Contemplating homeschooling or just curious? Here’s a short list of advantages and disadvantages to consider.

Advantages of Homeschooling

• Customizable, adaptable one-on-one education
• Mastery-based education based on child’s own development
• Shorten academic learning time and more time to pursue own interests
• More play time to facilitate imagination and natural development
• Ability to learn academic skills in a practical hands-on manner (e.g., fractions for cooking, measuring and building projects, etc.)
• Ability for children to receive social skill coaching from adults instead of peers
• Flexibility to travel and adapt to life circumstances without interrupting the flow of school.

Disadvantages of Homeschooling

• Requires a commitment from the parents to be a facilitator of their children’s education
• Requires a time and energy commitment that some parents are not able to provide
• Requires more effort by the parents to provide social contact (lots of social contact is available – sometimes too much – but it’s not built in to the school system like with a public or private school. Parents have to get to know others in order for their kids to connect.)

Also, I consider this one a huge advantage, but have learned that some parents feel differently. If you consider this a disadvantage, then homeschooling probably isn’t a good option for you.

• Requires parent(s) to spend time with their child(ren), getting to know them as unique individuals.

The advantages are only a beginning point. There are so many more. Feel free to add to these lists with your comments.

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