Sadly, most people still assume that all clever children learn to read quickly and easily and fail to realise that some of the brightest minds may be amongst the struggling readers usually found dreaming or misbehaving at the back of the class. Whilst primary schools still fail to teach 20+% of children how to read, write and spell and effective remediation and support is rarely provided at any stage, many children will fare better by being educated outside the school system.

The main benefits of home education:

1. Retain or regain self-confidence.

For children who are failing to learn to read, the daily, negative experiences at school can cause tiredness and irritability when they return home. Emotional and behavioural problems may occur, creating tensions within the entire family. The problems may spill over into school time resulting in the child becoming labelled as disruptive and difficult, as having ADHD.

The home can provide a safe and happy environment in which to learn where frustration, humiliation and bullying can be avoided. With your support the young person can learn without fear, ridicule or the embarrassment of looking silly in front of the class and teacher. Where teasing or bullying has occurred in school this advantage is significant. Learning at home frees the child from the pattern of failure and anxiety, thereby creating the conditions which are necessary for recovery of self-confidence. The general organisational difficulties experienced by some children in addition to their reading problems, can also be tackled sympathetically at home.

www.societyforqualityeducation.org/newsletter/archives/prescription.pdf ADD or can't read?

2. A quieter atmosphere.

A tense and anxious child is likely to find it impossible to concentrate in a busy, noisy classroom; working memory is particularly affected by background speech (Macmillan p111) A quiet, orderly atmosphere at home will allow them to relax and concentrate so learning can take place. At home you can take frequent breaks when concentration wanes and activities may be changed to suit your child's mood and interests.

www.societyforqualityeducation.org/newsletter/archives/listen.pdf Why Johnny won't pay attention.

www.societyforqualityeducation.org/newsletter/archives/boys.pdf Boys' hearing.

3. You don't have to use the National Curriculum.

Education can be specifically tailored to your child's needs using appropriate teaching methods and suitable materials. This is especially true for the choice of method to teach reading -see Teach your child to read. You can provide an education, which is truly suited to your child's age, ability and aptitude, and to their special needs (according to the requirements of the law).There is also time to repeat and practise skills that need reinforcing and work can be done at a pace to suit the child.

4. Optimal early language development

Good early language skills underpin the subsequent ease of acquisition of literacy skills. During the infant years a child's language and vocabulary will develop best if the child remains at home alongside a parent or close relative whilst the activities of everyday home life are undertaken. This is especially true of boys who are more prone to delay and other difficulties in language development (Morgan). Unless it is extremely impoverished, research has shown that a child's home environment , whether middle or working class, is linguistically richer than that of the nursery school or child minder's home (Tizard/Hughes). A 1995 survey of 10 classes of four-year olds showed that out of 300 two-minute observations collected over three months, only 10 showed spoken interaction between children or between children and adults (Mills) '...the single best predictor of a child's progress at acquiring language skills is the extent to which she is exposed to adult language that is directed towards her.' (Howe '97 p151)

One important piece of research (Hart / Risley) shows that the quality of parental verbal interaction over the period when a child is developing language makes a huge difference to the child's vocabulary and IQ. McGuinness points out that the problem with the Hart/Risley study is, 'That there is no way to know how much the results were a consequence of the mother's (and father's) verbal IQ.' (McGuinness GRB p49) '50% of a child's verbal skill can be attributed to his genes...Most of the other 50% is attributable to shared environment...largely to what the child is exposed to in the home.'(McGuinness GRB p11)

www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/spring2003/catastrophe.html

www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5525 Preschool for all? No, thanks.

5. Individualised teaching

By being at home with their child, a parent is well placed to provide the individualised teaching that is actually recommended by educational experts but is virtually impossible to provide at school (Thomas p12-13).'According to research on teaching methods, individual tutoring produces hugely better academic performance than does general teaching by standard classroom methods'.(Robertson p155) Knowledge of the individual child does tell parents and others something about how he or she will experience the activities that adults make available. That is one reason why parents who can really get to know their young children as individuals are in some respects better equipped for helping them to learn than even the most expert teachers. (Howe '97 p143)

www.societyforqualityeducation.org/newsletter/archives/genius.pdf Genius at work.

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