WHY HOME SCHOOL? Lots of second generation homeschoolers are making this choice. They chose to educate their young families at home, instead of sending them to school.
Young parents are taking into account the current environment and have come to the conclusion that it is best for their family if the parents are the ones to lead the education. Families make the decision to do so prior to the birth of their children. A lot of families are having issues with their current educational selection.
The pupil of theirs has not achieved the academic standard; he has not reacted to the teaching procedure utilized by his teacher; she is unable to comprehend the data being provided; he is not understanding what he is reading or being informed. She is more advanced than her classmates and finds school boring, or his exceptional abilities can turn into a problem due to his lack of motivation.
There are also some students who are displaying signs of unease, fear, crying, disinterest, and reluctant to engage. Maybe they are being bullied or marginalized. Kids absorb their sentiments and often find it hard to communicate them. Moms and dads are looking for answers and frequently settle on home schooling as a method of bringing their children’s mental well-being back.
CAN I HOMESCHOOL?
Yes, you can. Homeschooling is becoming mainstream. It is believed that around 2.3 million children in the US are receiving education at home. Parents have to promise themselves to stay dedicated to homeschooling in order to be successful. Thanks to divine aid, it is possible for parents to provide their offspring with a good schooling; however, this necessitates effort and devotion from the parents. What is the initial action I should take if I choose to homeschool my children? All 50 states in the US permit homeschooling. The guidelines for homeschooling vary from one state to the next. Be certain that you comprehend the legal justification for instructing children at home in your state. Click HERE for current Alabama law. ESTABLISH YOUR OWN PHILOSOPHY OF HOME EDUCATION
What do you think your children should be learning?
When your offspring finish their schooling, what do you wish for them to be capable of?
How do you want this learning to happen?
How do you want to run your school?
Are there any deficits in your child’s education?
Is your child academically accelerated in any way?
Does your child exhibit any learning differences?
Is there anything about your child’s behavior or personality that needs to be handled?
Which areas are most significant to your family (school work, life aptitudes, helping out in the local area)?
GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE
Ideally, parents should make a conscious, carefully considered decision about homeschooling. Seek out friends or family who homeschool. Seek out people’s opinions concerning organizations in your locality; read literature; explore websites; go to workshops and conventions.
However, life isn’t always ideal. If you are confronted by an abrupt or life-threatening issue, please get in touch with the Homeschool Alabama agency to receive individual help.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Ruth Beechick provides practical advice to parents on how to effectively teach their children successfully from fourth to eighth grade.
The Three R’s by Ruth Beechick (gr. K-3)
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell
Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
Educating the Wholehearted Child by Sally Clarkson
102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
LEARNING STYLES
How does your child learn? It is imperative that you employ all these techniques to teach your toddler. Young children tend to mostly tactile. As they grow older, you will become more cognizant of their main mode of behavior. Everybody possesses a combination of learning styles; each individual uses all sorts of approaches, but has a clear preference for one, with less use of the others.
Individuals utilize diverse methods in diverse circumstances; there is no single appropriate or inappropriate method. Parents may tend to select materials for learning that fit their own style of education, so it is important to take that into account when deciding on a curriculum.
Those who learn by seeing are partial to looking at things, including photos, diagrams, and written directions; they can comprehend data more profoundly when it is demonstrated visually.
Auditory learners prefer that information be reinforced by sound. They would prefer to hear a lecture instead of reading a book or taking notes. They enjoy listening to themselves voice fresh ideas and concepts. They may recite to themselves, voice their opinions in class, and articulate ideas orally.
Those who learn best through kinesthetic or tactile experiences require activities which involve doing or feeling. In order to comprehend, they must manipulate and explore through physical contact.
They may have difficulty keeping their focus and require frequent pauses when studying. Reading/writing learners prefer to learn through written words. This approach is very connected to visual learning but has a focus on written work and keeping a journal as well as web searches for data.
METHODS OF HOMESCHOOLING
Unless you were raised in a home-school setting, the classic way of learning is something everyone is familiar with. This approach uses traditional textbooks, workbooks, and tests. Publishers may provide the option of purchasing their materials grouped by grade and subject; alternatively, users may be able to access recorded or streaming versions of these conventional course of studies, with guidance from experts supplied by the publishing company.
You do not have to stick to one publisher when homeschooling; you can pick textbooks and other materials from a range of sources.
If you’re a beginner and don’t know what should be covered at what grade, it can be useful to follow the curriculum decided by someone more experienced.
An effective way to learn is through Unit Studies that employ a tactile approach. Parents choose a topic and create their homeschooling program centered around that topic. Students look at a subject in its entirety, rather than examining multiple different areas.
Students attain knowledge by engaging in diverse activities and approaches, rather than just passively reading from a textbook. Unit studies can be appealing when instructing multiple children. Each child studies the topic at his own level. Every student will receive a task on the same subject, but of varying difficulty levels.
Unit studies are a beneficial approach for kids who have assorted approaches to learning, as a multitude of options for learning about a particular theme can be provided.
The Classical approach relies on the Trivium, comprised of three separate parts, to take advantage of the way children’s brains learn and grow during different developmental stages.
The Grammar stage requires memorization and repetition of facts which can be used as a starting point for the following phase. In the Logic stage, kids are inquiring why factors are the way they are, endeavoring to comprehend how all they have been taught is linked and fits collectively.
In the end, the learner advances to the Rhetoric stage where the main focus is on both verbal and written communication. The student applies what they have learned and reasoned out to express their own ideas.
Charlotte Mason, a 19th century English educator, had the idea to begin an education technique which advocated for emphasizing the development of the entire person in addition to their intellect. They should be given the opportunity to have fun, express themselves, and interact with their environment. Charlotte Mason proponents use “living books” instead of textbooks. Learners also demonstrate their knowledge by means of telling stories and conversing.
Unschooling is referred to as natural, learning that is based on a child’s interests, and driven by the child. Unschoolers do not use school schedules or formal lessons.
The idea is that kids who don’t attend school explore their passions and gain knowledge by exploring something they are curious about. In a similar fashion to how they acquire the skills of walking and talking, unschooled kids gain knowledge in mathematics, science, reading, and history. John Holt is the founder of the unschooling movement.
Eclectic home educators employ a range of approaches and resources to fulfill the task of teaching at home. Students have the option to utilize textbooks or workbooks for arithmetic, grammar, and spelling practices; browse genuine books for science, writing, and history; absorb nature by spending time in the outdoors; and admire art and music in a style of their own. They may use an unschooling approach for certain things. They may use regular textbooks with a Charlotte Mason teaching method.
Why do some parents choose to homeschool their kids?
A recurring query that arises when talking about this activity is why parents elect to teach their children at home. Basically, it’s not feasible to provide an answer to this inquiry since it can fluctuate depending on the individual. Some moms and dads wish to have their religious convictions reflected in their kid’s schooling in a manner that is not permissible in non-religious public institutions. Parents are concerned about troubling social issues, such as bullying, drug abuse, and incidents of violence at school.
In 2016, the National Center for Education Statistics conducted a study which found that 34 percent of parents of homeschooled students chose to have their children study at home mainly due to worry about the atmosphere at school.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling?
If you inquire of a homeschooling parent what they feel is the greatest benefit of homeschooling, it is probable that they will answer with “liberty”. Homeschooling provides substantial latitude, ranging from day-to-day scheduling to tailoring the instruction to cater to the individual requirements of each student.
The guardian and scholar determine a speed that is suitable for them, whether it involves taking it more slowly if the learner requires it or advancing ahead. This implies that if a parent is not feeling well or the family wants to go on a trip, they have the liberty to do so as long as they adhere to their state’s required expectations.
You can take care of problems before they become too serious, whether they be related to studying, mental health, emotions, behavior, etc.
There is now more opportunity to participate in activities which are character-building, such as aiding the community, establishing a business, and finding ways to be sustainable. Parents gain the added advantage of spending more time with their offspring, as well as assisting in building the character of their kid as he or she grows up.
Dr. Raymond Moore, writer of Better Late Than Early and promoter of the homeschooling movement, contends that a drawback of the schoolroom setting is that all kids are expected to progress through learning new skills at an identical pace. He believes that homeschooling conducted on an individual basis will not make slower readers feel inferior compared to their peers, which would otherwise have a negative effect on their self-esteem.
Alternatively, there are some potential drawbacks too. A few moms and dads realize that they cannot manage the exhausting mental and emotional load that comes with being a parent and instructor all day, every day. Likewise, certain youngsters aren’t responsive to acquiring knowledge in this kind of atmosphere. If a family already had problems prior to homeschooling, it can make the issues stronger and cause more pressure for the kid.
How much does it cost to be homeschooled online?
You are aware that tuition for a regular style of schooling can range from very low (such as the cost of public school) to expensive (like private school fees). Homeschooling also stretches across a range of budgets. Is it possible to homeschool for free? Almost. You could depend on open access services such as public libraries, free educational programming found on networks like PBS, online sources, and the kindness of being given old things to form a very inexpensive curriculum.
Many parents choose to purchase a curriculum that has already been made or assemble their own, using different software and resources. For instance, a starter set of learning materials from Timberdoodle (a popular homeschool resources provider) typically costs between $419 (for the basic set) and $907 (for the top of the line package).
At the same time, the Level 1 course provided by Torchlight will only cost $43.
Considering the costs, educating your child with a home-created curriculum may actually be quite economical; however, assembling the right program will require research and dedication.
Is there a tax break for homeschooling?
It would be desirable for homeschool parents to receive relief from taxes, however, according to Forbes this is not factual. If it seems like you’ve encountered something related to a tax break for teachers on your federal income tax filing in the past, then it’s likely that you have. On federal form 1040, there is a designated spot (line 23) where you can take a deduction for Educator Expenses. Even if you don’t list each expenses individually, you can receive a maximum of $250 for educational expenses. But there’s a big catch for homeschoolers.
In order to qualify for the tax break, one must be recognized as an “eligible educator”, which means someone who is a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide in a kindergarten through 12th-grade school for at least 900 hours during a school year. The Internal Revenue Service specifies that expenses for homeschooling are not qualified expenses for the tax break.
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