Homeschooling
Below are our most frequently asked questions, and their respective answers.
What about Socialization?
Socialization is usually one of the biggest concerns for parents when considering homeschooling. Parents feel that school gives children the opportunity to socialize, and are worried their children won’t be able to do so if homeschooled. But what exactly do we mean by socialization? Homeschooled children are still interacting with people on a daily basis.
They are always interacting with their family, neighbours, and through various activities. In fact, there are very few settings in life where people are segregated by age other than in the traditional school classroom.
In most settings in life, people are interacting with others of all different ages; whether that be in the family, post-secondary, the workforce, or in the community. The homeschooled child has an opportunity to regularly interact with people of all ages and get comfortable doing so, better preparing them for the real world. Many homeschoolers feel this is a more natural way to do things.
In addition to regular life, our homeschool group includes children from all ages. We organize events to encourage socialization, such as our weekly Friday Funday, as well as field trips.
Our homeschool group will also do swimming lessons, skating, and other activities together depending on the time of year. There are many opportunities for children to socialize and form friendships.
Why Homeschool?
Homeschooling is one of several legitimate options for educating your children. If you are considering homeschooling, here are a few things to consider:
- Homeschooling allows families flexibility to educate in a way that fits into their unique lives. Parents are able to do life together with their children in a more cohesive way that integrates education, manners, character training, faith, and relationship building in a more intentional way.
- Homeschooling provides more opportunities for families to spend time together, and bond. The years are short! You will never regret spending too much time with your children!
- Children with special needs sometimes struggle in traditional school settings. The homeschooling environment can allow for a more flexible environment that is tailor made to fit the child’s needs.
- Homeschooling can allow for a slower pace of life. We live in a busy world, with many families fitting in activities after school, which makes for busy days. With homeschooling, many extracurricular activities can be fit in during the school day, leaving evenings more free, and life less hectic.
Is Homeschooling Expensive?
Homeschooling can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be!
There are many wonderful homeschool curricula that you can purchase. You can purchase a kit that includes everything you need for every subject for the year. This can cost hundreds of dollars per child.
On the other end of the spectrum, you can simply use the province’s curriculum which is provided to you for free if requested. In addition, there are many free resources online that are excellent. For example, the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling relies mostly on books that you can get at your local library.
Homeschooling is flexible, and can be done in a way that suits your income level. You can purchase as much or as little curriculum as you want. Do your research, and find what works for your family.
Can Anyone Homeschool?
Absolutely!
The beauty of homeschooling is that it is flexible. Many homeschool parents stay at home full time to educate their kids. However, not all do! Some parents work part time, or from home, or share the responsibility with a spouse.
There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschool families.
Homeschooling does not require any special training. You are the parent, and you know your children. There are many wonderful homeschool curricula that are designed for parents that enable them to do an excellent job teaching their kids.
If you are dedicated and willing to learn alongside your children, you can do it!
What about College?
One of the biggest concerns for homeschool families is whether or not their children will be able to enter post secondary school. This is a legitimate concern. There was a time when getting into college or university was difficult for homeschooled children, but as homeschooling becomes more mainstream, it has become much easier. In fact, some institutions actively pursue recruiting homeschooled children! Every institution will have it’s own process to follow, but usually the application process will involve showing some kind of standardized test results, along with a letter from the student.
NLESD Homeschooling Related Links
