Unit 7 Assignment: “The Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling”
Kaplan University

Preference for homeschooling over traditional schooling

Traditional education has been around for centuries. The origins can be traced back to the 1600’s during the time of the Puritans and individuals who were referred to as “Congressionalist’s.” Even after implementation of this educational system, children were still being taught at home by their parents even though it was not a lawfully permitted action in a number of locations. Through the years, the traditional school system has undergone many changes; possibly one of the most noticeable alterations is the preference of parents to re-visit their option to educate their children at home instead of “forcing” them to attend public facilities. Parents are increasingly becoming more aware of the many benefits this type of education can offer to not only their children, but to themselves. Homeschooling is more effective than traditional schooling because it allows parents to design a particularized curriculum for their child/children, reduces the social pressures of the traditional school environment and provides the convenience of schedule flexibility for parent and child alike.
The increasing number of parents who are choosing to educate their children at home is due to a number of factors. The following reasons have also contributed to the escalating percentage of children who are receiving their educations at home.
Homeschooling is now legal in all fifty states and at least thirty-seven states have explicit homeschooling statutes. Second, over the past few years the internet has provided the means to create homeschooling networks, distribute curricular materials, and offer legal advice. Moreover, with its growing popularity has come mainstream acceptability; this in turn has made homeschooling yet more popular (Reich, 2002).
In the past, when parents made the decision to educate their children at home, they were met with resistance by not only the federal and state governments, but family members and friends were not able to understand why they would deny their children the ability to learn in an environment in which they could interact with their peers; an environment with specially trained educators who would be able to make a difference in their lives. Presently, however; it has become clearer as to why parents make the decision to teach their children at home and this has given rise to the desire for more parents and caregivers to choose homeschooling over traditional schooling.
Specialists in the field of education continue to debate the potential downfalls and benefits of homeschooling vs. traditional schooling. There are numerous opinions regarding whether or not parents have the skills necessary to educate their children properly at home and if this type of education is appropriate preparation for their children to become productive and successful members of society. As with any topic as important as education, there are those who will refuse to consider both sides of the debate; this is when it becomes necessary to provide pertinent information of the benefits of homeschooling over traditional schooling.
One of the most commonly cited reasons parents give for their choice to educate their children at home is their ability to formulate their curriculum to meet the specific needs of their child/children. In this sense; “special needs” does not necessarily refer only to children with disabilities. Special needs children can include those who possess exceptionally high IQ’s, those who do extremely well in a particular subjects such as math or science, children with ADHD or those who do have particular physical and/or mental impairments, etc. When taught at home, these children are less self-conscious of their differences; they are more capable of focusing on the material because they are less worried about being made fun of by their peers. It has also been discovered that children who do struggle with learning disabilities or have special needs benefit in many ways from homeschooling; “Research now indicates that the home is by far the best situation for most special children, so HSLDA highly recommends homeschooling any child with a learning disability or special need” (Wright, 2006).
Additionally, parents are more capable of teaching their children in accordance with the child’s own particular style of learning. In the traditional schooling environment, it is not only difficult for teachers to pinpoint each student’s style, it is nearly impossible to simultaneously employ the numerous tactics necessary for them to learn particular subject matter. Parents who home school, are able to properly identify their child’s style of learning and incorporate particular teaching methods to accommodate each style individually. For instance, if a child learns in a kinesthetic manner, the parent would employ the use of hands-on learning aids to enable the child to touch and feel the information, whereas a child, who learns best with the use of auditory stimuli, would benefit from the use of recorded lessons or musical learning tools.
Another common reason parents prefer homeschooling over traditional schooling is the reduction or complete elimination of social forces which may cause their children to experience personal and emotional problems such as low self-esteem and self-consciousness. Children who are repetitively and constantly bullied or made fun of can develop emotional problems which may remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Homeschooling provides children the ability to be in a safe and secure environment in which they do not feel threatened or bullied. “Some families feel that the negative social pressures of schools, such as sexualization[sic], bullying, drugs, school violence, and other school-related problems, are detrimental to a child's development” (New World Encyclopedia, 2008).
Many individuals make assumptions in regards to the ability of children who are homeschooled, to function in society as adults, however; at this time, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that these assumptions are correct. It would make more sense to suggest that children who are harassed in the traditional school environment would tend to have more problems forming both personal and business relationships in their adult lives.
Another common misconception of children who are homeschooled is that they are not allowed to be involved in extracurricular activities. The truth is most children who are homeschooled are also involved in outside activities such as athletics and fine arts; this provides the ability to create relationships outside of the home and contribute to their community in the same ways as the traditionally taught children.

One of the most compelling advantages of homeschooling over traditional schooling is the fact that both parent and child alike can design a schedule which is conducive to their own particular needs. The complete flexibility of being able to formulate specific lesson plans, conduct classes when it is most convenient and the ability to chose specific subjects of interest which may not be available in a traditional school are major aspects in regards to parent’s decision to teach their children at home. . “Home schooling allows us to create our own schedule. We choose when we begin and end our school day. We choose how many days a week we conduct school. We choose which months of the year we will hold classes.” (Zeitz, 2008). Also, homeschooling also allows adults who have chosen to work from home the ability to adjust their own work schedules in order to better attend to the needs of their children and to assure a full and rich family life.
As previously stated; there will always be individuals who oppose homeschooling for one reason or another, there will also always be individuals who advocate the numerous benefits this type of education can provide to both parent and child. The most important thing parents need to consider before making the decision to teach their child at home is the child’s willingness and ability to participate. Even though some parents may believe that this type of schooling is appropriate, the child may have a desire to attend a public school simply to find out what the “real world” is like; in other words, the best interest of the child should always be taken into consideration.
There are many misconceptions regarding homeschooling which can be dispelled by merely researching the various benefits this type of education can provide; parents are beginning to recognize these benefits, establishing a greater preference for homeschooling over traditional schooling which has the aptitude to increase significantly in the coming year.
In conclusion, there are numerous benefits to homeschooling such as the ability to create specific lesson plans which are in accordance with the individual interests of the child and the ability to teach children according to their distinctive learning styles. Homeschooling provides flexibility for both parents and children to develop the best and most appropriate times to learn, it also eliminates the social pressures which are present in traditional school systems.

References

New World Encyclopedia. (2008, May 26). Homeschooling - New World Encyclopedia. Info: Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Homeschooling
Reich, R. (2002). Testing the boundaries of parental authority over education: The case of homeschooling. Haz politica. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from www.hazpolitica.org/pdfs/homeschooling2002.pdf
Wright, K. (2006). The Link Homeschool News Network. Free Homeschool Easy Homeschooling Now: The Link Homeschool Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com
Zeitz, J. (2008). Benefits of Home Schooling My Children. The Family Homestead. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com