by Josephine Polifroni

Created on: December 23, 2007

Homeschooling definitely has the edge compared with formal education. Having been on both sides of the issue, with one child in public school throughout her school career and another homeschooled until high school, I think homeschooling has the potential to give children a great education. My youngest and I had a great time together and when she entered public high school she had a wonderful grounding in every subject necessary to make her a success in school. Even though she is heavily into sports that take up a lot of her time, she is taking advanced courses and doing very well.

The advantages of homeschooling are many. You know your own children better than anyone and can tailor lesson plans and teaching methods to their leaning style. You can delay the start of teaching subjects if they are not ready, or accelerate the pace. Your child has a chance to explore special interests in depth. Year round education keeps the momentum going so your child only makes gains and doesn't forget over summer vacation. Older children can help younger children with their assignments, reinforcing their own knowledge and also enhancing sibling interactions.

There are an incredible number of resources available for the homeschooling parent, including workbooks, teaching plans and curricula, flash cards and computer programs. Libraries, of course, have books on many topics so you don't have to buy everything. Local community college and/or university students and faculty sometimes hold semi-informal classes open to the public and your older homeschooler can enroll and take classes directly at community colleges. Independent mail order study courses are available through universities for classes you may not feel up to teaching, usually math and science. Often, you have more freedom scheduling specialty classes with private teachers for music, voice, language etc., since you are not competing with every other kid in town for the after hours appointments.

In addition, depending on the state you are in, you may be able to homeschool in partnership with your local school district. In California it is possible to enroll your child in school as a homeschooler. The school district receives funding for a student but has one less student in the classroom. In return, there is a dedicated staff and facility for the homeschooled student. These facilities may vary in what they offer but there is usually a library and materials that can be checked such as math aids or keyboards. Teachers are

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