Choosing the right educational fit doesn’t mean just enrolling your children into the best school you can afford. Graduating from the top schools doesn’t always guarantee success in working life. It boils down to what your children’s needs are and how they respond to different environments.
Private schools may offer an advanced curriculum, but they may also have a competitive cohort which could be too stressful for some children. Home schooling allows for a customized pace of learning. However, children may not develop the social skills needed to interact with peers from different backgrounds and cultures.
As such, it is important to understand your children’s unique needs and what aspects you prefer for their education. Here is a list of considerations when choosing an educational fit for your children.
What Was Your Education Journey?
Nothing beats first hand experience. Look back at educational settings, programs, or services you participated in as a child or young adult. Reflect on the positives and negatives about those settings and determine if they are suitable for your children, or whether they need a different path.
How important to you are Standardized Test Scores and School Ranking ?
Though there is no denying that entering elite schools carries a certain amount of prestige. However, just because the children’s results grants them admission to an elite school doesn’t necessary mean it’s a good fit for them.
Children whose gifts are non-academic in nature, or do not perform well in a stressful competitive setting may wither in an academic-focused environment. However, when these children are in a different environment, they could find an educational fit that helps them to strive and develop their gifts and talents.
Reflect honestly on your children’s unique needs and gifts. Are they in line with the goals you have for them?
Although parents and caregivers spend the most time with their children, an objective third-party perspective may uncover needs and gifts that might otherwise be missed.
To help you with a better understanding of your children, consider the following questions:
– In their daily activities, are your children performing above age peers? At age level? Do they need an accelerated program of study?
– In what areas do your children demonstrate a talent or exceptional area of strength: academics, arts, technology, or athletics?
– Are your children twice-exceptional? Do they have a need for specialized programming to support their learning differences?
– Do your children work well in a small or large environment?
– Do your children struggle with transitions?
– Are peer relationships important to your children?
GERC consultation sessions are available if your children have needs or gifts that require deeper analysis. Our academic director has over a decade in research and teaching children from government schools to elite institutions and can provide a detailed profile of your children and strategies for you to help them develop their talents.
Source: https://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/Publication%20PHP/bonuscontent/Finding%20Your%20Child%27s%20Best%20Educational%20Fit_Honeck-Dec-2016-FINAL.pdf