Homeschool Education Becoming Popular Option In Light Of COIVD-19 Crisis

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Home-schooling has become a popular option for the upcoming school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Amy Aarhus, teaching at home isn’t anything new, she’s now heading into her eighth year.

“I love it,” Aarhus expressed. “I love the time it affords me with my kids, I love seeing the lightbulb moments when they figure things out, I love being able to slow down when we are struggling with something, or speed up if we are doing great”

For Aarhus, her reasoning to go home school route simple.

“I really wanted to be able to spend more time with my children,” she explained. “Once I started doing it, then I realized I love it because not only did I get to spend time with them, but I got to tailor their education for them specifically.”

While home-schooling is a route she chose on her own, for others it’s an option they chose due to the pandemic.

“People that have been thrown into this because of the pandemic, I think are just on a different level playing field,” said Aarhus. “They don’t know what to do, this is not something that they chose for their kids, they were happy with what was going on.”

Aarhus said she’s seeing an increase in parents now choosing this alternative, and many are reaching out to her for guidance.

“I always let people know that you don’t have to plan the lessons all by yourself, you don’t have to be a master at algebra or science to be able to teach your child these things, there are so many amazing options online that you can find nowadays,” the longtime educator said.

Aside from the curriculum, she said there’s one major concern many people have.

“Probably the biggest concern is how do you make them do the work, which seems like a silly question, but my answer is always, you are the parent and you set the tone, you set the rules,” said Aarhus.

The longtime educator encourages all first-timers to embrace this opportunity, find a schedule and routine that works for them, and realize there’s help available.

“It’s different for everybody and it takes some time to get used to, so the main thing is to just offer grace, realize that this is new for everyone, and find what works best for you.”

When it comes to home-schooling, unlike virtual options, parents are the actual instructors.

If anyone chooses the homeschool option and needs help, you can contact Aarhus via email at, amyaarhus@hotmail.com.