“Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.” - Maria Montessori
In the UK, education is compulsory but getting it in school isn’t, which is why you can choose to homeschool your children. More and more families are worried about the schooling their children get from the government. Why not consider the advantages of homeschooling your children?
Improving the Bond with Your Children
Many children spend over 30 hours a week at school, which is close to how much time you’d spend at a full-time job. That said, those who work full-time don’t tend to get home from work until much later than their kids. 
Teaching Children at the Right Pace
Teaching your children will allow you to teach them at a pace that’s right for them. There’s no pressure for them to learn at the same rate as the rest of the class, allowing them to focus fully on their learning. 
Learning in Different Ways
More and more families are turning to homeschooling as the education their children receive in schools isn’t effective enough. Large classes of students of varying levels isn’t the most effective way to teach, after all. Some parents have some very good reasons for teaching their children themselves. 
Respecting the Child’s Biological Routine
Homeschooling can make it easier to respect their biological routine and both children and adults have them. Some are early-birds and others are night-owls and homeschooling can allow you to adapt to your child’s rhythm. Perhaps it’s better to teach traditional classes in the morning and dedicate the afternoon to activities, games, and cultural experiences. They may learn more effectively if they have a break or nap in the middle of the day. In any case, you don’t have to wake them up at the crack of dawn or get them ready for the school run. You’ll also be safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to travel across town on public transport. It’s an opportunity to save a lot of time.
Enjoying the Freedom of Homeschooling
Another advantage of homeschooling is the freedom and peace of mind that the whole family can enjoy. You don’t have to plan around the school holidays and can travel and move house without having to worry. This can also allow parents to move to new jobs without having to worry about their child’s schooling. You can also take holidays during term time without having to worry about schooling. Travelling outside the school holidays is often cheaper and more enjoyable as you can go to new destinations for a longer time. Homeschooling can continue even when you’re on holiday or travelling, making it an enriching experience for your child.
Avoiding the Pressure of Regular Testing
Homeschooled children don’t need to be constantly tested and compared to their peers like those in regular school are. As you progress through schooling, it can feel like you’re constantly being evaluated and compared to your peers. Students are sometimes punished or at least shamed for poor performances. You can still test children at home as it’s a useful tool to evaluate their learning. After all, you still have to provide them with an education and you need to be able to see that they’re learning. However, it doesn’t need to be through tests, exams, or by constantly comparing them to their classmates. Find out what it takes to effectively homeschool children.
The Disadvantages of Homeschooling
Of course, there are pros and cons to homeschooling and while there are plenty of advantages, there are also disadvantages. 
- Teaching is a difficult job and you’ll need to learn how to do it effectively. You can always enlist the help of tutors if you’re struggling.
- Children run the risk of missing out on social interaction with other children. You need to make sure they have social activities as part of their learning. Extra-curricular activities are a good way for them to enjoy social interaction with children of the same age.
- The cost is greater. The parents assume the cost of educating their children. Furthermore, the parent teaching their child probably won’t be able to work. This means that they’ll rely on a single income.
- The child’s social life mightn’t be as enriching. They won’t have over 30 hours of schooling with other children of a similar age.
So what do you think? Homeschooling requires that a child gets a full-time education, but this education doesn't necessarily need to be provided by the parents. Homeschooled children can get all or part of their education from one or several private tutors. If you're interested in looking at private tutors to help provide your child with their education, consider searching for them on Superprof. There are many talented and experienced tutors ready to teach a variety of academic subjects, extracurricular activities, sports, and arts and crafts. Even if you're planning on doing all the teaching yourself, you could get a tutor to help you with planning lessons and the curriculum for homeschooling your child. A face-to-face tutor will often travel to the student's home to teach them one-on-one. They'll adapt the lessons to the student, what they need to learn, and how they learn best, ensuring that every minute of every session is spent as effectively as possible. Of course, this bespoke service comes at a price and face-to-face tutors will usually charge more than online tutors or tutors offering group tutorials. If you travel around a lot or can't find any suitable tutors in your local area, you can always look for online tutoring. As long as you have a decent internet connection and computer, you can get help from tutors all over the world. This is particularly good for foreign languages as you can find native speakers, but it's also useful if your child is studying for UK exams but you're not currently in the country and need someone from the UK with expertise in GCSEs and A Levels, for example. Finally, for those on a budget, group tutorials are an excellent option as you can share the cost of the tutor's time and expertise with the other attendees. If other parents are homeschooling their children and would like some extra help from a tutor, you could get your children together in a smaller class with a tutor and split the bill. A lot of the tutors on Superprof offer the first lesson for free so make sure to try a few different options out before picking the tutor or tutors that are right for you and your family.
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