your child and teach the values you want to pass onto them. Whether you need to homeschool for academic, religious, social, or even nutritional reasons, you can find a homeschool program that will benefit your child. While choosing the right program might seem a bit intimidating, know that it can be done. Provided it’s the right move for your child, you can find a program that will help them – all you need to do is a little research. By searching through various programs and packages, you can have every tool at your disposal to prepare your child for life beyond high school. Check out these most frequently asked questions about homeschooling to learn more.
Homeschooling offers a variety of educational benefits. Typically, in public schools, your child is not likely to get a lot of one-on-one time with a teacher, which can be incredibly helpful to students. Because every child is different, sometimes different approaches are required to reach out to a child. But a teacher simply doesn’t have enough time to provide individual lessons to every student, so teaching methods take a one-size-fits all approach. Many students also feel shy about asking questions in front of others, so that one-on-one interaction with teachers can be extremely beneficial.
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of homeschooling are its social benefits, particularly when it comes to safety. Children who are homeschooled will not face pressure from other students to do drugs, drink alcohol, or engage in unsafe sexual behavior. Additionally, at home they will be safe from the growing number of crimes going on in public schools including gun violence, and sexual violence perpetrated by students and even teachers. Instead of subjecting your children to the dangers of peer pressure and violence, your child at home will have room to grow into the person they were always meant to be, rather than trying to be someone else to fit in.
Another terrific advantage of homeschooling is that it allows you to tailor your child’s educational experience based on their own beliefs and principles. When homeschooling, you can incorporate Christian values into your child’s education – something that simply cannot happen when teaching individual students in a public school setting. The classical education method uses the Christian homeschooling techniques that incorporate spiritual teachings into lessons. Rather than explaining subjects in the context of science, teaching will work around a model of faith.
When it comes to homeschooling, there’s no one size fits all approach to learning. You can try a number of different teaching methods that may work best for your child. The traditional homeschooling method works more like a public school where you’ll follow a set curriculum and grading system. The Charlotte Mason is a popular method of homeschooling that uses a three-tiered approach that focuses on discipline, life and atmosphere while learning. Then there’s the Montessori method that involves a great deal of self-directed learning, so your child is guiding the lessons and learning more naturally.
To prepare yourself and your child for homeschooling, its important to make sure your child has everything they need to learn, including a good support system. Locating homeschool programs in your state is where you want to start first. Search online and find schools that offer plenty of information about how to get started with their program. It’s also good to find other homeschooling parents online that may have advice for you and will also give you a better idea on what schools you should check out. Social media is a very powerful tool, so don’t be afraid to try it. You might also try some instructional books about homeschooling from your local library or bookstore.
Online you’ll find a variety of popular homeschooling programs. Calvert Education is an accredited program that inspires students to learn and gives parents and students the tools they need to succeed. Time4Learning is another great homeschooling program that is used by over 500,000 families. Tuition costs are low at just $20 a month for students up to 8th grade and $30 per month for high school students. You’ll get self-paced courses and unlimited access to lessons. Connections Academy is a free homeschooling program that provides free supplies and lessons to students from K to 12. Completely tuition-free, Connections Academy is a great option for parents who don’t have the money to pay for homeschooling.
When homeschooling, you’ll also need to think about getting supplies. Some homeschooling programs will provide homeschooling supplies to you or at the very least give you tips on where you can acquire them. You might also check out a local teachers store for finding educational supplies, books, games and so much more.
This is a matter of debate. To be sure, interacting with other children is fundamental for your child’s developing mind. In a public school setting they will learn how to interact and work with others. They will have the social skills to deal with life outside of the home that will also help them in their future career. So, if you are going to be homeschooling your child, it’s important to make sure that your child is getting some kind of social interaction with others, whether that means entering them in an after school program, setting up playdates, or whatever else you need to do to encourage your child to socialize.