Homeschooling, Like Lessons, Requires Careful Planning

Every day countless families wrestle with whether to homeschool. When making this important decision for your family, consider the following factors.

Homeschooling takes from 2.5 to 5 hours a day. Successful homeschooling families structure their days around their lessons. By creating a “schoolroom” within the home, families often quickly establish an atmosphere for learning.

Additionally, homeschooling families find that educational opportunities abound in everyday life—such as using math skills while shopping. Still, these families enjoy the freedom to pursue other interests, including travel, performance and athletics.

Home teachers come from all walks of life and education levels. A curriculum prepared specifically for homeschoolers with detailed lesson plans, incorporating activities, assignments and discussion questions, helps make sure families teach the right lessons in the best sequence.

Finding appropriate textbooks, workbooks and other materials can be time consuming and complicated. Although some families gather their own lessons, many families opt for a complete curriculum to ensure there are no gaps in their children’s instruction. Relying on education professionals to find the best educational materials and guide home instruction maximizes teaching time–and gives families the peace of mind that comes when their children excel.

Selecting the right curriculum is critical. Completing a pre-enrollment assessment and working closely with a curriculum provider’s educational experts for suggestions on accelerated or remedial work help guarantee a child’s success in homeschooling.

Homeschooling is legal throughout the U.S., although state regulations differ. Contact the Home School Legal Defense Association at www.hslda.org or call them at 540-338-5600 to learn more about the state homeschooling laws.

And homeschooling has proven benefits. A recent Fraser Institute study found that educating a public school student costs about $5,325 per year, with the average student scoring in the 50^th percentile on standardized tests. The same study found that children schooled at home cost $549 each per year and scored on average in the 85th percentile nationally.#

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