American Home Schools

Okay, I'm interested in at least investigating Homeschooling. But I've got a ton of questions.

Is Homeschooling Popular?

There are over 2 million students being homeschooled in the United States alone. Homeschooling is growing at a rate of approximately 6% a year. However, the NEA and other teacher related organizations and unions do not support homeschooling because they feel it places their jobs in jeopardy. Most universities and colleges accept homeschooled students and suggest that they do much better scholastically and are better prepared than publicly schooled students.

What Is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is nothing more than school-aged children learning at home with their families or with other children in their communities. Homeschooling takes many forms, including mimicking the traditional public school method and curriculum, all the way to using child-based systems. Most people start out with a full curriculum, which follows the traditional method. Over time, they explore the other methods and incorporate specific elements into their current style. As you become comfortable with your decision to homeschool and confident of your ability to educate your own children, your methods will relax and your dependence on other's recommendations will decrease. 

What's the best method?

The best method is the one that works for your specific situation. Here are some basic concepts to consider.

Classical - Classical education emphasizes concrete thinking and memorization of the facts of the subjects in grade school; analytical thinking and understanding of the subjects in middle school; and abstract thinking and articulation of the subjects in high school.  These stages are called respectively Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric. Classical Christian Education compares these stages to the Biblical standards of knowledge (grammar), understanding (dialectic), and wisdom (rhetoric). It is further characterized by a rich exposure to the history, art, and culture of Western Civilization, including its languages (Latin and Greek,) its philosophy and literature (the Great Books of Western Civilization and the Christian tradition,) and the development of a Biblical world view with Theology in its proper place as the Queen of the Sciences. 

Classical Education produced Archimedes, St. Paul, St. Patrick and Columbus, Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Christopher Columbus, Shakespeare, and our own great George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams.

Traditional - This approach utilizes the same instructional and learning methods employed in the public school system, but on a one-to-one basis. Most of the textbooks were originally designed for schools, (sometimes private Christian schools), but have been adapted to the home setting, with each subject having its text and workbook. This method is usually employed on a day-to-day, unchanging format.

A subset of this group may be Early Academics, of which there are two main theories. The first is based on the research that says the human mind is able to learn more easily during the formative years (before the sixth birthday). Therefore, the more information a child can be exposed to during this period, the better. The second theory is that the character of a person is developed by this time, so the child should be trained academically, spiritually, and morally at the same time in order to give them a well rounded education. While the material is academic in nature, it does not necessarily mean classroom style. 
 

Child-Led Academics - In this approach, formal studies are delayed in favor of child led learning in the early years, approximately up to age 12. The premise provides physical reasons for avoiding formal learning  too soon, such as eyesight damage. Allowing the child to enjoy childhood, enables  the child to mature naturally and allow him to learn more quickly. A thorough resource on this method is "Better Late Than Early" by Dr. Raymond Moore.

Principle - In this method the Bible is the foundation, and represents Truth. The Bible is the basis for every subject, and all information is compared against this standard to determine its value and validity. It teaches researching, reasoning, relating, and recording.

Unit Study - Using this method, all subjects are blended together around a central topic in a unit study. There are as many ways to accomplish this as there are topics to explore. No dividing lines exist between subjects. For example, a study of baseball would cover physical education obviously, but might also include the history of baseball and its role in our nation's history, exploration of scientific principles of lift and thrust, and the muscles of the body involved in pitching and hitting. They would read books about baseball and develop spelling lessons from words found there. For math, they could count the players, graph their success, and  analyze their statistics. The topic might even branch out into other cultures and their sports playing in the absence of baseball. 

Unschooling - Unschooling advocates believe that children have a natural desire to learn and that given a rich learning environment will actually choose to learn. They believe that traditional teaching methods are deleterious to children, and that they need more exposure to the real world rather than isolation in a classroom setting. Parents involve their children in adult activities, and model a life of learning and exploration. Parents surround their children with quality books and resources for learning, and pay careful attention to the children's interest, concerns, and questions. 

Eclectic (Relaxed) - This approach is utilized by families who see the benefits of more than one educational method. Each child is unique, and ever changing as they grow. Parents employ the method and subject list that they believe will be most effective for each stage of the child's growth.. Parents may use curriculum from several different companies, often written from quite different educational philosophies. 

What are the benefits?

You have no doubt determined your own reasons for considering homeschooling. Here are some of the most popular:

    1 - Safety of your child. Public school systems are becoming literal death traps for children.
    2 - You can develop a proper learning pace for your child.
    3 - Greater personal involvement with what your child learns, and doesn't learn!
    4 - Learning disabilities, physical challenge, or chronic illness.
    5 - A stronger academic atmosphere.
    6 - A stronger faith-based or religious atmosphere.

What are the drawbacks?

The most obvious drawback is the fact that homeschooling requires a lot of work concerning preparation and maintenance. While many states do not require much in the way of testing and records, it is a good idea to create and maintain good accurate records of subjects taught, tests given and recorded, attendance records, immunizations, and other information that will be needed if the student applies for a job, joins the service, or intends to go to public college, or even transfer to a lower level public school.

Do Families Have a Right to Homeschool?

All states allow homeschooling. Typically, a state's statutes, through a court ruling, an attorney general opinion, or a regulation that interprets a school attendance law to include homeschooling, consider homeschooling a legitimate option for meeting compulsory education requirements. Because each state regulates homeschooling differently, parents should examine local laws before proceeding.

How Well Do Homeschooled Children Perform?

Most homeschooled children test in the upper 15 percentile for their age and class level. Many do much better. Some do a little less.

Research has shown that homeschooling does not harm a child's social or psychological development. On the contrary, these children often demonstrate better social adjustment than their traditionally schooled peers.

Opponents argue that homeschooling is harmful to children because it isolates them from other children in their community. However, homeschooling is rarely conducted in total isolation. Many families participate in homeschool support groups, scouting, church and recreational activities, and other associations

What about College?

In a recent telephone poll, a select group of admissions officers from large universities and colleges indicated willingness to consider applications from homeschooled students. In addition, all of the officers said that they accept standardized admission test scores, along with other material showing experience in learning and collaborating with others, in the absence of a regular high school transcript.

Summary

In summary, it is wise to consider the following:

1 - Know why you wish to homeschool. You need to understand the reasons behind your decision.
2 - Know the Law. Check the many available sources for this information. There are no Federal laws, but State laws tend to change on this subject. And, local school districts may have the final say as to what is required for you to home school.
3 - Prepare a curriculum. States usually require certain academic disciplines such as spelling, English, math, science, and history during compulsory ages. Check your law and be sure you comply.
4 - Establish a Record System. You can use the American Home Schools repository to find blank forms and archive services, but you will still want to keep some basic information at home. Look around and see what others are doing. Also, check with your school district and State laws to see what is mandatory.
5- Create the right environment. Whichever method you use, tell everyone you are doing it and how it is going to work. Insist on cooperation from family members, neighbors, and spouse.

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