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Is Home Schooling Right for You?
Making the Decision to Home School
By Heather Johnson Durocher
As children in their neighborhood started the new school year by waving goodbye to parents and hopping onto the bus, Paul, Timmy and Hannah Thomson took off with their mom to a local Shakespeare festival.
Ramona Thomson of Channelview, Texas, initially worried that her field trip idea might backfire: would her 14-, 12- and 7-year-old children show any interest in the plays? She discovered that the three-day event was one of the best moments in their home schooling experience.
"When I'm with them and we're all learning something cool together, it's a moment when you all go, 'Wow.' It's just an awe moment," Thomson says. "We went to that Shakespearean festival and just had a blast."
While most parents enroll their children in public, private or charter schools, some families opt for home schooling.
Making the decision isn't easy. While home school parents believe far more advantages than disadvantages exist, they'll concede that the teaching method is both a major adjustment and commitment.
The concept also is a hot-button issue. Some traditional teachers worry that home school children aren't necessarily receiving the best education simply because a parent is at the helm. Opponents also question whether a child socializes enough.
But both sides agree that careful study of the teaching method and what it means for a family is critical before making the decision to home school.
Families choose to home school for a variety of reasons, including wanting to spend more time together on a flexible schedule. Parents' frustration with their child's school environment also could lead to home schooling. Moral and religious values also are factors.
