Co-ops: Home-school in a Classroom Setting - Is it possible?
By Mimi Rothschild
When parents first consider home-schooling their children, they are often overwhelmed with the thought of becoming a full time home-school teacher. Often a parent will have the preset notion that home-schooling a child is all work and no play, but this can't be further from the truth. There are many styles of home-school learning, and this leads also to the many styles of home-school teaching. Styles can be strict: sit at the desk, learning, and then playtime outdoors. Some consider programs that combine home-schooling with classroom settings to be the best option.
When selecting a home-school program, first consider what will best suit your family and your child. Many home-school programs that offer classroom time often require parents to help out. Will you be able to provide this time away from home? Do you have other children to consider? Taking the family into account, consider what will best benefit your home-schooled child. Will taking the time to locate a program with combined classroom instruction help your child with his learning process? If the answer is yes, then begin searching for the best home-school program that offers classroom time. Often home-school classes are found that are free, while others may cost a minimal fee.
Consider that there are those that feel a child should stick to a strict school schedule: running their home-school program as if the child were still in public school. This is an option, but not necessary. Researching the many styles and options of home-schooling and home-school programs available will give you ideas of the many ways to home-school your own child. Some parents prefer to teach their child at home, alone, with their own chosen curriculum. Others will want a prepackaged home-school curriculum. Taking the child into consideration when selecting any home-school curriculum, of course, is the best solution for the child.
Learning about all the possibilities available when it comes to home-schooling can only be beneficial. Choosing the right home-school program for your child can make the difference in whether your child becomes that independent, socialized learner, or the timid and withdrawn child. When you and your child are both comfortable with the home-school program chosen, then the best of learning can take place. Selecting a home-school program that best suits you will also be a benefit to your child.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, children's rights activist, author, and Founder and C.E.O. of online education company Learning by Grace, Inc. Rothschild and her husband of twenty-eight years reside in suburban Philadelphia with their eight children.
Feeling that “our current system of education has broken its promise,” Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. to provide families with Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children all over the world.
In addition to her twenty years of experience as a homeschool mother, Rothschild has written a number of books dealing with education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education Websites Blog consists of helpful online content and activities for Christian homeschooling families.
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