If you have children and are living the country life, you must at some point consider your options for their education. More and more families with country homes are turning towards home schooling as a desired solution and the reasons range from beliefs, a level of desired education and of course to support a country living lifestyle. Moreover, support for such educational programs coupled with technology advancements via the web are making home schooling an attractive choice. But is this decision right for you? Let’s take a look at some of the considerations involved.
1. Your Proximity to a School
One of the most common reasons to think about home schooling your children is due to proximity to schools from your country home. If getting to and from your local school takes children an hour a day or more, this is wasted time that they could be using to learn or even have fun. Plus, if you’re the one responsible for their transportation, sending children to the “closest” school may also be highly impractical. You may also have to content with interfering issues like heavy traffic, road repairs and bad weather.
2. Optimally Learning Outcomes
On an academic level, home schooling may benefit your children in a variety of ways. For example, it’s commonly known that smaller class sizes lead to better learning outcomes. Statistics also show that home schooled children score highly in tests . It is interesting to note that some of our brightest minds were home schooled including Winston Churchill, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison and Andrew Carnegie.
3. What Do Your Children Prefer?
Children often tend to appreciate being home schooled as they can learn at the pace that is most appropriate. It also gives them time to develop their creative talents.
On the other side of the coin, some children prefer going to school and enjoying the social experience or to access more specific training. In that case, they may simply do better in a traditional academic. If this is the situation, you may at the beginning or later on go out of your way to take your child to school even if it is inconvenient due to the fact that you live in the country.
4. Socialization
Some critics against home schooling complain that those who do not participate in the social setting of a classroom will miss out on real life interactions and may end up being socially handicapped. They also argue that kids may miss out on valuable real world experiences.
However, the fact is that it may be possible for your children to still participate in various activities even if you are living the country life and home schooling. For example, it is common to gather nearby kids for sports and music events. If you take a proactive approach, your children may still be able to enjoy ample socialization even if you are living the country life.
There is no doubt that home schooling may be more conducive to country living. Many also feel strongly that it will strengthen the family unity. Yet, ultimately, how you handle your children’s education is a personal decision.
By: FindCountryHomes
Source:
1. Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. (2011, July 13). Issues A-Z: Home Schooling. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/home-schooling/