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Why Homeschool Your Children? Tips

Read these 11 Why Homeschool Your Children? Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Home School tips and hundreds of other topics.

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Who tells me how to operate my homeschool?

Family Fun Enhances The Homeroom Classroom Learning Environment

The homeschool classroom filled with conversation between student and teacher promotes a stronger, more cohesive relationship between the parent and child. This relationship strengthens through the learning and modeling of lessons, both celebrating success as each goal is met. As the bond grows, the foundation for open communication, discussion and guidance is also enhanced between parent and child. While many students initially have a difficult time adjusting to their parents switching roles from parent to teacher, soon this transition is easily made; often times a parent will facilitate this adjustment by allowing the child to function within the role of the teacher and the parent adopt the role of student. Such manipulation within the privacy, safety and security of a homeschool classroom allows silly play between parent and child in a manner that might be socially discouraged in a public or private classroom. The comfort level of the homeschool classroom is going to be the direct creation of the parent and child. If your child learns best in a relaxed and laid back environment, enhance those qualities of your educational program, if your child is one that prefers strict schedules, guidelines and environments, center your homeschool program on this format. The key element is that you want to build an environment that is comfortable for the student first, then you as the teacher second. The idea of homeschooling is to protect, guide and nurture as well as educate your child. This too is the benefit of homeschooling, you are the director of how your homeschool operates, make sure it is successful for you and your student. Therefore, it is important to provide an environment designed to enhance learning. As you create your homeschool environment, make sure that it promotes the learning style of your children and conveys the message that this is their classroom and their education. Remember, you are in the role of teacher, facilitator and mentor.

   
Homeschooling used to be stereotyped as "hippies", if I homeschool will I be considered a "hippie"?

Homeschooling May Be The Start Of A New Revolution

Homeschooling has been called many different things since it experienced its rebirth in the 1970's. Originally homeschool was done by the pioneers and settlers as they relocated into isolated areas of the new world. In 2004 it was estimated, conservatively, that there were over 2 million children being educated in a homeschool environment. For anyone who thinks about, attempts or succeeds at homeschooling their children, the first and foremost reason that they do so is to provide the best possible education for their children. While it is true that there is no one stereotypical homeschool family; there are those that are more committed to the cause than others. Statistics currently identify Christians as the largest classification of homeschooling families but the numbers do not stop there nor should they; families seeking a better future, no matter what their religious, cultural or social affiliation are the future of homeschooling and by working toward a common goal the negative connotations about homeschooling will give way to recognition for the academic success that comes from parents and child working together in a positive learning environment. In a society that continues to draw battle lines, promote violence and racism and work against one another, the homeschool movement seems like a peace rally. Families gather together to welcome one another, sharing ideas, exploring new curriculum and working in peaceful cooperation to reach a common goal. For the children, raised watching their parents model this peaceful and kind behavior, the future holds hope of peace and kindness reaching from one side of the globe to the other. For children raised in a homeschool environment, the benefits of homeschooling often include learning to value volunteerism, generosity, kindness of character, the power of prayer and thoughtfulness; homeschooled children learn to identify a person by their character and keep agreements “sealed with a handshake”. Here, your word is all you need.

   
How can I make sure that my children learn my values, moral and beliefs?

As Public Schools Lower Their Standards, Homeschool Programs Keep Raising Theirs

The beauty of a homeschool classroom is that children are raised in an environment that celebrates their own religious beliefs, moral structure, personal values and lifestyle. The children benefit from a homeschool lifestyle in that they do not have to defend their beliefs or customs, they can grow and strengthen themselves in their own environment. If you are looking for a quality Christian homeschool program, Sonlight Curriculum® provides invaluable religious and academic curriculum for all age levels.

   
Why is overscheduling not a problem for the homeschool student?

Homeschool Flexibility Promotes Academic Growth & Accomplishment

Flexibility is a curious word when discussing family dynamics, social and educational goals for our children. It is in discussing the issue of schedule flexibility that one can clearly see the benefits of homeschool. For the public school child, there is little flexibility; rather life is more often a rigid schedule that must be adhered to at all costs. The day begins with a rush to dress, eat and prepare for school, and then it is off to catch the bus, followed by the classroom daily schedule, which leads to the end of the school day. As the school day winds down, it is then time for the extra-curricular events such as athletics, music lessons, dance lessons, Boy Scouts, 4-H and other social groups or programs designed to enrich the child's life. That is if they have enough time to enjoy them. In the homeschool classroom, there is flexibility in scheduling and in learning. The parent has the ability to shape the learning opportunities to fit the students learning style, enhancing how the homeschool information is presented, studied and evaluated. This allows for the student to become totally submerged into the subject matter for however long it takes for comprehension to occur. When the basic curriculum is personalized to the interests and academic strengths and weaknesses of the learner, it will enhance the overall impression that child feels when involved in academics. When the parent is given the opportunity to teach to the child rather than a test, test anxiety is never an issue for the child. With a personalized curriculum, the parent can research and provide supplemental educational resources that enhance the overall success of the entire educational process.

   
Is there a positive way I can reach my reclusive teenager that is pulling away from everyone in the family?

Using the Sonlight Curriculum® To Build Family Unity In One Another & God

As you contemplate the benefits of homeschooling your child with the Sonlight Curriculum®, a little research is all you will need to discover why this curriculum is the most popular Christian homeschool curriculum on the market. As you preview their Website, it is easy to understand why so many families use this literacy rich program to education their children both religiously and academically. Parents appreciate the enhanced family unity that naturally occurs as the doors of communication open up between parent and child through the literary discussions that take place between teacher and student. Children that are treated with love and respect feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns and dreams openly with those that they trust. The structure of the one-on-one homescooling environment and the quality literary readers used in the Christian homeschooling curriculum enhance the quality of conversation. As both student and teacher progress within the curriculum, the conversation becomes natural and comfortable for everyone involved. The Sonlight Curriculum® is highly respected for bringing families together and creating an academic environment that is rich in conversation. More benefits of the Sonlight Curriculum® are many valuable tools designed to increase family unity, faith in the family unit and lessons for each member of the family unit to rely upon another and work together to build a strong foundation in their faith in God. The strong, easily comprehended religious curriculum strengthens the faith of the family. Sonlight Curriculum® doesn't just want to educate children, they want to inspire children to change the world in a positive way, leaving the earth a better place for future generations.

   
I have heard that homeschool programs are very successful for learners with special needs, is this true?

In A Homeschool Classroom Your Child Won't Have To Struggle To Keep Up

An advantage of the homeschool curriculum allows for considerable freedom when instructing your own child as the sole student. One of the most valuable teaching points within homeschool classrooms is the ability to slow the curriculum down when the student becomes bogged down in a concept and cannot get past it. The homeschool classroom is able to progress at the rate of the learner unlike the public and private schools that move according to adopted curriculum rather than the student. For obvious reasons, the public or private school teacher cannot, simply by the number of students within the classroom, move at the comprehension rate of each individual student. However, a homeschool classroom can proceed at a personalized pace, providing support, guided teaching as needed by the student until the concept is completely comprehended. Additionally, the teacher can reorganize and redirect the initial subject and present it in an entirely different manner to enhance the introduction and rebuild the foundation of initial knowledge. It is especially true in mathematics, students require complete comprehension of concepts in order to build and comprehend additional facts. For a student that has fallen behind in a public school, a missed concept is a lost lesson that most likely will negatively affect their further comprehension at a later point in their mathematical studies. In a homeschool classroom, the feedback is immediate and the parent, as teacher, can revisit the lesson, re-teach the subject matter and continue to work with the concept until the student is comfortable and comprehension has been successful.

   
My child is a very slow learner, if I homeschool can I teach at his own pace or must I move him along on a schedule?

No Need To Hold A Race, In The Homeschool Classroom Student Controls The Rate Of Instruction

One of the largest benefits of homeschooling is the considerable freedom when instructing your own child as your only student. One of the most valuable teaching points within homeschool classrooms is the ability to slow the curriculum down when the student becomes bogged down in a concept and cannot get past it. The homeschool classroom is able to progress at the rate of the learner unlike the public and private schools that move according to adopted curriculum rather than the student. For obvious reasons, the public or private school teacher cannot, simply by the number of students within the classroom, move at the comprehension rate of each individual student. However, a homeschool classroom can proceed at a personalized pace, providing support and guided teaching as needed by the student until the concept is completely comprehended. Additionally, the teacher can reorganize and redirect the initial subject and present it in an entirely different manner to enhance the introduction and rebuild the foundation of initial knowledge. It is especially true in mathematics, students require complete comprehension of concepts in order to build and comprehend additional facts. For a student that has fallen behind in a public school, a missed concept is a lost lesson that most likely will negatively affect their further comprehension at a later point in their mathematical studies. In a homeschool classroom, the feedback is immediate and the parent, as teacher, can revisit the lesson, re-teach the subject matter and continue to work with the concept until the student is comfortable and comprehension has been successful.

   
If I homeschool do I have to follow a predetermined schedule or can I create my own?

Daily Schedules Not An Issue In Homeschool Curriculum

Many families do not like to adhere to rigid time schedules imposed by the public school timetable. For these families, the opportunity to homeschool provides a strong benefit within their lifetyle, freedom from timeline and scheduling demands being a strong motivator in their lives. In the homeschool classroom, the parent, as teacher, controls the day-to-day structure of the classroom, building it to fit successfully within the family's own personal time frame. For many this means studies in the early morning then onto family chores and errands. For others, the daytime hours are spent working around the home, running necessary household and academic errands and then study time in the evening. As a homeschool classroom, the academic timeline is absolutely at the best interest of teacher and student in one classroom rather than an entire school district. For many families, this individualized schedule is exactly what is needed for success. Additionally, when working on a homeschool schedule, it is also possible to have flexible scheduling family fields, vacations and other travel plans. Another benefit of the homeschool program is the ability to fit in music, art, physical activity and other extra-curricular activities. For many homeschool students, the concepts of math, science, geography and other more concrete subjects are more easily understood through dramatic play, artistic creativity and personal self-expression. For students that require a more specialized educational program, homeschool provides a successful opportunity to learn in a classroom that is molded around their own personal learning style.

   
Where can I find a solid, respectable Christian homeschool program for my family homeschool program?

Children In Public Schools Experience Religious Confusion

Religious freedom and personal morals and values are often an important part of many homeschool classrooms. Public schools today do not allow for children to discuss personal religious beliefs and practices. In the homeschool classroom, many Christian homeschool curriculums, such as Sonlight Curriculum® are designed with the individual's religious beliefs in mind. Today, it is estimated that over thirty percent of homeschool families have chosen the homeschool lifestyle because they want their children to be raised in a religious environment, following the beliefs and practices of their family religion. Allowing for different faiths and encouraging children to learn from one another is a way to share in humanity. Homeschool curriculums such as Sonlight Curriculum®, offer a beneficial homeschool program built around the Christian faith. This program provides materials that help children to learn, understand and memorize key Bible phrases and to comprehend what the Bible is all about. Their goal is to provide religious guidance and understanding through the daily learning of each lesson.

   
What are the benefits of a Christian based homeschool curriculum such as Sonlight Curriculum®?

Sonlight Curriculum®, A Christian Homeschool Program Builds Family Strenth Through Quality Academics

Sonlight Curriculum® homeschool program promotes family unity and educational discovery that is shared between parent and child along the path of daily life. The Christian curriculum teaches parents how to effectively model for their students that life is an ongoing educational opportunity. In the one-on-one educational format of the Sonlight Curriculum® homeschool curriculum, benefits of academic growth and comprehension can be accomplished in less time by following their quality program teacher guidelines. Through the benefits of the homeschool program, r eal life extends into the homeschool classroom curriculum, further modeling for the student that life and education is continually entwined with one another. With this knowledge, students learn self-reliance, leaderships skills, experience a growing strength within their confidence as a self-starter, learning to observe the world around them and continually adjusting and growing as a part of it. Students are given the freedom to experiment with special interests, learning as they go along, carefully scaffolded by their parent as a teacher. In an environment such as this, the child/parent relationship is enhanced and takes on a whole new level into the realm of educator/pupil, each growing and learning new ways of appreciation for one another. As the child accomplishes new tasks and received positive and sincere support, encouragement and praise from their parent, the self-esteem of the child continues to grow, enriched the character of the child. As with any living thing in nature, the more positive the surrounding area, the more enhanced the growth of the organism; a child raised and educated in love will blossom into a wonderful adult

   
I am worried about the violence in public schools and am considering homeschooling my children, am I alone in this idea?

Home Makes A Very Safe Classroom

While there are many different reasons parents homeschool, it is an undeniable benefit that children blossom under the kind of one-on-one guidance of patient and loving instruction that can only be given by a parent. For many parents, the financial struggles and endless pursuit of educational programs for their children by far outweigh the alternative of public schools.

   
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Guru Spotlight
Sherril Steele-Carlin