What comes to mind when you hear the word school? Is it waking up early on weekdays? Getting on the school bus? Morning assemblies? Sitting at the desk with classmates till school is over? While this may be the norm for most kids we know, it may not necessarily be the most ideal way to learn for some kids.
For some kids, a less rigid schedule, one-on-one attention, and a quieter environment are needed to maximise their learning capacity. For such kids, homeschooling may be the answer.
Homeschooling is essentially when a child learns what is taught in schools – at home. The role of a teacher is taken over, more often than not, by one of the parents or both.
If the parent is not qualified to take on the duty of teaching, a tutor may be hired. Also, some centres adopt homeschooling teaching methodologies in Malaysia, where the number of students is small, and usually do not exceed five.
Sometimes, it’s about how a child is being taught
In most schools, we’ll find that some kids tend to like certain teachers over others. It’s no mystery, actually – if a child understands the lesson, he will perform better at school, and his confidence too will flourish. When some individuals struggle with learning though, it may be entirely a question of how they are being taught.
Each child surely has his learning style. While some may be able to cope in school despite being taught in styles that are not in sync with the way they learn best, some may have major problems trying to keep up.
What’s your child’s learning style?
Here’s a guide on learning styles that children may have. – See if you can identify any of them in the way your child learns.
The visual (spatial) learner
Easily recognisable by the way they prefer using images, pictures, colors, and maps to organize information and communicate with others. They have to ability to easily visualize objects, plans, and outcomes in their mind’s eye. The visual learner also generally has good spatial senses, which gives them a good sense of direction. They’re very good with maps and hardly ever forget a face!
They may also tend to use phrases like:
- Let’s look at it differently.
- See how this works for you.
- Let’s draw a diagram or map.
Aural (auditory-musical) learner:
A child with this learning style prefers using sound and music. They have a good sense of pitch and rhythm, and most of them either sing, play a musical instrument, or both. They can also easily identify the sounds of different instruments. They are the ones who take note of music playing in the background of movies, TV shows, etc.
They tend to use phrases like these:
- That sounds about right.
- Tune in to what I’m saying
- Clear as a bell.
Verbal (linguistic) Learner:
This group of children is very particular about the words they use and that are being used, both the written and spoken. They have no issues when it comes to expressing themselves, both in writing and verbally, and they love reading and writing! They’re more inclined to have fun with tongue twisters, rhymes, limericks, and the likes. They like learning new words and will often use them verbally and in writing.
Verbal learners tend to use phrases like these:
- Tell me word for word
- The word you’re looking for is
- Let me spell it out for you.
- In other words…
Physical (kinesthetic)
The physical learner uses your body and sense of touch to learn about the world and environment. It’s likely too, that they like sports and exercise. they notice and appreciate textures in clothes or furniture. Most of them generally are very experimental and don’t mind getting their hands dirty’. They’ll typically use larger hand gestures and other body languages to communicate. The very thought of sitting through lengthy lectures repulse them, for they can’t seem to sit still for too long. They rather are moving about.
Phrases most likely to be used by the physical learner:
- I can’t seem to get a grip on this
- That doesn’t sit right with me
- I follow your drift
Logical (mathematical) learner
The logical learner prefers using logic and reasoning and is quite systematic in his ways too. They can recognize patterns easily, as well as connections between seemingly meaningless content. They are inclined to classify and group information when learning or trying to understand something.
They are exceptionally good with numbers and can perform complex calculations. They’ll not hate trigonometry and algebra and may be able to perform moderately complex calculations in their head.
The logical learner is not easily convinced and they’ll tend to use phrases like:
- That’s not logical.
- Let’s just follow the procedure
- There’s no pattern to this.
- Let’s make a list.
Social (interpersonal) learner
The social learner communicates well with people, both verbally and non-verbally. People listen to them or come to them for advice. They are sensitive and driven and are good listeners. They like to counsel others but also tend to show respect for other people’s views.
They typically prefer learning in groups or classes and like to spend more one-on-one time with a teacher or an instructor. They heighten their learning by bouncing their thoughts off other people and listening to how they respond. They prefer to work through issues, ideas, and problems with a group and they shine when working with a ‘clicking’ or synergistic group of people.
Here are some phrases they like to use:
- What do you think about this?
- Help me understand this.
- Let’s explore our options.
Solitary (intrapersonal) learner
Solitary learners are very private people who are also introspective and independent. They can concentrate well, focusing their thoughts and feelings on your current topic.
They spend time on self-analysis, often reflecting on past events and the way they approached them while learning from their mistakes. They take time to ponder and assess their accomplishments or challenges.
They tend to write down everything and may keep a diary or journal to keep track of events, feelings, important experiences, etc.
Phrases used commonly by the solitary learner are:
- I’ll get back to you on this
- Let me have some time to think about it a bit more
- This is what I think about it
When homeschooling is the best option
Each teacher has a particular style but then so do most students. The problems develop when teachers and students don’t match. If through observation and results, you realise your child is not able to cope or learn much in a typical classroom setting and generally requires more attention or prefers to learn at their own pace, homeschooling should be highly considered. You can also choose the most ideal curriculum that suits your child through this schooling method. It is also a good alternative if you are dissatisfied with a conventional school environment but finances or logistics make it difficult to enroll your child into a private or international school.
Homeschooling is also best if:
- You wish to teach your children using religious or moral instructions.
- Your child has a physical or mental health problem, making it difficult to cope with studies in a classroom.
- Your child has special needs
The upside of homeschooling
- Subject specialisation: If your child is interested in a particular area of study, you’d be able to cater and expand on that field.
- Family bonding: It allows parents to interact with their kids and maintain a steady relationship.
- Flexibility: Teach when required.
- Attention: As it is a one-on-one session or a small group, there is more focus and attention given.
Homeschooling downsides
- Lackadaisical: Parents may get carried away with other chores.
- Dependency: Child may end up being clingy.
- Peer support: Child may not have ample interaction with children of their age
- Qualifications: Parents may not be qualified to teach the child
Types of homeschooling methods
Several homeschooling methods can be followed for effective teaching. They include:
The Charlotte Mason Method
This British educator’s principles are “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life” and “Education is the science of relations.” She believed that children were born persons and should be respected as such. Her motto for students was “I am, I can, I ought, I will.” As such, she believed children absorb a lot from their home environment (atmosphere), should be encouraged toward good habits – specifically the habits of character (discipline), and should be given living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts.
This method allows children time to play, create, and be involved in real-life situations, take a nature walk, visit an art museum, and learn geography, history or literature from “living books” – books written in story form by an author with a passion for the subject matter.
The method uses short lessons with a strong emphasis on excellence of execution, focused attention, and variation in the daily scheduled activities, so the brain doesn’t become overly stressed over a singular task. Knowledge is demonstrated from narration and discussion, not test-taking.
The Trivium Method
Focusing on three phases which are concrete, analytical and abstract, the trivium or the ‘Socratic Method’ builds on absorbing facts and building foundations during the first stage, followed by argument-orientated learning processes with logical and critical thinking activities and finally abstract where students are more independent and articulate in relaying their thoughts.
This method is primarily language-focused and works to ultimately link all fields of study or several fields.
The Eclectic Method
As the name suggests, this is a mixture of several types of teaching methodologies. It depends on the criteria and results a parent wishes to accomplish with their child.
Unit Studies
This is a method focusing on specialisation. If the child has an above-average interest in planets and the solar system, the idea is then to develop and expand on this topic. It could range from learning how to spell the name of the planets, in-depth observation of the planets and its geographical locations apart from taking your child to the planetarium to observe objects related to the topic, watch videos or even build the solar system using recyclable materials.
Unschooling – A child-led approach
American John Holt, who pioneered this method, believes that education should be child-led. As such, unschooling is unstructured and considered a natural form of learning which is centred on the interests of the child.
Most unschooling parents make sure their children learn to read, write, and do basic math. However, planned lessons and traditional textbooks are not the norms. Parents who unschool work with each of their children on an individual basis in relation to each child’s ability and areas of interest.
The German take on homeschool
Germany has a clause in which the only exception for homeschooling is when continued school attendance would create an undue hardship for an individual child while Sweden only allows exceptional cases.
Outlawed!
Countries that have outlawed homeschooling without known reasons include Armenia, Turkey, Brazil, Croatia while countries like the Netherlands allow it only if parents can prove the schools do not fit their belief system.
An alternative
Countries that allow homeschooling as an alternative to the mandatory public or state school system include the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, France, Finland, South Africa, Denmark. In Belgium, it is a constitutional right.
