Homeschool Challenges Meet Free Homeschool Resources

October 27, 2015
Written by:
Guest Author
Elementary Homeschool, Homeschooling Curriculum

 

Overcoming the Challenges of Homeschooling Today

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 3% of the school-age population in the U.S. was homeschooled during the 2011-2012 school year. Home-based education is an educational practice that is bordering on becoming mainstream in the United States. And the 2.2 million home-educated students in the country represent a growing population of children participating in what may be the fastest-growing form of education in the U.S. In fact, the National Home Education Research Institute states that the homeschool population has grown at an estimated 2-8% per annum over the past few years.

Challenges of Homeschooling in the U.S.

  • Finding and Financing Materials

A survey by the National Home Education Research Institute found that one of the most common reasons given for homeschooling is that parents want to customize the curriculum and learning environment for their children. However, parents, especially those who are new to homeschooling, often have a difficult time researching the options for materials and resources, matching resources they do find to the abilities of their children, and then financing the costs of gaining those materials.

  • Customizable Materials for Homeschooling

No two children learn in exactly the same way, and in order for learning to be most effective, lessons and materials must be presented using means that complement a child’s learning style. Most of the public and private schools follow a formal curriculum for students, and new homeschool parents often mistakenly believe they must do the same. What works well for one child may not be the best plan of learning for another, and many parents find it difficult to find materials that cater to and complement their children’s style of learning.

  • Technology-Driven Instruction

Today’s homeschooled students look to more than just reading from a book and completing worksheets each day, and parents are often hard-pressed to find supplemental learning activities that appeal to the modern technology-driven world of learning. Computer-based learning programs that cover subjects across all grade levels are becoming more mainstream with homeschooling today, yet many parents find it a challenge to find the most effective and affordable programs online.

Achieving Homeschooling Success with CK-12

As families continue to forego the traditional public and private school systems, more parents than ever before are facing challenges that are associated with homeschooling. The CK-12 Foundation helps parents overcome them by offering a complete home school education curriculum at www.CK12.org free of charge.

CK-12 offers a wide variety of programs and modules for children with all types of learning styles. If a child is a visual learner, videos, demonstrations, simulations, and visual concepts are available at The CK-12 Foundation’swebsite. If children are strong readers, FlexBooks® give personalized instruction presented in a way that utilizes those strong reading skills to facilitate effectiveness and ease of comprehension for home schooled students.

 

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