Are you considering homeschooling your child but you’re a bit unsure of making the change as you wonder how this will affect their life? It turns out that homeschooling your children might be one of the best decisions you can ever make!
As a former public high school teacher for over eight years, I have both researched and experienced these five advantages that I’m listing below. May you be encouraged, inspired, and dare to dream after reading!
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Homeschool children score higher on the SAT college-entry exam
On average, homeschool students score an 1190 on the SAT compared to 1060 with public school students. In addition, homeschool students score 15 to 25 percentile points higher on standardized tests than public school students.
If you’re worried that your child will fall behind academically, these statistics should encourage you! There are plenty of high-quality curriculum resources that are easy to use for both the student and parent. Homeschooling is one of the best ways to ensure your child flourishes academically. God has designed you to be their best teacher and I believe you can do it!
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Opportunities to have stronger relationships with parents
Experiencing your parents as your teachers unfolds a natural form of respect for the expertise and knowledge that your mom or dad has, in a way that going to public school would not allow you to see.
Also, the sheer time spent together fosters invaluable opportunities for bonding and relating to each other in a powerful way. In contrast when sent to public school, 35 hours per week is spent outside the home in the presence of seven to eight other teachers who are also tasked with 100 to 150 students to tend to.
It’s easy to feel neglected, unseen, and slip through the cracks in the public education system - but at home your worth and identity are built up.
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Homeschool children are less likely to lose their faith outside of the home
Barna research has said that 66% of Christian young adults who leave the home will walk away from their faith - why? I propose a major reason is because education and belief in God are compartmentalized into a building you enter and exit, rather than a life-style and mindset you adopt.
Homeschooled children tend to have more personal encounters with education and with God than when taught in a formal school setting. These children have these personal encounters with God where they see their parents model it, teach it, live it, and then allow them to ask questions about it.
This is a major advantage that home-school families experience as they desire to set their children up to truly know God for the rest of their life.
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More hands-on learning and real-life experience with what they learn
Would you rather learn about marine life by listening to a lecture then completing a worksheet, or by visiting Seaworld? Again, how about learning how to run a business - do you want to read about it or volunteer a few hours a week at a local business? These experiences are invaluably powerful to draw out the natural joy of curiosity that sparks true learning.
Homeschool students get a curriculum that is custom designed to fit their interests, skills, abilities, and mode of learning. On the other hand, public school teachers have to figure out a way to teach 20 to 30 students who all have different ways they learn (and a rising number don’t even speak English).
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Stronger social life after high-school and more confidence
Research indicates that homeschooled students often have higher levels of socialization and positive peer interactions compared to their public school peers. It also demonstrates that they have better psychological well-being and self-esteem than public school peers.
It’s truly a myth that homeschooling your child will cause them to fall behind socially! It’s important to intentionally involve them in activities around the community, with other homeschool families, sport teams, etc. Your child is positioned to develop exceptionally well when they are home-schooled.
Next Steps - Choosing a Homeschool Curriculum
When you begin homeschooling your child there are tons of curriculum resources to choose from, but not all are created equal. I recommend selecting one that is engaging, conversational, with built-in activities and questions for students and parents to discuss.
Often it’s hard to find a high-quality rigorous curriculum that also immerses students Biblically. However, there is a new biology curriculum called “Biology: Designed by God” that takes an innovative approach in being engaging, easy to read, academically rigorous, while completely immersing the readers in the heart of God.
Homeschooling isn’t just education - it’s discipleship. If you’re ready to start your child’s journey of faith and discovery, explore Biology: Designed by God today.
