Teaching Children at Home - What Are the Advantages?

There are a number of advantages in being taught at home, both for the development of the student and the parent/teacher. There are also a number of drawbacks, not the least of which is the lack of appropriate peer interaction both during class and in leisure time.

Parents take the decision to teach their own children for a variety of reasons. Some live near schools which they have deemed, for whatever reason, to be unsuitable to educate their children. Some just believe they can do a better job themselves.

In my own family, the decision to try home education was taken when my brother decided to travel through Europe for a couple of years, taking his family with him. To spare the children constant upheaval being transferred from one school to another, he and his partner decided to take on the responsibility of teaching classes themselves.

They did not go to Europe in the end but the home education method turned out to be so successful, they continued with it. The children are bright, receptive and have certainly not suffered one bit for having been taught at home.

There are a few ground rules which must apply if you are considering teaching your children at home. Class discipline is ultra important, so if you are the type who cannot control your children and discipline them into a school routine, you are wasting your time. Faithful observance of the curriculum is imperative. Remember the subject matter will be covered during formal examination at a later date.

School outings can be a bit of a challenge. Such occasions may be taken for granted in the usual school routine, but when you teach at home you still need to expose your children to the same round of museums and places of interest. Taking your children on skiing trips to Austria can be a bit pricey without the usual school bulk discount!

Another disadvantage is the interaction which takes place between children in the process of classroom learning. This interaction is not always favourable, admittedly, but sometimes it is and its absence can leave gap in the educational experiences of your child. Alternatively, the less than pleasant elements of school life are also absent, such as playground bullying, having to share bathroom facilities with one and a half thousand other people, and school dinners.

For those of us who send their children to a private school, not having to pay school fees would be welcome relief.

Author Info:

Jan Gamm writes reflections on life with an emphasis on world travel. She has lived in many countries and traveled extensively in the Far East, the Middle East, America, South America and throughout the South Pacific. She writes for fun and for money whenever she can manage it.