Homeschooling Made Me Question How We Educate Children. You Should, Too.
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Kids ages 5 and over are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and many parents are faced with the difficult decision of whether to send their kids back to in-person classes, continue homeschooling, or try a hybrid approach. And school districts are doing whatever they can to influence this decision.
Reports of decreased enrollment in public schools and increases in full-time virtual school enrollment are commonplace. Here, in North Carolina, an estimated 38,000 kids have signed up for homeschool since the end of 2019. That’s a 20 percent year-over-year increase and the largest enrollment numbers since homeschooling was legally recognized in 1985.
As a mother battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, sending my young children back to in-person classes is not an option, even with life-saving vaccines available. With no virtual options and no clear plan for handling quarantined students this year, it seemed this would be the third year in a row of sub-par education for my two daughters. To me, the path to homeschooling was clear, and I expect there are many families also in compromised situations looking to continue homeschooling until new variant waves subside.
But even though COVID-19 was a major motivating factor for families to try homeschooling, it’s not the only reason parents will continue to homeschool into 2022. At-home education has opened many eyes to the stark reality that in-person learning is not all it’s cracked up to be – it is not effective for many learning styles and offers little flexibility for working parents.
Remote learning has actually simplified our lives and our schedules.
Learning is Not One-Size-Fits-All
As schools nationwide struggle to improve students’ grades, homeschooling has been incredibly effective. Being at home provides interesting and new ways to teach kids about traditionally boring concepts. For instance, in our home, my daughters learn about science and sustainability through beekeeping with a bonus lesson on responsibility and respecting their fears. By spending time in the stable riding horses together, they not only have the benefit of improving their coordination and flexibility, it also helps them improve their cognitive abilities which lead to enhanced memory and problem-solving. The world is not cookie-cutter, so why should our kids’ education be?
Homeschooling has dramatically changed over the last few years. Parents no longer have to be the teacher, administrator, and curriculum creator. We always loved the idea of homeschooling, but I never had the courage to make the transition because I thought I wouldn’t be a capable teacher. What I now realize is that I don’t have to be! Online education platforms like Time4Learning, the one my children use, offer comprehensive programs that provide parents and students with structured lessons which align with regular school curriculum.
Greater Flexibility
In addition to using these platforms to overcome gaps in their childrens’ curriculum, parents are also taking advantage of more flexible schedules.
“Homeschooling has been amazing for our family for many reasons, but I will be eternally grateful for the additional time it has allowed me to spend with my girls.”
Jody Sitton
Families who have recently found freedom in working from home or hybrid work environments now question the need for their children to spend so much time at a traditional school. During a traditional 8-hour school day, children typically only have a few hours of actual class instruction. The rest of the time they are changing classrooms, eating lunch, out at recess, or performing administrative tasks. There are better ways our kids can be spending their time, and more productive ways for parents to schedule their days. Homeschooling provides an avenue for families to craft a workflow that fits within their specific needs. I’ve personally organized a 4-day school schedule for my girls and now we enjoy “Fun-Fridays.”
My children enjoy being able to move from the desk to the patio to the table as they do school work, and also feel like they can concentrate better when working independently. It also leaves more time for recreational activities like riding lessons in the afternoon.
As a cancer survivor, every minute I get to spend with my children is extra special. Homeschooling has been amazing for our family for many reasons, but I will be eternally grateful for the additional time it has allowed me to spend with my girls.
Our children are a gift, and we must take their health and education seriously. For these reasons, I will continue to homeschool my kids in 2022, and hope I’ve inspired other families to consider taking this path as well.
About the Author
Jody Sitton is a resident of Union County, North Carolina, and homeschools her two daughters, Zoie and Skylar.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Time4Learning or its employees.
home school is amazing as a student in public school i would get done with school at around 3 o clock and get home at 6 pm yes 6 pm 3 hours on a bus.usally if i was lucky my head would be throbbing.but now just yesterday i got 2 days of work done by 2 o clock .and students like me! can work aheadbecause my cousin just came back from 3 years in italy no problem! i could just work ahead and one other time my cousin the same one came back from out of the country and i didn’t get to see her because i would get home a 6 do homework and it would be about 7and ive notice my mood has changed the last time my cousin came in i was grouchy and angry all the time because i would get up a 6 am to get ready only to stand in the weather till 8 and arrive at school late but now ive never been betterbut i didn’t get on here to brag but if you know someone or you are that someone who is thinking about the change to home school do time4learning its awesomeand i am not no stinking paid actor im a normal teen north carolinian (from the south part of it that is)
Thanks so much for stopping by our blog and sharing your experience, Lawrence! We appreciate you being a part of the Time4Learning family!
I had been royally ridiculed for my choice to homeschool even before the pandemic required it. I have one of the people who felt I wasn’t up to the task now pulling their child out of school to travel inside of a Pandemic.
Hi Angela. We’re sorry to hear about the ridiculing, but we hope you can be a mentor or guide for those in your life who are new to homeschooling now! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your experience!
My daughter was showing a lot of interest in wanting to learn when she was 4 years old in 2021. she was born in October and this means she wouldn’t be going to school till she turned 6 years old. I had her start T4L preschool in the spring of 2021 just to see if she would enjoy it. Sure enough, she couldn’t get enough of it. She was really into it. She completed everything T4L had to offer. So I figured I would try Kindergarten fall 2021. I am so happy to see how much she enjoys doing school. The fact that public school wouldn’t allow her to start school till 6 years old. This sure gets her ahead of kids her age. I am so thankful for T4L. Couldn’t ask for anything better
What a great testimonial, Harley, thank you so much for sharing! We’re thrilled to hear of your daughter’s success with Time4Learning and we’re wishing her well on her continued educational journey!
What mobilization programs are there for kids on IEP.
Hi! Since Time4Learning is a curriculum and not a school, we don’t provide any services under an IEP. However, many schools will let homeschoolers continue to receive services under an IEP if it was in place before the child was removed from the school. We recommend reaching out to your school to see what they offer/allow.
I would also like to agree that homeschooling is the best with time for learning. My son is understanding his work so much better now that he does the work at his pace. And he can also go over it again if he does not understand it the first time around. I have been homeschooling since 2018 and will continue until he graduates high school. Yes, time for learning was and is a blessing from God for us.
We’re thrilled to hear that Time4Learning is working for your family, Robyn! Thanks for stopping by our blog and sharing your experience. We appreciate you being a part of the Time4Learning family!
i love it
Thanks for stopping by our blog, Michelle!
I am having a horrible experience with two Autistic kids in Harlem, NY. One child understands the way of being with the time4Learning curriculum and how to retain it while my other child has been doing it on her own pace and still does not retain the information. She does not want to get on a schedule, study, receive assistance says I a impeding in her personal space and I have not been able to work with no one of the matter because I have no FB, Or any social media for support groups. Out here in the city they want you to pay for services if you want your child to be in a homeschooling program. Let alone how damaging the school system destroyed her confidence in wanting to learn. She tried unaliving herself in school last year and dislikes going outside. 11 yrs of age and feeling helpless and hopeless. I do not even know where to begin with myself that getting up and heading to a different state will help our situation improve especially getting the assistance for a midly and moderate autistic girls who does not undergo theraphy and or have a social worker, on OPWDD, and no social outlet. She has transformed me in a daunting and scary way that no parent should go through. I have not been able to write or send out a IHIP in desperate need and me and the other child has been mentally under duress. I am so far gone and lost. They say help is there but it seems like I have to check us in because we are not being helped. I pulled them out to boost their confidence and stop them from getting bullied and teach them adequate truth about their history. With one child wanting to strive and the other child being so undervalued it drains us out as a unit.
Hi Jennifer! We’re so sorry to hear that you’re struggling. It may be hard to connect to groups locally, but we do have a couple of very active communities on Facebook that we’d like to invite you join. This one is our main group, with almost 48,000 active members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Time4LearningFamilies
We also have a group that’s specific to families who are homeschooling children with special needs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Time4LearningSpecialNeedsFamilies
Please don’t discount the connections that you can make with others online. It’s not the same as in-person, but the bonds can form nonetheless. We have members that connect through the groups and end up becoming family friends in real life, too!
We’re wishing you well, and if there are any questions we can answer about using Time4Learning, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team! https://www.time4learning.com/contact-us/
Ok so when you go on the MY PLAN you can see what you are doing but how do you know what days to do if you are just starting homeschool.
As a homeschool parent of two, I leave off the day view and only keep the week view. This allows my children to do whatever subject they are in the mood for at that time. As long as they complete the entire week for me during that week, I am happy. My children are young, so I am close by for assistance and encouragement. I hope this helps.
That’s a great tip! Thanks so much for sharing, Daphne!
Hi Ellie! As homeschoolers, parents are in total control and get to decide their schedules (making sure to abide by any state laws/requirements)! We recommend developing a schedule that your whole family is comfortable with. Some families do 5 days a week, like traditional school. Some families only do 3 or 4 days a week with T4L, leaving time in the week for outside classes, field trips, play dates, etc. Hope that helps!
Good article and God bless you!
Thanks for stopping by our blog, Karen!
I am enjoying homeschooling with my 2 children, its been a blessing to work the time4learning curriculum. Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by our blog and sharing your experience, Edna! We appreciate you being a valued member of the Time4Learning family!