Home schooling is all about educating a child at home instead of private or government schools by us or professional tutors. This kind of education system is gaining momentum these days. There are many advantages as well as disadvantages of home schooling for children. There are various reasons why majority of us opt for home schooling rather than teaching their children in any private or government organization. One of them may be inability to afford the fees charged by the educating systems. Another may be the family traveling most of the times. So, it becomes impossible for us to keep switching schools for their children. Whatever the reason may be, home schooling has proved very beneficial who were educated individually.
Homeschooling or home school (also called home education or home learning) is the education of children at home, typically by us but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school. Although prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or community,homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed countries to formal education.
Some of the Homeschooling is a legal option in many places for us to provide our children with a learning environment as an alternative to publicly-provided schools. We cite numerous reasons as motivations to home school, including better academic test results, poor public school environment, improved character/morality development, and objections to what is taught locally in public school. It may be a factor in the choice of parenting style. It is also an alternative for families living in isolated rural locations or living temporarily abroad.
Homeschooling may also refer to instruction in the home under the supervision of correspondence schools or umbrella schools. In some places, an approved curriculum is legally required if children are to be home-schooled.A curriculum-free philosophy of homeschooling may be called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator John Holt in his magazine Growing Without Schooling.
Children desire and gain tremendously when individual attention is showered on them. Also, if the child remains ill most of the times then it becomes impossible for him to cope with the regular school routines that the conventional schools have to offer. Sometimes the child feels uncomfortable in when surrounded by other children and teachers. In these cases we consider home schooling or home education appropriate for the child.
Teachers are having more difficulty in managing class rooms. With the student to teacher ratio continuously increasing, teachers are finding it more and more challenging to give attention to all the needs of students in the class. Class room assistants are also decreasing in number making the job of a teacher even more difficult. Good classroom management strategies are a must if teacher wants to succeed in reaching out to their students.
If we have decided definitely about home schooling our child but then all our friends carry on about the social skills they will miss out on developing. What a load of baloney tell them!!
It would be more safer mode of education.
We who are researching and beginning the process of home schooling are concerned with younger children. Once the teenage years arrive and we are talking about high school, the preference is to head them off to school. But why should this be? The child is still the same person – simply a bit older. Well, maybe a slight bit more different – especially being a teenager – but we get the idea.
Having decided to embark on the home schooling pathway there are a myriad of decisions we must make. We have equipped a suitable learning area, purchased necessary equipment, invested in a good efficient computer system, installed a fast internet connection and things are running quite smoothly. Our child then asks about the up and coming school vacation – “hey mum – Johnny has school vacation next month - can I too”? Well – a very sensible logic question to be asked!
There are many, many questions on our mind when we undertake our child to home school. Has the study area been set up properly, do we have enough equipment and the necessary tool available. Are we competent enough to tackle this enormous task? Will our child socialize enough since they are not in a formal classroom?
All of these questions and a myriad of other ones will plague the parent’s minds.
There are many children for which a traditional classroom is not suitable for their education. As many as there are children – there are reasons. Maybe there are medical reasons such as mobility issues, behavior problems and even social issues which prevent a child from attending traditional schools. The reason may simply be one of choice; we and our child may decide a usual classroom is not for them.
Home schools use a wide variety of methods and materials. There are different paradigms, or educational philosophies, that families adopt including unit studies, Classical education (including Trivium, Quadrivium), Charlotte Mason education, Montessori method, Theory of multiple intelligences, Unschooled, Radical Unschooled, Waldorf education, School-at-home, A Thomas Jefferson Education, and many others. Some of these approaches, particularly unit studies, Montessori, and Waldorf, are also available in private or public school settings.
It is not uncommon for the student to experience more than one approach as the family discovers what works best for them. Many families do choose an eclectic (mixed) approach. For sources of curricula and books, "Homeschooling in the United States: 2003"found that 78 percent utilized "a public library"; 77 percent used "a homeschooling catalog, publisher, or individual specialist"; 68 percent used "retail bookstore or other store"; 60 percent used "an education publisher that was not affiliated with homeschooling." "Approximately half" used curriculum or books from "a homeschooling organization", 37 percent from a "church, synagogue or other religious institution" and 23 percent from "their local public school or district." 41 percent in 2003 utilized some sort of distance learning, approximately 20 percent by "television, video or radio"; 19 percent via "Internet, e-mail, or the World Wide Web"; and 15 percent taking a "correspondence course by mail designed specifically for homeschooling."
Individual governmental units, like states and local districts, vary in official curriculum and attendance requirements.
The unit study approach incorporates several subjects, such as art, history, math, science, geography and other curriculum subjects, around the context of one topical theme, like water, animals, American slavery, or ancient
Unit studies are particularly helpful for teaching multiple grade levels simultaneously, as the topic can easily be adjusted (i.e. from an 8th grader detailing and labeling a spider's anatomy to an elementary student drawing a picture of a spider on its web). As it is generally the case that in a given "home school" very few students are spread out among the grade levels, the unit study approach is an attractive option.
Unit study advocates assert that children retain 45% more information following this approach.
"All-in-one" curricula, sometimes called a "school in a box", are comprehensive packages covering many subjects; usually an entire year's worth. They contain all needed books and materials, including pencils and writing paper. Most such curricula were developed for isolated families who lack access to public schools, libraries and shops[by whom?].
Typically, these materials recreate the school environment in the home and are based on the same subject-area expectations as publicly run schools, allowing an easy transition into school. They are among the more expensive options, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation. The guides are usually extensive, with step-by-step instructions. These programs may include standardized tests and remote examinations to yield an accredited school diploma.
Similar to All-in-one curricula are learner-paced curriculum packages. These workbooks allow the student to progress at their own speed.
Online resources for homeschooling include courses of study, curricula, educational games, online tests, online tutoring, and occupational training. Online learning potentially allows students and families access to specialized teachers and materials and greater flexibility in scheduling. We can be with our children during online tutoring session. Finally, online tutoring is useful for students who are disabled or otherwise limited in their ability to travel.
Homeschooling often take advantage of educational opportunities at museums, community centers, athletic clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources. Secondary school level students may take classes at community colleges, which typically have open admission policies. In many communities, homeschooling us and child participate in community theater, dance, band, symphony, and chorale opportunities.
Groups of homeschooling families often join together to create home school co-ops. These groups typically meet once a week and provide a classroom environment. These are family-centered support groups whose members seek to pool their talents and resources in a collective effort to broaden the scope of their children education. They provide a classroom environment where students can do hands-on and group learning such as performing, science experiments, art projects, foreign language study, spelling bees, discussions, etc. We whose children take classes serve in volunteer roles to keep costs low and make the program a success.
Certain states, such as
Some people use the terms "unschooled" or "radical unschooled" to describe all methods of education that are not based in a school.
“Natural learning” refers to a type of learning-on-demand where children pursue knowledge based on their interests and we take an active part in facilitating activities and experiences conducive to learning but do not rely heavily on textbooks or spend much time “teaching”, looking instead for “learning moments” throughout their daily activities. We can see their role as that of affirming through positive feedback and modeling the necessary skills, and the child's role as being responsible for asking and learning.
The term "unschooled" as coined by John Holt describes an approach in which we do not authoritatively direct the child's education, but interact with the child following the child's own interests, leaving them free to explore and learn as their interests lead. "Unschooled" does not indicate that the child is not being educated, but that the child is not being "schooled", or educated in a rigid school-type manner. Holt asserted that children learn through the experiences of life, and he encouraged parents to live their lives with their child. Also known as interest-led or child-led learning, unschooled attempts to follow opportunities as they arise in real life, through which a child will learn without coercion. An unschooled child may utilize texts or classroom instruction, but these are not considered central to education. Holt asserted that there is no specific body of knowledge that is, or should be, required of a child.
"Unschooled" should not be confused with "homeschooling," which may be used to indicate an anti-"institutional school" philosophy, or a period or form of deprogramming for children or we who have previously been schooled.
Both unschooled and natural learning advocates believe that children learn best by doing; a child may learn reading to further an interest about history or other cultures, or math skills by operating a small business or sharing in family finances. They may learn animal husbandry keeping dairy goats or meat rabbits, botany tending a kitchen garden, chemistry to understand the operation of firearms or the internal combustion engine, or politics and local history by following a zoning or historical-status dispute. While any type of homeschooling may also use these methods, the unschooled child initiates these learning activities. The natural learner participates with us and others in learning together.
Homeschooling families usually have to absorb the total costs of their child's education.
Opposition to homeschooling comes from many sources, including some organizations of teachers and school districts. The National Education Association, a
Opponents of homeschooling state several categories of concerns relating to homeschooling or its potential effects on society:
- Inadequate standards of academic quality and comprehensiveness;
- Reduced funding for public schools;
- Lack of socialization with peers of different ethnic and religious backgrounds;
- The potential for development of religious or social extremism;
- Children sheltered from mainstream society, or denied opportunities that are their right, such as social development;
- Potential for development of parallel societies that do not fit into standards of citizenship and the community.
For example, Stanford University political scientist professor Rob Reich (not to be confused with former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich) wrote in The Civic Perils of Homeschooling (2002) that homeschooling can potentially give students a one-sided point of view, as their parents may, even unwittingly, block or diminish all points of view but their own in teaching. He also argues that homeschooling, by reducing students' contact with peers, reduces their sense of civic engagement with their community.
Although there are some studies that show that home schooled students can do well on standardized tests, some of these studies compare voluntary home school testing with mandatory public-school testing. Home schooled students in the
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Homeschooling is legal in many countries. Countries with the most prevalent home education movements include
Numerous studies have found that home schooled students on average outperform their peers on standardized tests. Homeschooling Achievement, a study conducted by National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), supported the academic integrity of homeschooling. Among the home schooled students who took the tests, the average home schooled student outperformed his public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that public school performance gaps between minorities and genders were virtually non-existent among the home schooled students who took the tests.
New evidence has been found that home schooled children are getting higher scores on the ACT and SAT tests. A study at
In the 1970s Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted four federally funded analyzes of more than 8,000 early childhood studies, from which they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early, 1975. This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same findings designed specifically for educational professionals.Their analysis concluded that, "where possible, children should be withheld from formal schooling until at least ages eight to ten."
Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready." They concluded that the outcome of forcing children into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as the child leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at the new pressures and restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because unready learning tools – senses, cognition, brain hemispheres, coordination – cannot handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures they bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustration, 5) failure which quite naturally flows from the four experiences above, and 6) delinquency which is failure's twin and apparently for the same reason." According to the
John Taylor later found, using the Piers-Harris Children Self-Concept Scale, "while half of the conventionally schooled children scored at or below the 50th percentile (in self-concept), only 10.3% of the home-schooling children did so." He further stated that "the self-concept of home-schooling children is significantly higher (and very much so statistically) than that of children attending the conventional school. This has implications in the areas of academic achievement and socialization, to mention only two. These areas have been found to parallel self-concept. Regarding socialization,
In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey of 7,300
· Home school graduates are active and involved in their communities. 71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of
· Home school graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the corresponding
· 58.9% report that they are "very happy" with life, compared with 27.6% for the general
Going to any classroom in any school anywhere in the world and we will find a huge diversity of children. If we are a teacher, we know this as we think about our students. Their personalities, interests, what sets them off and turns them on are dramatically different. These vast differences are clear even if the class is filled with all ‘normal’ children of one skin color. Combine these amazing differences with the others that most often come to mind when we use the term ‘diversity - race, culture, country of origin, language, gender, sexual preference - and the job of those that help children become valued and productive adults can feel daunting. Add characteristics that impact the cognitive, social-emotional, and sensory physical abilities of children (disabilities, indebtedness) and the job is even more challenging.
So what to do? How do schools and the teachers and we of children in them deal with this wide range of diversity?
Dr. Michael Peterson and colleagues throughout the world have developed an approach to teaching and schooling that creates education where children with vast differences learn together well. We call this approach Whole Schooling.
The ultimate goal of Whole Schooling is to promote excellence and equity in schools to build inclusive and democratic societies. We seek to help children learn at their personal best and to become effective citizens for democracy-- innovative leaders, workers, agents, and community members who can create innovations and take responsibility for a better world. Whole Schools create cultures and utilize practices to achieve these aims that: (1) help children learn the tools and skills of genuine democracy; (2) create a sense of belonging, care, and community; (3) include all students in learning well together; (4) support learning through the efforts of peers, colleagues, and specialists in the classroom; (5) develop genuine partnerships between educators, parents, and the community; and (6) engage children through authentic, multilevel instruction — connecting learning to the real world and drawing on the gifts, voices, experiences, and cultures of all at the ‘just right’ level of each child.
To achieve this end, schools must create a culture and use a set of practices that engages children and youth in authentic problem-solving and exploration, a culture where personal best learning, care, and empowerment are central. Such schools are founded on Eight Principles and their associated practices.
1. Creating learning spaces for all
2. Empowering citizens for democracy
3. Including all in learning together
4. Building a learning community
6. Partnership with families and the community
7. Teaching using authentic, multi-level instruction
8. Assessing students to promote learning
These are 8 principles of Whole Schooling (and their many associated practices) that we can use to improve practices of individual teachers as well as the operation of an entire school or school district. We can hope to find this information helpful and valuable.
Whether we are aiming to meet certain target, make general changes or have a complete turn-around in improvement, all schools will be involved in improvement plans at some stage. But how do they go about implementing such plans?
Schools are constantly being encouraged to raise their standards and improve in many ways. As a result of the 2008 budget, for example, over 600 secondary schools in the
If schools don’t manage to reach the government’s target by 2011, they will be subject to formal intervention. It’s not known exactly what this will entails, but experts have suggested it cold involve schools being taken over, run by private academies or even shut down completely.
Even schools that don’t fall into the pinpointed group of schools that aren’t making the national targets use school improvement plans. For head teachers and all those involved in running a school, work has to continually be underway to keep up standards and do the best they can for the lives and education of their pupils.
There are a variety of ways of getting down to business and implementing the plans. Schools will inevitably vary with exactly how they go about doing this and how they prioritize their key issues, but there are some methods that are commonly used.
To decide on what the priorities are, schools may use a SWOT analysis to help consider the various issues that affect the school. This looks at the strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O) and threats (T) and is a useful tool to use.
Questions may arise from this, such as:
How well is the school doing? How does the school compare with other similar schools? What more should the school be doing to meet its aims? What must be done to make this happen?
The answers from the questions, which are likely to be discussed at length within the management team, staff and governors, will help propel the implementation plan forward. The school should already have had some form of School Development Plan in existence, so it’s useful to compare any responses and findings from this discussion with the original development plan. It can help highlight where things may have gone wrong, or strayed from original plans, and pinpoint what needs to be done to take things forward.
Schools are likely to work in close conjunction with their governors, who can help flesh out issues and develop a long term action plan. They’re an important part of the equation.
Some schools benefit from linking up with other schools, so they can gain extra support and encouragement. Trials involving such support networks have often found that linking up a school that’s done well with a weaker or poorly performing school can have a positive impact on the latter.
It’s worth bearing in mind that schools should provide details of any school improvement plans for us, should they wish to see what’s going on. Often information can be found on a school’s website, or by contacting the school.
As with all the best made plans, the improvements may not be visible immediately. But as the plan is brought to fruition and everyone works had at fulfilling their role, positive changes and improvements should gradually be apparent.
The Schooling for Tomorrow project (SfT) is a major CERI project since the late 1990s, developing futures thinking in education. Its starting point is that neglect of the long term is increasingly problematic in meeting the challenges of complexity and change that education is facing. We need different ways of integrating futures thinking more fully in education policy and practice. Futures thinking can stimulate reflection on the major changes taking place in education and its wider environment. It helps to clarify our visions of what we’d like schooling to be and how to get there. It provides tools to engage in strategic dialogue.
The SfT project has produced publications on important themes with long term impacts, it has published on ways to engage in futures thinking and it is developing tools for futures thinking, including accessible analyzes of the context and trends relevant for schooling in tomorrow’s world.
More about the Schooling for Tomorrow project
The Schooling for Tomorrow Knowledge Bank
Related documents and publications
The focuses should be on secondary school departments and arguments that the current approaches to school improvement do not adequately reflect or incorporate the department level. Drawing upon empirical evidence from two evaluative studies, highlights the processes that contribute to improved departmental performance and subsequently, to school and classroom improvement. It concludes by suggesting that the department is an important 'missing link' in school improvement theory and practice.
1. Research evidence concerning school effectiveness and school improvement focusing change efforts at different levels within the school organization
2. Research at departmental level highlighting differences in educational effectiveness across departments within the same school
The Department of Education and Training aims to ensure every student, regardless of their background and circumstances, has the best possible chance to achieve at school.
For some children and young people, the barriers preventing success at school relate to issues beyond the school gate and the individual learner.
The department is committed to an education reform agenda that is focused on lifting achievement in disadvantaged school communities, improving the quality of teaching and making school reporting more transparent.
The department is embracing evidence-based innovations and systemic support to achieve this goal.
Believe Achieve Succeed is an innovative support strategy for schools, school leaders, teachers and other school staff to inspire students and maximize opportunities for success. Stronger partnerships with families, local businesses, community agencies and universities are essential as we focus on a holistic approach to improving student learning outcomes.
Parents and local communities working with our leadership and teaching teams in schools will help us to build high expectations, engage learners and focus teaching on delivering new dreams for our students and communities.
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