By Kari Ronning
The Bronco Press
Brownell MS
1st Place
Division MS, News Writing
Personal Narrative
Some parents put their kids in the public school system at the age of five, some parents put their kids in private schools and some enjoy teaching their kids at home.
As for me I was one of those kids who was taught at home. People tell me all the time that I was so lucky and that they wish they were homeschooled, too. All I can say is homeschooling is not what you think it is.
Homeschooling is sitting at a desk, reading textbooks and answering problems just like you would do at a regular school. In my opinion, there are advantages and disadvantages to homeschooling, but the advantages minimize the disadvantages.
One definite advantage is you receive more attention in your schoolwork because it’s more one on one, like tutoring. And you can go deeper into any subject area because you are not bound by time constraints. I can remember sitting at my desk working on some particular subjects longer than usual like Math and Science. Mostly math because it’s most difficult for me so I would spend more time on it until I understood the concepts.
You can also focus on a lot more things you enjoy such as music, sports and hobbies. Homeschooling is also less schedule oriented. Working at home gives you time to work until you fully understand a topic. Normally I started at nine when I was fully awake and ready to start the day. Some days school would end sooner if I easily understood what was being taught, however there were also days where the school session would last longer if I was struggling with a certain topic.
Homeschoolers also learn how to be independent learners at a younger age. Socially, homeschoolers are often less influenced by their peers and are more willing to interact with people of all ages. You can meet kids by being involved in sports, church activities and all kinds of groups.
Just as there are advantages to homeschooling, there are also disadvantages, too. One of the biggest problems is motivation. At home you have to be self motivated. Although parents are seeing to it that your work is complete, there comes a point when you have to be inspired beyond external motivation. Peers also contribute to that motivation. Competition is a good motivator. Unless a homeschooler is involved in a co-op which is a group of kids that normally meet at a school two to three times a week, there is little competition except for math drills.
Another disadvantage to homeschooling is group discussion and learning. Again, being involved in a debate club or robotics team can help foster team competition, cooperation and discussion. However, if you are not involved in these type of groups, the discussion with peers is definitely limited.
Overall, I believe the advantages of homeschooling outweigh its disadvantages. I have enjoyed a stress free environment, quality family time and ambitious examples that other homeschoolers have set for me. Like my siblings and my friends who have always encouraged me to do my best and work hard in my schooling.
Having now seen both homeschooling and public school education, there are definite differences. You’re not as stressed in a homeschool situation, however, a public school setting offers more opportunities for group collaboration. I feel I’ve been lucky and have had the best of both worlds.