Homeschooling a child without the assistance of a tutor is a difficult task. From designing the curriculum to devising a timetable, selecting appropriate resources to actually teaching a child, a lot of time and effort goes into educating a child at home. For this reason, parents often look to outsource some of these responsibilities to tutors and online instructors.
If you decide that your child needs expert help in their studies, then you have two options to choose from. One is in-person, in-home tutoring, and the other is learning from teachers through online courses or online public-school programs. There are very specific pros and cons to each one of them, so let us look at them below:
Online Homeschooling
Online learning involves the use of technology and the internet to learn from teachers online. Many online courses are available today for different subjects, topics, and levels. The biggest advantage of online homeschooling is the flexibility and convenience it allows to the learners. A person can learn at any time of the day and at any place. The freedom to choose your study hours makes online learning especially desirable for families who are on the move or for independent learners.
The flexibility in learning offered by online education can also be a hindrance as it calls for internal motivation. Pre-recorded lectures and limited interaction with the teacher can create distance between the teacher and learner. Students may find themselves procrastinating or struggling to set up a daily study schedule. Feedback from the instructor may be late and thus ineffective, learning is not individualized, and it is almost impossible to keep young children engaged.
Further, online courses are usually made for a vast number of students. Individual learners may need personalized assistance, which is not possible through online homeschooling. Thus, learning may be compromised.
In-person Homeschooling
The traditional model of tutoring solves most of the issues that come up in online learning. Through in-person, in-home homeschooling, a hands-on approach to learning is possible, where the tutor makes sure to engage the student in the learning process actively. By adapting the teaching methodology to meet the student’s needs and giving appropriate feedback throughout the learning process, the tutor ensures the child is learning and improving their academic performance.
Private tutoring is a sure way of keeping young learners engaged in the learning process. The physical presence of the tutor and a constant routine helps motivate learners.
The cons of private tutoring are that it follows a fixed schedule, which means that young learners will have to accept a little rigidity in their daily routine. Lastly, one-on-one in-home tutoring can prove costly for some as the tutors have to travel to your place and also because tutors are deeply involved in all the steps your child undergoes in the learning process.
What Is the Right Fit for Your Child?
Online homeschooling is not meant for everyone. It demands rigid discipline and internal motivation. If your child is a highly independent learner and requires little to no supervision while studying, online learning can be a good fit for them. Similarly, if you move around a lot, online homeschooling may be the right solution for your child’s educational needs.
But if you want your child to get detailed, personalized guidance, then that is only possible through in-person homeschooling. Further, if your child is young, easily distracted, extroverted, or highly active, they might do better with in-home tutoring, as private tutors adapt their teaching style to your child’s needs and help them learn efficiently.
