Home schooling can lead to outstanding careers

Homeschooling is one the latest trends in education nowadays, although the concept of homeschooling originated in the 20th century. This was during the time before public education came into being. It is not until now that it has become a more viable option for many families who have children who are still going to school.

Some of the famous persons that are considered to have acquired a homeschooled education, given the fact that they were self-educated or had availed of the guidance of a tutor include: Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Jane Austen to name a few.

Which only goes to show that individuals who have not acquired a formal education can also become successful in life.

In fact some surveys that were conducted with homeschooled individuals show that more of these individuals are involved in their communities, and have a higher percentage rate when it comes to voting. 58.9% of them also claim that they are very happy with their lives, compared with 27.6% of the rest of the population who also make this claim.

There are many career options that await homeschooled individuals. Surveys show that the preferred occupations that these persons are more likely to choose are: business, computer programming, career in the armed forces, internships, home worker, etc.

But before they embark on a career most of these homeschooled students choose to go to college first. There are a number of colleges that accept students fresh out of homeschooling.

Many highschool students who are undergoing homeschooling simultaneously take college courses to earn credits. These credits count towards the credit their going to accumulate once they go to college. Homeschooled students have been known to score high in college entrance exams.

There are some stereotypical views that have been attached to individuals that have acquired their education through homeschooling. Such as that these individuals tend to be reclusive, antisocial, or extreme in their views when it comes to religion.

But slowly these views are dissipating since homeschooling is now becoming more mainstream.

A lot of parents have become extremely dissatisfied with the way public school systems are run. Not only do they fear for their children's safety, but the quality of education that their children receive some parents also find lacking.

That's why a lot of these concerned parents have made the decision to have their children homeschooled. A decision that now seems to be paying off.

Since the past decade the number of homeschooled students has multiplied, now resulting in responsible adults who have stable jobs and thriving careers in their chosen fields of endeavor, proving that homeschooling provides an excellent quality of education.

The different methods of home schooling

There are a variety of methods that can be applied in the area of homeschooling. The method you select will have an impact on the curriculum and style of teaching. The following are some of the most popular homeschooling methods.

The Charlotte Mason method is named after Charlotte Mason, who is known as the originator of the homeschooling movement. She herself was a homeschooler, and she wanted to establish a basic plan for a complete and effective homeschooling program. The Charlotte Mason method emphasizes poetry, fine arts, classical music, crafts, and classical literature. This method is designed to encourage an awareness of literature and involves reading to the child every day. The child is then asked to tell what he or she has heard. This starts at the age of six. By the age of ten, the child is expected to write narrations in a book. Mason encouraged the use of nature diaries as well. The child writes observations of nature in the book as well. This creates a sense of respect for the environment in the child. Mason thought that good behavior and character were critical for a child’s complete personality development.

The Eclectic Homeschooling method is a combination of several techniques. Innovative parents rely on their own judgment to select topics that make up the curriculum for their own child. These parents are always looking for the best products they can find to help them meet the needs of their home schoolers. Many of the curricula in this method are improvised. This means that, while the basic curriculum is established, parents change it to adapt to the individual needs and interests of their children. The curriculum is generally established according to the temperament, learning style, and interests of the children. These programs typically include visits to libraries, factories, and museums.

John Holt, a public educator in Boston, developed the ‘unschooling’ method. Holt believed that children learn best when they learn at their own pace and are guided by their own interests. He wanted to ‘unschool’ the child by requiring parents to take their cues from the children. This approach has no set curriculum, schedules, or materials. It is the most unstructured of the homeschooling techniques.

The Montessori method had its start in Italy. It was found that children go through extremely sensitive periods in which they experience periods of intense concentration. In these phases, children will repeat an action until they receive some measure of self-satisfaction from it. This method relies on prepared environments to facilitate learning. All materials utilized in this method are meant to satisfy the child’s interior desire for spiritual development. Materials for this method range from simple to complex, and they are relatively costly.

Whatever method is selected, the underlying concept is flexibility and a strong interest in the child’s own desires. The key is to use children’s desire for knowledge to further their education.