Can Taking Children out of Public School to Home School be Successful

By Ina Woolcott

YES! There are more and more teenagers being taken out of school for various reasons, and being home taught. They are now able to study subjects in depth, to learn from apprenticeships, work and travel. The independence of home schooling is appreciated, and also the time to discover what they really love to do. They are also going onto university.

Taking your child out of school indefinitely can give you feelings of excitement but also can also be daunting. It is exciting to be able to have the freedom and responsibility over your child's education. If you are confident, especially in the first year of home educating, this will be a big help in getting you through sometimes challenging times. You don't need to be qualified to teach so don't worry about this aspect of home schooling. Studies have proven that home taught kids test scores are consistently higher than those attending 'normal schools', regardless of their parent(s) education level. A study taken in the USA, showed that by the time home taught children were at the age for eighth grade, they tested FOUR YEARS ahead of children attending public schools.

Before you start do some research and find out about what home schooling entails, not what you think it entails. For ideas please read related link:
Where Can I Find Information On Home Schooling
Also notify your school in writing if or when you decide to take your child out of school permanently. In the UK you can remove your child(ren) from school at any time.

Now your child is at home with you here are a few tips

DON'T

* Immediately buy a full curriculum package
* Try and copy a school environment
* Expect your child to turn into an eager student overnight
* Assign a heavy work load to your child
* Set aims and objectives until the whole family has adjusted, especially when an older child is involved.

DO

* Be patient with your child and yourself
* Give at least a few month plus for all family members to relax and get used to their new life style. As with all big changes in life time is needed to adjust.
* Put formal studies aside and let your child develop naturally in the direction their interests lay.
* Encourage personal interests

The time needed to get used to home schooling is by some called decompression, or a time of detoxification! At school children are constantly being conditioned to obey and to not act independently. There are strict schedules of lessons and break times. Rather than learning what interests them, they are told what to learn to get good grades under a reward and punishment system. The longer a child has been conditioned this way, the longer the 'decompression' will be. They are not used to the sudden freedom they have to pursue what they love and what interests them in a loving, homely atmosphere. The quietness, the one on one attention will do them a world of good. Successful home schoolers are those who tune in to their children's strengths and weaknesses, and create a course of home education tailored to them. When children are treated with the respect they deserve and are not separated from the families day to day life, but a part of it, learning transforms into a joyous experience.