The Homeschool Only One (HOO) message board is a place where those on this journey with one student could network with others.
Your family is simple – mom, dad, child. Homeschooling an only child has to be simple, right? You can get through all of the daily assignments without having to worry about teaching the other siblings, or bouncing a baby in your lap. This isn’t quite the case. Instead, homeschoolers of an only child face their own unique challenges.
Families with only one child have almost the exact same concerns regarding their child’s “only child status”: Are they getting enough time with other children their own age? Are we doing enough to prepare this child to interact with their peers? Are we “spoiling” this child? Will this child be prepared for life on their own or will they expect everything to go their own way?
Looking around at the homeschool families you know in your co-op, support group, or church, you might observe that most consist of more than one child. In fact, a 2006 National Center for Education report found that families with three or more children make up 62% of the homeschool population. If you're one of the few with an only child at home, you may be asking yourself the question, "Can I homeschool my only child?"
Homeschooling is challenging for multiple reasons. But overall, an only child family is the perfect scenario for homeschooling. If you look back in history, one-on-one tutoring was the preferred method of education. so while there are minor disadvantages, the advantages far outweigh them.
Whether by God's design, or by the fact that your older children are grown and gone or for other reasons, most of us will all be homeschooling only one at some time or another. However, just as homeschooling many children has its own challenges, so does homeschooling one child. The author shares some of the different issues, both 'pros and cons' regarding homeschooling one child.
What’s the minimum number of children required to homeschool successfully? If you’ve ever wondered whether you can homeschool an only child, this podcast is for you! HSLDA President Mike Smith discusses socialization for the only child and how you can home educate well.
A homeschool mom and her only son share their homeschooling adventure.
This homeschooling journey is shared by a mom who is homeschooling her only child.
CM for One (CMfor1) is a message board for families home educating an only child and using the Charlotte Mason Method.
Homeschooling families with singletons have issues that are very unique. Join in to offer support and encouragement to other single child homeschooling families.
This blog chronicles the joys of raising and homeschooling an only son.
Large families make up one of homeschooling’s stereotypes–a line of eight or more children, all following obediently behind Mom and Dad. Those of us who have been homeschooling long know both the truths and the realities of this picture. The truth is that plenty of families, large or small, find a way to make homeschooling work beautifully for them. But what about families who only have one child? Is homeschooling really an option for these parents and children? To find out, let’s take a brief look at the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling an only child.
Diane Knect is homeschooling an only child. Share her experiences with raising her daughter Grace in a homeschooling small family.
"Only" children lack even the fellowship of siblings; therefore, especially if they have a very social personality, friendships must be found outside the home. For better or worse, traditional school is where many children make their friends, an option obviously closed to homeschoolers.
Homeschooling offers special challenges (as well as blessings) to those who have only one student. Find help and camaraderie in "HOOville." HOO = Homeschooling Only One.
This list is dedicated to families homeschooling only-children. These families have unique socialization issues and must often be super-creative in their solutions. Join this list if you are homeschooling a wonderful Only.
I don't have any sisters or brothers, so I can identify with those who are homeschooling an only child. Growing up, well meaning friends and strangers encouraged my single mother to "give" me a brother or sister, saying that I was surely lonely, or destined to become spoiled rotten.