Archive for April, 2007

A Few Ideas How to Help your Homeschooled Child be More Social and Outgoing

Monday, April 2nd, 2007

Many parents who does not like public schools system of education started to give home education to their own children. Homeschooling became a modern method of instruction. However, aghast teachers and worried relatives think that these children would not be able to socialize. Many parents who home school their children are sick and tired of hearing this kind of arguments. They consider that are a lot of opportunities for their children to socialize as they are exposed to different people and situations every day. It is difficult for children who go to high school to learn from experience how important is to respect others and their beliefs and cultures. There are not many people who realize how many group outings and trips home schooled children participate in. What’s more, most of the children who are home schooled are constantly surrounded by other children on a daily basis. In other words, they do not miss out on anything.

It really depends on parents to ensure that their children are socialized properly and that are active with their peers. Parents who opt for home education generally set up their children’s curriculum and make sure that it includes plenty of outings and trips. Should it be rather difficult to organize group outings and trips, you still have to do your best to make sure that your child is not lacking anything when it comes to socialization. In addition to organizing various group outing with other children, you have to help them to learn how to behave in group environment as well. It is important that they learn from experience to be tolerant and to respect others. They should also learn to express themselves properly. Make sure they know how to pay attention when someone talk to them and sit quietly. These are not things that children can just learn by themselves. They have to actually be taught.

Children also need to be able to interact with anyone, whether they like them or not. This is the only way to prepare them for the world of adults. The bottom line of all this is that it is possible that they suffer from socialization if they are home schooled, but that is not necessarily true. If parents are doing their best, children will grow up normally and can even take advantage of their special education. Of course, you have to take the time to socialize them and teach them how to interact with other people, but if you do your best your child should not have any difficulty when it comes to socialization. Research shows that home schooled children do not suffer more than than those who attend public schools. Oftentimes home schooled children are even better socialized than many boarding school students. Of course it does not mean that all children should be home schooled, it just means that it is usually up to the parents when it comes to socialization. If they do what is best for their children, they grow up happy and know how to communicate with their peers.

Find out as many activities as you can that allow your child to play. Do not forget that playtime and outdoor activities can also be educational. This will help you to make sure that they really get what they need. You can take, for instance, your child to the local fitness center so that s/he has the opportunity to socialize with other children and to ensure that s/he is getting the physical activity that s/he needs. Try to find enough space to conduct various activities that are appropriate for your child’s age group. Look for other parents who home school their children and would be willing to participate in some of your outdoor activities.

Think for other things you can do to make sure that your home school child develops the proper social skills and stays constantly active.

Homeschooling Solution

Monday, April 2nd, 2007

Parents are getting more and more frustrated with public schools and wary of their own ability to homeschool may be wandering if private school is the answer. Others consider the possibility to send their children to boarding school. However, an increasing number of parents have been deciding against boarding schools recently. In the past decade, enrollment for private day schools has grown 15 per cent, while enrollment in boarding schools has grown only 2, 7 per cent. Reporting this new phenomenon, The Wall Street Journal put the shift away from boarding schools down to a trend of greater parental involvement, which correlates strongly with parent’s reluctance to be apart from their children. Another reason why they are reluctant to send their children to boarding school could be the danger of leting them being around peers 24 hours a day. It makes the risks that already loom large in high school loom even larger. It is hardly surprising that parents are so frustrated. What other options do they have?

What is the homeschooling solution? This method of instruction has been practiced at all times. It was only with the emergence of widespread compulsory public education that this age-old way of instruction was almost forgotten, but not eradicated. Many parents who by choice or necessity cannot send their children to school continue the tradition of home education. For instance, children with illnesses and different kind of disabilities – learning, mental or physical – that keep them from attending school are frequently taught at home. Homeschooling is also the only answer for children who live in the remote areas of the world.

With the increasing questioning of public education system from several parents in the 1970s and 1980s homeschooling as a method of instruction experienced a renaissance. Many parents began wondering whether they would be able to do a better job. Some of them realized that they really could do a great job with their own children. Thus, the modern homeschooling movement was born. The beginnings of this movement were rocky. Teachers did not consider parents capable enough to teach their own children. They boast about how competent they are and how incompetent parents are. What made these parents think they could teach their own children?

Few states even specifically prohibited home education and homeschooling parents faced threats of jail time. Some were arrested and menaced having their children removed from their home. Concerned teachers, worried neighbors and aghast relatives thought that the homeschooling parents are about to ruin their children’s lives dooming them to a gloomy future of illiteracy and social isolation.

It is worth questioning the methods of home education, but people should also take time to weigh their words carefully before rejecting homeschooling in advance. Should home education can be a bit isolating sometimes, it can still be successful if parents look for ways to meet their teen’s changing educational and psychological needs.