| Of course in America there are many options to | | | | to day. Modeled for them is academics balanced |
| educating our children. There are public schools, | | | | with real life chores; caring for a sick friend or |
| private schools, charter schools, Montessori | | | | neighbor, shoveling the driveway and walkway, |
| schools and, of course, the option of home | | | | doing the grocery shopping and dropping of the |
| schooling. There are advocates of both home | | | | dry cleaning, cooking dinner while folding laundry, |
| schooling and public schooling. Those of us who | | | | putting laundry away and talking on the phone |
| don't home school, which is still the majority of | | | | with Aunt Sara. These are real life situations that |
| Americans, need to fully understand the reasons | | | | home schoolers are exposed to and public school |
| why people choose to home school their children. | | | | children are often sheltered from or are privy to |
| Religious or Philosophical Convictions: | | | | a controlled school environment. |
| Religion is not permitted in the public schools. Many | | | | Academics: |
| families feel that religion needs to be a larger part | | | | Home schoolers have several advantages over |
| of their child's education than that which the public | | | | publicly schooled children. The curriculum is |
| schools allow. | | | | designed specifically for them - not for children |
| People who have deep religious beliefs show great | | | | their age and what children at a particular age are |
| passion. These are the individuals who are | | | | expected to know and learn. Public schools |
| passionate about their children's education and feel | | | | differentiate instruction the best they can. |
| that only they are able to teach them to the best | | | | However, a home-schooled child has a curriculum |
| of their ability and the content that they feel they | | | | tailored to their needs. They may read at a 4 th |
| should be learning. The home schooling parent is in | | | | grade level, spell at a 3 rd grade level and |
| charge, they call the shots and they like it that | | | | complete math at a 6 th grade level. |
| way. | | | | A home-schooled child is neither rushed nor not |
| Socialization: | | | | given enough time. There are no other children to |
| Some people that don't understand home | | | | "keep busy" so they are free to work at their |
| schooling believe that it is confining rather than | | | | pace and move as quickly or as slowly as need |
| socializing. But those individuals that believe that | | | | be. |
| are stuck in thinking about the stereotypical | | | | Much research has been done on how children |
| socialization of an age-based classroom. Children | | | | learn best. A home-schooled child is not only |
| that are home schooled are exposed to social | | | | taught by the person who knows them best in |
| situations in a mixed age range. They have | | | | the entire world but also since they are the only |
| "age-mates" instead of "class-mates". | | | | student, the learning style never has to be varied. |
| Many home schoolers feel that their children need | | | | If a student learns best through music, then the |
| to be exposed to the appropriate ways to | | | | curriculum of a home-schooled child can be tailored |
| behave not inappropriate. They feel that their child | | | | to meet their needs so they will be more |
| should be exposed to the model behavior of | | | | successful. |
| people who have learned to make decisions and | | | | Home-schooled children get to spend more quality |
| handle themselves in various social settings. By | | | | time as a family. They are not trapped in a |
| being exposed to appropriate modeling of social | | | | traditional school setting for 6 hours a day but are |
| behavior, home-schooled children will learn how to | | | | free to spend quality time as a family every day. |
| act appropriately. | | | | It is said that parents are a child's first teacher. |
| Parents of home schooled children can also see | | | | Families that home school want to continue to be |
| when their child "gets-it" when they model for a | | | | their child's teacher because they feel that their |
| younger child appropriate behavior. | | | | children need the guidance of their family and God |
| Home-schooled children get a reality based social | | | | and not the guidance of someone hired to do a |
| lesson. On a daily basis they see adults they | | | | job that is naturally theirs from the day their child |
| know, love and trust manage and balance life day | | | | was born. |