Home schooling has been around in its present form for nearly 40 years, is gaining in popularity and is legal in all 50 states. But is it still mired in controversy. Sadly, the home school controversy stems from both ignorance and the self interest of some groups. Talk to parents who are homeschooling their children and you will hear stories of sarcasm, scrutiny, criticism and even that it carries a social stigma for both the parents and the children. The school system and Parent Teacher Associations who feel that home schooling reflects badly on them, are active in their criticism.

Unfortunately, it is not only schools and PTAs that pass judgment of home schooling. Family, friends and neighbors all chip in with their opinions and since in most cases home schooling is something they have never experienced and have no knowledge of, the advice parents get is nearly always negative. People have become conditioned to associate a school – the buildings, classrooms, labs and gyms – with education. They feel that without the formal physical structure, there can be no educations. They are unable to comprehend that education is a process of transfer and acquiring knowledge and the physical structures only support the process and do not control it. They feel home schooled children are being deprived of what should rightfully be given to them. In extreme cases the children are even discriminated against in matter of play and social activities.

Another area of Home School Controversy is the fact that home school means one parent give up a job and the income from it to stay at home and teach. The argument here goes that the additional income would improve the family’s standard of living and would allow the children to go to a “good” school and get a “proper” education.

One area of genuine concern that many people have is that home schooled children are cut off from their peers and will grow up lacking the social skills needed to survive in our modern world or even just to be able to go to college. This is true but to a large extent could be over come by an understanding of what home school is, why the parents have made this choice and support in terms of encouraging social interaction between children going to regular school and home schoolers.

Yet another cause of the Controversy for Home School is the question of extracurricular activities – dramatics, sports, academic competitions and so on. This is one area where the concern is based on, at least to some extent, reality. While some state laws say a home schooled child should be allowed to participate in all activities of the local school board, other states require a child to attend a regular school to be eligible to participate. Whatever the law, the fact remains that a home schooler will not be able to be a member of a school sports team, act in plays and the many other things that a regular school provides. A home schooler also has less opportunity for the normal school high jinks that are very much apart of growing up. Support groups can help to overcome this problem to some extent.

In the end it is for the parents to weigh the pro and cons of Home Schooling and make their own decision. Home schooling is not a perfect solution, but if society would stop finding reasons against home schooling and instead find way to support families who have opted for home schooling, no one would lose.

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The Montessori system of education is named after its creator, Dr. Maria Montessori who was a doctor, scientist, philosopher and anthropologist. She perceived that external influences do not just influence a young child’s mine, they form it. Therefore the aim of the teacher is not to control or impart knowledge to a child, but to create an environment where the child is exposed to the desired influences.

This concept is best created in the home, which explains the popularity and success of the Montessori home school system. Even in the best of schools young children in kindergarten or the first, second and third grades are exposed to many negative influences. Some children are just naturally unhappy in large groups. Others will pick up habits from badly behaved children or even develop anti social tendencies. The aim of the Montessori system is not to correct these things, but to prevent them from happening in the first place. While this can be achieved with some success in a regular school environment, it can be done best in the home in a Montessori home school.

In a Home School Montessori children are allowed to be free in their own environment. This allows a child to express its natural curiosity and as concepts a grasped, a need for order and organization develops and along with that so does self discipline. Obviously the safest place for a young child to be given this freedom is at home.

Young children have an innate desire to do things for themselves, either out of curiosity or to imitate the action of elders. The Montessori home school will provide children to participate in “adult” activities like cleaning, washing, gardening and so on. When a child is involved in these “natural” activities, things like learning what the letters C A T spell becomes equally natural. The Montessori home school allows children to learn by allowing freedom to their desire to understand. Allowing this freedom to children allows their self confidence and self esteem to also grow.

In a Home Schooling Montessori the parent does not direct the child towards subjects to learn. Rather the parent follows the child’s natural inclinations and curiosity to support him or her in their efforts to understand what interests them. Of course, not everything will interest every child but the satisfaction children get from understanding things that interest them will lessen their resistance, in later years, to studying subject that are not appealing to them. The subconscious memory of the satisfaction that comes from understanding will overcome many of the barriers to studying “boring” subjects.

The Montessori Home Schooling is a positive way to begin a child’s education. Even if later on parents decide to send their children to regular schools, the benefits of the Montessori home school will stay with the child for life. By allowing children to progress at their own pace and making understand that there are things they want to learn as well as things they are required to learn, a balanced outlook towards life is created in the minds of the children and this balance will stand them in good stead when they move out on their own.

Visit Home School Jewel today to get your free ebook on Homeschooling. Home School Jewel is a new community website that gives you all of the information you need for Home Schooling. Visit today for a free introductory offer of a free ebook on Home Schooling.