| Today, homeschooling is an option that more and | | | | pressure they feel to have their children "keep |
| more families are turning to. Here are the top five | | | | up" and not "get behind". Students are pushed to |
| reasons to opt for homeschooling. | | | | be "on target" for the skills they're supposed to |
| 1. Homeschooling mirrors the values of your | | | | master in each grade. For some families, the |
| family | | | | pressures of homework strain family time. |
| Perhaps, the top reason most families give when | | | | Children can't attend a family dinner or the event |
| they decide to homeschool is some variation of | | | | of a sibling because there is homework or a |
| "it's the right thing for our family." Homeschool | | | | project to finish by the next day. Homeschooling |
| promotes family. Parents and children of | | | | takes that pressure off. The timetable you set is |
| homeschool families spend more time together. | | | | your own and your child's. |
| This is time working on academics, but it's also | | | | Children often feel tremendous peer pressure at |
| time to share chores and activities that often | | | | school. This type of pressure is often difficult for |
| families with children who attend traditional | | | | the child to deal with. Children feel pressurized to |
| schools, don't get. Children get a sense that their | | | | wear the right clothes, to have the right MP3 |
| lives are blended with their families and those lives | | | | player, to listen to the right music or watch the |
| reflect the family values. Children are able to be | | | | right TV shows - even have the right friends. |
| the same at home and at school, and parents | | | | Often, as children get older, the peer pressure |
| don't have to worry about the outside influences | | | | becomes negative. Stepping outside the traditional |
| that a school setting can introduce. | | | | school setting takes that sort of peer pressure |
| 2. To meet the educational needs of your child | | | | off the children. |
| Everyone learns in different ways and at different | | | | 4. Design your own curriculum |
| rates. Some students are auditory learners; some | | | | Every state has its own requirements for |
| are kinesthetic. Certain students have very long | | | | homeschool students, so be sure to check and |
| attention spans and some kids can hardly sit still. | | | | find out what they are. But within the confines of |
| In a traditional classroom, every student is | | | | those requirements, homeschool parents and |
| expected to be attentive for a specified block of | | | | students, have tremendous freedom in choosing |
| time. They are expected to complete a math | | | | curriculum. Curriculum can be project based or art |
| assignment even if they find it frustrating and | | | | focused or hands-on science. Making those |
| would do better to put it aside and come back to | | | | educational choices with your student helps |
| it later. Several children have emotional issues | | | | empower them as learners and cements their |
| they deal with, such as anxiety, that are better | | | | engagement in their own learning process. There |
| able to be accommodated in the more flexible | | | | are also accredited distance learning homeschool |
| homeschool setting. If a student has an | | | | programs which provide the curriculum for your |
| exceptional need, it is often more productive to | | | | students which pass state standards. |
| bring in a tutor or a therapist and give the | | | | 5. To develop talents and interests |
| student one-on-one attention than to try to deal | | | | Children in traditional schools need to structure |
| with that need within the confines of a traditional | | | | "outside" time to include activities and interests |
| classroom. Homeschooling offers the flexibility to | | | | such as sports or music. Often, there is very little |
| meet the needs of the student more consistently. | | | | time left in the day to concentrate on those |
| 3. To take the pressure off | | | | activities, much less any energy to participate in |
| Schools can put a great deal of pressure on | | | | them. Homeschool students have the flexibility to |
| students and on families. Often the parents of | | | | pursue and develop interests and perhaps to |
| children in traditional schools complain about the | | | | discover talents they didn't know they had. |