It is no secret, homeschooling is becoming the more and more popular choice for families seeking the best education for their students. And the advantages of homeschooling are so vast that you could easily encounter ten different homeschooling families and hear ten different advantages of homeschooling.
As a result, it is difficult to define the main advantages of homeschooling without missing key advantages or reasons that people choose to homeschool. In fact, one could easily say that the advantages of homeschooling are only limited by the imagination of each homeschooling parent.
When polled, however, homeschoolers agreed on several major advantages of homeschooling.
At the heart of all of these advantages is Freedom!
The freedom advantage encompasses many of the advantages of homeschooling cited by homeschooling families:
• Freedom to instill values and morals that are consistent with the religion of the family
• Freedom to define their own schedule
• Freedom to spend time as a family
• Freedom to pursue other interests
• Freedom to focus on necessary academics
• Freedom for real world socialization.
These freedoms and much more make homeschooling the choice for families all around the world.
Read on to learn about the four major freedom advantages of homeschooling:
Advantage #1—Freedom to Instill Morals and Values
Advantage #2—Freedom to Develop Real Life Socialization
Advantage #3—Freedom of Flexibility
Advantage #4—Freedom as a Family
Advantages of homeschooling #1
Freedom to instill values and morals that are consistent with the religion of the family.
Many homeschooling families cite this as the number one reason they choose to homeschool their children and therefore one of the main advantages of homeschooling. In a world where religious freedom is attacked from all sides, parents are choosing to take back their rights and invest time into the character and beliefs of their children.
These parents are raising their children in an environment where their convictions drive the education. Conviction leads to passion; it leads to direction; it leads to a sense of purpose. As a result, parents who homeschool out of conviction tend to be very successful teachers.
Think back to your favorite teacher. Was he an individual who did not really care about what he was teaching? Was she someone who lacked any kind of drive or purpose? I would venture to say that your best teacher was someone whose passion was evident. And when passion drives you, you can implement that passion into every subject, into every activity, into every aspect of your homeschooling program.
This is a huge advantage for homeschooling families. Not only do they have the opportunity to train their children in the way they should go, but their passion makes the program all the more dynamic. And this is a major advantage in any school setting.
Advantages of homeschooling #2
Socialization
Why list socialization as one of the advantages of homeschooling? Isn’t this the topic that causes the most controversy for homeschoolers? Indeed, this is one of the major concerns for new homeschoolers as well as people on the outside.
But the fact is, homeschoolers have an advantage in the area of socialization.
Why? It has long been recognized among college admissions counselors that homeschoolers have the advantage over their peers in the ability to converse and interact with their professors and other personnel without intimidation. They also have the advantage of working with fellow students of all ages because this has been the way their schooling was structured every day for years.
Rather than experiencing the controlled socialization of a classroom, the secret exchanges when the teacher isn’t looking, and the limits of socializing only with children their own age, homeschoolers socialize at all kinds of different levels.
Younger students have the advantage of learning from older homeschoolers who they encounter through support groups, field trips, homeschool “classes” and more. And one of the advantages for older students is that they develop a sense of responsibility and concern as role models for younger students.
Homeschoolers also have the distinct advantage of working with people of all ages, income levels, and professions. Parents need only tap into the endless opportunities to help their child develop their character, their social skills, and their ability to handle life.
I hear comments all the time about how well homeschoolers handle themselves with adults, with other students and in difficult situations. The time spent with their parents has given them the advantage of seeing first hand how to solve real life problems, how to balance their schedule, how to handle tough situations, and how to find the time to get it all done.
Advantages of homeschooling #3
Flexibility
For some, the flexibility advantage means a schedule that meets the demands of their situation; others view the flexibility advantage as the ability to customize curriculum to the needs of their child; and still others view the flexibility advantage as the ability to allow their child to dig deeper into a topic rather than simply move on the next unit.
Many homeschooling families are families on the move. Whether this is because of work demands or kids who are involved in sports, acting, dance, etc., they need a flexible schedule. One of the advantages of homeschooling is that it allows a family to remain a family while also meeting the demands of an active schedule.
Customized curriculum is a huge advantage to homeschooling. Homeschoolers are not limited to curriculum at a set grade level. Instead, they are able to determine the exact level to meet their skills and abilities and begin there. This means that some homeschoolers will be working at a fifth grade level in math, a sixth grade level in English, and still another level for other subjects. This approach gives students the advantage of mastering necessary concepts before moving on and to progressing quickly in those subjects where he or she is most successful.
It also has the advantage of opening the door for further study in a topic of interest. If your student is taking a literature course in school and is fascinated by William Shakespeare, the teacher will not stop and allow extra weeks for further study. Instead, the passion ignited soon takes a back seat to the demands of the class. Homeschooling families can take advantage of those passions and allow students to dig deeper and learn more.
Advantages of homeschooling #4
Family Time
This is one of the biggest advantages to homeschooling! Where better to nurture relationships, build confidence, instill character, and strengthen bonds than the family? Research indicates that students in families who eat at last one meal together per day are more successful and less likely to get into trouble. Imagine the impact that you can have on your child’s future by increasing your family time tenfold!
Will your child learn from peers and/or teachers who may or may not share the same values or will he have the advantage of learning from you? What character traits will they model as adults?
One of the advantages of homeschooling is that through you, they will learn to respect elders; they will be spared the down beating so prominent in schools today; they will develop confidence in who they are; and they will become adults.
Time with the family is so short—homeschooling allows you to maximize that time and enjoy your children.
The advantages of homeschooling are limitless! In fact, the advantages you experience may be completely different from the advantages listed here. However, the advantage of instilling your own morals and values, the advantage of socialization, the advantage of flexibility, and the advantage of family time are all advantages of homeschooling that center around freedom! And that is one advantage that applies to everyone!
