Special children require attention. They need a learning environment that suits them and allows them to hone their skills. There are special schools that have been set up to cater to these demands. However, many parents prefer to train their child at home, under their watchful eyes. This also helps the children to learn as per their ability and aptitude, and there is no pressure. In this article, we navigate you through the basic points, and some effects that must be considered if you plan to teach your child at home.
Points to Remember Before Deciding To Home Teach Your Child
If the condition of the child is critical, then teaching your child at home can be a good decision. It would allow a child to be nurtured until he is ready to go to school. There are many conditions when home tutoring becomes a necessity, for example in small towns where there may not be enough special children schools. Also, sometimes the child shies from the world and has some other sociological experience wherein he may not wish to interact with other people. Home teaching in these cases builds up the confidence and also readies the child for school. The points mentioned below can help you determine whether your child is ready for school or not.
- Know the level of the disability – Disability is a vague term that incorporates a plethora of conditions. From dyslexia to cerebral palsy, there can be countless scenarios that may affect your child. Hence, it is better to know the exact nature of the disability. At the same time, it is important to identify the manifestation of the condition in your child.
- Hire a professional – Professional help is unavoidable. For a special child, this is not restricted only to medical practitioner only. If you are rooting for home education for your child, then a professional tutor is something you would do well to consider. This would allow your child to get the training he/she needs.
- Take the help of updated tools and techniques – The pen and paper needs to take help from a wide ranging variety of equipments and tools.
- Look for signs or cues of improvement – The ideal thing to do here would be to maintain a log or a record of the accomplishments that the child has achieved. This would allow you to identify the areas in which the child is receptive.
Pros: Teaching a special child at home can really help him/her develop better. As entire attention is on only one child, such forms of education can produce excellent results. However, there are reasons to believe that there are shortcomings in this form of teaching. Education involves learning from those around. In the case of home, the role of a vibrant environment is undermined. But teaching a special child at home can be a useful precursor before being admitted to a school.
Cons: Despite the fact that teaching a special child at home can allow you to monitor his/her developments more closely, this method is not very largely advisable. Children need to develop a harmonious relationship with the world around them. They need to be acquainted with others and a school is the best place to do this at an early stage. There are schools set up to take care of children with very specific disabilities. Sending your child out also means he learns to face the world and is not lonely. A sense of independence and a huge amount of confidence also gets built.
As a parent of a special child, take into consideration all these factors before deciding on what kind of education you want to impart your child.
