Benefits of Homeschooling Over Traditional Education Paper Example

When a child turns three or four, their parents begin to look into all of their options for the child's education. Most parents take into account whether a school is private or public, the location of the school, and the quality of the education that the school provides. Recently, however, a new option for education, homeschooling, has become popular because of the flexibility and diversity that is included in it. Homeschooling refers to a situation where the parents opt to teach their children while at home rather than having them go through a formal school system (Nappen 74). Homeschooling has been around for many years and is a way that parents can teach their children at home using a learning plan that is catered specifically to the needs of their child.

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Although homeschooling has long been considered an option for k-12 education, it is only recently that more and more parents are actually using it as a means to educate their children. Even though homeschooling is becoming more popular among families, it is still questioned by other parents as to the validity of the information that is being taught. Some people do not believe that the education that the homeschooled child is receiving is at par with the standards of regular schools and that if someone does not have a teaching degree, then they are not qualified to teach their child. While these concerns are valid, they are not a basis to dismiss homeschooling altogether. To understand why homeschooling is becoming popular, one must first recognize the benefits of homeschooling over a generic education. Because of the positive contribution of homeschooling to the development of a leaner, it is preferable to the traditional schooling.

To begin with, homeschooling is likely to boost the test scores of the students. It does not depend on the method of homeschooling that a parent settles on as shown by standardized tests (Martin-Chang et al. 200). Using structured homeschooling system is likely to present opportunities in favor of academic performance which could otherwise not be realized by students who attend conventional schools or rather public schools. Using a structured curriculum in homeschooling children increases their chances of better performance and even tend to do better than those in public schools. A study on students in students in a medium-level doctoral institution also informs on the benefits of homeschooling. The study took place in a single institution with a sample size of 76 participants (N = 76). The researchers used descriptive analysis techniques to convert their data into findings. Children who had been homeschooled had higher ACT scores, their GPAs were also higher and their graduation rates surpassed their conventional school counterparts (Cogan 24). The multi-regression analysis shows that homeschooled students scored highly during their first year as well as their fourth-year grade point average (GPAs).

Students who are homeschooled perform better than those who attend a traditional school. Basing on a number of variables, data from a conservative Catholic based arts college and a population instead of a sample to collect the required information which showed that homeschooled children have a higher tolerance than their colleagues on divergent moral and political standings (Gaither 226). This virtue depends on the time frame that the student has been homeschooled. However, the research findings could not be generalized beyond the institution that the research was conducted. Nevertheless, it revealed that homeschooled learners had higher intelligence levels on other variables such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, as well as embracing new experiences.

Students in a homeschooled system outdo their counterparts in a number of ways. Timed response for the homeschooling system has a higher percentage of scales for writing, talk academic, reading aloud, silent reading, as well as task management. For conventional schools, the academic engagement time (AET) is less as compared to a homeschooled setting (Moreau 20). With more direct instructions in homeschooling the disabled and disadvantaged students in such surrounding stand a chance of benefiting more as compared to if they could have attended a formal school.

Additionally, homeschooling has a number of benefits as compared to traditional schooling system as explained by a number of factors such as individualized instructions, the sizes of the class is smaller, and more time is allocated to core subjects, for instance, writing and reading. Due to the involvement of the parents in the education of their children, the latter have high chances of becoming successful academically (Romanowski 91). They not only take part in the education affairs of their children but also address more deals in their lives.

Also, homeschooled learners are better prepared for prospective leadership roles than those who attend home schools, public, and private institutions of learning. There exists research which shows that the homeschoolers performed better compared to their counterparts since they tend to participate more actively in leadership affairs later in life while in college (Gaither 228). Thus, homeschooling proves to generally prepare a child for future roles. Also, some surveys have contrasting views on the religious development of children raised through a homeschooled system and those that attended a traditional schooling system. The students in a homeschooled set up are more likely to pursue the religious views of their parents and uphold the Christian moral teachings and, later on, achieve more satisfaction in life while, on the other hand, the Christian learners who are brought up in secular schools are less likely to maintain their faith when they reach adulthood (Gaither 231). This means that only what is relevant is acquired thus making homeschooling a good option.

When students attend school, they are likely to lose their right to privacy. Homeschooling provides the children with the required level of privacy which is not guaranteed with the conventional schooling system (Nappen 75). This is because their privacy rights are upheld as protected by the Supreme Court. According to the 1961 declaration of the Supreme Court, an invasion of a home by even an inch is considered unlawful and by extension, exploring details of home previously unknown even without physically intruding the premises is prohibited when conducted without a warrant (Nappen 78). Students who attend homeschooling are awarded more personal privacy as compared to those in public schools as they have more constitutional protection. Though their exists constitutional provisions that limit school administrations from leaking student's records, a few exemptions still exist where law enforcement officers may gain access to the records of the students. Even with a certain level of suspicion, a law officer under the Patriot Act is at liberty to have an access to such information and thus student's record are not as protected as they were before (Nappen 78). Under the same act, the school administration does not necessarily have to notify the students on instances that their records have been released to such officers. It, therefore, implies that the enjoyment of a constitutional right to privacy is limited for traditionally schooled learners.

Homeschooling provides an opportunity for an individualized education since parents can use most of their time and attention to teach their children. The parents are aware of their children's strengths and weaknesses, and, therefore, are in a position of continuously evaluating them and making adjustments where necessary (Martin 10). This is because in a homeschooling environment, "parents can choose the amount of structure that is best for them and their children. Each program can be individualized to suit the needs and interests of each child. Each child can progress at his own rate instead of at the rate of the group" (Martin 10). Parents are at liberty to choose the best mode of learning for their different children. This is because each child is unique and learns at their own pace, yet such an opportunity cannot be afforded in a conventional school.

Homeschooling offers more flexibility as compared to traditional schooling. The parents who are the main tutors are not fixed to any schedule or routine which gives the children ample time of developing ample time and skills (Martin 10). Homeschooling parents are at liberty of using any venue as their classroom and are not restricted to teach at their respective homes. Homeschooling is very flexible because "learning is a year-round experience and the homeschool provides this. The continuum of experience is an important factor in learning and need not be interrupted by the calendar" (Martin 10). This makes learning interesting as opposed to the routine traditional education system.

Furthermore, with homeschooling, learning does not have to follow the traditional curriculum. Parents are able to select their own curriculum that best addresses the requirements of their children. They are at liberty to settle on the material that reflects their morals and values, and their children are exempted from a number of issues such as bullying, keeping in touch with the academic information, and being pestered by school calendar activities when the children are on a vacation (Moreau 30). This form of schooling, thus, provides a virtuous alternative especially for students who are victims of violence, cyberbullying and bullying in the conventional schooling system. Such children will be safe at home and this will make the learning more productive.

Additionally, nonacademic benefits for this system of schooling entails the absence of religion-centered education. Parents can offer personal assistance to their children where necessary. It is possible for the same children to be educated on religion, citizenship as well as ethical values while they are just at home. The parents are able to form groups and hence support each other. "Homeschool parents are aware of the issue of socialization and are strongly committed to providing positive socialization opportunities for their children" (Moreau 29). Since the parents are well versed with how to handle socialization challenges that their children may face, they try to provide a positive socialization atmosphere by ensuring that their children take part in social events regularly.

The homeschooled children are protected from the treats of peer pressure. It holds positive attributes of socialization. Children who are homeschooled spend most of their time in a constructive environment as compared to those in public schools and therefore are able to socially take part in multiage situations more confidently (Romanowski 91). The interactions with individuals of all ages prepare these children to future associations which the traditional schools do not have (Romanowski 91). They, therefore, are more likely to develop a sense of self-worth which is a key requirement for positive sociability.

With homeschooling, the confidence level of the children is raised. Home schools do not value grades so much as traditional schools do, but instead, urge their students to learn with the aim of gaining knowledge (Romanowski 92). Those who learn while at home are able to maintain their joy for learning which their counterparts progressively lose as they continue with their education. This means that homeschooled children have a more favorable experience in college as compared to those who schooled under the conventional schooling system (SanClemente 220). Due to their high confidence levels, homeschooled children do not suffer adjustments issues when they join universities and colleges.

Conclusion

Generally, homeschooling is a better system as compared to the traditional schooling...