As a parent, it’s important to know your children: their patterns, behaviors, learning style and signs when something is wrong. Kids having trouble in a traditional school may exhibit different signs such as drop in grades, depressed personality, mood swings, withdrawing from their social circle, asking to stay home more often and even pretending to be sick to get out of going to class. While every student is likely to have one or more of these signs throughout the course of their education, if there are multiple signs at any given time or the signs do not seem to be going away, it is time to have a conversation with the children.
Here are the signs your family is ready for homeschooling.
1. Depressed personality
The pressure kids are under to keep up with their peers both academically and socially can be overwhelming for some students which means that, as a family, you need to find an alternative option that will allow them be successful in their schoolwork. The best homeschool programs offer accredited curriculum combined with online portal access and connection to experienced teachers so students receive a quality backed education without the stress and external demands pulling their attention away. This approach is popular because it allows families to take advantage of homeschooling without putting a majority of the teaching pressure on parents as they may not feel qualified or ready to take on their responsibility.
2. Mood swings
Many families today are dual-income where both parents work outside of the home, making it nearly impossible for them to teach their child at home even if they know this is the best option due to learning disabilities, frequent traveling or health problems. Instead of seeing homeschooling as a stressful alternative, the best homeschool programs are the solution that works for every family. Each online course is equipped with a planner that recommends a schedule for assignment completion but with the flexibility to do more or less on any given day.
Full-time instructors work with the students to explain concepts, answer questions and hold them accountable to getting their studies completed in a reasonable time frame. This allows the parent to have the role of supporter and encourager while keeping up with their day job and feeling less guilty about having to more to accommodate the requirements of the job. Relocations and other life events do not negatively impact the school schedule but provide the flexibility to relieve the stress of meeting a schedule for both parents and children.
3. Drop in grades
Grades are important especially in high school where they affect the student’s GPA and transcript record. If your student has a sudden drop in grades or is constantly struggling to keep up with the rest of the class then homeschooling might be the right decision. Parents should find out if there is any type of learning disability that needs to be considered and talk with their child about the reason for the lower grades. It is important to listen carefully to what is and isn’t being said and to take concerns seriously so that the family can come together to find the best solution.
Students with certain learning struggles often do very well with the best homeschool programs because there is no pressure, they can learn at their own pace and the curriculum is designed to be worked through for that grade level. Additional resources such as practice tests, tutorials and access to online libraries and tools are provided with the program enrollment so that every student can reach their maximum potential in and out of ‘class’.
High school grades does matter if you have hopes of ahead to college. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is said to be one of the crucial factors that colleges may consider when they are going to decide to accept or deny a student. So, simply calculate GPA for your child with the help of an online gpa calculator. Also, you can try UF GPA calculator by calculator-online to calculate the grade point average corresponding to the current semester.
The best part about homeschooling is that it can be introduced in any grade so parents who fully embrace this approach can start with children from the beginning. High school students may be the one to ask for this switch because they want to focus on academics and are tired of the drama at school. The important thing is to periodically discuss changes and thoughts to ensure that students are getting what they need to succeed no matter where they are at that time.
4. Withdrawing from their social circle
When discussing the possibility of homeschooling, it is a good idea for everyone to be included so they can share their thoughts and concerns. Often, what looks like roadblocks, are misunderstanding of the process or something that can be resolved using a different approach. Kids resistant to the idea may be concerned about not having any friends but membership in a local club and homeschooling group can help them feel more at ease.
Parents who are worried about the cost and time investment should do online research and talk with homeschoolers so they can find out all the options available including online programs where very little is required from the parent and the costs are affordable. The best way to ensure success with this path is to work together as a family, set reasonable expectations and create an environment where learning is fun and exciting with benefits that are both short and long-term oriented.
