Frequently Asked Questions
What is homeschooling?
Homeschooling, also known as Home Education is the education of child(ren) in the home by their parents or guardians.
Is homeschooling legal?
Why do people homeschool?
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Ability to cater to unique learning styles -
Learning follows the pace of the child -
Faith and Spiritual development -
Children gain respect for their parents as teachers -
Curriculum can be custom designed to support each family’s values and traditions -
Children have time to think and explore new interests -
Communication between different age groups is enhanced -
Tutorial-style education helps a child achieve his full potential -
Observing religious obligations that are outside of the conventional calendar -
Family bonding- unity, closeness and mutual enjoyment of each other -
Nurturing atmosphere -
A path to fulfill the due rights of child and parent -
Character Education -
Spending more time in nature -
Flexible scheduling can accommodate parents’ work and vacation times and allow time for many activities -
Development of a love for learning -
No peer pressure or need for social conformity -
Dissatisfaction with the school system
What are some of the benefits of homeschooling?
Some of the benefits of homeschooling include:
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Low teacher to student ratio -
Tailored instruction -
Ability to follow the pace of the child -
Ability to follow the interests of the child -
Social interaction with children both younger and older -
Social interaction with adults in the community -
Family bonding time -
Opportunities for character education -
Opportunities for faith based learning -
Opportunity to protect the child from allergies and sensitivities -
Encourage critical thinking -
Being able to focus on the child’s struggles and weakness both academically and psychologically -
Developing a close relationship with your child -
Plenty of time for play and rest -
Flexibility in family schedules -
More opportunities to take learning outside -
Extra time to spend developing children’s talents
What are some of the disadvantages of homeschooling?
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Financial investment on curriculum materials and books -
Time investment for homeschooling parents
How much does homeschooling cost?
The cost of homeschooling can vary from family to family and can depend on which educational method you choose to follow. Homeschooling families can spend anywhere from $200-$900/year per student. Costs are entirely up to the parents.
Where do I find the resources to teach my child?
There is a lot of curriculum specially designed for Homeschoolers that can be purchased online, at stores or homeschool conferences. There are also many educational resources that can be obtained for free from the local library and online.
How do children learn socialization?
One of the most common questions homeschooling parents and homeschooled children face is that of socialization. In order to address this question, it is important to first understand what is meant by the term “socialization.” Socialization refers to social interaction but it also refers to understanding and learning to navigate a society’s social norms and rules of behavior. Most scholars view peer interaction, which generally centers on the school, as a critical component of this kind of socialization. However, many homeschool parents and leaders argue that the socialization children receive in school is unnatural and that socialization is best gained through life experiences that center around the family, and should include interactions with those in a variety of age groups.
Can I pull my child out of school before the year is complete?
Yes. You will be required to fill out a letter of intent to Homeschool and submit it to your child’s school.
What is your typical day like?
To answer this, you will need to do some internal/external retrospection of your home life.
How do you manage multiple children?
How do you homeschool a child in high school?
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Attend an accredited brick-and-mortar high school ~ This could be either a private high school with a government approved curriculum, or a public (or separate) high school. -
Enrol in a school that provides distance education, either through correspondence courses or Virtual Learning Centres ~ OFTP has prepared a list of Correspondence Schools and Virtual Schools, some of which offer Ontario high school credits. Please note that this list is only the correspondence schools/virtual schools of which OFTP is aware. You can search for more on the Internet. -
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (see PPM129) may apply to students who have been homeschooled and are now in high school and seeking recognition and credit for their prior learning.
Note: To earn OSSD credits, students must have a Ministry Identification Number (MIN) or an Ontario Education Number (OEN) as well as having an Ontario Student Record (OSR). When applying to correspondence or online schools, it is generally understood that home learners do not already have these, and the school would generally apply for the government number for the student and then open the OSR.
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https://ontariohomeschool.org/resources/correspondencesch/#ON-credit -
https://ontariohomeschool.org/resources/correspondencesch/#ON-credits-private
Do homeschool children get accepted into college/university?
Absolutely. Some of our members have homeschooled their children through high school and were successfully enrolled into a college or university program.
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https://ontariohomeschool.org/highschool/ -
http://universityadmissions.ca/how-to-get-into-university/
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https://ontariohomeschool.org/about-oftp/ -
https://hslda.ca/ -
https://www.michaelreist.ca/books/ -
https://universityadmissions.ca/
What is a letter of intent?
What are the legal requirements and my options if I am home educating a child who has never been recorded by the school board?
There is no legal requirement to inform the school board of your intentions to home educate if your child has never been enrolled in the Ontario school system. Children between the ages of 6 (on the first day of school in September) and 18 (as per the 'Learning to 18' changes introduced by Bill 52, 2006) are required by law to attend school unless excused under Section 21 of the Education Act.
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Continue to homeschool knowing that, even though you have chosen not to send in a notification, you may become known by your local board. If this happens, the school board will likely forward a form for you to complete, describing the names, ages and gender of your school aged children as well as a place on the form for you to sign, indicating you are responsible for the education of your children. The decision to comply with this request rests with the individual family, since this is not a legal requirement, but since you would be in the position of having to confirm your homeschooling status anyway, it makes sense to do so in writing if only for documenting your actions, and the most cooperative way to do that is by filling out the Notification of Intent form they send (- keep a copy for your records). -
Continue to homeschool and voluntarily send the letter off to your local school board without being asked, even if you don't need a letter of acknowledgement from them. -
Continue to homeschool and voluntarily send the letter of intent to your local school board because you need a letter of acknowledgement from them in order to access other government services such as School Health Support Services (SHSS). You may want to specify in your letter of intent that you need the letter of acknowledgement for government services, since not all school boards automatically reply with one.
What types of homeschooling methods exist?
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The abundant use of narrative literature -
Plenty of time spent outdoors exploring -
The development of an appreciation for art, music, and nature -
Journalling, narration, dictation, and copywork
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Early childhood education should focus on creative play and active, hands-on learning -
Elementary education is the time to introduce academic instruction, while teaching students to increase their imagination and manage their emotions -
Secondary education should focus on critical thinking, empathy, and community service
Why join Toronto Muslim Homeschoolers (TMH)?