Homeschool Benefits: 10 Reasons Why Parents Choose To Homeschool
There are many reasons why parents choose to homeschool. Whether you’ve chosen this path recently or have been doing it for years, you’ll get to see a lot of benefits for both you and your children.
Jump ahead to learn more about why parents choose to homeschool:
Continue reading to learn more about all 10 benefits. Or, if you have questions about homeschooling or homeschool curriculums, contact us today at EZ-Teach!
1. Flexible schooling that fits your needs
When you choose to homeschool, you don’t have to follow a rigid schedule that doesn’t work for you personally. Each parent is different, and will choose to homeschool in a way that is best suited not only for their children, but also for them as educators.
One of the main benefits of homeschooling is that it allows flexibility for you as a parent to teach, connect with, and simply enjoy spending time with your children throughout the day.
You’ll also have the opportunity to choose a curriculum and homeschooling philosophy that best suits your needs. And if you find that something isn’t working anymore for you or your kids, you can simply change it up!
2. Ability to modify based on your child’s needs
Just like you can choose a curriculum that best suits your needs as a parent and educator, you can also choose what will work best for your child. Each child has a unique set of needs when it comes not only to their education, but also their physical and emotional needs.
Homeschooling allows the flexibility to adapt to your child’s unique needs
Certain curriculums, for example, may work best for highly active children who thrive in an outdoor environment where they can explore and be on the move. Other curriculums may work well for children who prefer quiet activities, crafts, and an emphasis on reading and writing.
No matter what your child (or children) need, you will be able to create a plan and schedule that works for them. For parents who are homeschooling multiple children, this also means you can tailor your homeschooling plan to something that fits all the needs of your children, even if they are different.
3. Your choice of curriculum
When your child goes to a public or private school, you don’t really have a say in the curriculum that is used.
In many cases the curriculums work for most children - but some children may have a difficult time with the standard curriculums used.
When you choose to homeschool, another benefit is that you can choose a curriculum that best fits your child’s age, interests, and educational needs.
There are a lot of curriculums available, and it can feel overwhelming trying to choose one that’s best for your family. If you want some tips on choosing the right curriculum for you, click here!
4. Social skills benefit for children
Unfortunately, there is still a bit of stigma around homeschooling. The idea that homeschooled children are not socialized well is a prevailing idea - but it’s actually not true at all.
“Homeschooled children tend to have more developed, positive social skills than their schooled counterparts. Homeschooled children learn their social skills from their parents rather than their peers, so they're learning from adult role models.”
This is not just based on anecdotal notes from parents. Multiple studies have confirmed that homeschool children have positive social skills more often than other children within their age group.
While homeschooled children have lots of opportunity to interact with their parents or caregivers, many homeschooling parents choose to spend a good portion of their week interacting with other children, where their kids can learn and play with their peers.
Whether it’s in a co-op environment, or simply by participating in extracurriculars like art lessons, sports, or clubs and local groups, homeschooled children have more controlled and often more positive opportunities to socialize with both adults and their peers.
5. Meaningful learning for children
It should come as no surprise that children, especially as they get older, may not connect well with the curriculum taught in traditional schools.
Schools often teach subjects in just one way or style. Since children have different learning abilities and styles, some students may have a challenge with how subjects are taught.
Homeschooled children will be able to thoughtfully interact with all subject matter that you introduce
When a parent puts the time and effort into homeschooling and considers their own strengths as an educator as well as the needs of their children, their children are able to learn in a more meaningful and impactful way.
They’re less likely to “zone out” or forget what’s been taught over the day, and more likely to enjoy learning and thoughtfully interact with the subject matter being taught.
6. Develops strong family connections
Children feel secure when they have strong family bonds and connections. When children have strong and healthy relationships within their family, they develop important skills for when they are older.
For example, children who have a healthy relationship with their family are more likely to have healthy relationships with others.
Homeschooling means that you have the opportunity to be with your child all or most of the day. You have the opportunity to easily form a strong bond not only through your time spent educating, but as you learn together, play together, and enjoy each other’s company throughout the day.
7. Allows for greater independence
Homeschool provides a lot of opportunity for children to improve their independence and begin to feel confident with their own skills and abilities.
Because you have complete control over what they learn and how they learn, you can integrate opportunities for your child to learn independently, play on their own, and learn more about personal interests.
Homeschooling provides lots of opportunities for both independent learning and play
Children in public school settings often don’t have a lot of opportunities to grow their independence. Their whole day is mapped out for them and they are told when they play, eat, learn, or even go to the bathroom.
A benefit of homeschooling is that you can allow your children more freedom to choose and attend to their own needs like hunger or tiredness.
8. Opportunity for interesting ‘field trips’
Field trips are so exciting for children who attend a traditional school because they typically happen only a few times per year.
When you homeschool, however, you can integrate field trips into your monthly or even weekly schedule. This allows you to provide interesting learning opportunities for your children, and may be especially helpful for kids who need more stimulation throughout their day.
Some good ideas for field trips include:
Art Galleries - Opportunity to talk about colours, artists, and history
Museums - Opportunity to talk about many aspects of history
Zoos - Opportunity to talk about conservation, animal behaviour, and the planet
Farms - Opportunity to talk about sustainability and importance of local food
Downtown Areas - Opportunity to learn about diversity and culture
These are just a few ideas that may work for you and your family. Depending on where you live and what is available around you, as well as your child’s particular interests, you can choose pretty much anything to be a field trip and a great learning opportunity!
9. Opportunity for outdoor/nature learning
There are a lot of benefits to simply learning in an outdoor setting rather than inside. While it’s unlikely you will spend your whole day learning outdoors, many homeschool parents enjoy the flexibility of homeschool because it provides ample opportunity to get outside!
Some benefits of outdoor learning include:
A greater understanding of and care for environmental sustainability
A better awareness and identification of hazards and risks
Growing confidence and independence
Stronger communication skills
These are all proven benefits of outdoor learning, and homeschooling allows you to take advantage of them!
10. Ability to focus on what your child needs most
And finally, the last point on our list and definitely not the least: Homeschooling allows you as the parent / educator to focus on what your child needs most. That is a huge benefit for your child and for your parent-child relationship.
This is not just applicable to curriculums and educational plans. This also applies to your day to day interactions. For example, your child may have had an upsetting experience over the weekend and is still feeling emotional on Monday morning.
If your child needs a quiet day indoors or an adventurous afternoon, you can adapt to their daily needs
If that child were to go to a traditional school, there would really be no modifying the day to accept that they are feeling “off.” Homeschooling allows your children to have “off” days and not be penalized for them.
As a parent, you can sense when things may be off for your child and you can adjust your schedule or curriculum to meet the particular needs of the day.
This is an amazing thing for your child - it allows them to feel heard, reduces their stress levels, and provides a great point of connection between you and your child.
See The Homeschooling Benefits With Our Online Curriculums & Resources
At EZ-Teach, we’re committed to enriching education and helping you choose the very best homeschool curriculum for your needs and your child’s needs. We offer unique resources that help connect parents to teachers with great curriculum, connect students to amazing teachers, and help homeschool parents get the support that they need. To learn more, contact us now!
