Do Brick and Mortar Schools Do Anything Right?

I truly enjoy learning about all of the different schools of thought in the homeschool world. Things sure have grown and morphed into all kinds of interesting camps since I homeschooled my sons. I love how homeschooling has taken off and the empowerment homeschool parents are getting because of it.

I mentioned in an earlier post that there are many homeschool families that have chosen to homeschool because they have been hurt or angered by the local school system. So much so that they stay far away from anything that even resembles the local school system.

My last few posts have been intentionally written to challenge your train of thought and to get you to think outside the box when planning your home school program. Here’s another controversial and challenging thought. We know there are some things that the brick and mortar school does not do well - things they are failing at. But are there things they do right?

Here’s why I ask. Let’s take a look at those things they do right and mimic them. For example, in my area, most brick and mortar schools do a great job meeting the needs of struggling learners. They’ve put a lot of time and money into training for teachers to learn how to better meet the needs of those students. As a homeschool parent, if I had a student that struggled, I’d try to learn more about those teaching strategies.

On the other hand, many schools across the country are missing the mark when it comes to play. Kids in the brick and mortar setting are not getting enough movement or play time. As a homeschool parent, I’d be aware of this and plan more play time into my child’s school day.

You get the freedom and honor of individualizing your child’s education to best meet his needs. Individualizing your child’s education does not mean you have to copy everything the brick and mortar school does. But it does not mean you have to abandon it all, either.