10 benefits of online homeschooling
John Holt was an educational theorist who graduated from Yale University in 1943 with a degree in engineering.
Despite an excellent academic record, Holt believed that most of his learning took place outside the classroom.
As an advocate for homeschooling, he concluded that several years of homeschooling gave children a better educational, psychological and moral foundation, and overall improved their chances of future success.
While homeschooling has been around for centuries, the last 18 months have catapulted many families into a home education environment.
While some parents count down the algebra-filled days to return to ‘normalcy’, many others have discovered that their children thrive in the homeschooling environment.
When talking about homeschooling, some may cringe at the idea of becoming their child’s teacher. After all, families are busy enough as it is. But homeschooling doesn’t necessarily mean more work for parents.
We have proven and accredited online schools, like the services provided by CambriLearn, who offer a full-service, distance learning solution that gives children and parents the structure we need to ensure a high quality education that opens doors of opportunity.
The key is to pick the right support services for your family. And from our research, here are the top 10 things to look for in a great homeschooling solution:
1. No unnecessary homework
But wait, it’s all homework, isn’t it? Well not quite… Online homeschooling offers children a more personalised and structured approach to their education.
This means that parents and children spend far less time doing unnecessary homework, which allows the child more time to explore hobbies and other activities.
It also frees up parents from having to do lengthy evening homework sessions and it means that they can spend more quality time with their children.
2. Flexible schedules
Parents with children in a traditional school environment often have to cope with busy school schedules, extra-murals and other commitments. Children (and parents) can be exhausted by the never-ending ‘to do’ lists and daily tasks.
With homeschooling, parents can decide the length of the lessons and customise their children’s schedule to suit their needs (including when to finally go on that holiday). This means less pressure on families to stick to a strict learning calendar.
3. Children learn at their own pace
The flexibility to work according to their own schedule allows children to learn at their own pace.
CambriLearn believes in flexible, self-paced learning. The courses run between 6 and 8 months, but students have a full year to complete them.
Students can set the tempo of their learning, meaning they can speed up or slow down depending on what they can manage at the time.
4. More time to harness unique talents
A huge benefit to online homeschooling is the freedom and flexibility that it brings. This is the reason many top child athletes or performers choose homeschooling over a traditional schooling environment.
To professionally compete, learners need the flexibility to train, travel, and study.
Online homeschooling offers exactly that, enabling parents to focus on their child’s talents, to help achieve their goals and a professional career.
5. Children have more emotional freedom
Homeschooling eliminates the typical pressures of the classroom environment. This means that children don’t feel the need to give into peer pressure.
Children who are homeschooled have a much lower chance of being bullied, offered drugs or exposed to other social pressures, and are therefore much less likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Homeschooled children tend to become happier and more emotionally mature adults.
6. A solution for specialised education
The ability to focus and to sit quietly at a desk is often associated with a student’s level of academic success, and for students with ADD and ADHD, this is near impossible.
For many students listening to directions, retaining information and completing assignments are daunting tasks.
Their minds wander, and it is common for them to absorb only a fraction of the information from their daily lessons.
A clear advantage of online classes is that they are designed for students who need more flexibility and offer a more personalised approach to their learning preferences.
7. Teacher support
The average South African class size is roughly 30 learners for every teacher.
Homeschooling makes an individualised, one-on-one learning environment possible, and many homeschooling parents have witnessed that this personalised approach enables their child to form a closer relationship with their online teacher.
The structure of online homeschooling allows parents and teachers to work together to personalise the learning experience.
8. Access to tutor centres
It has become increasingly popular for parents to use local tutor centres to support their child’s online learning.
Enrolling your child at a tutor centre will give them the benefits of the classroom room environment while still offering the benefits of one-on-one teacher interaction and smaller classes.
These tutor centres help students learn at their comfort level as well as give them the chance to interact with other children of all ages.
9. Better social skills
A common deterrent for parents considering homeschooling is the misconception that homeschoolers don’t develop their social skills.
This is far from the truth, and it has been shown that larger classes and peer pressure can do more social harm than good.
Children who are homeschooled tend to have more time and energy to participate in sporting and social activities with other kids across different age groups.
They will have many opportunities to make friends when they do their violin, gymnastics and golf lessons, for example.
10. It prepares them for university
Homeschooled learners have a head start on building critical career skills, such as time management, self-motivation and self-discipline.
Online homeschooling programmes encourage children to discover the joy of learning and take responsibility for their progress. By allowing a child to have this freedom in their learning, they tend to adjust better to a university environment.
There are many benefits to choosing an online homeschooling solution for your child’s education.
By using online learning platforms like CambriLearn, either as enrichment for students attending traditional schools or as a permanent, full-time means of education, your child can enjoy a personalised education that works for your whole family.
Learn more about your online homeschooling options from CambriLearn.
Loading ...