If you recently started toying with the thought of homeschooling, this post is for you. I want to encourage you that if you feel called to homeschool your child, you really can do it. We wanted to homeschool three years before we started. We were outsourcing our daughter’s education, spending countless hours commuting, working a job I did not care for to pay for schooling, and spending less and less time together. We decided to take the leap and homeschool; it was life-changing!
The first step to get started is weighing the tradeoffs of homeschooling versus outsourcing your kiddo’s education. For most parents, including us, the ultimate goal is to give our children the best education possible; this will look different for each family. Homeschool lined up with the lifestyle and education we wanted to provide our child.
The first step is to know and comply with your state’s homeschooling laws. Here is a Step-by-Step Guide to get started on How to Start Homeschooling.
National Home Educational Research Institute posted an article with fascinating facts, statistics, and trends of homeschooled children. I have listed a few below; the full report can be found at Nheri Research Facts on Homeschooling.
Facts, Statics, and Trends
- A study led by Michael Cogan at the University of St. Thomas revealed that the homeschool graduation statistics are 10% higher than that of students from public schools.
- The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests.
- Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACTs colleges consider for admissions.
- Colleges are actively recruiting homeschool students.
- Research facts on homeschooling show that the home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on social, emotional, and psychological development measures. Research measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.
- 87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschooled students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools (Ray, 2017).
10 Reasons homeschooling is AMAZING!
- Autonomy in teaching and curriculum
- Curriculum will line up with your values
- Efficient use of time
- Good environment
- Spending time bonding
- Creating long-lasting memories
- Less money spent on our sourcing teaching
- More money for enrichment activities
- Safer environment, the smaller circle
- We can plan field trips and vacations offseason.
Let’s take a closer look at the 10 Reasons Homeschooling might be a good choice.
- Autonomy in teaching and curriculum
You know your child better than anyone else and are their best teacher. There are many types of methods of teaching. We have the freedom to select a curriculum that interests our child and makes learning fun and exciting!
I enjoy having a streamlined curriculum that outlines the year for us. I have added a second language and some additional social studies subjects that interest her. The beauty is that you can pivot if your child is interested in a particular topic. There are many other options for curriculum; you may not even want to use one and create your own, and the possibilities are limitless.
- The curriculum will line up with your values
Values are best learned at home, and what better way than raise our kiddos with a curriculum that incorporates our values? The curriculum we selected is Christian-based, and we love how God’s Word and creation are woven into the studies. You can be completely involved in knowing precisely what your child is learning.
- Efficient use of time
Think about how much time it takes to teach an average class with 25 students. Plus, the changing of classrooms, books, breaks, etc. There is much time lost in the day. Our studies take 3 hours a day, five days a week. We could condense it if needed but enjoy leaving a little margin in our study time to play a board game or practice piano.
Time is valuable, and it goes fast! I’d rather not waste it with hours of seatwork; learning can be done throughout the entire day. From going to the grocery store and cooking to handwashing the car and picking weeds, it’s all learning!
- Good environment
“A positive classroom environment helps improve attention, reduce anxiety, and learners are more likely to acquire higher motivation that leads to wonderful learning outcomes.” – Educationist Geeta Verma.
Our mornings used to be stressful getting our kiddo to school on time and then off to work, and our afternoons were quite similar.
Mornings now begin with a relaxed, calm environment; we are not rushing and are not over-scheduled. I am a morning person; I naturally get up a few hours before my family. This gives me time to read, pray, and work out. Our daughter is a morning person but does not like to rush out; she loves eating pancakes and watching cartoons. We start our studies shortly after she’s up, but nothing is rushed; our mornings are so cozy!
- Spending time bonding
Our conversations during our studies would have been missed if her schooling had been outsourced. I learn so much about how she thinks and the details of things that interest her. One of my favorite ways to bond is by doing the tasks that are requirements for development and growth while enjoying them.
- Creating long-lasting memories
Memories are the only things we take with us as adults, and our goal is to create the best ones. This can indeed only be achieved in time together. We calculated the hours our daughter spent in school and aftercare, away from us, and realized it was time we could never get back. Homeschooling opened the doors for more time together. We love that our time together doesn’t have to be crammed into evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Less money spent on outsourcing teaching
Our daughter was going to a private school, ultimately costing us twice. In addition to the tuition cost, there were many other costs during the school year. Endless invites to activities seemed great; in hindsight, we were overscheduled, and the cost increased over time. We now pay a fraction of the price for purchasing our curriculum and can incorporate field trips and be selective on activities. Our circle is smaller but very intentional.
- More money for enrichment activities
Due to us no longer having school tuition costs, our daughter can now take piano and gymnastics several days a week. This is also a great time to connect with other kiddos and socialize. Enrichment activities offer so much more than learning a skill. Friends are made here.
- Safer environment
While our family’s world is no safer or less safe than most other families, we are grateful that we can keep a closer eye on our daughter, especially during these younger years. Our daughter has built friendships through gymnastics, church, and our neighborhood. We are able to connect and get to know the people around her.
- We can plan field trips and vacations offseason
Field trips and vacations are a joy to visit on the weekdays when you aren’t trying to fight the crowd. The cost when you travel off-season is also significantly less. We also got to travel with my husband during a work trip and turned it into an opportunity to visit a local animal sanctuary. Something we could not do if we were tied to a rigid school schedule. It’s an incredible perk of homeschooling!
Deciding whether or not to homeschool is a big decision. The ultimate goal is to give our kiddos the best education we can. Homeschooling is one of the many methods of educating our children and can be considered an extension of parenting.
Once you start to think outside the box of a traditional school schedule, you might be amazed at all benefits it offers your family. The freedom that creating your program gives you, the success in learning, and your involvement with raising your child is remarkable!