Homeschooling is fast becoming a great option to tutor children. Child education experts and social scientists are among those who believe that children should not be subjected under the purview of the discipline and social conditioning of the formal school. The school, many conflict theorists believe has been at the forefront of “dehumanizing” the education needs of children of certain age groups. Without entering much into the pedagogy of this topic, homeschooling can have its fast returns for parenthood too.
In the U.S., homeschooling is legal and in some states, such an arrangement does require a supervision by a state actor or a social worker. In India however, the stress on homeschooling is essentially about being a part of the “virtual classroom” methodology. Parents are fast resorting to the virtual classroom mode that can be enjoyed by students from the comforts of the home. Though homeschooling largely refers to a study discipline being maintained at home, help and coaching from external sources is all the more important. Virtual classroom, thus, is a natural fit.
There are different methods in the virtual classroom mode where students can learn and excel at their respective school/ college exams. Some of these coaching are closely supervised online and require performance progress tests. However, there are various self-paced learning programs available as well to suit the needs of different students as per their aptitude. A lot of carefully planned and shaped educational tools and training programs have been designed to give homeschooling a regular boost.
In addition, a lot of study time gets wasted in commute, especially in big cities. Homeschooling gives an easy access to quality resources without moving out of the comfort of your home. You can get online with friends, evaluate teaching resources as per their cost and find customized solutions which are both compatible with your pocket as well as your learning needs.
Here are 5 reasons why homeschooling can be a great option for your child:
1. The public school or even the confines of the private school system can be really expensive for middle class parents, especially so in the United States. These schools inspire rote learning and cramming with little emphasis on critical thinking or even questioning. With large classes and fewer teachers, many of these schools are holding back effective learning that lasts with time. Children often are tutored to learn for exams and retain nothing thereafter.
2. Much of the formal educational system does not involve virtual classrooms or even learning remotely. In many rural classrooms in India, for example, children are not given the attention they need. Teachers don’t get paid and hardly ever attend class physically. Virtual classrooms or even online tutoring arranges the time for both a child and a tutor to be present at all times. Many tutoring companies arrange for kids to learn even in the vernacular. This promotes development of learning.
3. In homeschools, children are at the comfort of their homes. Parents too can participate and learn along with children. Best of the teachers from different cities can be contacted and their help can be sought. Websites that encourage remote learning and learning through e tutoring such as MyEdge.in have proliferated their operations. Virtual classrooms encourage young learners while even the greatest of teachers scattered geographically come together in one session to impart amazing knowledge.
4. Most of homeschooling involves self-motivation and inspiration. This encourages children to think outside of the box and do things on their own. Homeschooling counters the image of dependency on one source for learning. Learning thus becomes multi-mode. Also, teachers are unfettered and are not bogged down with minute administrative tasks that they do at formal schools. They can focus on knowledge sharing and enable children to master their interests.
5. Finally, you can attend to the individual needs of each child in homeschooling. There are education tools that enable this to happen. Social commentaries and other creative inputs also can interest the learner. The learner can feel compelled to learn inexpensively.
