Archive for August, 2010

Many parents are certain that they want to homeschool their child, but are worried that their child would not enjoy homeschooling. The main concerns I hear from parents are about social isolation, and about discipline. Would their child feel isolated if she doesn’t attend a physical school every day? And would their child have the discipline needed to learn in an environment that is much more independent than traditional schooling?

My own experience is that the vast majority of children love homeschooling. Sure, homeschooling takes some getting used to. It’s very different than what your child knows. But it’s better.

Homeschooled kids are not socially isolated. This is especially true for our online homeschool academy, WiloStar3D, because they get to go to a 3D school every day and interact with teachers and with peers. But in any homeschooling scenario, parents are definitely encouraged to meet with other homeschooling families, to go on outings, and to send their kids to enrichment classes. By the way, research consistently shows that grownups who were homeschooled as kids are well adjusted socially. So the social concern really is no more than just a myth.

As for the discipline aspect, homeschooling is perfect for kids who are self-motivated, independent, and want to learn. WiloStar 3D students are expected to remain current with all class assignments and to participate on a regular basis in our 3D virtual learning community, Wiloworlds. If you’re not sure about your child’s desire to learn, you will have to monitor them more closely, especially at the start – but this is true for any learning situation – students that are less motivated need more supervision. The beauty of 3D learning is that it often transforms reluctant learners into enthusiastic learners, simply becuase it is more interesting.

Photo by Picture Youth

Has your child announced the dreaded “I’m bored!” yet? With most of summer break behind us, I won’t be surprised if they had. Most children – and parents – find that ten weeks of summer break is simply too much.

WiloStar3D Online Homeschooling Academy follows a fairly traditional school calendar, but we do encourage flexibility – this is after all the beauty of homeschooling and of e-learning! part of this flexibility is the option to choose to study during summer break.

If your child is bored, or if you feel that they could benefit from reviewing last year’s material before they start the next school year, you should definitely encourage them to use at least part of their day for learning during the summer.

We recommend that children use summer break to review material that was previously learned and make sure they are ready for the next school year. Of course, summer homeschooling can be accomplished in many different ways, including reading, researching subjects on the Internet and solving math problems. Your summer homeschooling does not have to be tied to the curriculum – after all, it’s summer.

We find that children who spend at least part of summer break reviewing material are much more prepared for the next school year. However, we wouldn’t push the subject. You want learning to be fun, and if your child feels that they are “cheated” out of summer break, you won’t really accomplish anything.

Remember that summer offers lots of learning opportunities, including trips to the beach, visits to the museum and to the library, going to concerts and to the theater, and more.

Image credit: mikebaird