Homeschooling one’s child or children becomes a necessity if a certain family situation makes formal schooling a difficult route to take.
A mother suffering from a back injury that rendered her a less able member of a parenting partnership is one such issue. In situations like these, a lot of sacrifices have to be made; not only with financial matters but also in the lifestyle of every family member. A back injury after all, is not something that heals quickly. Moreover, it requires limitation of physical activity and a stress-free environment.
Homeschooling can ease out the rigidity and rigors of having to follow a daily schedule. Since learning hours and performance of educational activities of a home-based education can be flexible, each child’s homeschool curriculum can be tailored around the circumstances and present situation of the household.
Still, for whatever reason parents look to homeschooling as a method of giving their children the education they need, they must first do some research when new to the concept of home-based education.
Federal and State Laws Governing Homeschooling
It may surprise some parents to note that there are no specific federal laws that must be observed when choosing to homeschool a child. This is where the so-called “power-of-the-purse” or funding control at a higher level is not present, because the federal government does not include appropriations for home-based education. That being the case regulations and requirements depend on the state in which homeschooling will be adopted as an alternative method of learning.
State laws vary; some have lax rules, while others impose rigid requirements. The first thing that parents should look into is, how to best meet the requirements of their state, as far as home-based education is concerned.
Homeschooling Curriculum
In order to make home-based schooling an effective and efficient method of providing education for their children, parents should have an idea of how to choose the right homeschooling curriculum.
Every state law requires teaching the four basic knowledge; reading, grammar, spelling and math. Choosing the right type of curriculum matters, as it depends on a child’s or even the family’s learning style. The best way to determine this is to first combine curriculums presented in different approaches and from there, find out the most effective learning approach to use.
The Home School Environment
The home school environment refers not only to the physical setup of a home. It is also a matter of giving the child and the parent-teacher the support they need. After all, not all parents who take on the responsibility of educating a child are properly trained to handle the learning attitude and behaviors manifested by that child. More so if more than one is being homeschooled.
Going back to our example in which homeschooling will be an option taken because a mother suffered a back injury, a home environment can also be influenced by her medical condition. In knowing that their mother will eventually recover and recuperate, children will be less anxious and therefore become more receptive to the idea of being homeschooled.
As an aside, it will also be helpful to know more about back injury, its treatments, therapy or even surgery by looking up websites of medical institutes that handle spinal injury or disorders, like the Central Texas Spine Institute in Austin.