Homeschooling is becoming an increasingly popular option for parents in Singapore. We take a look at why some parents choose to homeschool their kids and what homeschooling resources for Singaporean parents there are out there to help these families.
Why homeschool?
There are many reasons why parents choose the option of homeschooling for their kids. For some, it’s because homeschooling gives them more freedom to design their own school curriculum for their kids – meaning teaching them things that are worthwhile to them.
The term worthwhile is loaded as it is different for everyone. Yet with a homeschool program, a parent has more say in what to include and what to forego unlike a traditional public school.
Another reason could be to cater to a child’s learning challenges in the form of advanced learning or disabilities etc. Children who suffer from learning challenges could thrive in a homeschool environment where a curriculum is designed especially for their needs and all the attention is focused on them instead of being divided over 30 students.
Resources available
When it comes to homeschooling resources for Singaporean parents, the internet can take the place of books especially with the sheer amount of relevant information being shared daily in cyberspace. However parents who homeschool are on the lookout for support groups as well as educational resources.
Supportive framework
In Singapore, the support network amongst parents who homeschool their kids seems rather strong. Groups such as The Singapore Homeschool Group which was established over 20 years ago in 1991 is now home to a network of over 200 local and expat families.
The group is a non-profit organization which aims to provide social activities and moral support to home schooling families in Singapore, meaning that they organise social gatherings and field trips weekly to places like the zoo, museums and parks.
There are also Facebook groups for homeschooling parents in Singapore. Two such groups are www.facebook.com/groups/homeschoolsingapore/ and www.facebook.com/groups/103552796499165/
Find good education resources for homeschooling on the next page
Educational resources
Of course when it comes to homeschooling, parents decide what to teach and which resources to use. Here are our picks for best homeschooling resources for Singaporean parents available online that offer diverse subject lesson plans and exercises from both primary and secondary school. Best thing is that majority of these are free to use:
- Khan Academy
- Mathletics
- All in One Homeschool
- edHelper.com
- Sparklebox.co.uk
- Homecampus
- SplashMath (iPad app)
Have you used any of the above homeschooling resources for Singaporean parents? Or, do you have any other homeschooling resources for Singaporean parents? We’d love to hear from you!
For more on how to organize your home for homeschooling classes, watch this video: