Signs that your child might benefit from a change of educational venue

Back in the day, my parents and grandparents didn't have much of an option when it came to how their children were educated.  It was pretty much understood that we would be going to the neighborhood schools.  That's what everybody did-- unless you were rich, in which case you went to a private school, or handicapped, in which case you were bused to the special school.  Whatever school you attended, you were likely to be surrounded by teachers who had been teaching for years and years.  They had their routines down pat, and taught the same thing every year because it worked. Except when it didn't, in which case you were generally out of luck.

Now things are very different. There are so many options out there for educating your child that a parent can become very confused, not to mention locked in a guilt-trip of worrying if they have made the right choice, and constantly second-guessing themselves.  Our children only have one shot at childhood, and what if we mess it up?  What if we make the wrong decision, and our child's future is in ruins?

The good news-- or maybe the bad news-- is that no perfect method of schooling exists.  There are benefits and drawbacks to every one: home schooling, classroom learning, online, hybrid, public, private.  Only you can decide which is right for your family and your child.  And it may be that what is perfect for your child one year becomes less effective in the future.  While too much moving back and forth can be detrimental to your child's education, it's okay to take each year as it comes.  For example, my two children started out in public school, but various circumstances made us decide on home school after they finished first (younger) and second (older) grades.  This proved successful for the next six years, but when our older child was ready to enter high school, he elected to rejoin his former classmates, as did his younger sister.  With proper planning, they hit the ground running and made a smooth transition back into public school.  When I was a public school teacher, I had students enter the classroom for the first time in sixth grade, while others made the opposite transition, choosing to home school for the first time during the middle school years.

The "default," of course, is still the neighborhood school.  The advantages to this option include easy opportunities to make local friends, trained teachers and specialists, and relatively low cost.  It also allows your child to experience a variety of adult leaders with different personalities and strengths. Another benefit is that someone else carries the responsibility for lesson planning, grading and monitoring your child for the bulk of the school day.

If you have doubts that your neighborhood school is the best choice for your child, there may be local magnet schools, charter schools, or private schools that would suit her better.  If your child is thriving in a group setting, but the curriculum or school philosophy is a poor fit, you should investigate these first.  But how do you know if homeschooling might be the best alternative?

Signs that homeschooling might be helpful

• anxiety- mental or physical distress that appears highest on school days.
• falling behind- needing help to keep up with the academic concepts.
• lack of challenge- needing more depth or breadth to the academic work.
• lack of interest- no excitement for learning.
• missing basic/foundational skills- significant deficits in math facts, spelling, writing, reading. 
• overload- inability to complete assignments in time allowed.
• physical unfitness- spending all day on school work, with no time to play.
• lack of time- no time for family activities, hobbies, personal interests.

On the other hand, what if you have been home schooling for a while and you suspect it might be losing its effectiveness?  Here are some things to look for:

Signs that classroom learning might be helpful

• loneliness- if interaction with scouts, youth groups, sports, home school groups isn't enough.
• boredom- when your student needs activities and resources that you can't provide yourself.
• seeking stimulation- some children learn better when discussing things with peers.
• lack of confidence- sometimes seeing that peers also struggle with learning is reassuring. 
• desire to interact with peers- even siblings aren't enough sometimes.
• competitiveness- the child who is challenged by others' success may lag behind at home.

What signs have you seen that might suggest your child would benefit from a different mode of education?