We need to move along with recent times. If we want to stay afloat, we need to understand where and how the water is flowing. The current situation has confined us to our homes. From all the current things we can definitely make one conclusion, the tides are changing.
When we were made to sit at home, one of the most crucial things that were affected by it was, our children’s education. Their schools were shut for a very long time and kids lost touch for a very long time. And in this period, I am sure you must have wondered at least once, ‘how great would it have been if my kid was homeschooled?’ it would have meant that your children could continue studies with their own convenience.
But, now schools have started online, and we put the homeschooling idea on the back burner. But, let me ask you this, was it such a crazy idea? Is homeschooling so bizarre that we can’t consider it? Let me tell you some of the benefits of homeschooling.
Academic flexibility
When you are the teacher, you can have any syllabus you want. Do you want to follow the state board, central board, or something completely else, or even a mixture of everything? Guess what, you can do whatever you want! That is the beauty of it.
You can analyze all the boards and decide which is the best for them. You can even pick the best parts of whatever you see. That is not all, you can even add something that is not there in any of these syllabuses because you find it crucial. You can have complete control over the portion.
Your choice of pace and approach.
Everybody has a different grasping power. The concept of ‘one shoe fits all’ does not apply to our kids, rather it shouldn’t. When each child is unique and has a varied skill-set, how can their education be done in a common way?
We cannot blame the schools here at all. They are catering to the needs of hundreds of students at a time and it is near impossible to make customised curriculums for everybody. So, what they do is make an average one that can be used for everyone.
However, at home we have the luxury to choose for ourselves the way we want to teach our kids. We can take it slow, or fast, anyhow we like. Also, we can teach our children in the way we want. There is no one right way to do something. We can design everything catering to our needs. Every child learns in a different way. You can use various creative methods to teach your child something.
Moreover, we can decide when to have their exams and what the format in which we will take it. Now, your children can give exams because they actually want to see how much they have understood, rather than appearing as a mere obligation. And as an added bonus, they also do not have to deal with the unnecessary pressure that comes with these class tests, and their competition is going to be with themselves only.
When we are concentrating our efforts on only one student, and looking after their well-being, there is no telling what heights they will reach.
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You can focus on your child’s mental and emotional growth.
When you are in a school environment, the main focus is on academics. It takes center stage while everything has to take a backseat. Our main aim in life is to see our children successful, happy, physically and mentally healthy. But, are we working towards all of them?
When our children are in the homeschooling set-up, we can really give their emotional and mental development a chance to flourish. We can specifically work on these aspects at home. Overall development is very important for our kids. And when our kids go to school for such a long time, there is no space remaining for them to focus on these factors.
We can practically teach our children how to improve their emotional quotient, how to be calm even in the face of adversity, dealing with failure, and so on. There is no telling what we can achieve!
Can explore beyond the four walls of schools.
There is so much to learn around us. Every tiny little thing has the potential to teach us something, only if we are eager to learn.
Homeschooling gives us an opportunity to connect with the biggest teacher of all, nature. Children can gain practical experience of whatever they learn in their textbooks. The scope is limitless. We can explore as many things as we want.
Children can surprise you by being well ahead of their age group.
The system of school is for every kind of student. And hence, the time taken to complete the syllabus is a lot. When there are sixty kids in a class we cannot expect the teacher to go fast because she/he needs to look after everyone.
But, at home we can increase the pace as per our child’s needs. Studies are not that difficult when we see it. When our children learn the right way, they can get a lot done in a very short span of time. This increased speed is going to put them well ahead of the children of their age group. They can complete the same portion in a shorter time span and get ahead of their course work.
Efficient and meaningful learning.
The meaning of education has changed over the years. Today, it has become synonymous with marks. If we score good marks, then it means we have gained education. Is that so?
Whatever we study is essential in our life. And that is the reason that we have to learn. When we are in the rat race, we think like everyone. But at home, we have the opportunity to learn for its true purpose. Which is gaining knowledge and applying it in real life.