In a classroom setting, educators pace their instruction to match the ability of the majority of their students. This means that although the educational needs of most children are met, some children are bored and under-challenged, while others struggle to keep up. Home schooling allows for the curriculum pace to be matched to the individual child. If there is an area where your child needs further help, more time can be spent working on it. Alternatively, if there is a subject matter he has achieved mastery in, less time can be used to cover it.
Educating a child at home allows for more flexible scheduling, which can be beneficial if the parents and child involved have the discipline to self-schedule. If you are the kind of parent who has difficulty organizing your time to accomplish what you need to, you may be better off sending your child to a public school. If you are up to the challenge of scheduling your child's school day, you can use your time the way that you choose. For example, you can take a trip to the local pool when it is less crowded because public school is in session, and schedule your child's schoolwork for after public school hours when the recreational facilities are overcrowded.
Many parents are reluctant to home-school because of perceived lack of socialization opportunities for their children. While it is true that public school provides automatic access to other children the same age as your child, allowing for many new friendships and beneficial peer experiences, it can also expose your child to bullying and unwanted influences. A home-schooled child can be socialized through extracurricular activities such as sports or organizations such as Boys Scouts or Girl Guides, although this requires additional expense and effort on the part of the parent.
Public school may give your child access to curriculum that you cannot supply without outside help, such as second language immersion or specialized instruction such as music or team sports. On the other hand, after your state curriculum requirements have been met, you can supplement your child's home-school schedule with alternative projects not offered in public school, such as specialized art, science or literary projects.