Individual education in primary school: detailed analysis for parents

When parents begin to discuss individual learning, the first difficulty is terminological. Individual education, family education and home education are not synonyms, but three different legal formats. Individual learning is a personalized educational route for a particular child: an individual curriculum is drawn up for him, his own pace and order of topics are chosen. Such a format can exist both inside and outside the school.

The family form of education is enshrined in Federal Law No. 273 “On Education in the Russian Federation”. This is education outside the educational organization: the entire responsibility for training is assumed by the family, and the school only conducts an intermediate certification. Home education is issued on medical grounds, confirmed by the certificate of the medical commission. In this case, teachers come to the child's home, and the student remains in the contingent of the school.

The legal basis of all these formats is the same law No. 273. The key concepts remain intermediate certification, contract attachment to the school and externality as a way of passing certification for those who study outside of school. From the usual class, the individual format differs primarily in pace: in the class it is unified and focused on the average student, and with an individual approach it adapts to a specific child. The program does not go beyond the GEF of primary general education, but is implemented through an individual curriculum. The load is regulated by adaptive didactics, and the control shifts from the daily assessments of the teacher to the parent and tutor, while knowledge is tested in the assessments.

If the decision is made, the procedure looks like this. First you need to choose the format: family education or individual plan within the school. Then you should notify the local government about the choice of family form – the application is submitted in free form. After that, a school is selected for attachment and an agreement on passing an intermediate certification is concluded. Schedule of certifications must be agreed in advance: according to the new regulations, the school is obliged to issue demo versions of tasks in advance. If the child has already been enrolled in another school, the documents are taken. Notification is given at least 15 days before the start of training in the new form.

A separate practical point that relieves a significant part of parental anxiety: it is not necessary to attach to the school at the place of residence. Certification can be done remotely. There are specialized online platforms that take on bureaucratic issues, conduct intermediate certification remotely and issue state-issued certificates. Their advantages are the lack of pressure from familiar teachers, a more loyal approach and the ability to hand over material in large blocks, rather than on a rigid fourth schedule. For many families, such a platform performs one key function: legal receipt of a document on the development of the program, while the training itself is organized by the family. Choosing a site is as careful as a school: clarify the format of certifications, the possibility of retakes and the availability of demos.

Individual format is often optimal for children who do not keep up in class and lose motivation. When the pace of the class is higher than the child’s ability, gaps in reading, writing, and numeracy accumulate, and an individual approach allows them to be closed without public pressure. The opposite situation is children who are ahead of the program and bored in class. Their individual plan gives them the opportunity to move forward, rather than stagnate.

There are categories for which individual learning becomes not just desirable, but necessary. These are children with mild forms of autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger's syndrome, who find it difficult to tolerate sensory overload: classroom noise, calls, changing offices. At home, in a predictable environment, their intellectual potential unfolds. They are also children with ADHD who find it physically difficult to sit still for 45 minutes, and children with dyslexia or dysgraphia who find themselves in the general class in a position of “slow” and “unsuccessful.” For neurodivergent children, individual learning is not isolation, but a bridge to socialization: first, the child restores the resource in a safe environment, and then gradually comes into contact with peers.

Individual schedule reduces stress in chronic diseases, increased anxiety and features of the emotional and volitional sphere. The flexibility of the schedule is appreciated by families of military, shift workers, athletes and artists. Finally, changing the format can be a salvation for chronic bullying and refusal to go to school.

But there are those who do not like this format. These are families where both parents work full time and there is no one to organize the process. These are expressed extroverts, for whom group dynamics is a source of energy. These are parents who expect that the child will study independently unaccompanied: in primary school, the leading educational activity is only being formed, and full independence has not yet developed. Another thing is important: do not transfer the child to individual education on emotions after a conflict with school. First you need a pedagogical diagnosis - perhaps the problem will solve a change of class or work with a psychologist.

The main advantage is a flexible pace without the pressure to keep up with class. The child masters the topic to full understanding, not to the call. The program is built around the strengths and weaknesses of a particular student, and not around the average norm. Reducing stress and lack of constant evaluative pressure lead to increased concentration: an effective lesson at home lasts 15-25 minutes versus 40 minutes in the classroom, where a significant part of the time is spent on discipline. Freed hours go to hobbies, sports and creativity. The parent sees the gaps right away and can react quickly rather than learning about the backlog at the end of the quarter meeting.

Children who come from a traumatic school environment go through a period of “disschooling”. According to the observations of practicing tutors, the recovery of interest in learning takes from three weeks to three months. This is a normal process, not a sign of failure.

One of the main fears of parents is that the child will sit at school from morning to two in the afternoon. In practice, with a competent organization, the entire school day fits into 2-3 hours. The secret is crushing objects and short concentrated blocks. The maximum concentration of a younger student at home is 20-30 minutes, after which a break for movement is necessary. Complex subjects - mathematics, Russian, English - it is better to give the tutor two or three times a week, since there you need professional control of the technique. Oral subjects are mastered "between the case": through documentaries, audiobooks and walk-in discussions. As a result, a “hard desk” takes about an hour and a half, and the rest becomes activity training, which the child does not even perceive as lessons.

The thesis of “socialize in school” is partly mythological: sitting at a desk facing the back of a neighbor’s head is not interpersonal communication. But the problem cannot be completely eliminated. Psychosocial development requires regular contact with peers and must be organized purposefully. Here it is worth honestly disassembling the strong argument of teachers: school is a simulator of conflictology and preparation for adulthood, because at work you can not choose only a pleasant boss and comfortable colleagues. In interest circles, the child communicates with initially “his” and does not learn to negotiate with those who are unpleasant to him. This argument cannot be ignored, but the skill can be developed specifically: team sports, summer camps, various mentors and tutors, to the requirements of which you have to adapt.

The next pitfall is the burden on parents. Organizing an individual plan, checking assignments and preparing for certifications falls on the parent, and this is one of the key stressors. The financial side also needs attention. Public school certification is free, but the “free” format of family education does not mean “no costs.” Textbooks and workbooks are usually bought by the family itself. Online schools with escort cost from 3,000 to 15,000 rubles a month, tutor services - from 1,000 to 2,500 rubles per class, and one-time costs for textbooks and stationery are from 3,000 to 8,000 rubles a year. In private online schools, in addition to the base price, there are additional fees for special courses and infrastructure fees, so the full cost of the turnkey should be specified before the contract is concluded.

One critical point that is hardly warned about is adaptation to the fifth grade. In primary school, the child has one teacher who actually plays the role of a second mother. In the fifth grade, everything changes dramatically: 10-12 subject teachers appear, each has its own requirements and style. For a child who has spent primary school with one or two regular adults, this shift can come as a shock. For children with ASD, many new faces and offices are a direct source of overload. You need to prepare in advance: already in grade 3-4, introduce different mentors in different subjects, teach to switch between styles, delegate the child to keep a diary and control deadlines. If you plan to return to class, adaptation should begin in six months or a year, attending part of the classes in person.

A sharp change in the usual environment is stress, and the mistake of parents is to try to reproduce the school routine at home from call to call. You need a smooth entrance and a period of “schooling”. Teachers are often against individual learning, partly out of professional conviction and partly because of the bureaucratic burden on the school. Their opinions are worth listening to, but parents make the decision. It is also important to remember the isolation trap: combining the roles of “mother” and “teacher” is a source of conflict. It is necessary to divide the roles physically and in time, and if the relationship deteriorates, attract an external teacher.