Public School vs. Home-Schooling   by Claire Quaty

Most Americans do not home-school their children. However, those who do, certainly have good reasons. Although there are advocates on both sides of this educational issue, it is important to understand why some parents choose to home-school their children.

1)Religious or Philosophical Convictions: Since religion is no longer permitted in the public school system, many home-school parents feel that their children have been short-changed in this area. It is their wish to raise their children in an environment that not only allows religion, but also embraces it.

Having deep religious beliefs, parents who home-school for religious reasons are a very passionate people. It is this passion that feeds their children's educational needs. With the parent in charge, home-schooling can be based solely on religious activities if the parent so chooses. It is also this passion that will allow the parents to teach their children to the best of their abilities. Home-schooling allows the parent to be in charge.

2)Socialization The public school system appears to have allowed a stereotype to be attached to home-schooled children. This stereotype suggests that home-schooled children are confined rather than social. In truth, home-schooled children are exposed to a mixed age range instead of a classroom based on age. People who do not understand the home-school plan also do not understand that the home-schooled student has much more flexibility in being exposed to greater social situations than can be allowed into a classroom.

Another issue surrounding the decision to home-school is behavior. As a home-schooler, parents are able to expose their children to the behaviors they feel are appropriate. In the public school systems, model behavior has become a thing of the past. Inappropriate behavior in the public school systems has become the norm. Therefore, it is absolutely understandable that any parent who is able to home-school would want to act as a positive role model for their children instead of sending them off to a system which may ultimately teach them the art of cursing, back-talking, and overall misbehavior.

Being able to work one-on-one on a daily basis with their children, parents of home-schooled children can detect whether or not the lessons or values being taught are being understood. They have a better ability to connect with their children to make certain the children understand the lesson and/or the value without continuing until the task is not only learned but also understood.

Also, since home-schooled children are usually at home, they get a social lesson based on reality. Every day they are surrounded by people they love and trust who balance home-schooling and everyday life. The children's academics are balanced with everyday occurrences: chores, caring for the sick, grocery shopping, cooking, and multi-tasking. These are areas of a child's life that may often go unseen or unnoticed by the children who attend public school.

3)Academics: The public school system must use the curriculum given to them by the state. However, home-school parents are privy to a curriculum specially designed for their children. A child's age does not determine what grade level he or she should be working on in the home-school environment.

While public schools determine that children of a particular age should be working at a particular level, the home-schooled child can work at his or her own pace and complete the material without interruption. This is a great advantage over public education. This tailored curriculum for home-schooled children allows a child to work on several different levels at the same time without having to wait for other classmates to catch up. This also prevents the home-schooled child from falling behind.

Research has been conducted on the best way for children to learn. The teacher of a home-schooled child is the person who knows them better than anyone else, while the public-schooled child is usually taught by someone he or she doesn't even know and has never seen before. In whatever manner a child learns best, the home-schooled parent can tailor the curriculum to meet their child's need.

4)Family Time: Home-schooled children get to spend more quality time with their families. The traditional school setting does not allow for much family time, since the children are trapped in a public building for six or more hours a day. Home-schooled children are both at home and school on a regular basis.

About the Author

Read more from Claire Quaty at: reference-magazine.com