Are you contemplating abandoning the public school system? Are you unsure if homeschooling would be a superior alternative for your family? Even though the decision might appear daunting, this is a thrilling period for your family! You have the opportunity to explore various educational options and select the most suitable one for your children. Let’s examine some of the numerous advantages of homeschooling in comparison to public education to assist you in making a decision.
Homeschooling vs. Public School
To begin with, let’s clarify the distinctions between homeschooling and public schooling, as the terminology can sometimes be confusing. In the United States, public schools are funded by the government and provide education for grades K-12, typically without any fees. Students are required to attend classes in person at a physical school on a regular basis.
The homeschooling options differ greatly from one state to another. In certain states, you have the freedom to operate your own homeschool program, provided that you meet specific teaching qualifications or are under the supervision of a certified individual. Additionally, many states offer the alternative of homeschooling through a private or denominational school.
In this model, you remain accountable for your children’s education; however, they are registered through a private institution. This institution aids you and serves as an intermediary between you and the government, ensuring accurate handling of all records.
Public schools and school districts sometimes provide distance learning. Students are registered in a public school but receive their education online at home. In this situation, parents have minimal involvement in their children’s education, making it different from traditional homeschooling.
To locate the legal requirements specific to your state, it is advisable to visit the Home School Legal Defense Association website and utilize their State Homeschool Law tool.
Is Homeschooling the Right Choice for Your Family
The idea of homeschooling can be overwhelming for many parents.
If these questions and many others are racing through your mind, know that you are not alone. It is important to consider carefully before becoming a homeschooling parent. You should ensure that it is the right choice for your family, so that you can remain committed even during challenging times.
Home Learning Benefits
There are numerous advantages that homeschooled children receive, which are not available to public school students. These include having a customized learning experience with a high level of flexibility and freedom, as well as fostering stronger family connections and self-assurance. The positive effects of homeschooling extend beyond just the students and families involved and have an impact on their communities as well.
A learning experience that is tailored to individuals.
Homeschooling is often chosen by many families as they desire their children to discover and pursue their passions. By identifying their interests, it becomes possible to customize their education and daily routine accordingly.
There are homeschoolers who completely embrace this idea and opt for student-led homeschooling, wherein the child’s interests and curiosity primarily drive the formal teaching.
Even if you aren’t prepared to discard the textbooks, you still have the option to personalize your homeschooling curriculum and lesson plans to suit your children’s learning styles and interests, which can assist them in becoming self-assured and independent learners.
Math lessons that utilize manipulatives like LEGO or pattern blocks are highly effective in engaging hands-on learners who enjoy creating and building things.
LIFEPAC Launch Packs offer an excellent solution for these learners. Creative children who find it challenging to remain seated can find solace in completing their tasks on a glass patio door using window markers, all the while swaying to the beat of their preferred tunes.
Your personalized learning experience can also include incorporating your family’s values and morals. You can potentially find enjoyment in participating as a team in a nearby ministry or organizing a Bible study gathering in your residence. Homeschooling provides you the opportunity to include religious studies in a manner that is not possible within local school districts.
Incorporating Biblical principles in all AOP curriculum assists students in applying their education in practical ways. A great way to bring education into one’s own environment is by adding a single print or online Bible course to supplement secular education.
Tailored Socialization Opportunities
Homeschooling offers a wide range of socialization opportunities that nurture kids’ social skills needed throughout their lives. They engage in regular social interactions with fellow homeschool students, teachers, and classmates during different lessons and co-op activities. Additionally, they interact with community residents and workers.
For instance, children who have the opportunity to walk their dogs in the morning often have the chance to become acquainted with numerous neighbors. Ignite Christian Academy, an educational institution under AOP, possesses a specific department for student engagement that is fully devoted to assisting children who are homeschooled in accessing supervised activities to foster their socialization and development.
Homeschooling also has the benefit of minimizing certain unfavorable social interactions that children usually face in traditional schools. By spending more time together, parents gain a better understanding of their children’s friendships and can promptly intervene if any friends begin to exert a harmful impact.
Homeschooling reduces peer pressure since children spend less time with peers of their own age and encounter fewer situations where they feel the need to protect their image. Homeschooling fosters self-assurance and helps children develop a clear understanding of their own identity. When they do interact with friends, they possess a strong self-concept and are able to stand firm in their beliefs.
Test Results
Test results are not the sole factor in determining a child’s academic abilities, but they can serve as a significant measure of learning progress and are crucial for college admissions. The impact of homeschooling on test scores shows promising results.
A study conducted in 1998 revealed that homeschool children consistently achieved standardized test scores in the 70th to 80th percentile, specifically on tests like the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
Based on the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), students who receive their education at home generally achieve higher scores on standardized tests for academic achievement compared to students attending public schools, typically ranging from 15 to 30 percentile points higher.
In the case of Black students, the percentages are even more significant. Black homeschooling children outperform their peers in public schools on standardized tests by a margin of 23 to 42 percentage points.
Composite scores for homeschooled students on the ACT, a nationwide college admissions test, varied from 22.3 in 2007 to 22.8 in 2014. Despite not reaching the same level as scores from private school students, these rankings were still 1.4 to 2.2 points higher than the average public school student.
Grade Point Average
Many homeschool families do not calculate GPA, therefore limited data exists on the comparison of grade point average between home and publicly educated children. Nevertheless, research has been conducted on the GPAs of college students who were homeschooled during their K-12 years.
During a research conducted at a private university located in the American Southeast, it was discovered that students who received homeschooling exhibited a notable improvement in their college GPA compared to those who did not.
In a different study conducted at an undisclosed university in the Midwest, students who had prior experience with homeschooling achieved an average GPA of 3.37 at the end of their freshman year in college. This surpassed the average GPA of other students, which was 3.08.
Throughout the college years, the academic benefits of homeschooling persisted, with the same students earning an average GPA of 3.41 as seniors, in contrast to the 3.16 average GPA of seniors who were not homeschooled.
However, further research provides a slightly different perspective. In 2016, a study examined information from approximately 825,000 students enrolled in 140 colleges and universities. The study discovered that students who had received homeschooling did not attain higher GPA in their initial college year, nor did they exhibit higher chances of continuing into their second year.
College Placement
Admissions processes for colleges and universities are generally comparable for students who have received a conventional education and those who have been homeschooled.
Even Ivy League schools have recognized the benefits of home-based education due to the increasing popularity of alternative forms of education. However, they tend to keep their homeschool admissions statistics private.
In order to boost their chances of being accepted into college, homeschooling students might need to highlight specific aspects of their education. This could involve providing additional details about their academic curriculum and taking optional tests to demonstrate their academic skills.
On the flip side, homeschoolers may have an advantage for college placement due to their ability to earn college credit before graduating from high school, or at the very least, they may graduate from college earlier than students from public school.
Emotional Adjustment
When comparing home and public education, it is important to consider not only academics, but also the emotional development of your child. Stereotypes suggesting that homeschooled children are socially awkward or emotionally stunted may lead you to believe that this is always the case. However, fortunately, this is not necessarily true.
According to the NHERI, the social, emotional, and psychological development of homeschoolers is often above average. The extent to which your child develops emotionally will mostly rely on the environment in your home and the activities they are exposed to.
One way to involve your child in various activities outside of home is by considering options such as volunteering, joining academic or extracurricular cohort groups, participating in league sports, or taking lessons on a musical instrument. These different opportunities not only expose your child to individuals from diverse backgrounds but also aid them in forming friendships.
Side notes
The decision of whether homeschooling is the best option for your family is solely yours to make. Should you opt for home education, there is no assurance that this method will result in improved academic or emotional outcomes for your child.
The success of homeschooling largely depends on you as an educator and your child as a learner, but research suggests that homeschooling can increase the chances of academic success for your child
