Home Schooling

My audience is people who are against home schooling.

Home Schooling

Many people have formed their own opinions about home schooling; some people favor it while others are opposed. From my personal experience, it is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The skills I gained have not only helped me as a student, but also as a member of society. After talking with other home schooling children, they feel the same way as me. In my personal opinion, home schooling is very beneficial to any child.

The best advantage that a home schooled child receives is a one on one education. The child receives extra help in the subjects he or she is having trouble in. The parent can even choose a special curriculum to help with that difficult subject. For example, if the child is having trouble in math, there is a curriculum that makes math visible and kinetic. The subjects where the child is excelling in the parent can make the assignments more challenging. During a normal school day there is a lot of busy work, however, by home schooling this pointless paper work can be eliminated, so there is more time to spend on the important subjects. The best thing about the one on one education if a child does not understand something, the parent can go over it until the child finally fully understands it. This type of learning goes at the child's pace. For example, if this child does not do well on a science test, the parent can take his or her time going over this material, re-explaining it so the child can finally understand the material. The parent has the option to adjust the child's schedule. When I was home schooled, I was supposed to study the government later one year, but my mother moved it up, so I could study it during the election to see how the whole system worked. Any other school does not have the flexibility to do this. The parent can even choose what different things the child is going to study and the length of time this child spends on this particular subject. This way the lesson is fun and takes learning to a personal level by learning about something a person is interested in. However, most people think that the child is not receiving a well rounded education, so each state has laws to prevent that from happening. For example in Pennsylvania, a home schooling family is required to meet with a certified teacher to show this teacher what curriculum they are using. A one on one education really gives a child the special attention a child needs. This is just one benefit a home schooled child receives.

Home schooled children make better students. These children are self motivated because they have a desire to know about a particular subject, instead of learning about something just to pass a test and then forget the information. This intellectual curiosity enables them to work to the best of their ability. They are also independent learners. For example, a home schooled child in high school is given a book to read in literature and given a date when it has to be completed. Since their teachers are their parents, the children cannot use excuses like, "the dog ate my homework." The parent knows what is exactly what is going on and there is no excuse for laziness. Being self motivated is something that is taught all through the years, so they can succeed at college. It can be actually proven that home schooled children are better students by the scores on the standardized tests. The average home schooled child does 80% better than the average student on regular standardized tests (Klicka Homeschooled Students Excel in College). Home schooled students also do exceptionally well on the SAT's, their average score is around 1083 and a non- home schooled child average is 1016 (Klicka Homeschooled Students Excel in College). The reasons why home schooled children do better on these tests is because they use more up to date text books and have that one on one education. In fact, many colleges desire home schooled students because they are good students. Being a better student is another good quality a home schooled child possesses.

Not only do home schooled children receive a great education, they also gain life skills. By the time a child finishes high school they are self sufficient. These children have the opportunity to learn how to manage and run a house. They can cook their own meals, do their own laundry and clean a house. Home schooled children have more time to learn these skills. These skills teach the value of hard work, which will help them when they get a job. These tasks also cement responsibility. One of the most important things home schooled children learn is how to do home improvement