There are many, many questions on a parents mind when they undertake to home school their child. Has the study area been set up properly, do I have enough equipment and the necessary tool available. Am I competent enough to tackle this enormous task? Will my child socialize enough since they are not in a formal classroom?

All of these questions and a myriad of other ones will plague the parents minds.

How many, how often and when? These are some oft-repeated questions when it comes to Home-schooling hours. Flexibility is of course one of the key underlying principles behind Home-schooling. This flexibility applies not only to the curriculum but also to the number of hours. It is only natural that parents, especially if they have just started out on Home-schooling should feel that their children should be at their books all the time when regular school-goers are at school. This is not only fallacious but can also be damaging and counter-productive.

One of the most ignored but glaring drawbacks of the public schooling system is the sheer waste of time and energy that it causes. Many periods are simply wasted away and the child effectively derives only 1-3 hours of study everyday. Then, there are days when the studies become too intensive and other days when it's only games and no work at all. There is a lot of 'invisible wastage' involved here.

Early on in your Home-schooling practice, work out a schedule. It is advisable to stick to the same hours everyday. A routine makes it easier to learn and gives structure to the learning experience. It also tells the students that parents are strict about their learning. A routine also allows your child to free his mind from other activities and concentrate on studies. He knows that a particular time is strictly set aside for learning.

Children learn best by routine. If they know what to expect every day and the order and manner it will be presented, then there is a greater opportunity for successful learning. If however the day is not structured, lesson and activity time are somewhat erratic, then quite simply, learning is not nearly as efficient.

The actual number of hours that you need depends on the curriculum you have chosen and the learning style that suits your child. If you are dealing with a subject that seems to be more complex, you may need to sit with the child for a longer period. Using various techniques, it may be necessary to demonstrate what you are trying to teach. For instance, a lesson in Algebra may take more time than a lesson in English.

Home-schooling does not refer to the practice of sitting in front of the books and learning the printed matter. Field trips, watching documentaries, visiting factories and libraries also make up an important slice of the Home-schooling process. It makes sense to intersperse these activities so that learning becomes fun. You may want to finish off the few hours of textbook learning in the morning and dedicate the afternoons to these kinds of activities.

Given the fact that too many public school hours are wasted in meaningless activities ranging from talking to extra-curricular activities, do not allow public school hours to dictate the time you should spend teaching your child at home. Remember that at home, he is getting a high-quality one-to-one time that is highly productive. About 1-3 hours of study is enough in the primary level. It is of course true that the more number of hours you put in, the more learning takes place. This is also the reason why Home-schooling children are much smarter and more balanced than regular school going children.

So as you can see, it is not necessarily the number of hours actually spent in a study/learning situation but the quality of the study time and what is achieved during that time.  Extremely careful consideration need to be had before embarking on a home study plan. Gather all the information available, do a google search for more information and most importantly – speak with other parents involved in home schooling – and most of all – good luck.