One of the pertinent questions out there is whether parents should choose Christian homeschooling for their children or just go for the traditional way of schooling. The responsibility of nurturing, discipline and educating our kids starts with the parent. A teacher in a school cannot impart good discipline to children if the parent fails to do so. This is because teachers in a traditional classroom setting have many students to handle that they can barely focus on each one of them separately. If your child is a slow learner or learns best using a different teaching approach the teacher might not know these. Unlike teachers, parents understand their kids’ interest and learning styles better. They can therefore devise Christian home school curriculum that is specifically tailored to meet their kids learning needs and styles. If you want to have an all-rounded, responsible and God fearing child then Christian homeschooling is the way to go.
So what is Christian home schooling and how different is it from traditional way of schooling? Perhaps you are also wondering whether Christian home school curriculum is just about Bible study or it incorporates other subjects as well. Well Christian home school curriculum teaches the same subjects you will find in a traditional school the only difference being that it incorporates Christian values into the program. If you are wondering whether Christian homeschooling is the way to go then picture this. Would you want your kids to learn about evolution in a secular way or would you want them to learn it in a Biblical point of view like how God created the heavens and the earth? The problem with learning in a traditional school setting is that despite the programs not being tailored to meet your child’s needs they are exposed to secular behaviors and anti Christian doctrines that might negatively impact their moral values. For example they might be told by teachers or fellow students that homosexuality is another form of sexuality and sex before marriage is normal. The Bible says that bad company corrupts good morals. While children are learning and developing they tend to adopt and copy the behavior of those they spend most of their time with. That means parents have to take charge and ensure their kids are brought up according to the teachings of the Bible. With Christian homeschooling it will help your kids be God fearing and morally upright so that they can know what is right and wrong.
Can homeschooling really help you kids perform better? Recent academic studies have shown that kids who study at home perform better than those who study in a classroom setting. Reason for this is that in a classroom setting a teacher does not have the time for a one on one teaching with every child. Therefore they might not understand your child’s needs and whether their teaching style suits all of them. Unlike parents who want the best out of their children, teachers in public schools don’t always have the best interest of their students at heart. In the past teachers have been documented saying if their students perform well or poorly it doesn’t affect the paycheck they receive so they won’t go the extra mile to assist each one of them.
Christian homeschooling has many benefits that parents cannot afford to ignore. However, it’s important to note that homeschooling is not for all parents. Just like any other profession homeschooling requires a certain level of skills like teaching and ability to understand student’s need. In some countries parents who want to be homeschoolers are required to have certain level of academic credential before they can practice. However, most countries don’t have set rules for you to become a homeschooler. It’s up to you to know if you have the skills to become one.
You might be tempted to ask whether Christian home school curriculum applies to all school going kids or just a specific age. Yes, you can find online Christian curriculum that start from kindergarten all the way to high school kids. But parents have to decide on the curriculum to use for their children depending on their age and how it should be completed.
There are many Christian homeschooling programs out there that you can buy online from curriculum providers like Tapestry of Grace and A Beka. Depending on your children’s interest and learning needs you can choose Christian curriculum that are tailored. A Beka for example has books and other learning materials that provide a complete Christian home school curriculum from nursery all the way to twelfth grade. These Christian home school programs also offers variety of subjects like science, Bible history, literature, geography, philosophy, arts studies, literature, writing and composition among others plus a detailed instructor’s guide for parents. Apologia Science, another paid Christian curriculum provider, offers science in the context of God’s creation. There are no lessons plans for this program which makes it easier for students to learn at their own pace. At the beginning of the course there is useful information for parents including answers for tests provided. Most of these Christian home school curriculum provide step by step instructions for students working independently. A good thing about instructor’s guide is that they reduce parents’ workload of planning lessons by offering discussions questions and lesson schedules. However, if you already have a home school plan in place online curriculum providers like A Beka works well in filling in a subject or two into your lesson plan.
Despite being quality these curriculum are not a one-size-fits-all. What that means is that you have to choose the right program based on your child’s age. You don’t expect an eighth grader to be learning fifth grade science. Or a second grader to do fifth grade Math. Understanding your children needs while choosing a Christian home school curriculum will save you lots of frustrations. A good thing is that most online Christian home school curriculum offers a money back guarantee. That means in case you bought a program and decided it wasn’t the right for your kid, you can request a refund from the online site you purchased the curriculum and buy the right one.
In case you feel that these programs are too expensive, there are dozens of free but quality Christian home school programs that you can choose from online. Ambleside Online is one that emphasizes on offering quality work over quantity. All subjects are covered in this program including daily and weekly lessons. There are also quizzes and tests for certain grade years. A downside with these free programs is that the obligation of finding books and learning materials falls squarely on the parent more than other paid programs. Despite this, free Christian curriculum providers like Ambleside Online offers a well thought and thorough guide for kids to learn from home at a very low price.
Going to a public school to learn is what many people consider to be the norm. However, Christian home school curriculum is the best option that can maximize your kids’ full potential of learning. Unlike traditional schooling, Christian home schooling is fun and is done when kids are in the mood to learn rather than a teacher talking in front of the class without caring if students understand the subject.