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Homeschool Myths defeated

by Dana Chaffin  
4/09/2008 / Education

Conquering Home Schooling Myths
By Dana Chaffin


An estimated 2 million American children are home schooled, and that number grows each year. There are many reasons why so many parents choose to home school their children and just as many myths about why others do not. It is time to shatter a couple of those myths and to introduce one of the many options available to home schooling families so that you can make the best decision for your child's education.

Socialization
One of the most common reasons people give for not home schooling is that students who are home schooled are not properly socialized. This does not have to be the case. There are many organizations designed for home schooling families. These organizations offer a variety of extracurricular activities and outings such as field trips and prom. Students may even participate in organized sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, and cheerleading.

People are socialized by learning the values, attitudes, and characteristics of the group with which they associate. One of the key purposes of home schooling is to allow parents to dictate the groups and activities in which their child is involved. In this way, parents can avoid much of the negative socialization that children can be exposed to, including drug and alcohol abuse, sexual immorality, and violent behavior. If this is an important issue for you, home schooling may be an option to consider.

Educational Quality
In the past, a home school education has been unfairly viewed as inferior to a public school education. Not anymore. When compared on an equal basis, home school and private school students, on average, consistently perform at a higher academic level than public school students.

As the number of public school students per classroom grows each year, teachers' ability to give students much needed one-on-one attention diminishes. And even if students fall behind in certain concepts, teachers must often move on to the next concept rather than making sure every student fully understands the subject material. Home school parents are able to spend more time on the concepts in which their child needs special attention and make sure their child actually learns the concepts. Home school parents understand that their child is the most important student in the "class." Another bonus to schooling at home is the absence of many of the distractions that students may experience in a traditional classroom setting. Children with a desire to learn do not have to wait while a teacher deals with other students or discipline issues before moving on with academics. Because of this, many families find that their child is able to complete their school work at home in a shorter time period than in a regular full school day. This frees up time for extracurricular activities or even part-time jobs for high school students.


So what do you do if you decide to home school your child but you don't know where to start? Help is available.

Faith Central Christian Academya great resource for home schoolers
Home school resource centers like Faith Central Christian Academy's Home School Service Center are an excellent alternative to the public school system and to traditional home education. FCCA's Home School Service Center can help parentsespecially working and single parentsmake a smooth transition from public schooling to home schooling.

FCCA was founded by Thomas Foley. A vision was birthed in Foley to begin a Christian school. A construction contractor by trade, Foley continued to design and build homes to help fund the school. In fact, he himself built the building that would house the new school. In 1989, FCCA opened its doors and began operation as a private school. The home school division, Home School Service Center, was added in 1992. Each year, an average of 12-22 students graduate from FCCA .

Home schooling through an organization like FCCA is not what most people think of when they hear the term "home schooling." The Home School Service Center at FCCA offers a structured Christian-based curriculum. When students enter the program, they are given a diagnostic test which pinpoints areas in which students excel or in which they need more attention. Based on the results of that test, an individualized program of study is designed for the child. The parent is then instructed on how to administer the curriculum at home. Faith Central Christian Academy is accredited through the National Association of Private Schools (NAPS), and its academic requirements meet or exceed Oklahoma state public school academic requirements. Parents administer the curriculum at home, but students take final tests at the Center on a weekly basis. The staff at HSSC keeps student records and serves as a resource for parents when they have questions or concerns about home schooling. Private tutoring is also offered through the center.

Joshua David, administrator of FCCA, firmly believes that education must be based on and begin with the Word of God, as stated in Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Success in life as outlined in Joshua 1:8 is obtained by putting the Word of God first place in your life. This is why FCCA also offers Bible coursesone of which is an extensive study of the book of Proverbsin addition to the required academic subjects. FCCA also offers many Christian teaching books, CDs, and videos to assist students and parents in their walk with God.

FCCA has a full graduation and awards ceremony each year. The school also offers assistance with ACT and SAT college testing. FCCA has produced many successful graduates over the years. Alumni have become registered nurses, business owners, administrators of missions organizations, models, professional musicians, and ministers, to name a few.

Home schooling may not be for every family, but there are lots of options and resources out there that can help you make an informed decision regarding your child's education. Whether you decide to use the public school system, a home school resource center like FCCA, or even to educate your child at home with your own curriculum, the decision is an important one. Do your research and find the best match for your family's needs.

If you would like more information about Faith Central Christian Academy, call (918) 446-1901, or write them at 6025 South 33rd West Avenue Suite F, Tulsa, OK 74107. You may also check out their website at www.faithcentralonline.com.

Dana Chaffin is a Christian freelance writer and editor of Certain Cinema magazine who has published many articles on faithwriters.com and other Christian websites. Passionate about Christian film. www.certaincinema.com Email [email protected]

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