Homeschool Children Go Down in History: Homeschooling Success for Ten Children

While homeschooling has become more and more popular over the years, there is still much debate over the efficacy of this alternative schooling option. Homeschooled children and their parents come under much criticism and while some families should not homeschool, others have proven that homeschooling can be very effective. Here are the stories of ten homeschool children who found success in the world.

Homeschooled Children Turned Author

One benefit of homeschooling is the ability for parents to focus on their children’s strengths. Allowing children to grow and develop academically at their own pace benefited the following homeschooled children:

Agatha Christie – Agatha Christie was a very shy girl, causing her mother to opt for homeschooling instead of the private school that her siblings attended. As a well known all-time best-selling author, homeschooling was obviously successful.

Pearl S. Buck – Pearl S. Buck moved to China as a child and was homeschooled. Homeschooling proved successful for Pearl as she became a Pulitzer prize winning author as an adult.

Laura Ingles Wilder – Laura Ingles Wilder was homeschooled until her family settled in Dakota Territory. She became a teacher herself at age 15 and wrote the popular Little House series, proving her homeschooled years successful as well.

Louisa May Alcott – Louisa May Alcott’s family not only homeschooled her, but utilized the teaching of family friends, a variation of the many homeschool coops today. Some of her teachers included Nathanial Hawthorne, Ralf Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Robert Frost – Robert Frost, famous poet, was homeschooled for many years as well. His writing shows the effectiveness of his homeschooling as well.

Homeschool Students Turned Inventors

Homeschooling allows parents to encourage their children’s unique interests while teaching them in a way that best suits their particular learning style. These students obviously benefited from their homeschool experience, as have many millions of others.

Alexander Graham Bell – Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was homeschooled until his mother began going deaf. Her investment into his life and hearing loss helped to motivate Alexander Graham Bell in his future endeavors.

Thomas Edison – Thomas Edison did not last long in the public school system and his mother began homeschooling him. Homeschooling obviously worked well for him as he went on to invent the light bulb and more.

Homeschool Students Turned to the Arts

While creativity is encouraged in public school through music and art classes, homeschooling children with a propensity towards these endeavors may be beneficial as the following students demonstrate.

Ansel Adams – Ansel Adams went to public school until he was twelve, at which point he became disruptive in class and his father began homeschooling him. This proved beneficial for the boy who grew up to be a very talented and famous photographer.

Mozart – Mozart’s family took a three year trip around Europe during which time he was homeschooled. This demonstrates one of the great benefits of homeschooling in that parents can take their children places while continuing their work. This famous composer shows that homeschooling is not as detrimental as many would believe.

Finally, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States of America, was homeschooled by his father and went on to attend Princeton.

While these examples may seem unrelated to today’s homeschooled children, in fact they show the success that homeschoolers have had over the years. Homeschooling is indeed a viable option for many parents and only time will tell what success homeschool students will continue to have.

Resource: Conradt, Stacy. 10 Homeschooled Celebrities. CNN.com: April 23, 2009.

Apr 29, 2009 7:34 PM

Guest :

This is slightly disingenuous. The historical figures you mention lived in a time when formative education was in its infancy. As to Woodrow Wilson, his father was president of Hampton-Sydney College and he attended Davidson College outside Charlotte in NC. None of these persons had to take PSAT or SAT tests. Using historical figures to laud homeschooling is like comparing apples to oranges. Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle yet he conquered much of the known world at that time. Was that homeschooling? John Marshall taught himself the law reading, much like Lincoln. Can we call that homeschooling? Mozart was a prodigy who, as a child, toured European courts and the Vatican with is father, Leopold. To what extent can we call that homeschooling? Mozart knew about many things, chiefly music, but can we honestly compare his educational experience to the demands and needs to contemporary homeschooling endeavors?
You mention Pearl Buck. Of course she was homeschooled, growing up in China at a time no IB International Schools existed. That was all missionary territory then. My point is that it might be wrong to use such figures from history to promote contemporary homeschooling. And that takes nothing away from Pearl Buck - I met her as a senior in HS and was totally impressed.

Apr 30, 2009 9:20 AM

Guest :

I disagree. First, you need to check your facts: Woodrow Wilson did attend Davidson College, but he transferred to Princeton after his freshman year and graduated with the class of 1879.

Second, while it is true that education has changed significantly over the years, homeschooling was not a common choice even during the lives of these historical figures, although it was a viable and more acceptable option for families.

I am not sure why the fact that Mozart was a prodigy and toured Europe disqualifies his studies as homeschooling. Would you claim that if a prodigy was born today and homeschooled while touring Europe it does not count as homeschooling as well?

Finally, I am not sure I understand your desire to discount homeschooling on the basis of the fact that the homeschoolers mentioned in this article are historical figures. It tells me that homeschooling has been an effective schooling choice for parents over the years. Looking into the circumstances of many of these people will in fact show learning difficulties similar to those that cause many parents today to homeschool their children.

If you are going to disagree with information, be sure to have relevant facts to back up your arguments.