As soon as we enroll our children in a public school, somehow, we give out this sigh of relief, thinking that our children are getting quality education. But there is always more than one possibility in any situation. So probably they are learning the right way and the right things while we are getting our money’s worth. But what if it’s the other possibility? What if we realize that ‘quality education’ is just but a dream after paying real money for it? What happens to our children?

Socialization is deemed to be the biggest benefit of normal schools. The child gets to meet different kids from different backgrounds. He gets to be taught by people he initially has (or may never have) any emotional attachment to. He will be forced to behave in a social circle outside his own comfort zone. He will learn fear and embarrassment and probably pay the price later on. Nobody knows really because the environment can’t be controlled. Normal school environment, because of ‘need’ to fit in, will encourage the child to interact only with his peers. In a homeschool environment, the comfort of the child is used to his advantage. He can interact with anybody.

The artificial business imposed on the child by the normal school environment takes away the important moments of silence when he can think deeply about his interests before he expresses them. He can’t read literature for all the other kids might think he’s a nerd. The idea of bullies and weaklings are more pronounced in a public school environment where there is a variety of children from different backgrounds of upbringing.

Retention of knowledge may also be low in normal schools as usually, school-goers are forced to study within a time period to pass an exam which is on nearing deadline. It’s about what comes out of the school card at the end of the semester rather than how much a child has truly and willingly learned. Learning and understanding are two different things. A child may have learned just to keep up with the requirements but he may not have understood. This is where homeschoolers beat normal school-goers. Surprising for those who are used to the normal system of education, homeschoolers turn out to be more adept in facing the realities of the social world.

Parents naturally make good teachers. After all, the first lessons that a young child learns is usually what he has observed and imitated from his parents as young children look up to their parents as people who never go wrong. That is why in homeschooling, the participation of parents is highly recommended. However, this does not realistically happen all the time as some parents may be too busy with work to be the homeschool teacher. In any case, the success of homeschooling depends greatly on a good teacher— parents, being natural candidates.

Teaching is not just about being able to pass as much information to the child. Learning, in a lot of ways, is greatly anchored on the emotional reception of the child. Lessons have to be tenderly incorporated into the child’s daily life for him to truly absorb and be able to apply them. Parents’ natural gift of charisma to their own children comes into the picture. More so, their patience and natural concern to teach their child is very essential. Grandparents, because of their patient & tender nature, also make good teachers.

As your child’s teacher, it’s natural for you to have certain fears, especially that you know your child’s future depends on your directly, more than ever. Don’t be afraid if you know you don’t know everything. Nobody does. But the good news is that there are always readily available materials online and in your community to help you learn what’s needed. As a first timer, you may be tempted to settle for commercial resources, which is natural and advisable, as well. There are also ready-made softwares that can help you in logging and recording your child’s progress.

Local support groups can’t just provide you with the information you need but also, with the personal and moral support you’ll need as a first time homeschooler. You will be able to meet experienced homeschool teachers who will be more than happy to give you tips and sources of effective homeschooling materials. Once you get the hang of teaching, you’ll find out yourself how much of a natural-born good teacher parents become for the sake their child.

Although regulation and laws about homeschooling vary from one state to another, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states of the U.S. There are varying interpretations of these laws in different school districts. Homeschooling policies may also change every year.

Such changes and variety may prove to be confusing especially for first time homeschoolers. That is why it’s recommended to go to the National Home Education network to inquire on existing homeschooling regulations and to get updated on future changes. Since policies vary from state to state, it is important to concentrate on reading and understanding the laws pertaining to the state you’re in. Some even seek the help of lawyers to interpret the laws for them. To save on legal costs, you can seek the help of a local support group who may have legal representatives who can attend to your questions for free, if not for a lower fee. Many state education departments also have websites which can help you interpret the state’s requirements on setting up and maintaining a legal homeschool.

Once you and your child start on homeschooling, it’s best to be able to keep focused on both of your roles—your child as a student and you as a teacher. An unnecessary legal glitch in the future may break your mindset and have negative effects on the levels of your interest. Additionally, if you need to move to another state, don’t forget to check if there are any examinations your child is required to take.

Record-keeping is almost always brought up in homeschooling meetings. No matter how fluid the system of homeschooling is, record-keeping should still be done to keep track of your child’s development. In some states, it’s even required. Interest-driven homeschooling operators will most-likely put genuine effort in preparing topics and conducting classes. With the usually unformatted nature of homeschooling, it can prove to be challenging to prepare quarterly reports for the school district’s evaluation.

Above complying with regulations, record keeping is important in monitoring not just your child’s progress but also as an effective checking tool you can make use of to improve your own performance as a teacher. It is also fun to document the whole process as you will be encouraged to become even more observant. You will start to notice even the little points that make big impacts. If most of the learning is done through play and there is an even more indistinct identification of the topics involved, it will be recommended for you to keep a log to keep track of the child’s advancement.

Record keeping can be just like keeping a journal or a diary. Just like in conducting your classes, you can also be creative in your way of documentation by using different media like videos, audio and pictures. If you’re part of a group, you may have some set of forms as requirement.

To help you start on track, here are some basic record-keeping methods used by various homeschools:

Daily planner:

This works almost the same as a normal teacher’s planning notebook. You can prepare a daily table and tick on the items that have been covered. Maintain a separate area where you can record changes that can’t simply be concluded in checklists. This may include journals on field trips, media viewing, etc. Miscellaneous topics that have been discussed can also be written in this area. Make a summary report every month then every quarter.

Journal:

This can be maintained by the teacher, student or even both. This aims to keep a more personalized record on what has been learned or taught. Memorable events during the course of classes can be written, as well, just like how one would do it in a diary.

Portfolios:

Portfolios are a presentation that can be made of different materials and varied media. It will contain all the child’s achievement. This method gives a structure to the fluid nature of homeschooling. A drawing portfolio can consist of sketches, paintings or any visually communicative medium. A language portfolio, on the other hand, is almost like a journal that makes use of different writing techniques such as essays, stories, spelling samples, letters, quiz samples, etc. Progress in almost all subjects can be recorded through this method. Most of all, a tangible record of a child’s achievement is like a trophy. It will inspire the child to do even better.

Apart from the methods mentioned above, there are also ready-to-be-used checklists that are commercially available. Some can even be personalized, especially those that come in the form of softwares.

Record keeping, in whichever method you perceive it to suit you and your child’s needs most, is always as important. In the end, your child’s homeschooling records are not just a well-kept memorabilia your family can treasure alongside your family vacation albums. It could be your child’s future well-kept and well-prepared for.

One of the major concerns in homeschooling is maintaining the discipline of the child in studying even if his classes are held probably just a few feet away from the remote control or the video game console. It’s easy for a child to misinterpret homeschooling as a very long vacation especially if Mom or Dad has not explained to him properly what homeschooling is.

Indeed, homeschooling gives you and your child flexibility, not just on how to conduct your classes but also on how you can arrange your schedule. All these decisions has to be made in the beginning so you can explain to your child even during the earlier stages what all these ‘new activities’ are all about. If your child is too young to participate in the decision-making, try to prepare a certain schedule you can both follow and stick to it until the child adapts to at as a natural part of his regular activities. Once he’s old enough to make decisions, you can start asking him what he wants to learn and when he wants to learn.

Just like in normal schools, homeschoolers have to have homeworks, too. It will teach him to be responsible even after classes are over. After each lesson, some part of the course must be done by the child alone to somehow test how much he’s learned.

You will need to make sure that your child does his homework not because he feels he’s required to. He has to have a fair level of interest in completing his assignments.

Lasting values of a child are mostly developed at home. Molding the child’s character—teaching him about respect, punctuality, manners and other aspects of good character— shouldn’t be a far-fetched goal in homeschooling. The child should be taught to behave properly not just with family members but with other people, as well. His attention has to be called if his deeds are unsatisfactory.

It is advisable to allot a special room at home for homeschooling classes. The child should be expected to be at his desk on time, in proper attire and with all the requirements for class. It is easy for a child to forget that he’s still, afterall, a student if these simple details are neglected. As a teacher, principal, supervisor, janitor and guidance councilor all rolled into one, you should have the fair balance of professionalism and compassion as a parent.

Without patience and genuine interest to make it work, homeschooling will fail. Due to the environment and set-up, it’s very easy for a child to be too familiar and too comfortable. During those times, he may lose focus and not be able to listen attentively. When such situation happens, try talking about another topic or starting on a different activity. If all else fails, take a break. You may both need to.

Homeschooling is not as easy as most people may think. It’s never easy. The fact of homeschooling being an alternative form of education is confusing enough for most people. The key is to establish rules and relationships at the earlier stages and not when it’s already too late for you and your child to adjust.

Dr. Maria Montessori’s Montessori Method has been applied in various private and public school teaching curriculum. Her philosophy, most commonly referred to as the “Discovery of a Child” aims at providing a reflection of lessons that children learn in actual life. Now, this method is not only used in normal school systems but also considered as a type of homeschooling. In this technique, the teacher, instead of controlling the child, tries to control the environment wherein the child picks his first set (and usually lasting) perceptions from. Studies show that children, who are left to freely interact with their environment, grow up to be self-disciplined, with a love for order and a natural curiosity.

The Montessori Method of education is aimed at children from birth to adolescence. It proves to be extra-effective to preschoolers who are at a stage of innate curiosity and willingness to discover his environment. It will be helpful to the development of your child if you can find ways for him to be part of simple household chores wherein he can actually become part of the lessons he’s learning. This will thrill him even more. It also helps in boosting the child’s self-esteem which later on, will encourage him to be more receptive to learning and interaction.

By the Montessori 3-6 class, the exposure to artistic, scientific and cultural activities will flourish. All materials that will be detrimental to his learning will be limited in contact. The child, however, will not be forced to work or learn. Instead, he will be encouraged to have the initiative to discover the new things he’s surrounded with. He will be motivated to show the things or activities that really interest him. His natural inclinations, whether artistic, scientific or cultural will start to surface at this stage and the teacher’s role is to pick up these kinds of cues to know the child’s potentials. It is the job of the teacher to make sure that the environment stimulates the natural curiosity of the child.

Once the child discovers in himself the genuine willingness to learn, he will fall in love with the process of learning and developing his many facets as an intellect, an artist and a human being.

Homeschooling is just as the name suggests. It’s studying at home. For most people who are more exposed to the format of public education, wherein everyday, there is an inevitable interaction with other children, homeschooling seems to suggest alienation. As the saying goes, no man is an island. Many critics believe in the essential role socialization plays in developing the skills of a child. In homeschooling where such opportunity to socialize seems limited, some critics perceive homeschooling as detrimental to the growth and development of a child. But studies have proven such generalization to be wrong.

Children who are forced to perform in a competitive school environment often lack the confidence to hold a conversation. Children who are not able to overcome such environment end up with little genuine interest in communicating themselves to other people, especially those coming from different age groups like their elders.

Children who are taught in the comforts of their home and with customized methods of teaching that effectively gets the information through their understanding become more aware of why they have to learn. So in time, they don’t just learn to digest information as simply additional components in their memory but as valuable information they themselves have learned to appreciate. They will start to have the initiative to ask more questions and seek answers by accurate observation. Children learn by imitation. Homeschooled children can learn by good example from their parents. At the same time, they are protected from the detrimental influences of the outside world.

Homeschooled children then become equipped with tools necessary for them to function effectively once they step out to explore the world. The positive encouragement that they get from their family as opposed to being embarrassed or left out in fierce unnecessary competition in a normal school environment strengthens not just their self-esteem but their interest and value for learning. Children grow up to be more balanced and well-rounded optimistic adults.

Do whatever suits you best.

As shocking as it is to most people, the answer is as simple as that and probably, that’s the same reason why it’s often missed. But if you go back to the basics of homeschooling, it does make sense. It is essentially that simple reason that attracts parents to this alternative method of educating their children. Flexibility is the key. It is not about sacrificing your summer vacation or taking the autumn leave just because everybody does. For professional unschoolers, even a specific curriculum is not necessary for the method itself makes use of daily life as part of learning. Beginners, however, need to have some getting-used-to by first charting out their activities until they can form a comfortable pattern.

Some important issues must be considered in structuring your classes. Again, a lot of questions will start to pop up. What method of home schooling will you choose? What will be your teaching style and your child’s learning style? How do you balance the work and play schedules? How about your vacation plans? Some families prefer a one-time-big-time vacation that can last even more than a month. Some prefer dividing vacations into shorter periods spread over the whole year.

Following the traditional summer vacation schedule has some advantages. You can prevent your child from being totally disconnected from his own social life. By following the traditional schedule, you child’s break will coincide with that of his peers’. He can have the chance to join summer camps and classes with his school-going friends. A longer summer break will give both parents and their children a refreshing break from their lesson. This can also be unfavorable, though, since it might pose problems getting back on track once lessons begin again. Vacation-lags can prove to be difficult to shake-off especially that the environment does not change significantly in homeschooling.

Numerous shorter breaks have some perks, too. The constantly changing schedule prevents children from getting bored since they are given time to explore their different interests. It’ll also help families to choose alternative dates for vacation instead of being stuck in peak seasons when almost everybody’s rushing to vacation hot spots. It’ll help in saving time and money. Unfortunately, since the schedule is irregular, it also means that your child might not have enough adjustment period. It means that even before he gets in perfect focus to fully digest the current lessons, there might already be another set of schedules and lessons he has to get acquainted with.

Homeschooling puts the whole family in charge. It should work as closely as possible to the schedule that suits everybody. However, don’t forget the most important role of homeschooling which is to give your child the most custom-tailored education that fits his learning patterns. So try to stick to what you think would be best for your child. The structure may change periodically as you get to learn more about his studying behaviors and limitations through periodic evaluations. The key factor is not to push too hard and to leave your child and yourself enough breathing space to enjoy learning new things together.