What’s better? Home-schooling vs Traditional-schooling
The effectiveness of home-schooling vs traditional schooling has long been debated. Is one better than the other and why? It is clear that there are benefits to both. Read on with me as we explore each side of the argument.
Homeschooling. What is it? Who benefits from it?
Essentially, homeschooling is exactly what it says it is. It is the legal process of formally educating a child within the home as opposed to attending an educational institution. The parents, who normally do the homeschooling, must follow guidelines and structures to ensure that their child receives a proper education. Homeschooling can be valuable for a number of reasons. For instance, homeschooling might be perfect for a child if they are located far away from a school. In this case, the journey to the school there and back each day might be costly in terms of finance, time and energy. As well as this, a home schooled child actually has more autonomy over their course of study. Although they have to follow a certain structure, often they can devote more time to things that interest them. In this way, homeschooling can allow a child to really flourish and develop a particular passion for a chosen pathway. Homeschooling might also be more beneficial for the child in terms of their approach to learning. As it is usually their parents who are the teacher, they are familiar with their child’s temperament and the way they learn. Parents can shape their method of teaching that suits the child best, for instance they might choose to use lots of hands on tactile techniques that may not be used in a traditional school.
On the other side of the argument, traditional schooling also offers a number of advantages. Most notably, the presence of other pupils. During those key years, being around other children of your age is essential to developing important social skills and making friends. School isn’t only about what you learn in the classroom, it also allows a child to learn about the world around them through their interactions with other children. Another benefit to traditional schooling is access to trained professionals. At a school, teachers would have certificates and qualifications that grant them specific skills that homeschooling teachers may not have. Traditional schooling methods means that students will obtain the basic and foundational skills that cover an array of subjects, thus ensuring that they are well-rounded from the start. Though with traditional schooling, students who do not perform according to standardized tests and formal ways might feel like they are not succeeding according to formal schooling standards.
Are you at a traditional or home school? We want to know your thoughts! Comment below which you think is better and why? Also let us know what you think you might gain from spending time at the other!