Friday, September 2, 2011

Home Schooling Programs: For Better or For Worse?

Home Schooling Programs: For Better or For Worse?

Article by Melissa Adamson

Homeschooling programs, in our current context, means learning outside of a formal classroom setting. In its strictest sense, however, the words "home" and "school" are really not accurate. Most families who engage in homeschooling programs as a means of alternative learning delivery system use vast resources available in their environment. Contrary to popular notion, home schooling, especially high school homeschooling, is not an easy task. Home schooling programs involves commitment and dedication especially on the part of the parents and guardians to see to it that their child's educational development can be at par with the formal public and private high school.

With the advent of the internet, homeschooling ventured in a different arena. Now, online school exists to meet the needs of people for online grade school, middle school, and high school courses. Indeed, online home school programs have been easily accessible. Through an online academy, private high school became just a click away. Online high school education include online middle school and other online high school courses that will render an online high school diploma upon completion of the homeschooling program.

But before you decide on which online high school you will enroll yourself or your child in, be equipped first with the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling, particularly in a virtual school. With emphasis on teenagers because theirs is the age bracket when they are very peer dependent, knowledge of advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling programs will help you decide if you will opt to go to a formal public or private high school or an online high school or virtual high school perhaps.

Advantages of Home Schooling
1. One on one mentoring has been recognized worldwide to be an effective process in education.
2. The curriculum of homeschooling programs can be tailored fit to suit students individual needs.
3. Children on homeschooling programs do not need to wait for other students to finish their work, for teachers to move on to another subject, and for recess or lunch. In an online school, they can move at their own pace and still have time left over in the day to explore other fields of interests.
4. Home schooling strengthens family relationships.
5. Children that go to online high school are less probable to be peer pressured.

Disadvantages of Home Schooling
1. Home schooling requires full commitment in terms of time, effort, and energy of the parents as they will see to it that their children learn properly.
2. Though home schooling, in one way or another, inhibit negative influences on home schoolers, children sometimes do not have as many friends as those going to traditional public or private high school.
3. Pressure on part of the parents to make their children within the same level as other kids despite the fact that they are in a homeschooling program.
4. Home schooling entails cost unlike in a public school. Opting to go to an online school most of the time requires you to purchase a computer software as well as other resources available to parents. These and costs of field trips for home schooling kids.
5. Sooner or later, a child may want to go to a traditional school to fit in with other kids.

Whether you choose to go home schooling or not is completely up to you. Despite its disadvantages, do not be afraid to try home schooling. There are a lot of things that home schooling programs can offer. Check out what best works for you.

Gulfside Academy
8870 N Himes Ave, #343
Tampa, FL 33614
(877) 449-7840
http://www.gulfsideacademy.com/

Contributor for various websites and magazines for over 3 years.

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