Homeschooling. A simple word, fashioned when home and school are joined together and generate something that isn't only home and isn't just school. The concept seems simple--but proper execution is a complicated matter.
What do you think of when you hear about a homeschooled child? Perhaps you think of families located hundreds of miles from the nearest town. Maybe you see parents with religious agendas not matched by the local school system. You might think of the communes of the sixties and seventies. Or maybe you see a down-to-earth, homespun environment. Is this a world that limits children's learning and exposure by letting parent-teachers choose what, when and with whom their child will learn, or is it limitless and integrative as kids learn with individual and tailored attention in all subjects, in all ways?
Homeschooling is not a new, farfetched, end-of-the-millennium idea. Before the advent of the public school system in the United States, homeschooling was the only option for many people. George Washington was homeschooled, as was Horace Mann, the father of public education.
Whatever homeschooling may be, its popularity is growing. Since the 1980s, homeschooling has grown at a rate of 10 to 30 percent each year. In 1996, there were 1.23 million students who were homeschooled. In 1982, only two states had laws allowing parents to homeschool their children. Today, it is legal for parents in all 50 states to teach their children at home.
WHY HOMESCHOOL?
Some families homeschool for religious reasons. Others opt out of traditional schooling because they live in hard-to-reach rural communities that simply do not offer neighborhood schools. Still, other families are dissatisfied with the quality and content of the education their children receive in public and even private schools. This, combined with constantly growing private school costs and unease with some values taught in schools, has led many parents to consider another option: teaching their children themselves.
Many parent-teachers want to provide a rich learning environment. They want a learning experience that weaves together their family values, practical skills and everyday teaching moments. They hope to offer lessons tailored to their child's learning style and offer more individualized attention than they feel can be offered in public and private schools.
HOMESCHOOLERS REPORT CARD
Some statistics show that homeschooled children consistently score in the 81st to 87th percentiles on standardized tests. In general, homeschooled students spend less time in front of the television (94 percent spend less than three hours daily in front of the TV, as opposed to 38 percent of public school students) and are involved in more extra-curricular activities.
There are dissenting opinions on the quality of education available to homeschooled children. There are families out there that do an amazing job, but sometimes children are not kept up to speed with the appropriate grade-level curriculum. Should they then reenter the public school system, the catch-up process is difficult--educationally and emotionally--if not impossible.
Many critics cite limited socialization opportunities as well as a lack of exposure to all kinds of children and cultures as a major drawback to homeschooling. One homeschooled student, Katie, responds, "If you want to be with people, there are tons of ways to be with people." Katie is involved with children's choir, soccer and theater, and sings with a band.
LEARNING ONLINE
Resources for parents committed to homeschooling and for parents simply curious about the homeschooling process abound. Parent-teachers, as well as parents of children who attend traditional schools, want to create an environment of year-round learning and fun in their homes. With the advent of the Web and the explosion of quality educational software, families have a wealth of educational choices and opportunities. Learning online has become an integral part of modern education in homes and in schools.
A FINAL WORD
A young veteran of public school and homeschooling found benefits and flaws in both public school education and homeschooling.
Of public school, she said, "I wanted to learn how to be with different people and lead people... It's a different environment, to deal with people who weren't raised like me... I felt like it was preparing me more for survival in the real world."
Yet she values her early homeschooling, as well: "Probably the biggest thing I learned was self-motivation... When you're homeschooled you do a lot by yourself, you have to want to learn. You have to...drive."
