What Should I Know about Homeschooling?
If you’re considering homeschooling your children, there are plenty of things to think about. Homeschooling, when it first began to become popular again, was thought of as an anomaly rather than the norm. Now many parents choose to homeschool their kids for various reasons. They may feel kids are better suited to a more personal learning environment, they may be unhappy with the curriculum offered at available school districts, or they may want greater freedom to plan curricula that expresses personal beliefs like religious convictions. Before you decide to homeschool, you do need to be aware of any regulations in your country or state that may need to be met. Some states in the US may require you to obtain licensure as a homeschool, and others may request that you work with a homeschool program through your school district. Know the ins and outs of state requirements so that you homeschool legally and so that your children’s educational experiences will be looked on favorably by other
What is homeschooling? Homeschooling refers to the education of children, typically at home, by their parents or other guardians. This is almost always at the familys expense. Given its non-institutional nature, homeschooling naturally lends itself to a variety of philosophies and approaches. [For e-mail updates about homeschooling and other education options, please click here to sign up for our newsletters and alerts.] Will homeschooling work for my child? No one answer fits the educational needs of all children. Yet, a growing number of families willing to dedicate the time and resources required by home-based education find it an effective way to educate their children. Homeschooling, however, requires a significant personal commitment by parents and guardians: Its not a part-time job. Serious research assessing homeschooling was relatively sparse until recent years, but its now finding encouraging results. A 1999 study by Lawrence M. Rudner, published by Education Policy Analysis
