What are the pros and cons of homeschooling?

Answer 1

For me, the pros are:

I get to be with my kids. I wanted kids because I love kids. I even became a teacher because I love kids. I much prefer spending my days with my kids than other people's kids. I much prefer raising my kids instead of kids from 30 other families and having somebody else raise my kids.

My kids learn at their pace which means they really get to master things before moving on. Since the early school years are the foundation for the rest, I think it's vital that kids be given the chance to master the basics instead of rushed through or sitting around bored because they're done first.

Because my kids aren't surrounded by kids their own age but are, in themselves, a multi-age grouping and when out they are part of multi-age groupings, they aren't growing up believing a lot of the nonsense that goes on in school: kids in younger grades or in different classes shouldn't be played with, for example. Also, because they're not surrounded by so many same-age peers every day, they do not have children as immature as them as their primary role models. This also means that they don't care about fashions or material items that are perhaps being made a fuss of in class, they're not spending their time trying to impress others, they're not having to succumb to peer pressure. (And to those who say they need to have the experience of standing up to peer pressure, most homeschooled kids gain a higher level of maturity earlier than schooled kids and are able, once they've attained that maturity, to push off any sort of pressure--because they haven't felt the need to impress peers.)

I am present at most of the social activities and can see what's going on. I know if my kids are doing something they shouldn't almost right away. They can be coached on appropriate behaviour much more that way than in a school setting.

My kids get to make friends and interact with people of all ages.

Probably others I'm forgetting.


Cons for me:

People making negative comments about homeschooling when they really don't know what they're talking about.

Hm... That's the only real con. There are challenging aspects of homeschooling, like picking resources, setting up social activities, having to drive to places a lot, but I don't consider them cons because I like challenges and I enjoy the learning involved.

Answer 2

Well I've been homeschooled my whole life and I think the social problem doesn't have to be. It's helped me to build a stronger character, because when I was younger I dealt with a lot of kids making fun of me for being homeschooled and they still call me sheltered just because I'm homeschooled, but really you have to make your own choices about your life no matter what kind of schooling you get. I've learned not to let it get to me when I get insulted like that, and if I'm sheltered then I don't see what's so bad about it because I don't really want to be exposed to all that garbage out there anyway. However, there is some other stuff that I don't see very often like those people who are in deep trouble and they need people to help them, if you go to school you will come across cutters and depressed people who are considering suicide, people like that who desperately need a helping hand, and if you go to school you have an opportunity to help them, whereas I had issues with my mom for years and never realised it wasn't normal. So basically, just like everybody else, if you homeschool your kids you better walk the line! Another pro is that it is very convenient if your student has a serious hobby they want to pursue. I can take ballet three days a week and not have to worry about boatloads of homework. And ussually you can get plugged in with a homeschool group that has things for the students to do like our's has ballroom dance, ballet, choir, co-op, and an annual play so homeschooling doesn't have to be boring.

Answer 3

Pros
- Most kids do better in a quiet work enviroment instead of having to try to learn in the hustle and bustle of public school. Most kids that go to public school only go because they have to, and would rather spend time at home listening to music, so they have no problem at all disrupting other students who actually want to learn.
- Most parents look at the fact that they get to spend more time with their child, and more time for them to influence their child than Billy the (future) Drug Dealer influncing them.
- In public school most kids ease more toward the active socializing than the actual learning part of school. Homeschoolers still have social-lifes, but the fact of the matter is they actually learn when they're supposed to, and be social when they are allowed to.

Cons
- Some parents don't know some of the material that there child is learning, for example: Algebra. My parents knew nothing about Algebra, luckily I learnt about it during the time that I went to public school.
- Does take some time out of parents schedule.
- A little bit, just a little bit costly.

Answer 4

Here's my 2 cents

Pros:
-one on one learning
-can be in co-op groups for learning
-can go at own pace--If you've mastered something you move on if you need more help you work on it--something that in a classroom can't do
-you know who your children are "socializing" with
-you know what the curriculum is
-you have the opportunity to study what is of interest ....EX child enjoys egyptians--they can study it until they ar an expert if they want--not time constraints to move on.
-child stays age appropriate--doesn't grow up to fast
-have the chance to experience life instead of just reading about it in a book
-don't have to deal with peer pressure regarding clothes shoes etc
-You get to be there for all the firsts...first time they read a sentece first time they get that math problem right on their own...etc
-There is so much more but you get the idea

CONS
-a big time commitment for teaching parent
-lots of driving to get them to activities
-depending on how you home school can be costly (although doesn't have to be)
-outside critisim (but those that are against can change their opinions if properly educated on the subject)

On my list the pros totally outweigh the cons, however homeschooling is not for everyone.

Answer 5

THE PROS AND CONS ARE THIS @HOME YOU GET A CLOSER REALTION SHIP W/ UR CHILD and you know what is being taught but then you have to realize your child is not w/friend and they tent to have a hard time making friends when they r older you can control their ever though if you hs but if they go to class you have to let them learn how to summit to authority other than you i think hs kids may have the protectrion of home but dont learn how to say no to the lil things as a child and when big things come in their path like drugs ect ect they tend to be easily tempted
i teach sunday school and have both home school kids and school kids and you can tell the hsers they tend to be bashful and they dont know how to take turns
i have 3 sons and i tried christian school and public school but i never would put them at home i never though it was fair for them to have me in theere stuff 24 7 good look make sure you pray about it its a hard desion

Answer 6

The answer should be obvious. Homeschooling, while not allowing you to get into sports and form a bunch of buddies (which you can do anyway), does allow you to make better grades without all of the stresses and distractions found in school.

Answer 7

I'm home-schooled, i do a program called Penn foster . my brother did too. he finished his high school classes (grade 9-12)in less than a year .he is now in college. he started college at age 15. homeschooling is fast and only cast about $900 dollars for 4 years worth of education and includes a class ring .

Answer 8

Homeschooling helps a student focus on their work more, since you're basically the only student. The teacher would be more focused on you. However, homeschooling affects social development. it is much harder to find friends when you are homeschooled, since most people find their friends from going to school

Answer 9

Homeschooling is a wonderful concept in that children are not exposed to the negative elements in life, however, I believe children need to be exposed to negative as well as positive in order to make good decisions.

Answer 10

I've heard there is a lackof social development. I dont know how true that is, especially when the kid can just go outside and play.

Hmmmm... Maybe the child will feel left out because they aren't getting to go through the rite of passage (school).

I dont know...