Parents have lots of school choices when it comes to educating their children. One avenue that is slowly growing more popular is homeschool.
In a homeschool setting, parents take on the role of the teacher. They educate their children at home, either designing a curriculum themselves or using the guidance of homeschool lesson plans like Five in a Row.
Facts and Statistics About Homeschooling
According to the American National Education for Education Statistics (NCES), 1.1 million children were homeschooled. That equates to 2.2% of school-aged American kids, up from 1.7% in 1999.
Reasons for Homeschooling
Parents might choose to homeschool their child for many reasons. 2003 information from the NCES cites three most applicable reasons that parents cite for choosing homeschool:
- Concerns about school environment. 85% of parents say their decision was partly based on worries about safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure in a public school environment.
- Desire to provide religious or moral instruction. 72% of parents report that they homeschool because they want to incorporate religious study and/or personal ethics and worldview into their curriculum.
- Dissatisfaction with academic instruction. 68% of homeschooling parents were unhappy with alternatives available to educate their children, and decided to take matters into their own hands.
Though homeschooling is sometimes a religious choice, it isn't always. Concerns about school environment and quality of instruction, as well as religious considerations, factor into the decision of most parents who decide to homeschool their kids.
Home School Pros and Cons
When deciding whether or not to homeschool, a variety of factors must be taken into consideration. Some of the benefits of homeschooling include:
- Ability to move at the child's pace
- Freedom to design curriculum
- More control over environment
- Can teach values and beliefs in addition to academics
Some of the disadvantages of homeschooling are:
- Possible lack of social interaction with peers
- Less exposure to diversity
- Very demanding role for parents
- Some social stigma against homeschooling still exists
Every family is different, and homeschooling is right for some and not for others. The individual needs of the student and the schooling choices available in the area will determine what is best for every family.
Concerns About Home School Education
The biggest concern for which homeschooling often comes under attack is the lack of social interaction with peers. While homeschool socialization is usually more of a challenge, there are many homeschool resources to mitigate isolation.
Some parents choose to homeschool with a virtual school, which not only gives them a curriculum to follow but often provides virtual students with field trips and other chances to interact. City rec centers or community houses might offer homeschool groups as well.
While it is still in the minority, homeschooling is becoming increasingly common as more parents choose to undertake the primary education of their K through 12 children. Reasons for homeschooling are varied, and homeschooling has a unique set of pros and cons that must be taken into consideration for each individual student.
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