Homeschooling—An Educational Alternative

• It’s possible for your child to be successful through either homeschooling or traditional schooling. Homeschooling parents, however, need to help each other by sharing responsibilities, provide a clear class schedule, and check regularly for any online school work assigned by teachers.
• An advantage of homeschooling is that when parents are able to observe their child’s learning process up close and personal, they can better understand what their child likes and what engages them, and they can better organize activities appropriate to their child’s needs and abilities.

Many parents are now working from home and, for children, the next school term in Thailand has been postponed to July. Everyone is adjusting their activities and behaviors during this time. This is also a time when parents have to pay more attention than usual to their children’s educational activities, with home or online schooling taking the place of traditional school routines. How, then, can parents make their children’s schooling at home most effective, and how should parents talk to their children about their current homeschooling situation?

First of all, parents need to understand that both homeschooling and traditional schooling options exist and are available to their children. Whichever of these options you choose for your child’s education, it is possible for your child to be successful, to acquire necessary knowledge, to land good jobs, and to earn a good income. A positive aspect of studying at home is that it may even give your child more time to study, as they don’t waste time in traffic to and from school each day.

A child’s natural attention span while learning is generally about 20-30 minutes, depending on the individual. Having a teacher in front of them who conducts the lesson, asks questions, explains, and interacts with them helps the child to concentrate on the task at hand. When studying at home or online, however, children may have a tendency to be distracted. Because of this, parents must take the role of teacher and interact with the child as the teacher would. Start by explaining to your child what the teachers have assigned for the day. Are there any homework assignments that have been given? When do they need to be submitted by? Then check in with your child regularly to see whether they are keeping to the timetable. While families are now home together, parents have the opportunity to observe what their child is doing with respect to their schoolwork.

Don’t forget, however, to allow children time to rest or engage in other activities throughout the day, just as they would at school. This includes recess and break times, meals, etc. In some cases, it’s just a matter of changing locations where various activities are carried out. Your child may enjoy doing some activities alone, or they may need some time to play with or talk to friends or siblings. This is where social media can come in handy. Just adjust the format and timing as appropriate.

Your child’s health is also important. Children need exercise. There are opportunities for this at school through physical education class, recess time and outdoor play with their friends. Therefore, exercise should be included in the child’s schedule at home too. You can do activities such as aerobics, yoga, or kicking a football around in the garage or yard. It’s best not to let children sit around watching TV and movies as their only extracurricular activity as this can result in obesity and other health and weight related issues. Enjoying a variety of physical activities also helps a child’s muscle development.

When parents get involved in, and are able to observe, their child’s learning process up close and personal, they will better understand what their child likes, what makes them happy, and what engages them. They will also be better at organizing activities appropriate to their child’s needs and abilities. The more parents understand their child, the better the foundation for that child’s learning and well-being throughout life.

Studying at home helps to reduce costs and the amount of time required to study in a systematic manner. Parents must, however, plan a curriculum most appropriate for each child, ensuring it is both up-to-date and suitable. A great option is to call the child’s teachers to discuss whether or not a certain course is in line with the child’s current curriculum. This will help you uncover any missing subjects or gaps in the curriculum. Children who study at home may, in fact, become better critical thinkers and better decision-makers, as they will understand themselves better and gain real-world experience with problem-solving on their own, while their parents act as mentors and provide support.

Those who choose to homeschool their child can register with the school district where they live. This can be done for any child from kindergarten through high school, although it is not required for preschool or kindergarten aged children. Any child from the age of 7 years (or grade 1) may be registered. The school district will ask the parents to submit the curriculum that they will be using and how they will teach, grade, and evaluate their child. Each school district will provide recommendations to the parents for appropriate educational management. Once the child has completed all school years and the school district has received the child’s yearly grades, the district will issue the child a certificate which can be used to gain entrance into any Thai university, just like students who have studied within the Thai education system. Parents will also receive an education allowance or government subsidies which can be used towards hiring a teacher or tutor, depending on how they are managing their child’s education.

Homeschooling your child is definitely possible, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. It depends upon a variety of factors, including the needs of the child and parents, each family’s lifestyle and way of thinking, and, in some cases, financial status.

Whether a child is schooled at home or in a traditional school setting, parents need to be in communication with their child’s teachers to ensure the studies are correct according to course and curriculum requirements. Parents also need to take the time to review examination results and assess their child’s progress with the teacher at every step, in order to provide the best possible academic results and learning experience for their child.