The first step to homeschooling is making your decision to home educate your child. It is important to become informed and knowledgeable about some of the main concerns you may have. Explore these areas of our website to learn more about the initial decision to homeschool.
|
| |
| Making Your Decision |
| |
The reasons people decide to educate their children at home are varied and can be unique to each family. Some look towards a better educational experience, others are concerned with moral and social issues, some are concerned with safety, and still others have special needs that they wish to address. Explore these reasons and others that have led families to homeschooling.
|
|
| Advantages of Homeschooling |
| |
Ask anyone who loves homeschooling what the advantages are, and you'll probably hear a long list of the benefits of educating children in the home. Homeschooling is a journey and an adventure, with benefits and rewards for the entire family. Come find out what these advantages are and decide if homeschooling is right for you.
|
|
| Teaching Your Own Children |
| |
Are you qualified to teach your own children? The answer is yes! It is challenging, but rewarding, to educate your children in your home. Find out what these challenges are and how to address them.
|
|
| Socialization |
| |
"But what about socialization?" So the typical question goes to anyone who homeschools. Find out what socialization means to homeschooling families and strategies to engage your children and your entire family in social activities and connections.
|
|
| Research & Statistics |
| |
Learn about current research and statistics involving homeschooling families, the homeschool movement, and the educational system.
|
|
| Public School Issues |
| |
Many parents are basing part of their decision to homeschool on issues with public schooling, from bullying to poor academic performance to problems with governmental control.
|
|
| Community Outreach |
| |
Want to help homeschooling integrate into the community at large? Are you a homeschool group leader who talks with the media or provides information to new and curious homeschoolers? Here are tips to help you present homeschooling to the public and the media.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Kingdom That Never Was: Inaccuracies in a Sociological Study of Homeschooling |
|
Larry and Susan Kaseman |
|
A PhD thesis on homeschooling was published recently by Princeton University Press titled Kingdom of Children: Culture and Controversy in the Homeschooling Movement by Mitchell Stevens. This sociological study of homeschooling contains serious misinformation that we homeschoolers need to understand and be able to counter. We may not be able to prevent this book from contributing to the mainstream media's and the academic world's misunderstanding of homeschooling, but if we don't at least respond to these ideas, misunderstanding of homeschooling will increase. |
|
|
|
National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) |
|
NHERI's mission is to produce high-quality research on home-based education, to serve as a clearinghouse of research, and to educate the public concerning the findings of all research on home education. If you are interested in statistics and research to inform your choice about education, this site offers resources and information. NHERI's forte is in the realm of research, statistics, data, facts, demographics, the academic world, consultation, academic achievement tests, and expert witness while serving people ranging from researchers, educators, teachers, policy makers, the media, home schoolers, parents in general, marketing consultants, and the general public. |
|
|
|
The Why of Homeschool |
|
Isabel Lyman, Ph.D. |
|
Focusing on homeschooling and the media, Isabel Lyman's doctoral dissertation analysis of over 300 newspaper and magazine articles revealed that the top four reasons to bypass conventional schooling were dissatisfaction with the public schools, the desire to freely impart religious values, academic excellence, and the building of stronger family bonds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Homeschooling Grows in the Black Community |
|
Michael Smith |
|
The best research on homeschooling indicates the total number of children who are homeschooled is 1.5 to 2 million, and that number is growing by 10 to 15 percent per year. But not everyone recognizes the academic and social success of homeschoolers and some criticize the movement as being white and elitist. While it's true that the large majority of homeschool children are white, the number of black homeschoolers is growing rapidly. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, estimates that there are 30,000 to 50,000 black children being homeschooled today. Others estimate that black homeschoolers make up 5 percent of the total homeschool population. Most importantly black homeschool movement is growing at a faster rate than the general homeschool population.
|
|
|
|