Homeschooling Children
Is homeschooling right for your children?
In the broadest sense, homeschooling is educating your children at home. Nationally, homeschooling is a rapidly growing, if controversial, movement. Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but each state has its own set of laws that must be followed. As with many things in life, homeschooling is not a black and white issue. Some parents assume that homeschooling is not an option for them, but like many other assumptions, this can be self-fulfilling.
The largest problem with homeschooling is the socialization of children. One of the strongest arguments against homeschooling is the lack of exposure to social situations involving their peers. I've had some members of my family and some friends ask questions about whether homeschooling is best and about the socialization issue. The solution for this problem is making sure your children get plenty of social exposure with their peers.
I recommend you get a few books about homeschooling to examine the issues in detail. There are dozens of books on home education today. Some of them cover the legalities involved. There are so many excellent books on homeschooling that it's hard to narrow it down to a few, but two of the first books I purchased were How to Create Your Own Unit Study and The Unit Study Idea Book.
There are numerous books and curriculums for homeschoolers that make your life easier since you don't have to design the curriculums yourself. You will have to buy home schooling books for each pre-written curriculum, so expect there to be some expensive involved.
Some parents are concerned that they might have problems finding resources to use for homeschooling. However, on the web you will find newsletter articles, reviews, resources, web sites, books and lots of other information to help your homeschooling efforts. In fact, many state departments of education also have resources online to assist in interpreting or meeting legal requirements for homeschooling. There are countless resources available for the homeschooling parents of special needs children as well.
Homeschooling is a lifestyle, and is an option for some families. Because of problems with public education homeschooling is a rapidly growing movement. It is no longer just an occasional word you see in an encyclopedia. One of the strongest arguments against homeschooling is the lack of exposure to social situations, so be sure that if you decide to home school your children that they receive plenty of social interaction with their peers. Homeschooling is a lot of hard work, but when done right is both rewarding and enjoyable.
Nag Matriculation School
