This is one of the questions we usually get. My answer is, why not? :D
Homeschooling, though many families are already considering and are actually doing it for years now, is still not common especially in the Philippines.
I've heard about homeschooling even before my kids started schooling. But only two years ago, did we decide to homeschool our eldest son, in his 5th grade. Before the end of the last quarter in his regular school, he complains of going to school every morning when I wake him up. I would just drag him and talk him into it.
He said teachers were mean and always angry. My son is very independent. When he's done with his task, and he's a fast worker, he gets out of his chair to play. Of course, he gets called out because maybe he distracts his classmates. I don't blame teachers coz that's their job. After talking to my son for several times, I found out that the classroom setting is not for him. I remembered homeschooling and started researching and inquiring about it. I attended an orientation at The Master's Academy, now Homeschool Global.
I was so fired-up after the orientation. I learned that the main goal of homeschooling is values formation and character building. And for our family, those are most important than the high grades, classroom ranking and academic honors.
We want them to experience that learning can be fun and less stressful. And aside from teaching my son according to his learning styles, we get to teach him more about God.
After we started homeschooling, we discovered it has a lot of benefits. So the following year, (this school year), we are homeschooling both our sons already.
More affordable tuition fee than most private schools. At HG, the tuition fee for the first child is 30% less than what we pay for one child in our former private school. Then P5,000 only for each additional child to be enrolled from the family. Tuition fees include academic consultants, quarterly assessments, learn groups, homeschool activities, report cards and DEPED accreditation. Some providers even cost less. I also know some who do independent homeschooling when they already know the ins and outs of it. And they are also willing to do the accreditation papers or take tests from DEPED on their own. Others even practice unschooling. Well, the world is a classroom!
And because we saved a lot from tuition fees, we get to do activities and buy them books that interest them. Zach is taking up piano lessons while Gabe has been in Musical Theater. No more of the school activities that they don't like but are required to join and parents are forced into shelling out for costumes, props and etc. We also get to go to places that we want to visit. More learning and bonding time for the family.
We get to choose curriculum/books that we like. Our provider has open curriculum. Although, they recommend curriculum for for your child, we can choose whatever curriculum/books that we like. Unlike in regular schools where you buy the set of books that they require for the grade level. You may opt to buy books according to your budget. My youngest son also get to use my older son's books from the previous year. There are also books for multilevel homeschooling like Science (Apologia), different novels for Reading, Mystery of History for World History, Bible and Character, where both kids do the same lessons together regardless of grade levels. For our arts, we find good art projects on youtube and copy them. I didn't find computer books necessary as they become obsolete in a few years time. My son uses scratch app to learn programming for kids.
No more morning rush. When my kids were still in regular school, the stress of waking up early, waking the kids up early, getting them to move fast, eat fast, and all the preparation to school every single morning is really stressful for me and more so for the kids. Although my kids are early risers, when we went homeschooling, they get to sleep in as long as they want when they got tired from the last day's happenings. We have a set schedule every day but with homeschooling, we have flexibility.
Learning about life skills and practicing it in daily life. Again, the world is a classroom. We can find any occasion a learning opportunity.
My kids have more playtime and enjoy just being kids. When my kids were in regular school, lots of time and energy are used in travel, preparation, assignments, and reviewing for quizzes and tests. I noticed that in the traditional school, quizzes and tests are given so that the student will master the lessons at home (where the parents teach their child) before the test is given. It's also a gauge for the teacher to know if the student is listening or studying at home. In homeschooling, we learn the lessons not for the tests but to master the lessons.
I think my kids are happier than before.
These are just some of the things I could think about why we chose homeschooling.
There's just one thing that my kids miss. And that's bad influences from other kids (and adults).
Homeschooling isn't easy, but for us this is the best form of education. It isn't for everyone as well. So I'm grateful to have this opportunity to be able to homeschool my kids.
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