Benefits of Homeschooling

No matter where you are at on the homeschooling journey, you will consider the question, "What are the Benefits of Homeschooling?"  Is it all worthwhile? 

Each year has a seasonal cycle which we all enjoy.

• Animal Cycles
• Plants - cycle in the seasons

It made me think of Homeschooling and bringing up children in terms of cycles. We begin with young children and enthusiastically watch them grow and develop, learn alongside of them, and see them move on as young adults.

And if you're just thinking or beginning to homeschool, you will want to know the homeschooling benefits  - weighing them up as you make this huge decision.

Where are you on the Homeschooling Journey?

 Just beginning? Halfway? or nearing the end?

Each part of the journey has its joys and rewards, and also its difficulties and challenges. When we begin homeschooling (and especially if we take our children out of a school environment) we can easily list the benefits of homeschooling.  However as the years go on, we can easily lose sight of the homeschooling benefits.  We just forget.  We get into a pattern of doing things and perhaps get stuck in an approach which doesn't excite us anymore.  Then we wonder, "What really is the benefit of homeschooling?"

I just want to list some of the benefits of homeschooling, but I would love you to add your own personal benefit. What does your family especially love about homeschooling?  Please add your thoughts to the list at the bottom of this page.  Add a photo of what your family loves the best about homeschooling.

Family Time

It is a great blessing to spend so much worthwhile time with your family. Siblings can enjoy eachother's company. This is really one of the greatest homeschooling benefits.  Although, my children are all older now - we still treasure our family time.

Learning Together Gives Unity

One of the best things about homeschooling is that we are all enjoying our education together.  For me - it's my second education! - richer than the first! Read alouds together, going on excursions, painting, making an art work, going on walks.

Healthy Socialization

It has taken me a while, but I have now decided how I will answer those questioning homeschooling and whose first question is: "What about socialization?"
Although they will be expecting me to explain homeschool picnics and how we mix with others etc, etc,... I will now "agree" with them.

My answer will be something more like this: "Yes!  That is one of the important reasons we decided to homeschool! It is great being able to choose who your children mix with and spend their time with and it is so nice that they can be friends with all ages and with their own siblings too!"  (something like that)

Socializing with children in a healthy way is such a positive homeschooling benefit that we can truly enjoy.

Uphold the Family's Worldviews and Goals

Teaching your children at home allows you to teach your worldview - each subject filtered through the Biblical glasses;  It also allows you to make decisions about what you want your children to learn and what is most important to you as a family. Allows you to teach when you lie down, when you get up, as you walk along the road every day..(Deut 6)

In these days, as the Government bodies begin more and more to dictate what our children will be taught, having the possibility of choosing exactly what we want our children to learn is a homeschooling benefit that I treasure and hold in high regard.

Develops Life Long Love of Learning

We are able to choose curriculum/ materials/ approaches which suit each unique child. Children have the time to explore and develop their personal interests using the tools of education.

Different Lifestyle

Another homeschooling benefit is that we do not need to rush out the door for school buses. We don't need to wake sleeping babies, prepare school lunches or even stick to school semesters.  This means that we can enjoy great holidays outside of the "peak school holiday season" and often have a cheaper holiday due to this reason.

Tailored Education

Homeschooling allows for differences in ability without giving labels - both for those who excel and for those who struggle in a school setting.  Each child is unique with God given academic abilities.  This homeschooling benefit can allow them to grow and develop in their time and at their pace.

Gives more time to work on Character

Having our children at home gives us more time to work on character training - both theirs and ours!!  Whenever the need arises, we can stop our day, pull the family together and discuss an issue, read the Bible and pray for wisdom, guidance, forgiveness and strength.

Life Skills

Another homeschooling benefit is that it is a great opportunity to teach all sorts of life skills - cooking, cleaning, budgeting, car maintenance, gardening, and so on.

Expression of Individuality

The whole premise on which this website is based is the fact that your children and your family are unique!  That is why this site is not out to sell you any type of curriculum or push you into a certain direction.  Rather, the aim is that you discover your uniqueness as a family as far as goals, direction, children, personalities and therefore learning styles and curriculum.

I stand in amazement, (as I am sure you do too!) as I watch my children as individuals and I'm sure you have the same experience with your own. Not only do they learn differently and at different paces, but their interests are so varied.

Their individuality spans from making bows and arrows, fixing up computers, setting up sound systems, creating games and planning big events, to performing, giving speeches and dancing in front of the family as an audience.

My daughter will love to write a puppet play and perform it and is happy to plan the draft and re-write the final copy. However, her older brother would be in agony if I asked him to do that! He is happy to watch and enjoy what she does, but he loves to go on his free-lines outside, make a bow from the bush, and take time to perfect an arrow.

Another son, will fiddle with computers and speakers and sound equipment constantly. He hardly ever gets to use his computer on his desk, which he made from odds and ends, because he always has it open and is in the process of adding or trying another piece!! How many times the boys have installed and re-installed all sorts of programs and re-formatted the harddrive I don't know!

Another son is the creator of games, card games, board games, people games and he is forever walking around with a scrappy piece of paper is his hand which is the beginnings of a new idea. Not all of his ideas come to fruitition,but his ideas are boundless! He loves statistics, timelines, genealogies and history writings and he has the most wonderful History Books in which he adds all sorts of interesting details. He loves putting on history days - especially in his head - and hopefully we will soon see another day coming up - the Trojan War Day! Go the Greeks and the Trojans!

So, I love the fact that as we homeschool, our children have time to develop their own creativity and enjoy expressing their own personality. 

What do you love about homeschooling?  What are the benefits?