by Sande Waybill

Created on: May 20, 2008

Providing your child with a home education offers a unique experience to each individual. However, there are a few matters that should or should not happen, whatever the situation. Some of the main concerns of those who oppose the option of home education are that the child will be left unattended, will not be taught properly, or will be brainwashed by a religious fanatic.

If you take on the responsibility of home schooling your son or daughter, then you need to ensure that you have the time to do this properly. If you work at home, you need to ensure that your work does not interrupt your duty as your child's tutor. If lessons are constantly interrupted by a ringing telephone, then you cannot attend to the teaching role and the student cannot concentrate properly. It is also a good idea not to have the radio blasting in the background, or to have the TV set constantly running during lesson time. Distractions that may keep you entertained while your child struggles to understand a new idea or learn a list of words, can only inhibit their learning and concentration. Especially during the younger years, you need to be attending to the whole process. During the high school years, you can be present more as a guide and explainer that helps in times of need and makes suggestions rather than teaches and assists as a constant support source. Your child will naturally begin to work alone more as they age, but within the elementary years, it is essential that you are continuously present. Recognizing this and allowing them greater freedom to work alone is a natural progression.

If you take on the accountability of home educating your child, then you should at least preview and plan somewhat. You need to ensure that you know what you are going to teach, whether you do so by reading the lesson and making suggestions, or by hanging about ready to answer any questions of the older child. If you both arrive at your lesson unprepared, then you will have to read through the work while they sit there waiting, bored. With older students, you may have to read the entire chapter before being able to assist with a problem that crops up if you have not pre-read the lessons for the day in advance.

One of the popular reasons for teaching a child at home is a religious preference. Whilst saying a prayer before and after lessons or spending an hour or two a week studying the texts or principles of your religion is acceptable, parents who choose to home school their children in order to center the entire course of study around a religion are generally frowned upon. If every lesson revolved around your religion, it is time to step back and reconsider. You may be very involved with your personal belief, but try to recall that your child is an individual with their own mind to make up, and that schooling should involve the learning of other matters as well.

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