Home Schooling

Home Schooling/Educating has become a popular education choice since Covid19 forced distance learning on us – so what exactly is Home Schooling/Educating?

Since the Covid19 pandemic, some parents have chosen to home school/home educate permanently. So, what exactly is home schooling or home educating? Firstly, it must be noted that home-schooling is different to remote learning (which is what was happening during the pandemic). Remote learning is an education delivered remotely by school teachers, usually using an online platform. Home-schooling/educating is about a parent choosing to meet their child’s educational needs themselves, with or without the assistance of online course providers such as Course Detective Home Schooling options from Primary Prep to A Level.

A parent home educating can provide a one-to-one learning environment which is not confined to the classroom. They can focus on values and behaviours, or religion and culture and are not restricted to the school curriculum. Most parents would want to educate their child with the basics of English, Maths and Science and can do so by immersing them in nature and current affairs as well as using the assistance of online providers such as Course Detective. Course Detective provides teaching resources, lesson plans and curriculum ideas. These can all of course be adapted to the child and the environment they are learning in.

A major concern for many parents who are home educating is the social and socialising development of their child. As the trend towards more parents choosing to home educate grows, more and more groups are appearing who organise meet ups for educational learning and playing. Home educating may lead to more developed relationships with older people too, as the child is more likely to spend time in adult company, than if they were at school.

Even though there are more resources becoming available for the social and support side of home educating, it is important to consider the mental health of not only the child being home educated but the parent providing the home education. There is no doubt that there is real pressure for the parent to perform well and to continue to achieve a good standard of education for their child, often while continuing a career of their own. One must also ask whether the social side of a child’s development can be hindered by not having peers surrounding them daily. However, home-schooling can certainly remove the possibility of bullying which is all too prevalent in schools and is not always adequately managed and appears to often be the reason for choosing to home school.

A home education is not for everyone, and every family is different – some children thrive at school, some do not. Some parents have found home educating to be the making of their children, others have not and have returned their child to the education system of mainstream school. If a home education is chosen it is important to remember there is support out there from friendly groups on social media to online providers like course detective, helping to find educational material.

 

1. Some parents have decided to home school/home educate permanently since the Covid19 pandemic. So, what is the difference between home schooling and home educating? It is important to understand the distinction between home schooling and distance learning (which is what was happening during the pandemic). Education offered remotely by school teachers, usually via an internet platform, is known as remote learning. Home-schooling/educating is when a parent decides to meet their child’s educational needs on their own, with or without the help of online course providers like Course Detective Home Schooling options ranging from Primary Prep to A Level (coursedetective.co.uk)

 

2. A parent who home educates their child can provide a one-on-one learning environment outside of the classroom. They are not limited to the school curriculum and can focus on values and behaviours as well as religion and culture. Most parents want to teach their children the fundamentals of English, math, and science, and they can do so by immersing them in nature and current events, as well as using internet resources like Course Detective. Course Detective is a website that offers teaching materials, lesson plans, and curriculum ideas. All of these can, of course, be tailored to the child and the learning environment.

 

3. Many parents who home educate their children are concerned about their child’s emotional and social development. As more parents choose to home school their children, a growing number of clubs are forming to organise educational learning and play sessions. Because the child is more likely to spend time in adult company at home than at school, home educating may lead to more developed relationships with older adults. Using any provisions available, be that clubs or social media groups, could be extremely important for a child’s emotional and social development.

 

4. It is critical to consider not just the mental health of the child who is being home educated, but also the mental health of the parent who is giving the home schooling. There is no doubt that parents are under a lot of pressure to perform well and continue to provide a solid education for their children, frequently while working full-time. It is also worth considering whether a child’s social development may be limited by not having peers around them daily. However, home schooling can eliminate the danger of bullying, which is all too common in schools and is not always effectively addressed and appears to be a common motivation for home schooling.

 

5. Home schooling is not for everyone, and each family is unique; some children flourish in school, while others do not. Some parents have found home schooling to be beneficial to their children, while others have not and have returned their children to the regular school system. If home schooling is decided upon, it is vital to remember that there is help available, ranging from supportive groups on social media to internet providers such as course detective that assist in the discovery of educational materials.