Homeschooled children repeatedly outperform their public schooled and private schooled counterparts. Is it because these kids are just really smart? Let me let you in on a little secret, they aren’t any smarter than your average child. They don’t have super brains or some special gift (although there are many children in both public school and homeschooled that are classed as gifted). The difference is in the opportunities they have been afforded.
Homeschooled Children Can Progress On Their Own Timeline
One of the biggest benefits that come with homeschooling is that children can progress as they are ready. In a classroom setting if you do not fall in with the timeline the school has set you are easily lost in the cracks. A child that needs extra time to grasp a concept does not have the benefit of spending and extra few days on it before moving on. The rest of the class moves on and that child may never fully understand what was taught which will set him behind for future work. The same applies for a student who quickly understands the subject matter but is not permitted to move on because the rest of the class is not ready. This results in a child who is bored and disinterested. The love of learning is diminished. Children who are bored in class will very often become disruptive to other students hindering their learning.
Homeschooled students have the freedom to move slower if that is what is needed. They can take their time to fully understand something. It is because the time they are able to spend on a topic that their understanding goes deeper and becomes more immersed in their knowledge. If they are ready to move on there is freedom to do that also. This is why you will often see homeschooled students taking college classes early.
Homeschooled Children Develop a Love of Learning
Homeschooled students are known for their love of learning. When you only get a shallow understanding of a topic it is difficult to really engage with the subject. For many homeschooled children they have the opportunities to get up and close with what they are learning. This comes in the form of many MANY field trips to museums, science centres, art galleries, theatres, university lectures, work experience, specific classes and many more ways.
Homeschooled children don’t learn to pass a test. They learn because they want to. They aren’t just trying to cram as much information into their brains in order to spew it out in an exam never to remember it again. This make learning much more enjoyable.
When homeschooled children find something that they are passionate about they can devoted extra time to it by going really in depth. There is not limit to what they can learn. If they suddenly decide they want to learn about planes there is no reason they can not spend spend several hours each day researching and learning all there is to know. They are not bogged down by homework and other classes.
Individualised Education
The mainstream education system works very well for the average student. It can not, as hard as it may try accomodate all children. It is unfortunate as for some families this is the only option they have. If you are a typical child you will most often do reasonable well with the public education system.
Children all learn differently. They have different needs and not one curriculum is going to ever fit every child in a classroom. Parents of homeschooled children have the freedom to pick and choose curriculum that works best for their specific child. A child who is taught in the way that they learn will always do better than if they are forced into a mould.
You may say “but that’s life, they need to learn to how to adapt”. Being forced to learn a specific way in generally only a “school” thing. Real life is a whole different story. An employer isn’t as much concerned as to how you completed a task, only that it was completed well. Take math for example, there are multiple ways to answer a problem. If a child does it different way but still gets the correct answer then why are they still wrong?
Many children especially those with special needs do not thrive in a school environment. Children on the Autism spectrum struggle significantly as do children with ADHD. A huge proportion of these children are prescribed drugs in order to help them to comply with the classroom environment. Whereas at home they are better able to manage behaviours and emotions. They are have the freedom to learn in an environment which is better suited to them. They learn differently therefore need to be taught differently. This does not by any stretch hinder them from being able to experience real life. Homeschooled children with special needs like this tend do much better socially.
Lack of Pressure
There are some states that require yearly testing of homeschooled student, however most don’t. Despite this many parents to regularly test their children to ensure they are on the right track and to see where there may be gaps that need filling. Testing in homeschool is not a big deal.
In many schools these days teachers and their schools are paid based on how well students perform in standardised testing. It is no wonder then why the phrase “teaching to the test” is so prevalent these days. These tests weigh so heavily on teachers and students that they pressure takes both the fun and enjoyment out of teaching and learning. What students fail to realise is that standardised tests can not test for some of the most important skills in life. Skills such as determination, persistence, creativity, and many others. When testing is held up so highly it puts academic achievement up so high that it becomes the be all and end all.
Homeschooled students also lack the intensity of peer pressure. That is not to say it doesn’t happen, homeschooled kids aren’t kept locked in the house 24/7. However they are less concerned with trying to fit in because they are not bombarded with social pressure day in and day out.
When children are free from the pressures of trying to fit in they become free to really figure out who they are. They find their voice in life much quicker. They are more mature for their age because they spend a good amount of time interacting with people from all ages. They are not intimidated by adults and feel comfortable asking questions. Their interactions are not based on age but on maturity. It is because of this that homeschooled children are able to be more adaptable and adapt to the situation that presents itself. When you are limited to mainly engaging and interacting with peers of a similar age you miss out on a vast array of experience, ideas and knowledge. This give homeschooled children the advantage of becoming more well rounded.
Less Distraction
Classrooms are full of distraction. My time as a teacher has shown me that at least 60% of the time in a class (especially in younger grades) is simply classroom management and behaviour management. In a classroom of 30 children there is always going to be something to distract a child from being focused.
You can complete all the required school work in a homeschool setting in a third of the time or less because there are less children. Your child also has less competition for your help and assistance as the teacher. They are able to receive immediate help when needed instead of having to wait behind a line of other students or for the teacher to finish dealing with other classroom issues that may have arisen.
Homeschooled Children Have More Freedom
A large majority of homeschooling families will tell you that this is one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling. There is freedom to deliver individualised curriculum, freedom to follow passions and freedom to just be kids.
Children who have more freedom are better able to self moderate and regulate. They learn how to occupy themselves and be creative with their time. Homeschooled children have the ability to go and follow what interests them because they have more hours in the day to devote to it. They spend less hours in the classroom but more hours learning. They can learn through play, and learn through doing. They don’t just read about it they go out and see it and do it. Homeschooled children will search out opportunities to increase their knowledge through finding experts in the field or enrolling in courses that teach they subject more in depth.
Overall homeschooled students have more time to devote to in depth learning.
More Direct Parental Involvement
Parental involvement has a direct correlation to how well a child succeeds academically. There is no parent more involved than a homeschool parent. They devote hours and hours for years to the education of their children. Children in public schools who have parents who are involved in their education will without a doubt do far better than a child who’s parents don’t bother.
When a child has constant parental involvement their biggest influencers become their parents rather than their peers. Parents are more readily able to direct their children in the right direction and they are less likely to fall into adverse situations can occur especially during the high school years. There becomes and a greater increase in respect between both parties as they tackle their educational goals together.
Value on Education
In homeschooling families there is a high value on the importance of education. When education is prioritised children will do well. As much as we would like it to be, the truth is that there are many families where education is not valued. Children from these families lose out on so many opportunities and experience that education would afford them.
It does not matter what method of education you choose for your child, if you as a family value the importance of education your child will do well.
Is Homeschool for Every Child?
This post may seem like an attack on the mainstream education system. It isn’t. Public school is an amazing place for many children. They offer opportunities that can not be offered in a homeschool. There are teachers and schools who work relentlessly for their students and do an incredible job.
Schools offer a different education. They have a mammoth task of trying to educate a nations children, they do the best they can with what they have.
Homeschooling isn’t for every child or every family. Not every child will thrive in a homeschool environment. However homeschooling can be a blessing for many families and children.
Homeschooled children do excel in many areas. They are well rounded, articulate, thinkers and great contributors to our society.
Homeschooling simply affords children a different and more individualised education. It is the method of education that accounts for why homeschooled children outperform the average public schooled student.
