As we have discussed before on our website, there are many benefits to homeschooling.
- You can have more time to teach your children important life skills.
- You can be more flexible when it comes to taking holidays.
- You can tailor learning to your child.
And as you can read in our article here at freddiesmummyuk.com, there are plenty more benefits besides.
It might be that you have considered homeschooling yourself, but if you haven’t yet made a decision, it might be because of the myths that tend to get perpetuated. We will have a look at some of them below.
#1: Homeschoolers don’t get the same quality of education
Okay, so there are some brilliant schools in our communities, and detractors of homeschooling might point to sites such as LeicesterHigh.com when comparing the two types of schooling. They will say that homeschooled children are unlikely to attain the brilliant test results of that aforementioned school or similar.
This isn’t true. For one, not every school produces high achievers, and this is sometimes because of the lack of parental support rather than the fault of the schools themselves. And secondly, research has shown that homeschooled children often get better test results than their traditionally schooled peers. You can read more at theconversation.com.
By homeschooling your child, you will have the option of customising your lessons according to your child’s needs. This isn’t always possible in a mainstream school. You will also have the time to spend with them on a 1:1 basis to support them in their education and to get them ready for the tests and exams that you register them for. It’s the work you put in to help your child that will give them the chance to succeed, so don’t assume they will be at a disadvantage.
#2: Homeschoolers will suffer socially
Okay, so homeschooled children won’t be in an environment populated by hundreds of other kids, but that doesn’t mean they will suffer socially. As the parent, you could team up with other homeschooling parents, and prepare lessons and outings that your children could share with others. Use sites such as meetup.com/topics/homeschool/ to make those meetings possible. You can also ensure your child has time to meet up with other children by arranging playdates and by finding hobby groups and clubs in your local community. We are thinking of scouting groups, for example. And besides, not every child succeeds on a social level at school. Some children struggle to make friends. So, it’s a wrong assumption to presume homeschooled children will be at a big social disadvantage when compared to those in mainstream.
#3: Homeschoolers won’t get a college education
Again, this isn’t true. Some colleges will take on homeschooled children without recognised curriculum qualifications, although your child can still take GCSE and A-level courses to get them into college through online courses and private tuition. Some mainstream schools will allow homeschooled children to sit exams at their places of education too. You might also send your children to sixth-form college when they are of an age, and they can take the relevant GCSE and A-level courses there in readiness for the next stage in their education.
For more on homeschooling, read through the articles on our site. With advice on where to start, the resources you need, and tips in ensuring success, your mind will hopefully be put at ease when you read what we have to say. Let us know below if you have any questions or other tips for our readers.
