Advantages and disadvantages of Homeschooling

To make an informed decision about moving to a new form of education, you need to think carefully about everything, weigh the pros and cons of homeschooling. What can home education provide for you and your child?

Pros

1. Individual program - Individual, non-standardized training. In home teaching, you can independently build educational programs and academically plan the basis of your child's interest, personality and success. You can go deeper into one topic and study another intensively. No one else will tell you when and what topic to study, which tasks to do and which textbooks to study. Learning will be an exciting process full of amazing discoveries and surprises. Of course, don’t forget the certification deadlines to prepare for this time.

2. More than traditional form learning outcomes - Proven fact, home-educated children learn better than their peers at school and achieve better results.

3. Opportunity to dedicate study time only to learning - No one doubts that a huge amount of time for learning in school is not only wasted inefficiently, but is simply wasted. And if you add to this both teaching and school activities, travel time, it turns out that home schooling can be built much more efficiently than school.

4. Using the latest technologies and approaches - Homeschooling is the fastest growing alternative form of education. Because family education is chosen by parents who are genuinely interested in their child’s education, the proposed programs, materials, and methods — the highest standard. Modern technologies capable of making learning more flexible and diverse. Children now master the latest technologies often faster than their parents, so new forms of education are well perceived.

5. Lectures take less time than school - This is a plus that is noticed by almost all children educated in the home. And the reason is not at all that family students go through some kind of "reduced" program or do not take their studies seriously. Just the opposite. A responsible approach to teaching allows you to go much further during school time than in a traditional school. As a result, children learn topics faster than their schoolmates.

6. More creativity, less boredom - Who said learning is what happens in the walls of a school, at a desk, with a textbook in hand and a teacher on the board? And let most learn that way. What keeps you from going to the park to study botany or visiting the planetarium when you pass by the star system? You are not limited by the school framework, and for you the whole world is an educational space. The ability to acquire knowledge not from textbooks, but from primary sources not only increases efficiency, but also develops a "passion" for the subject.

7. Learning is more than that - At school, everything is measured by grades in the diary and points for OGE and USE. Children at home learn to build their own portfolio that demonstrates real knowledge and skills. And visible results are becoming increasingly important for both universities and employers.

8. You set goals yourself - At school, children learn what is articulated by someone who does not know your child and his needs. When studying at home, you choose what, how and when you will study.

9. Pointless interrogations, tasks and reports will be a thing of the past - How can students have a desire to learn if they are forced to perform tasks of the same type and meaningless tests?

10. Flexibility and practicality - You no longer have to come and then pick up the child from school at a certain time. And the holiday can be scheduled for any time, not just for the "hot season" of the summer holidays.

However, certain difficulties may arise:

1. Accountability - When you switch to homeschooling, you will be fully responsible for your children’s education. If something goes wrong, you will no longer be able to blame bad teachers or a skeletal system. Although parents of children in traditional schools are also responsible for their children’s education, but, first, they share it with the school, and second, they have many times fewer opportunities to influence the outcome.

2. Time - Except for the rare evenings or weekends when the kids are with grandparents, they will be with you: every day, all day. But that is one of the advantages of family education. You will finally have time to build close relationships with the kids, to really get closer and get to know each other.

3. Freedom - Now you can send your children to school and do their job. On the other hand, homeschooling can help you better manage your time and become more creative. You can use the support of home education, contact experts who will offer a training program that is optimal for your child, and you can work remotely and find time for yourself.

4. Qualification - Many parents are not sure that they have enough knowledge, skills and patience to teach their children. But everything can be learned. Homeschooling has taught so many parents to stay calm when their children are noisy, to be flexible when they are tired, and to become wizards when they are bored. There are no ideal parents, nor ideal teachers, but we all evolve and learn from our own experience.

5. Lack of knowledge - Are you afraid that your children will have gaps in knowledge, that in the end they will not know something? That they will ask you questions you don't know the answer to? You can’t know everything and you don’t have to. The main thing is to give children the tools to find the necessary information and teach them how to work with them. Plus, it’s so interesting to look for answers and learn with your kids!

6. Restrictions at home - Most likely your home doesn’t have a playground, pool, or music lessons, but life isn’t limited to your home. You can choose the playgrounds and clubs that best suit the needs of your children.

7. Independence - A sharp urge to live independently at school forces children to rely on each other, and after all, your child’s peers also have little life experience. As a result, "the blind lead the blind." Family learning gives parents the opportunity to serve longer as an authority and influence on their children, giving them as much freedom and independence as they can handle.

8. Criticism - Most likely, some of your friends and relatives will not support your decision. Well, it’s impossible to please everyone. Just remember that schooling is very far from ideal and is even more criticized. But most are accustomed to walking the beaten path and not trying to look for better ways.

9. Lack of socialization - Some believe that home-schooled children spend all day in four walls and as a result do not know how to communicate with their peers. Of course, when moving to family education, all the responsibility for the child's socialization falls on your shoulders. But there are a huge number of places where your child can interact with peers and not feel isolated from society. Circles and sections, development centers and houses of creativity - you will have a much wider choice than parents who prefer traditional classes, because you will have much more opportunities to compose your child's lecture schedule. In addition, the school experience is not always positive, and schooling at home will allow you to protect your child from negative influences and give him the opportunity to fully develop.

10. Switch to regular training - It may turn out that you will need to transfer your child from family education back to traditional education. This process is difficult, but it will be easier if the child has the skills to work independently ... In addition, these skills will help him regular study to achieve better results than peers.

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As with any issue, the pros and cons are relative. Even if difficulties arise, overcoming them may become a plus in the future, because upon admission to the university, the child will develop all the skills for successful learning ... self-education, career development.

Some 100-200 years ago, home education was almost the only educational system that existed in tsarist Russia, European countries and the United States, however, only children of noble, rich and well-to-do families could afford to hire trained tutors.

Gradually, home education has become a relic of the past, it has become prestigious to study in public schools and boarding schools, but, as you know, everything new is well forgotten old. Currently, home education systems are regaining their former popularity, today it is no longer an innovation, an increasing number of children and parents are leaving the generally accepted foundations for learning in general schools.

What has changed? Why have many parents stopped believing in the traditional education scheme according to which our grandparents were raised, the parents themselves, and most children and adolescents continue to learn? Can individual home education prepare a child as well as teachers in a regular school? Let’s try to figure out if it’s worth taking away from a child some kind of “school of life” in educational institutions and taking responsibility for your child’s full education at home.

For those who did not know, home schooling is possible not only because of health problems that prevent a child from attending educational institutions, but also at the parents' own request. If everything is clear with the first case, then the second asks the majority many questions: how, in this case, the transition to family education? In fact, there is nothing difficult in this, there has long been a law that allows choosing the most appropriate form of education for a child, however, schools are reluctant to do so, because with each such student who decides to study at home, it loses a certain percentage of state funding for each child. .

For these purposes, parents must write a statement to the school stating the reason why the child will remain in the family education. So, the reasons why your child needs to learn individually or how to decide for themselves that your baby is not made for the general education system and daily trips to school.

• Your child has made significant progress in the development of their peers. It often happens that the child, having studied everything offered to him in the lesson, starts to get bored, all the other schoolmates are still preoccupied with the process of attention, and this one unique one spins and spins around, not knowing what to do with himself, distracting others. . Teachers, noticing such a tendency, begin to assign them tasks "in advance", suggesting that they jump to the second grade for a year or two. Here are just a few who take into account that in such ways even the most diligent child can lose the desire to learn, and not everyone can agree with too many adult schoolmates, because the psychological and physical development of your child is still at the level of his biological age.

• If your child is professionally engaged in some extracurricular hobbies, for example sports, dancing, music. Combine quality education and professional sports (dance, music) sometimes become beyond the power of even the most talented child.

• If your job involves constantly moving from city to city, which is why your child has to constantly change schools. Such constant changes traumatize a child’s psyche, which can affect his academic success and psycho-emotional state.

• Sometimes parents refuse to educate their child from general education for ideological and religious reasons.

All the advantages and disadvantages of Homeschooling

To choose one form or another, you must carefully weigh all the advantages and disadvantages that are present in the individual education of children.

Most parents, choosing home education for their child, are sincerely convinced that they are capable of educating their child independently, behaving like a teacher in any of the disciplines. True, not everyone takes into account that you will have to spend a huge amount of time studying literature, choosing textbooks and working on an educational program according to which your child will be trained.

If inside the primary classes almost every parent can teach their child, the science of the older classes is often beyond the power of the parents themselves. Of course, you can hire paid teachers for these purposes, but it should be borne in mind that private lessons are not a cheap pleasure, on which you will have to spend a significant part of the family budget. Free education in schools - may not be the best, but in any case an acceptable option for everyone.

Another pleasant moment is that it is absolutely not necessary to force the baby to sit at the table at exactly 8 o'clock in the morning and get up because of him at exactly 13 o'clock, you can always adapt to the human biological clock, which will contribute to active brain work.

On the other hand, what about the notion of discipline and organization that should still be built into the little heads of our children? At work, in the office, or in pairs at the institute, no one will wait for your biological clock and you will have to work strictly on schedule.

To prepare for such “working days” of adult life, however, you should gradually. The next thing is the question of adaptation and ability to communicate in society, make friends, find their “allies,” and it also reflects “attacks of explicit competition”.

Of course, a great life experience can be gained in the same sports clubs or any other circles where there are also peers and your own circle of friends, but still, most psychologists believe that everyone should go through this “school of life”.

When your child, protected from all difficulties and problems at home, still "comes out" and faces most of them ("hard boss", "student life", "gray working days", etc.), he can simply fall into depression. , not knowing how to continue living with it all. On the other hand, it has long been observed that children who are taught according to an individual system learn information much faster.

Topics and tasks that are understood at school for weeks can be completed in a day or two at home, because the child is more concentrated in such conditions, is not distracted by schoolmates, does not have to perceive by ear what can be read and explained several times.

It has long been noticed that the knowledge of such children is a third higher than their peers, in addition, they are not burdened with homework and schedule, so free time can be devoted to other sciences that are not considered in school - painting, art, gardening, handicrafts, etc. . ...

By law, you can choose the form of education for your child yourself. It should be noted that there is a lot of discussion about the feasibility and usefulness of home education and specialists - doctors, psychologists and, of course, teachers have not yet reached a consensus on how effective home teaching is.

Positive aspects of Homeschooling

IN modern society many parents try to transfer their children to home schooling.

• But experts recommend using this form of education if, for example, your child has talent and you decide to develop it in a targeted way. In this case, the ability to teach at the appropriate time will be the best solution.

• In case of any health problems, parents can also be advised to transfer the child to home schooling. In this case, partial home education is also possible when the child attends one or two hours a week.

If you decide that the education will not be really high quality and comprehensive, you can provide the child with home education, but you will have to attend external exams at the school where the child is assigned. After taking all necessary exams, the child receives regular confirmation.

The greatest benefit of homeschooling is the individual approach. In this case, you, alone or with the help of a hired teacher, will be able to emphasize your child's strengths and maximize his talents. The kid can master new topics in his own, individual rhythm. In home schooling, it is impossible to humiliate a child by peers or teachers.

This is especially important if your child has mental development predominant over physical or your child is an introvert. Homeschooling can help you avoid serious psychological trauma. You won’t have to spend time on the road and money on school “ammunition”. But be prepared to spend on a good teacher. Set your own schedule for your child. This means that you can set aside time for proper rest between classes.

Your child will have fewer colds and ARVIs, because infections are more often prevented at home, and not a large number of strangers. This is especially important in periods of serious epidemics. Homeschooling will help your child become a true leader and master of the general education program much faster than in 10 years.

Disadvantages of Homeschooling

Homeschooling is a rather expensive "pleasure". If parents can still cope with the elementary school program, then more serious subjects already require additional knowledge and self-improvement. It will be easier, but more expensive to hire a teacher. The child needs company and the ability to communicate with peers, as well as the ability to interact with the team.

Home schooling cannot provide a child with significant communication skills. You should consider that the child will still need to communicate with peers, learn to find common ground with people of different ages, and resolve problems and conflicts. Being under the complete control of the parents, the child may grow up independent and incapable of making serious decisions.

Individual education in the home adapts the process to the student - your child. It can teach him to think about his own exclusivity and the expectation that all other people will adapt only to his needs. In this case there is a high probability of getting a very big egoist, a narcissist. In home education, discipline is difficult and determine the optimal time for the lesson.

If the child is not interested, he can leave the home "class" after 15 minutes, but if on the contrary, the lesson can be extended for several hours, which will disrupt the regime and lead to some "distortion" in learning.

Lack of competitive spirit and healthy competition can further affect the child and his attitude towards life. By looking at peers at school, the child will strive to complete the task as well, and perhaps better than their schoolmates. In homeschooling, you need to seriously motivate your child to learn. While you are at home, you can return to regular education at any time.

Check with your child, especially if he or she has already started attending regular school. She may not want to part with schoolmates and a beloved teacher. The decision on the form of education must be made by the whole family. What form of education did you choose for your child?

How to prepare your child for school

All parents want their child to adapt to school without hindrance. That is why children are sent to various development courses or kindergartens. But you can prepare your baby for school on your own. How will you find out by downloading our checklist. Bells, desks, rude but honest teachers, best friends, schoolmates - can you do without these childhood attributes?

Some ten or fifteen years ago, there seemed to be no alternative, schooling was compulsory, and the girls managed to escape school. Little circus performers and athletes, actors and musicians, children of diplomats studied according to their schedule. Everyone else taught regularly. In 1992, a decree was issued according to which every child had the opportunity to study at home and take exams as an external student. And family education (or homeschooling) quickly became fashionable.

It is chosen by a wide range of people - advanced vegans and yogis, opponents of mixed or secular education, freelancers and free travelers, parents of children with disabilities, and even the most ordinary fathers and mothers who have an aversion to traditional school since childhood. Is this good or bad?

The benefits ofHomeschooling

• Children learn when they want and in a way that suits them.

• Teacher and peer pressure is excluded. There is no need to follow unnecessary rules and rituals.

• Ability to control moral, ethical standards. Ability to live according to the natural biological clock.

• Possibility to study special subjects - rare languages, art, architecture, etc. from childhood.

• Education takes place in a gentle home environment, reducing the risk of school injuries, posture and vision problems.

• An individual program helps in personality development. Close contact between parents and children is maintained, external influence is excluded.

• Ability to master the school program in less than 10 years.

Against Homeschooling

• The child does not receive socialization, the experience of interacting with a “typical” group.

• Constant parental control over the learning process is needed.

• There is no strict discipline, the need for constant work "from call to call".

• There is no experience of conflict with peers and "older in rank".

• Difficulties arise in obtaining diplomas, admission to higher education institutions.

• Parents are not always able to teach correct subjects or arts, systematic thinking.

• Excessive parental protection can lead to infantilism or egocentrism in a child.

• Everyday inexperience will become an obstacle when starting an independent life.

• Imposing unconventional attitudes, life values ​​limits the child.

• The child gets used to the image of a "white crow", "not like everyone else".

The need for home schooling is determined by several factors - the lifestyle of the parents and the characteristics of the child. It is almost impossible for a family from a metropolis where both dad and mom work in offices "from nine to five", and it is pointless to transfer the child to external studies - it is quite difficult for him to hire a teacher from all subjects.

This form of learning requires an adult who can set aside at least a few hours a day for classes with the child, contact with the educational institution and control of independent lectures. Home schooling is the best option for families who have to travel a lot, move from city to city, live abroad, in small remote villages away from decent schools. Individual classes or incomplete school attendance are necessary for seriously ill children, with certain developmental characteristics (autism, ADHD) or disability, adopted children with severe pedagogical neglect.

Temporary education at home (for one academic year) - part of rehabilitation after severe stress and trauma, dangerous diseases, etc. In some situations, it makes sense to transfer a gifted child with autistic personality traits to outside studies. Individual training is hardly suitable for outgoing, active extroverts, as well as inactive, lazy and incapable of self-discipline toddlers.

Forms of home schooling

Response - School rejection and school curriculum in general. Proponents of non-schooling believe that they know better what and how to teach their children, doubt the need for secondary education, the Unified State Exam, etc. The fatal consequence of non-schooling is that by the age of 16-17 the child will no longer be able to master the knowledge necessary for enrolling in university and acquiring a somewhat complex profession. Non-schooling is formally banned in Russia.

Proper schooling at home - Individual lessons with school teachers at home, taking tests, exams, etc. A medical certificate is issued if it is impossible to attend school.

Partial education at home - Attending several lectures a day or a week. Part of inclusive education for children with special needs. It is issued with a medical certificate.

Expertise - Learn independently at home with exams and tests, without going to school. It is issued by agreement with the school administration.

Distance education - Training via the Internet, contacting teachers via Skype or forums, online homework and tests. Issued by the school administration. Mass school is rightly called “mass”, it is designed for the average majority of children, home education requires an individual approach.

What’s best for your child is up to you!