Frequently Asked Questions About Homeschooling
Families have there own unique reasons for homeschooling, but in general many families homeschool for one of the following reasons:
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​Some families want their children's schooling to be more in tune with their spiritual faith. They see homeschooling as as an important tool to pass on family values.
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Some families are constantly moving because of work or other reasons and being in a school environment means disruption at every move.
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Some families have special education needs and an available parent who can provide the student with the time and attention needed to support those needs.
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Some families feel they can do a better job in educating their children than the public school system.
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Some families have a parent, moms in particular, who is out of the workforce for an extended period raising more than one child. This offers a unique opportunity to bond as a family.
Why Do Families Homeschool?
Can Anyone Homeschool?
There are no certification requirements in order to homeschool. You do not need to have a teaching degree. However, homeschooling requires you to have:
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An ability to teach. You have to be able to comprehend the school subjects and communicate them to your students in a manner that is understandable. You have to be diligent in your role as teacher and be patient with yourself in an unfamiliar role. It can be a real challenge.
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Time to teach. Being a homeschool teacher is in many ways a full time occupation. Often one parent remains out of the work force to dedicate time to homeschooling.
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Finances to teach. Homeschooling is not supported financially by the government or the school board. The major exception is homeschool students are entitled to school books like any other student. But many costs arise with homeschooling such as school supplies, lab kits, teaching materials, curriculum, and other books.
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Approval to teach. The school board is actively interested in ensuring homeschool students are getting an adequate education and will want to see reports on and samples of the students work.
What about Socialization?
One of the most often asked questions about homeschooling is "What about socialization?". In today's mixed up world, Christians increasingly find themselves not fitting into secular models or norms, and school is where this begins. So for many Christian homeschool families, there is some relief that there children are not be "socialized" in the school system.
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That being said, homeschool families still play with their neighbours, attend church, go to sports activities, attend camp, and play groups. In other words, socialization is occurring all the time everywhere and with homeschooling you gain a little more control over the type of socialization your children are exposed to.
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One of the benefits of a homeschool group like CHEA is it brings parents and children together periodically for field trips, special events and sports activities, providing socialization with other homeschooled families.
A homeschool child cannot receive a high school diploma if he did not go to high school. Likewise he does not need to take public exams. As a result entering colleges or university can be more difficult but not impossible. Colleges and universities, including MUN and CNA are getting better at understanding homeschooling and thus accepting entrance exam scores or portfolios of completed work as evidence of suitability for higher education.
One of the benefits of a homeschool group like CHEA is experienced families can provide guidance to new families as they embark on the homeschool journey.
What About High School Diplomas and College?
