Elementary Education at School or at Home?

It has been said many times that young children are very impressionable, and learn best while they are young, but what does that mean when it comes to elementary education? As parents we always want the very best for our children, but what is the best when we are considering elementary education for our offspring? This can be a very difficult decision to make, but don't worry, it's only one of many, many decisions you'll have to make as parents!

Elementary education is no doubt of extreme importance, as everything a child learns in these early days is built on as they get older. It is therefore of great importance to choose the best way for your child to get this education. Many parents nowadays feel that they can offer a better education at the elementary level at home rather than use the public education system, but is it really the best way to go? Helene Goldnadel provides a look further here.

Elementary school teachers are trained to teach elementary children, and the training is detailed and thorough. However, not all of these teachers are able to teach the whole range of subjects, for example they may not be musically inclined. But are you? Have you been trained in how to teach, and do you know what to teach? Can you teach all subjects? Is your math good enough? What about your art training? Now the actual teachers your child is assigned at school must play a big part in your decision, so it is necessary to meet with the principal, the teachers, and if at all possible, visit the classrooms while the teachers are teaching. This is not always possible, and it can be very disruptive having strangers in the classroom, but not that many parents actually visit the school during class. You need to see what your gut reaction is to the teachers. Are they people you feel comfortable with, are they easy to talk to? There are lots of questions you will want to ask I am sure. Is the teacher going to be teaching all subjects? Are they qualified to teach the specialist subjects like music and art? Do they encourage parents into the classroom? Do they have field trips? And the questions go on.

You then have to consider being the teacher at home, and there is a great deal to be said for home schooling. Certainly the ratio of teacher to child is fantastic. One on one is definitely better than 1 on 20. A home schooling parent can provide a quality education, especially in the early years, when the curriculum is not too specialized. But what concerns me most isn't the education of the main subjects that home schoolers receive as much as the education in socializing that may not occur. When children are taught at home, they do not necessarily learn how to cooperate with others their age. They might not learn how to cooperate with a large group of children. They may never get the opportunity to be part of a large group activity, like the whole school producing a Christmas show. They may never get to meet with others of different upbringing, and while tolerance of others can be taught at home, it is perhaps somewhat easier in a school environment.

There is a lot more that will go into your decision about home schooling an elementary child. Elementary education is extremely important, and it deserves a thorough review by all parents, not just those considering home schooling for their child.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Helene Goldnadel on The Wisdom of Educational Toys

Long before your child is big enough to leaf through pages of a book or sit upright in front of a computer, he is already fit to learn - and learn he does. Toys that surround children make their own preschool. It is no secret that babies are attracted to bright colors and toddlers are fascinated with moving objects. Parents may observe their kids' eyes follow around a fallen cookie jar rolling on the kitchen floor or get attracted to medicine boxes and even specks of dirt on the floor they crawl on. This leads some parents to thinking that just about any toy would do. But parents can think again with the advent of the so-called educational toys. You might ask, "What makes a toy or any object for that matter educational?" Put in another way, what makes a shape sorter different from a plain rock or a piece of milk carton? Helene Goldnadel says the difference lies in how that toy promotes and enhances the developmental process in young children. With the knowledge of the ...
Read more

Instilling a Habit of Reading in Your Child

As all of us know, reading is one of the golden habits as it can help develop your child's creativity and also broaden their horizons. This is one habit that you would definitely want to instill in your child. Encouraging your child to read regularly requires a lot of time and patience. Children at school or kindergarten are quite young and can be influenced easily. Therefore, it is important that you are extremely sensitive towards their needs while teaching them to read. When a child learns to read, they are basically learning the art of putting disjointed letters together to form a word. This process can be quite slow and tiring for them and their attention span during this time is generally short. Don't get irritated with the child's slow progress. Helene Goldnadel suggests when you are introducing your child to the world of books; ensure that their first books are beautiful, well illustrated and colorful. The font used in the books should be large and easy to follow...
Read more

Delivering the Best Education for Your Kids

There are many factors that add up to our child's education and how it is delivered. School is not the only place for learning and ensuring that the home environment is a comfortable and stimulating area of learning is vital. As parents there are many things that we can do with our children from a very young age to ensure they have the best education and that it is delivered the way it should be. We have put together just a few ideas that will help make sure that your child receives the education that they deserve. Whether they are a budding Little Harvard student, interested in the creative arts or of a mathematical nature there are plenty of things that you can do to help. Take a look on some of points discussed by Helene Goldnadel below: Be Interested Show interest in your child's schoolwork and it will pay off. Do not limit the amount of time that you are able to dedicate to your child's work and extend your support to his/ her teacher too. Keep in contact wi...
Read more