The Disadvantages of Homeschooling

Homeschooling has many advantages but it also has some possible disadvantages. Whenever I read articles discussing the disadvantages of homeschooling, they always address issues like socialization, which really aren’t a problem for most homeschoolers. They rarely address problems that really can arise. Awareness is an important part of overcoming these kinds of problems.

One big downside of schooling is that children might not get enough help with things they struggle with. The downside of homeschooling is that they may get too much. If you are always walking your child through math problems or spelling every word they don’t know, it may seem that they know more than they really do. After all, they are getting through each day’s work, so you may think they are fully grasping it.

The homeschooling parent should always check themselves and ask are they helping too much. If your child is doing math and struggling with a concept, you could show them how to do a couple of problems. Then you could walk them through a couple of problems as they do them. Finally, however, you should walk away and leave them to do some problems on their own. It’s only by leaving them to work alone that you can properly gauge what they do and don’t know.

School is very formal with established start times and break times. Children are expected to sit at their desks and raise their hands to speak. Homeschooling is generally very informal. You may not have any starting or finishing time. There may not be any particular room or place where homeschooling is done. Children may not be expected to sit still for long periods and listen or raise their hands. This can present problems for children who will have to transition to school or college down the road.

There are ways to overcome this and your local library can be an excellent resource. Many libraries offer preschool storytime programs that focus on Kindergarten readiness. In these programs, parents are not present. Children are expected to sit still, follow directions and raise their hands to speak. Libraries often offer programs, especially in the summer, where various kinds of presentations are put on. These presentations might cover fossils, rain forest animals and other themes. Again these programs require children to sit down for long periods of time, listen and raise their hands to participate.

Look at your city’s recreation catalog. Many recreation programs offer music classes, foreign languages, computer lessons, and so on. These classes will again require children to sit in a classroom environment, listen and raise their hands. Of course, putting your child into any activity is beneficial. They will have to be at a certain place at a certain time, follow directions and complete assigned practice or work to prepare for the next class. Also, look for academically oriented summer camps, such as science camps.

Again, awareness is the key. If you know that this is a potential problem, you can look for solutions.

Organization skills, meeting deadlines and managing stress are very important in terms of preparing children for college and work. If you choose a public school homeschooling program or public online schooling, your children will have to deal with all the stresses of completing assignments on time, meeting deadlines and taking tests.

If not, put your child into activities that require them to meet deadlines, complete assignments on time, take tests and develop organizational skills. Group music lessons are a great option. Your child will have to keep up with the class. They will have to complete workbook assignments. They will have to make sure that they complete all required activities before the next class. They may also have to take tests or perform in concerts.

Recreation classes can be a good option. Drawing classes, computer classes or language classes will most likely assign work to be completed for the next class. If you have a high schooler, check out your local community college and see if they can sign up for some classes.

Of course, you can also set deadlines and require that activities be completed by a certain date. You can require that a particular textbook be completed by a certain date. Or assign a project that your child has to complete by a certain date with no help from you. This will teach them to both deal with deadlines and to develop organizational skills.