Today I want to focus and share some insight on a topic that I receive SO many emails, personal messages, comments and questions about and that is the pros and cons of homeschooling. Homeschooling is becoming more and more popular each year with a growth rate of about 7 – 15 percent. Homeschool children do exceptionally well on standardized tests, are welcomed at colleges and universities, and as adults, have a reputation for being self-directed learners, humanitarians, philanthropists, community activists, and reliable employees, as well as accomplished business owners and huge participants in community service and philanthropy. The demographics of homeschooling are quickly changing, as black Americans are becoming one of the fastest growing segments of the US population that is deciding to teach their own. Of course, there are many reasons parents decide to homeschool, and many are similar and some have additional reasons. For us, we wanted to ensure that our children received lessons of morals, high levels of critical thinking, lessons in history that educate beyond slavery and the likes, as there’s so much to Black and African History that is simply not covered in many schools today. As well as the removal of many of the music and arts in non-private schools. Another reason for us, we felt that the school system has an overtone of assimilation, teaching in manners where they feel everyone learns the same and that’s simply not accurate. With homeschooling, we get to see how each one of our children are different and how well they learn in their own manner.
Again, these are some of the pros and cons we have considered being that my husband and I have homeschooled our 4 little ones for a few years now. As always, I hope this list is helpful so you can make informed decisions best for you and your family. For further reading, check out this article via Business Insider on 5 ways "Homeschooling Could Be The Smartest Way To Teach Kids In the 21st Century"
PROS
EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM and PERSONALIZED LEARNING
Most homeschooled students have the choice to study and learn what they want, when they want, for as long as they want. This is not to say that all of the basics (and more!) aren't covered. But those basics may be covered at age six for one child, and at age ten for another, depending on ability, maturity, and interest levels.
PHYSICAL FREEDOM
After the initial shock of leaving the school system has passed, parents who homeschool say they experience a real sense of freedom. With their lives no longer revolving around school hours, homework, and the school calendar, these families plan off-season vacations, visit parks and museums during the week, and live their lives according to what works for them.
EMOTIONAL FREEDOM
As parents, we all understand that our children will be exposed to other children. And with that comes peer pressure. Sadly, peer pressure, competition, boredom, and bullies — are all part of a typical school day. This can be a particular problem for girls. According to studies, self-esteem plummets in middle-school girls. However, similar studies of homeschooled girls have shown that self-esteem remains intact and that these girls continue to thrive. (Read: A Sense of Self: Listening to Homeschooled Adolescent Girls by Susannah Sheffer.) Homeschooled kids can dress and act and think the way they want, without fear of ridicule or a need to "fit in." They live in the real world, where lives aren't dictated by adolescent trends and dangerous experimentation.
RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
Many families feel their religious and spiritual beliefs are an important part of who they are. Homeschooling provides the opportunity for parents to incorporate their beliefs into their daily lives.
CLOSER FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Just about every family stressed the important role that homeschooling played in helping them find time to foster loving ties between all family members. Teens seem to benefit enormously from this interaction, and rebellious, destructive behavior often begins to diminish soon after homeschooling begins.
WELL-RESTED CHILDREN
As more and more studies are illustrating, sleep is vital to the emotional and physical well-being of kids, especially teens and preteens. The effects of early morning classes can be devastating to many children, especially those who are not morning people. What we've found is that our kids are definitely more alert being allowed to sleep in a bit longer in the morning.
FLEXIBILITY WITH CURRICULUM
With the flexibility of the curriculum comes flexibility of time and vacation. You have more freedom over choosing vacation times, whether planned or spontaneous. Families can go on vacation when it’s less expensive because you don’t have to worry about interrupting school time and important school dates ( this is a HUGE benefit). Another great thing we've found is that being entrepreneurs, we are able to have lessons throughout the day, not only at scheduled times. So, we set a time of day that works for our family and that may vary from day to day. And..don't forget to take field trips!! These are the icing on the chocolate cupcake. Field trips are great for you to have a small break and for the kids to interact with other children. Each Wednesday, we have family field trip day and take the kids to various kid-friendly places, such as The Creative Discovery, The Tennessee Aquarium, Kid Zone (rock climbing), The Public Library, Jump Park, Hiking Trails, Parks, Lakes, etc. And be sure to save by getting a year membership (that's the best option for a family of 6 like ours). And, many of these places offer homeschool courses, such as ecology and STEM courses, so be sure to check with your local kid friendly places. Also, check out your local YMCA, many offer homeschool days. For instance, each Thursday our kids attend the YMCA with other children who are homeschooled for four hours to enjoy a plethora of activities.
SOLID SENSE OF IDENTITY
It's amazing how much our kids identify with who they are. They are allowed respectable free expression without feelings of hindrance or shame..or the feelings of wanting to belong or fit in.
COMMUNITY
Some parents may run into the issue of not being as advanced on a particular subject, especially during high school years. The benefit is there are a plethora of programs, videos (especially YouTube) and other homeschooling parents there to help. If possible, get with another parent who may be advanced in a particular subject and speak with them in a community homeschool environment. Also, many colleges and universities offer specific courses as well. And there are some kid-friendly places that offer courses for homeschool children, for example, art museums, zoos, rock climbing, woodworking, writing, drawing, etc. (ourTN Aquarium offers homeschool course on marine ecology). You can also opt to connect with other homeschooling parents and/or families.
CHALLENGES
TIME RESTRAINT
There's no way around it: learning outside of a school environment can consume a lot of mom or dad's time. Most folks visualize that time being spent at the kitchen table with textbooks and worksheets, but for most families, that's not the case. My family has rarely gone that route, choosing hands-on experiences and interesting activities as learning tools, instead. However, planning, driving to, and participating in those activities (or waiting for them to be over) constitute the bulk of my day. And that can be very draining.
SACRIFICIAL FINANCIAL RESTRAINT
For married parents, one partner often foregoes full-time employment out of the home in order to homeschool. This can be a big sacrifice for families who are struggling to balance their budget. Surprisingly, most homeschooling families believe that the brief loss of income is well worth the satisfaction of watching their kids grow and learn in freedom. What we've found is that operating our business in a manner that helps us in not becoming so overwhelmed with day to day business has truly worked in our favor. And, if you are fellow entrepreneurs like my husband and I, it's great to look into hiring help (like extra employees or even tutors for the kids on desired subjects) for the busy times with your business.
WITH THE KIDS PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY
There's no denying it — if you choose to homeschool, you're going to be with your kids most of the time. If you don't enjoy being together, then homeschooling may not be for you. While it can sometimes be difficult, most homeschool parents view their daily interactions with their kids — the ups as well as the downs — as opportunities for personal and familial growth. With us operating a business, we also take the opportunity to bring the kids into our studio to help with packaging or learn little insights about the business.
MAY BE VIEWED AS LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE NORM
Like any activity that challenges mainstream thinking, homeschooling may be seen as an oddity at best, or even as a threat to those who are unable to accept ordinary parents succeeding where trained professionals often fail. My family has developed a bit of a tough exterior over the years, but cynical comments and criticisms still filter in occasionally (it's pretty rare though). If you are unable to live "outside of the box," then homeschooling may not be for you.
DON'T FORGET TO CELEBRATE MILESTONES:
Keep in mind, that our children work hard on their education each session. In recognizing that, it's great to start some traditions to celebrate that hard work and those milestones. Some milestones to celebrate can be:
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Beginning a new grade
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Completing a grade
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Completing a book series
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Reading aloud
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Mastering a difficult subject or task
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Extracurricular Activities like, dances, sports, spelling bees, chess, etc
Some ways to celebrate those milestones:
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Pizza Party or some small party
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Special Meal or treat
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Special Field Trips (Acquarum, Zoo, Museum, Park, Theatre)
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Small Gift
Or, whatever way you feel works for you and your child (children).
Now, Let's Chat about some tips that can help throughout your homeschool adventure:
Ways To Encourage Independent Learning:
What I've noticed in my children is that the need for more hands-on lessens the older that they get. Our 14-year-old is definitely an independent learner, but it definitely took some hands-on touches in the beginning to encourage this. Here are some ways that can help encourage independent learning when the time comes.
Spend time laying the foundation in the beginning. In the beginning, there will tons of one on one time that will be needed as your young child learns to feel confident and secure to learn a bit more on their own. Be sure your kids are strong in basic skills such as reading, writing, and math. This way, they can read instructions on their own.
Accountability. A great way to keep kids accountable is by having a checklist sheet. Your kids can check off each assignment as they complete it. Be sure before allowing your child to indulge in fun activities, that they have completed their assignment.
Stickers and Incentives are great! Set a milestone and give incentives if your child completes their assignment within a set time.
Provide resources. Be sure that your child has an idea of where and how to look for help when needed. For example, how to look up words they may not know via a dictionary (an online dictionary is fine as well).
Here is a helpful breakdown of websites that we love for various age groups:
Pre - K & Kindergarten
Time4Learning - Math
ABC Mouse (app) - Math
Teaching Textbooks - Math
HomeschoolMath - Math
IXL - Language Arts , Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Astronomy, Social Studies
Liberty's Kids - Animated Youtube TV Series (Language Arts/History)
PBS Space Time - Astronomy
Amoeba Sisters (youtube series) - Science
Khan Academy - Science, Math, Language Arts
Thinkwell - Science
Crash Courses - Science
Life of Fred - Science, Math
MEL Science - Science Kits
Spelling You See - Spelling
Explode the Code - Spelling
Reading Detective - Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking
Handwriting Without Tears - Handwriting
Duolingo - Languages
Coding with Minecraft - Computing
Outschool - all subjects and more
DiscoveryK12 - all subjects
Education.com - all subjects
Harbor & Sprout - All Subjects
All About Learning - Reading, Spelling
Mia Academy - All Subjects
1st - 3rd
Beast Academy - Math
Mr. D - Math
Teaching Textbooks - Math, Language Arts
MathCounts - Math
MOEMS - Math
Math Kangaroo - Math Competition
Singapore Math - Math
Khan Academy - all subjects
IXL - Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Languages, History
HomeschoolMath - Math
Well Trained Mind Academy - Language Arts, Grammar
First Language Lessons - Language Arts
PBS Space Time - Astonomy
Amoeba Sisters - (youtube series) - Science
Khan Academy - All Subjects
Crash Courses - Science
MEL Science - Science
Quizlet - Science
PBS Kids
Story of the World - Social Studies
Spelling You See - Spelling
Explode The Code - Spelling
Reason for Spelling
Reading Detective - Reading Comprehension
Duolingo - Languages
Reason for Handwriting - Writing
Handwriting without Tears - Writing
ID Tech - Computers
Coding with Minecraft - Computers/Coding
Outschool - All Subjects
Discoveryk12 - All Subjects
Education.com - All Subjects
Harbor & Sprout- All Subjects
All About Learning - Reading, Spelling
Mia Academy - All Subjects
4th - 6th
Beast Academy - Math
Mr. D - Math
MathCounts - Math
MOEMS - Math
Math kangaroo - Math/Math Competition
Singapore Math - Math
IXL - All Subjects
Thinkwell - Math
Khan Academy - All Subjects
Teaching Textbooks - All Subjects
Homeschool Math - Math
Well Trained Mind Academy - Language Arts
First Language Lessons - Language Arts, Social Studies
Bozeman Science - Science, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy
Crash Course - Science, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy
Amoeba Sisters - Science
MEL Science - Science Kits
Quizlet - Science
Liberty's Kids (Animated Youtube Series)- Social Studies
Story of the World - History
A History of US by Joy Hakim - History
Woke Homeschooling - History
Well Trained Mind Academy - Wiritng
Michael Clay Thompson - Wiritng
Education.com - all subjects
Harbor & Sprout - All Subjects
Duolingo - Languages
Mia Academy - All Subjects
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Algebra Help - Math
Art of Problem Solving - Math, Computers
Elements of Mathematics - Math
Mr. D - Math
MOEMS - Math
Math Counts - Math
Purple Comet - Math Meet
Math Kangaroo - Math Competition
Saxon Math - Math
Thinkwell - Math
Teaching Textbooks - All Subjects
Woke Homeschool - History
Typing Club
DiscoveryK12 - All Subjects
Khan Academy - All Subjects
IXL - All Subjects
Well Trained Mind - Language Arts, Writing
Bozeman Science - Science, Astronomy, Chemistry
Crash Course - Science, Physics, Chemistry
Amoeba Sisters - Science
MEL Science - Chemistry Kits
Quizlet - Science
PBS Space Time - Science
A History of US by Joy Hakim - History
Michael Clay Thompson - Writing
Brave Writer - Writing
Excellence in Writing - Writing
Power In Your Hands - Writing
Power Homeschool - All Subjects
Reading Detective -
Reason For Handwriting - Writing
Duolingo - Languages
ID Tech - Computers
Mia Academy - All Subjects
HIGH SCHOOL
Algebra Help - Math
Elements of Mathematics - Math
Math Counts - Math
Awesome Math Academy - Math
Art of Problem Solving - Math, Computers
Purple Comet - Math Meet
Saxon Math - Math
Thinkwell - Math
Worldwide Online Olympiad Training - Math
Woke Homeschool - History
Typing Club
DiscoveryK12 - All Subjects
Teaching Textbooks - All Subjects
Khan Academy - All Subjects
IXL - All Subjects
Well Trained Mind Academy - Language Arts, Writing
Bozeman Science - Science, Astronomy, Chemistry
Crash Course - Science, Physics, Chemistry
MEL Science - Science Kits
Quizlet - Science
PBS Space Time - Science
A History of US by Joy Hakim - History
Brave Writer - Writing
Excellence in Writing - Writing
Power In Your Hands - Writing
Power Homeschool - All Subjects
Acellus - Writing
Duolingo - Languages
ID Tech - Computers
Mia Prep - Most Subjects
SOME APPS WE LOVE:
Here is a wonderful website that lists the requirements for intending to homeschool per state, click HERE to find out
Stack the States (great for learning geography)
Khan Academy Kids (great for all subjects)
Stack the Countries (great for learning geography)
Pet Bingo (awesome math app)
Panda Preschool Activities
Kids Shapes and Colors
Kindergarten Activities
Toddler Preschool Activities
Amazing Alex (great enegineering app)
Nick Jr Draw & Play
Squeebles Times Tables
Squeebles Spelling Tes
Multiplication Table Kids
Puzzingo
Friendly Puzzles
and many more but these are some of our favorites!
WEBSITES WE LOVE
(Click each to view the website)
Math Exercises for Kids (MATH)
Bino and Fino
Hip Homeschool Moms
The Good and The Beautiful ( for all subjects)
Write Shop (for writing)
YOUTUBE CHANNELS WE LOVE
Life Noggin
Ted Ed
Kurzgesagt-In a Nutshell
It's Ok To Be Smart
Bino and Fino
NETFLIX: EDUCATIONAL SHOWS WE LOVE
Brain Games (via Netflix) is pretty awesome
There are also a plethora of documentaries to enjoy
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
Also, there are some amazing subscription services, a few in particular that we love are:
Kiwi Co
Mel Chemistry
Smore Magazine
Curiosity Stream
The Great Courses
ADDTIONAL RESOURCES
Calculating Students GPA
What Colleges Like to see on Homeschool Transripts
How To Keep Homeschool Records
How to get a Driver's Permit for Homeschoolers
Taking The SAT Test
How To Issue A Diploma
***Be sure to check with your local college for Duel Enrollement courses for high schoolers. Duel Enrollment courses allow your homeschooler to receive credit for college courses while still in school. The price is actually cheaper than the price for these courses once they graduate and enter college.
***Our oldest was taking Duel Enrollement Courses at the local college here in Chattanooga, TN in 2022 and we are issuing his diploma in June of 2023. We purchased the diploma HERE
TED TALKS
that we LOVE!
Why Write? Penmanship for the 21st Century
A Love Poem for Lonely Prime Numbers
Math Class Needs a Makeover
A Performance of Math Magic
The Power of Introverts
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
What Your Grades Really Mean
The Science of Skin Color
What Really Happens To the Plastic That You Throw Away
The Simple Power of Hand Washing
How Boredom Can Lead to Your Most Brilliant Ideas
Mathemagic
12 Year Old App Developer
3 Ways To Speak English
How I Built A Windmill
How I Harnessed the Wind
How To Tie Your Shoes
How To Use a Paper Towel
The Danger of a Single Story
Everyday Leadership
The Nerds Guide To Learning Everything Online
Your Brain on Video Games
The Danger of Silence
Science Is For Everyone, Including Kids
Do Schools Kill Creativity
The Magic of Fibonacci Numbers
Why You Should Make Useless Things
Your Kids Might Live On Mars: Here's How They'll Survive
The Orchestra In My Mouth
The Math & Magic of Origami
Our recent graduate May 2023 (17 years old)
TAKE A MOMENT TO VIEW SOME OF OUR HOMESCHOOL FAMILY FUN!
Very insightful post. I’m a firm believer that if choosing a traditional public school education, it should SUPPLEMENT a child’s learning and development, not be the PRIMARY source of education. Most, if not all of the pros of homeschooling you mentioned can be achieved, even if going the public school route. It requires INTENTIONAL parenting. Raising children requires, time, effort, energy, and finances.
What a great precise article on homeschooling. We have homeschooled our children for a few years and love the rewards. Thanks for sharing our perspective.
As a fellow homeschooler, this is a very accurate view of the pros and cons. Thanks for sharing our experiences.
I gave homeschooling a thought for my high schooler after moving from Ft Bliss, Tx. to Ft Gordon, Ga. My daughter was coming home upset because she wasn’t initially accepted by her peers. I told her being a new student in the middle of the school year is difficult and it’ll pass.
I’d love to be able to home school. It’s been 13 years since I’ve been in the classroom. I taught 9th and 10th grade English and Art prior to joining the military.
My hang up for homeschooling my teen is when I have long days, I won’t be able to give her time and energy she deserves. I don’t want this to be a struggle. But I really want to try.