HOMESCHOOLING

A parent might choose home schooling, which means assuming responsibility for educating a school-age child, for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons parents give for making this choice are:

• A desire to have more control over the content or structure of the curriculum
• Unhappiness with the current school’s teachers or administration
• A desire to infuse lessons with the family’s values
• Social concerns in the current school
• A desire for a more flexible schedule
• A desire to spend more time together as a family

Some factors to consider if you are weighing this option for yourself would be:

• Are you self-motivated enough to teach your child daily and to research and plan appropriate lessons?
• Do you enjoy spending large blocks of time with your child?
• Does your child resist you when you try to instruct him? Would this cause conflict in your family?
• Do you have the knowledge to instruct your child in all subject areas?
• Could you provide the opportunity for your child to be exposed to a variety of people and opinions?

There are many pros and cons to home schooling. It is a huge undertaking which should not be taken lightly. Home schooling is legal, but many states require parents to present documentation of some kind. You should check first with your local school jurisdiction about current regulations.

There are many resources available to help parents who are home schooling their children. Some web sites you might want to look at are:

• Maryland Home Education Association
• Home Education Magazine
• Homeschool.com

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