Home education has become an appealing alternative to classroom instruction in recent years. An estimated 2 million American children are being homeschooled, with that number rising by 15 percent each year. What makes it so attractive for families? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of homeschooling.

Safe and Nurturing Environment
No school is as safe as the home. No one cares as much for the wellbeing of your child as you do. In the nurturing environment of home, a child will blossom. Not to mention there are far fewer distractions at home than at school. Homeschooled students do not have to worry about bullies, fighting, harassment or violence. They also don’t have to worry about being popular, wearing the latest styles, or getting on the teacher’s good side. In the safe, nurturing environment of their own home, all they have to worry about is their schoolwork.

Academics
Schooling at home allows for regular reinforcement of academic lessons and integration of the curriculum into other aspects of everyday life. For example, homeschooling parents often add impromptu math lessons while grocery shopping, science while baking a cake or walking in the backyard, or history while visiting a neighbor. Not to mention, with the intimate knowledge they have of their children, parents can personalize the curriculum to suit each individual child and use an academic program that focuses on her interests or talents.

At the same time, parents are aware in what areas the child needs improvement with the instant child-to-parent feedback of the homeschool situation. Such a low teacher to student ratio allows this. How many private schools do you know that have a 1:1 teacher to student ratio? Or even a 1:4 ratio? Even large families of about 10 children have two parents, giving their school a teacher-student ratio of 2:10. Think of the individualized attention those students get!

Flexibility and Economy of Time
Homeschooling allows a flexibility that can’t be beat! You don’t have to school from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, August through May. Indeed, very few homeschoolers follow such a rigid time schedule! Some families prefer morning hours, while others devote the afternoons or evenings to study. Some families homeschool year-round, so they can enjoy long vacations throughout the year or so they can enjoy four-day school weeks. Others alternate two weeks of school and one week off.

Whatever schedule is preferred, schooling at home provides free time for extracurricular activities, such as gymnastics, dance, sports, clubs and community service. Also, it allows homeschoolers to work around illnesses and family emergencies without missing any school work.

On average, homeschooled students spend about three hours on school work in a typical school day, less for the early years, compared to students who are in school for about six hours a day. In a classroom, the entire class can proceed only as fast as the slowest learner. Even then, if the slow learner doesn’t get the concept, the class will eventually move on without him. A homeschooler, on the other hand, can spend more time  as much time as he needs  to learn a difficult concept before moving on. And he can move at an accelerated pace if he understands the work.

Character Development
Home education encourages better character development because it imparts parental values, reduces risk of peer dependency and encourages independent problem-solving. Parents are the best persons to explain and pass on their morals and beliefs to their children. At the same time, children learn how to be dependable, mature adults by having dependable, mature adult role models. In a school, the adult role models are the teachers, most of whom teenagers distrust, dislike and scorn. The atmosphere is often one of "us (students) against them (teachers)." As a result, the only role models left to emulate are their peers who, like them, are struggling with emotions and issues they don’t fully understand and often can’t control.

Homeschooled children, on the other hand, have their parents and the adults in their support groups to serve as role models. Although friends play a large role in any kid’s life, particularly in the lives of teenagers, peer pressure is significantly less in a homeschooled environment than in a classroom situation.

As a result, homeschooled children learn to rely on themselves in ways that a fellow student in a classroom cannot. Homeschooling encourages independent problem-solving and improves self-esteem because there is no classroom of other students to fall back on or to deflect attention. Without other students in direct competition for grades or for the teacher’s attention, homeschoolers avoid that destructive competition that damages self-esteem.

Socialization
Homeschooling encourages relationships between all age groups. Rather than being confined to a classroom with 10 to 20 other children their own age, homeschooled children spend time with other kids of all ages. They are comfortable with and learn to get along with toddlers, adolescents, teens and even other adults and the elderly, all from varying levels on the socio-economic ladder. After all, as an adult, when was the last time you were the member of a group where everyone was exclusively your own age?

However, I don’t mean to make light of the "socialization issue" of which homeschooled families are consciously aware. Indeed, to counteract such accusations, homeschooling parents compensate by having their children participate in various extracurricular activities, such as clubs and sports, where kids spend quality time with their peers. They also organize numerous field trips with other families and get involved in their local support group activities and churches.

Strengthens the Family
The final benefit to homeschooling is the cohesiveness it brings to the family unit. How can you get to know your children if you spend only a few hours in the evening and on weekends together? I want to get to know my children as individuals and enjoy being with them at every stage of their lives. I also want them to see me and get to know me as an individual, not just as a parent handling discipline matters. Homeschooling allows that by giving us precious time together as we learn, read, solve problems, work on projects and just hang out together.

Now that you know the benefits for your child and your family, you need to consider homeschooling as a viable option. You may actually find other benefits to homeschooling that are unique to your family. In any case, chances are that you and your children will be glad you decided to homeschool!

By Carren W. Joye