Parents frequently have questions about homeschooling. In this post, we look at three common questions related to homeschooling.

1. How do you know if your child has learned
2. What do you do about socializing
3. What about college

How do You know if they Learned

One definition of learning is a change in observable behavior. In other words, one-way a parent can know that their child is learning is through watching for changes in behavior. For example, you are teaching addition and the child begins to do addition on their own. It is evidence that they have learned something. There is no need for standardized testing in order to indicate this.

A lot of the more advanced forms of assessment including standardized test was created in order to assess the progress of a huge number of students. In the context of homeschooling with only a few students, such rigorous measures are unnecessary. governments need sophisticated measures of achievement because of the huge populations that they serve which would be inappropriate when dealing with one or two elementary students.

Another way to know what your child has learned is to look at what they are studying right now. For example, if my child is reading I know that they have probably mastered the alphabet. Otherwise, how could the read? I also know that they probably have mastered the most of the phonics. In other words, current struggles are an indication of what was mastered before.

What about Socializing

The answer to this question really depends on your position on socializing. Many parents want their child to act like other children. For example, if my child is 7 I want him to act like other 7-year-olds.

Other parents want their child to learn how to act like an adult. For them, they want their 7-year-old child to imitate the behavior of them (the parents) rather than the behavior of other 7-year-olds. A child will only rise to the expectations of those around them. Being around children encourages childish behavior because that’s the example. Again for many parents, this is what they want, however, others see this differently.

The reality is that until middle-age most of the people we interact with are older than us. As such, it is beneficial for a child to spend a large amount of time around people who are older than them and understand the importance of setting an example that can be imitated.

All socializing is not the same. Adult-to-child socializing provides a child with an example of how to be an adult rather than how to be a child. Besides, most small children would love to be around their parents all day. They only grow to love friends so much because those are the people who give them the most attention.

What about College

This question is the hardest to answer as it depends on context a great deal. Concerns with college can be alleviated by having the child take the GED in the US or local college entrance examinations in other countries.

It is also important to keep careful records of what the child studies during high school. Most colleges do not care about K-8 learning but really want to know what happens during grades 9-12. Keep records of the courses the child took as well as the grades. It will also be necessary to take the SAT or ACT in most countries as well.

Conclusion

Homeschooling is an option for people who want to spend the maximum amount of time possible with their children. Concerns about learning, socializing, and college are unnecessary if the parents are willing to thoroughly dedicate themselves and provide their children with a learning environment that develops their children wholistically.