The Benefits of Home Schooling Your Children

In this day in age, alternative learning methods for children, like home schooling are becoming more popular. Growing at the rate of 7 to 15 per year, there are 1,300,000 to 1,700,000 children (grades K-12) home educated during 1999-2000 in the United States. We find that more parents are opting to have a bit more control of their children's learning experience. Sounds like a good idea to you? So what are the benefits of home schooling your children?

One of the advantages to home schooling is to be able to control what your children are and aren't learning. In today's world of extreme controversy, that is very important to some parents. The fear of your child's mind being filled with content that isn't suitable to you is starting to become more of an issue among parents. Researchers compared the critical thinking skills of four groups of college students - graduates of two types of private schools, of public schools, and of home schools. There were no statistically significant differences in various critical thinking skills. That is, the home educated did as well as the others.

Many parents find that they are able to build a stronger emotional and social bond with their children when they do the teaching. Teaching specific philosophical or religious values, controlling social interactions, developing close families, and high level academics are the most common reasons for home schooling. Studying actual observed behavior; doctors found the home educated had significantly lower problem behavior scores than do children of the same age in public school. They also found that the home educated have positive self-concepts. Home-educated children are also less peer dependent than those who are publicly or privately educated. That is quite important to some parents, as there is so much pressure in schools these days to "fit in" with peer counterparts.

A largely growing topic in public and private schools today is whether our children are receiving enough one on one attention in the classroom. By home schooling your child, you have the ability to provide direct assistance to your child with challenging subjects, while in the meantime providing a nurturing role in encouraging your child's special talents (i.e. musical, artistic, mathematics). You also have the ability to address controversial issues with your child when you feel appropriate. A common worry to parents is when their children will begin to learn sexual education. As the teacher, you have the power to assess at what age you feel it is best to teach your child about the birds and the bees.

Other benefits include, but are not limited to: Taking family vacations whenever it is convenient for the household (and making them educational in the process!), sharing with your children the everyday joys of life, being there for all of your child's monumental firsts, and protecting them from negative influences outside the home. Children graduating from a home school environment grow up to be just as well adjusted as publicly educated counterparts, attend college, and acquire great careers just the same.

Should you decide to home school your child/children, take care to do your research. Whether you feel this option would be beneficial to your child or not, it is of utmost importance that you do not make your decision about your child's education lightly. Today's children are tomorrow's future. What you do with the present is the deciding factor in what society will look like for the long haul.