The Benefits of Homeschooling
Home educators share a few of the rewards they’ve experienced from years of homeschooling.
Homeschooling brings so many benefits–some that may be unique to each family and others that may be universally experienced by homeschooling families around the world. For example, homeschooling can offer an intimate and tailored approach to learning, allowing for personalized curricula, flexible schedules, and a close-knit, supportive environment. It allows freedom in where and when learning takes place, as well as in the methods and tools used to educate children. It also allows parents and guardians to customize their child’s learning environment and adapt it to meet the greater needs of the family.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of homeschooling:
10 Benefits of Homeschooling
1. Flexibility and freedom in how your children learn
2. The ability to customize instruction, materials, and activities to you and your children’s needs
3. Multi-generational time together if various family and community members participate in teaching
4. Opportunities to build strong relationships thanks to the extra time together
5. The potential to grow and shape your children’s manners and behaviors
6. Create more memories as you learn and experience field trips together
7. Foster your children’s independent learning skills
8. Personalized learning opportunities for each child
9. A chance for children to build confidence in their ability to learn on their own and be their own unique self
10. A front-row seat to watching your child grow up
And that just scratches the surface. If you were to ask home educators their opinion on the benefits of homeschooling, you might hear something different from each one. In fact, we did ask other home educators to share their thoughts on the benefits of homeschooling. Here’s what they had to say.
Personalized Learning and More
My two older boys were in public school for a few years (the oldest through 3rd grade and second through 1st grade). My oldest has a congenital eye condition that left him with vision in only one eye. As he got older, he started to experience migraines from eye strain, and I was picking him up from school a few times a week. His pediatric ophthalmologist suggested homeschooling as an option because I could work with him one-on-one and make sure he was receiving the recommended accommodations. My other boys wanted to give it a try, too, and we’ve now been homeschooling for over 12 years.
The benefits of homeschooling that we have experienced include:
- Flexibility: We delight in being able to change our schedule when necessary due to sickness, new babies, travel, etc.
- Customizable: The opportunity to pick and use curriculum and resources that help my boys thrive and love to learn is priceless.
- Multi-generational: I love the learning opportunities that we’ve had with older and younger people within our family and community.
- Relationships: My boys are best friends. I don’t think they would be this close if they were separated by grade levels and classes.
- Meeting children where they are (and not where they “should” be): The ability to use resources at the student’s level, whether that’s higher or lower, has empowered my boys to go beyond where they otherwise might have been in many areas.
- Enrichment: The lack of busywork, bus rides, etc. means more time for making sure subjects like music, art, life skills, sewing, and cooking are enjoyed.
- Independent learning: My boys are self-starters and able to tackle a task with confidence. They don’t need someone giving step-by-step instructions or telling them when they can use the bathroom.
- Educational freedom: I greatly appreciate that homeschoolers can choose whether to incorporate religion or go with a secular approach.
More Time Together
When we first began homeschooling over three decades ago, we felt it would give us certain benefits.
The first and most important reason for homeschooling was time. We wanted time with our kids, and we wanted them to have time with each other. We definitely felt this benefit as the school day included time with Mom and siblings and more time in the evenings with Dad since our children had fewer extra-curricular activities and homework.
But the benefit of time became more than what could be measured on a clock. Time gave us the opportunity for family unity, relationship building between parents and children, space for conversation and discussion, the ability to keep tabs on our children’s hearts, and much more.
Besides the benefit of time, we treasured the benefit of individual instruction. We had two late readers, two with dyslexia and dysgraphia, and two with ADHD. We were able to tailor our instruction to their needs. Our late readers simply learned later and with less pressure. Our children with dyslexia received multi-sensory instruction, as well as attention to readiness. Our kids with ADHD had the benefits of a day that could be structured to meet their needs—and a fairly patient mom who let them read aloud hanging upside down at times!
Our seven children now have bachelor’s and master’s degrees. They all live within a half an hour of us and enjoy close relationships with us and their siblings. We are now reaping even more benefits from our thirty-two years of homeschooling.
Build Strong Relationships
Not only are my children homeschooled, but I was homeschooled until I was in college. So, there are the benefits I saw for myself in that experience. Then, there are the benefits that I see for my children today and the ones that I enjoy as a homeschooling parent.
In my 40s, I am still reaping the benefits of being homeschooled, maybe more so now than ever. Hands down, the best thing I gained was confidence in learning. Homeschooling taught me that my education belongs to me, that I’m responsible for it, and that I can learn anything I need to learn. Now, if I want to learn something, from how to knit to how to create a website, I go about finding out how. I credit homeschooling with this confidence to grow my skills, adapt to a changing world, and acquire whatever knowledge I need.
Not only that, homeschooling taught me that it was okay to be different, to be myself, and to not go with the crowd. This was in a day when homeschooling was nigh unheard of. So, I was, by default, the odd one in any group of peers. (Like how I just used the word “nigh.” I mean, who does that?) When that is your starting point, it’s a lot easier to make the tough choices and not follow the herd.
Although I hope my daughters glean some of those benefits as well, homeschooling is much more mainstream now. The biggest benefits I see for them are somewhat different from those I experienced. I witness them enjoying their friends, but also developing their closest relationships with each other and their dad and me—the people they spend the most time with. I see them having time to dive deep into their passions and interests and really getting to know themselves and what they’re capable of.
Mostly, I see vibrant, self-possessed, intelligent young ladies. I believe homeschooling contributed to their sense of personal and academic fulfillment and their ease at being their goofy, carefree, lovely selves.
As a homeschooling parent, it’s the relationship benefits that I cherish the most. The time I spend with my girls, thanks to homeschooling, allows us more laughter, more knowing each other, more snuggles, and more memories made together.
The bottom line on homeschooling benefits is this: the best ones are the intangibles. It’s not the SAT scores, or the degrees, or the geography bee trophies (although those are nice, too!). It’s seeing the person that is growing up before your very eyes and the role you get to play in that. That is the real benefit.
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