Homeschool - the Choice of More Parents

Statistics from the U.S Department of Education show that in 2007, there were about 1.5 million homeschool students in this country. Those numbers were 36 percent higher than figures from 2003. Taking that increase into consideration, there are most likely to be around 2 million kids in homeschool this year.

In the recent past, homeschooling has been looked down upon. Parents were viewed by the goverment and the general public as being untrustworthy or unable to provide an adequate education for their own children. The increase of violence and shootings in public schools has apparently had an effect on some who formerly held a negative view of the whole homeschool concept. Perhaps this explains the ever-increasing numbers of folks deciding to homeschool their own kids.

The Reasons People Homeschool

It's really very simple. The average eighth grade home schooled kids excel above same-age traditional public school students by four grade levels above the national average. It doesn't take much to convince some parents who want their children to excel in education to make the decision to homeschool.

About one in four home schooled students are currently enrolled in a grade level that is above the grade level for their age. Other studies have shown that home schooled students score consistently higher on SAT's and ACT's, have a higher college entry rate, have a higher rate of college graduation, and are more likely to become high-earners in the workforce.

Why Home Schooled Kids Perform Better

Students that are home schooled have the advantage on one-on-one instruction. Whenever a child needs help, there is a parent right there available to give the student their full and undivided attention. In a traditional public school, a teacher must be available for a large number of students, thereby not being able to address every single issue individually.

Kids that are schooled at home can move at their own pace when learning. If a student excels in a particular subject, then that student may advance as quickly as they wish, allowing much faster advancement. In the traditional public school, all students must move together as a unit, the slowest learners setting the pace for the entire group.

There are less distractions in a homeschool environment. Parents have total control over all aspects of the home learning environment and there is absolutely no pressure from other students talking, fighting, or any number of other distracting activities that occur every day in a traditional public school environment.

Of course, it fall to each parent to ultimately make the decision as to how and where their own children are to be educated. With all the negative things that are currently accepted as a part of the public school experience, many parents are deciding to go the homeschool route and take control of their kids education.