| Financing homeschooling | | | | Tips |
| - When people talk about teaching their children | | | | * Make extensive use of the internet and free |
| from home in the absence of any definite or | | | | resources. Download! Download! Download! |
| structured curriculum, it is perhaps natural to think | | | | * Searching for free curriculum and free |
| that homeschooling is cheap or at least a cheaper | | | | workbooks or worksheets on any particular |
| option that traditional or "structured" schooling or | | | | subject will produce for you any number of age |
| education. This is in fact far from the truth. | | | | appropriate printable materials that will enhance |
| Although homeschooling in general does not stick | | | | your teaching experience. |
| to any particular text, this is perhaps more of a | | | | * You will soon gain the knowledge and |
| bane than a boon, when it comes to finance. | | | | experience to create your own worksheets and |
| - When you need to make sure that your children | | | | before long have an on line storage system that |
| receives state-of-the-art education so that they | | | | will contain everything you need from A-Z. |
| can compete with regular school goers, expenses | | | | * Although preferable, a 24 hour or super-fast |
| will naturally mount. | | | | internet connection is not vital. |
| - The actual cost of educating a child at home is | | | | * Utilise the resources you obtain from internet |
| surprisingly high. Up-to-date textbooks, course | | | | & library research and create your own |
| materials, a library, computing equipment, lighting, | | | | workbooks, together with your children. |
| specially designed furniture all cost money. In this | | | | * This has proved for us to be the most |
| case, the cost may be slightly lesser when it | | | | effective way of including your child in the studies |
| comes to homeschooling the second child. Add to | | | | and promoting him or her to the position of |
| this any additional tuition cost for tutors who | | | | author. |
| come to teach subjects that cannot be handled | | | | * By the time the child gets to actually work in |
| by parents, like higher-level math or science. The | | | | the draft masterpiece he or she will have gained |
| total cost can be a bit mind boggling. | | | | so much knowledge on the subject that going |
| - If you take another important factor into | | | | through the workbook or worksheets will be an |
| consideration, homeschooling costs may effective | | | | easy task for your child, and one of which he or |
| triple. The need for having one of the parents tied | | | | she will be proud of when showing you the final |
| to the house and fully dedicated to providing | | | | product, content in the knowledge that he or she |
| education deprives the family of a second earning | | | | has played a vital role in creating the learning |
| member. The average homeschooling teacher is | | | | material. |
| usually a lady with a college degree. This means | | | | * Repetition is often necessary, be it in a certain |
| that she can easily bring home a pay of $35,000 | | | | subject on the whole or a certain aspect of a |
| p.a. (R350,000,00) or more. It is also interesting to | | | | subject. Repetition does not necessarily have to |
| note that research in USA shows that most | | | | mean monotony. Repetition does not necessarily |
| families that have more than 2 children do not opt | | | | mean printing out the same worksheet five times. |
| for homeschooling at all. | | | | An activity can be re-worked in such a way that |
| - But, there are those who have been successful | | | | the results aimed at can be achieved through use |
| in carrying out homeschooling at low rates. This is | | | | of the essential elements within a topic and |
| dependent on the size of the family, the support | | | | disguised in various other formats. |
| group, and the type of materials used and the | | | | * Make every activity fun. Fun worksheets, fun |
| availability of the material. When successive | | | | activities, field trips, fun discussions, working |
| children can reuse the materials, cost goes down. | | | | together as a team. |
| Much of the course material can be got from | | | | * Make a motto such as "Make learning fun" and |
| vendors of homeschooling materials. | | | | in every aspect of homeschooling you are |
| - A membership in a public library, theatre, | | | | involved in. |
| concerts, ballets and other cultural events also | | | | * It is not necessary to purchase expensive |
| help in cutting costs. Sometimes, it is even | | | | Homeschool Curriculum if you are inclined not to |
| possible to barter expertise. For instance, the | | | | do so or not in a position to do so. Everything |
| mother of an 8-year old gives dancing classes, | | | | you require is at your fingertips (or an internet |
| and her daughter receives drawing classes for | | | | search) and freely available or can be obtained at |
| free. | | | | very minimal cost. |
| - Support groups allow you to divide the cost of | | | | Warnings |
| field trips, science projects and fairs. | | | | * Harsh criticism is never a good thing for any |
| - Whatever the cost, advocates of homeschooling | | | | child in a learning environment and can discourage |
| say that the benefits far outweigh these | | | | your child from a certain subject. |
| considerations. When you are able to decide what | | | | * Avoid criticising your child when he or she |
| knowledge your child receives and when he or | | | | doesn't quite grasp a subject. |
| she should be taught and to what extent, it gives | | | | * Make allowance for the fact that at least one |
| you a lot of freedom and a lot of power. Both | | | | parent will not be earning an income whilst |
| the children as well as the parents benefit from | | | | homeschooling the child/children. |
| this mutually enriching experience. | | | | |