In 1999, approximately 805,000 children were being homeschooled in the United States, which is about 1.7 per cent of the school-age population. By 2007, that number had increased to 1.5 million, or 2.9 per cent of students. The Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey was done for the National Household Education Surveys Program.
The survey also revealed that 36 per cent of parents homeschool their children in order to give religious or moral instruction, 21 per cent of parents do because of concern about the environments in schools, and 17 per cent homeschool due to concerns about the quality of education their child would be receiving in school.
If you are thinking about homeschooling, here are a few things you should consider.
Know Homeschooling Laws and Regulations
Find out about the laws in your state or province. Some jurisdictions require testing to prove that the child is meeting the requirements of the public school curriculum; others are much more lenient, only requiring a notice that the child is being homeschooled. Ask your local school board for a copy of the curriculum. Many parents only loosely follow it, but it can be a handy reference, especially since many homeschoolers perform above grade level.
You can also talk to administrators at local schools to see if your child can attend part time, or if she can join extra-curricular activities. This can help the child have the same friends she would have were she attending school, while giving you the flexibility of homeschooling.
Find Resources for Educating Your Child at Home
Contact other parents in your area who homeschool their children. There are often groups of homeschoolers who get together to socialize, share resources and offer advice. This can be invaluable.
Visit websites to find resources for homeschooling your child. Many are free, and some are available for a small fee. Lesson plans, printable worksheets – anything you can think of is probably available somewhere. Start by visiting a site such as The American Homeschool Association.
Figure Out Your Teaching Style
Decide how you want to teach your child. Do you want to follow a curriculum, let the child decide each day what she wants to do, or do a combination of these? Keep in mind that you will not have to spend six hours each day teaching your child. Since the instruction is typically for very few children at once, they will learn much more quickly due to the individual attention they get.
And remember that learning happens everywhere. Cooking a meal? Have your child help with measuring the ingredients. Grocery shopping? He can pay and count the change. Gardening offers many lessons in biology, and the list goes on. If you can, get memberships to your local zoo, museum or art gallery. While these places can be expensive, taking your child there provides built-in lessons and a change of scenery.
By learning about the laws and regulations governing homeschooling, and deciding how you want to teach your child before starting to homeschool, you can both have a rich and rewarding experience while learning at home.
Karen Sheviak - Karen is a freelance editor who has worked for several of Canada's top consumer magazines, including Style at Home, Today's Parent, ...
