Twelve Things to Know About Homeschooling

By
Christine Silk
If youre thinking about homeschooling, you need to know the pros and cons
before you commit. If youre already homeschooling or are just curious, you
might learn something new. This article will give you a brief overview of whats
involved in homeschooling, including answers to common questions. A complete
and comprehensive description would fill an entire book, so consider this a
starting point. (Please note that any resources or organizations cited here do not
constitute an endorsement by the author or by this websitethey are for
informational purposes only.)
1. Why do parents homeschool their children? There are a variety of reasons.
Children who have particular learning styles (such as gifted children or those with
atypical abilities and sensitivities) often do better in a homeschool environment,
especially if their needs are not being met in a traditional classroom. Children
who want to seriously pursue music, athletics, or theater often find that they need
the flexibility of a homeschool schedule. Other families have to travel for work or
military duty, and homeschooling gives them another education option that isnt
dependent on a foreign school schedule. Some parents dont agree with the
morals and politics that pervade public or private school classrooms, and they
homeschool in order to effectively transmit their values and beliefs to their
offspring. Many homeschool parents and children have had negative experiences
with public or private schools and believe they can do a better job at home.
2. Are all homeschoolers politically conservative and Christian?
No. That is a stereotype. In my social circle alone, there are homeschool families
from all walks of life, ethnicities, nationalities, different religions, and varying
political persuasions. It is an amazingly diverse population.
3. Do both parents have to teach?
Not necessarily. A parent who works full-time obviously cannot teach during work
hours. Therefore, the non-working parent typically becomes the main teacher.
This does not mean that the working parent needs to be totally hands-off when it
comes to educating the children. I know one family where the father works fulltime as an engineer, but after work he is able to work with his daughters in math

and science. During the day, his wife teaches reading, writing, and history, and
takes the girls on field trips.
If both parents work full-time, homeschooling is more difficult, but not impossible.
I know one family in which both parents work full-time. The mothers employer
gives her a lot of flexibility in her scheduling, and the older sibling helps the
younger sibling.
Cyber charter schools (also called virtual academies) are another option for
busy parents who want home-based education but who dont have time to teach.
Cyber charter schools are publically funded and follow the same curriculum as
regular brick-and-mortar public schools, but theyre internet-based. Students
work from home and take their classes online, connecting with a teacher and
other students through interactive software. The cyber charter school or virtual
academy provides the curriculum and teachers, monitors the students online
time records and course progress, and grades the assignments. For a side-byside comparison between traditional homeschooling and a virtual academy, click
here.
Some families hire tutors for specialized subject areas, such as languages,
music, and art. Thanks to the Internet and Skype, tutors dont have to live in your
area or even in the same country. But if face-to-face works better (especially for
hands-on skills like music and art) ask around for recommendations, and check
out your local colleges for talented students who are looking for extra work.
You can also hire professionals. One homeschool family I know hired a
professional artist (who is also a lecturer at a local college) to teach drawing,
painting, and art history to their teenage children. A homeschool group in my
area hired an engineer (who took time off from his day job as a rocket designer)
to teach physics to a group of homeschool students once a week for a semester.
Learning groups (also called co-ops) are another option. Parents in the co-op
each take turns teaching a group of students. One parent might be good at
teaching writing, another math, and another history or a foreign language. The
students get the benefit of working with whatever parent is strong in a particular
area.
Another option is to form writers groups that mimic adult writers groups: During
periodic meetings in person or on Skype, students share what theyve written and
offer constructive criticism of each others work. The same can be done for math
groups, where two or more students get together in person (or on Skype) to solve
equations and offer ideas for how to approach difficult problems.
Once a student is old enough, community colleges and trade schools (such as
cooking schools and computer programming schools) are another possibility.
One student I know began taking courses at a community college and a local
cooking school when she was 14 to prepare for a career as a chef. Another
student started taking college courses in Japanese when she was 15 and is now
quite advanced.
4. What are the advantages of homeschooling?

Homeschooling offers flexibility. Since homeschoolers arent on a

traditional academic schedule, they can take field trips any time they want,
study when they want, take long weekends camping or hiking (or go in the
middle of the week), and travel during the off-season. If a child learns
better later in the morning or afternoon, its easier to make a homeschool
schedule fit the childs rhythms rather than convincing a traditional school
to let the child start math at, say, 11:00 a.m. rather than 8:30 a.m.
Homeschooling allows students the opportunity to start working as interns
during school hours and gain valuable on-the-job experience. I know one
12-year-old homeschool boy who started working as an audio/video
technician for his mothers womens group meetings. A professional
videographer heard about the boys strong work ethic and offered to
mentor him. The boy has since taken on freelance jobs whenever
possible.
Homeschool children get to pursue their interests in depth. If a child is
fascinated by the history of automobiles, for example, or photography or
computer programming, he or she wont need to put that interest on hold
just because the classroom teacher needs to move on to other topics.
In a homeschool setting, children and parents see firsthand how they are
directly responsible for their educational path and progresswhich is an
important trait colleges expect from their students.
Parents who design a curriculum for their children know exactly what their
children are being taught and whether a given curriculum is working with
an individual child. A parent can experiment with different approaches and
find what works, without having to negotiate with a large school
bureaucracy.
Homeschooling can foster a special bond between parents and children
because they spend a lot more quality time together, working on common
goals.

5. What are the disadvantages?

The teaching parent has high demands on her time and energy because
she has to chart out an academic course and make it happen.
Homeschooling wont necessarily cure an unmotivated student. Many
students who go from traditional school to a homeschool environment do
well because they are no longer bored or stifled and they get to pursue the
interests they want. But some homeschool children have hard time
motivating themselves to make progress in academic subjects such as
math or writing, and that can be a serious challenge to a homeschool
parent.
You will meet people who disapprove of your choice to homeschool.
Theyll want to know whether your children are being properly socialized
(an issue which Ill address below). They may stereotype you. They may
believe homeschooling is inherently wrong or odd. Because some parents
view school (especially private school) as an important status symbol, they

may resent the fact that you are implicitly rejecting this idea, even if youre
not.
You wont have an automatic social community unless you make it
happen. Some parents who transition from traditional school to
homeschool find that they miss the PTA meetings, the bake sales,
fundraising events, or volunteering at the annual school carnival. There
are ways to make up for this loss, however, such as forming other social
groups, volunteering for charities, and organizing field trips for your
homeschool network.

6. What about socialization?

This is one of the biggest questions people have about homeschooling. My reply
is that socialization is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, homeschool kids dont have the built-in peer group that public
and private school kids have. That means they and their parents will have to
make more of an effort to find social networks.
On the other hand, homeschool kids are not subjected to the kind of peer
pressure over clothing, media exposure, and fitting in that traditional school kids
are. If a child is obviously different, homeschooling can protect her from the kind
of cruel or thoughtless treatment that happens all too often in traditional
classrooms.
When people ask about socialization, they might really be asking a different
question, such as: Is socialization the main disadvantage to homeschooling?
Arent you sorry your kids are missing out on proms, homecoming, graduation,
and being a cheerleader or a football player? Just how weird and a-social are
homeschool kids, anyway?
As one homeschool teacher explained, people assume that lack of public school
socialization produces an awkward, abnormal child, which is of course ironic
because that would mean public schools produce normal children. What is
interesting is that the concern has nothing to do with character, test scores,
aptitude, or the education of the child at all. It shows you what society really
values: coolness.
There is a lot of truth to this observation. I generally find that homeschool kids
are less jaded and cynical, less peer-dependent, and more engaged with
learning than traditional school kids are. Homeschooled kids are also open to
socializing with older and younger children. They arent taught that their peers
are limited only to those kids who are in the same grade.
Kids who are eccentric loners in a traditional school setting may actually do
better in a homeschool setting because they arent being picked on and they
cant just hide in the back row with their head down, hoping the teacher will
ignore them. By not being forced to deal with a large, overwhelming classroom in
which a harried teacher has to balance the competing interests of twenty or thirty
students, a homeschooled kid can focus more on his or her own interests, and

explore those interests without negative comments from others. Bright kids who
misbehave out of boredom in a traditional school may settle down in a
homeschool environment because they can learn at their own pace (or seek out
other bright kids or adult tutors), and not have to wait for the rest of the class to
catch up.
As another homeschool mom points out, socialization is an overblown issue.
Unless one lives in the outback, kids arent usually homeschooled in isolation.
There are so many opportunities to mix in with other people in the form of field
trips, co-op classes, homeschool group events, along with church or synagogue
groups, scouting activities, weekend baseball or soccer matches, and so forth.
Homeschoolers get a bad rap as being socially awkward, she notes, when
whats really happening is that they dont look like your garden variety child, so
that is seen by outsiders as a negative rather than the positive I believe it is.
7. What does a typical homeschool day look like?
This depends on the family and the ages of the children. When children are very
young, many homeschool families schedule field trips, park days, and creative
projects so their youngsters get a lot of hands-on interaction with the real world.
Young children love to do the same activity over and overthey wont be bored
going to the zoo or the science museum every other week, or getting together at
the park with other homeschoolers four or five times a month.
Homeschool parents often do activities and projects at home with their children,
such as cooking lessons that double as chemistry lessons, or construction
projects that triple as history, anthropology, and structural engineering lessons.
One homeschool family I know spent over a month re-creating ancient Egyptian
artifacts in papier-mache, plaster, and gold paint. The children were encouraged
to conduct research and understand the religious reasons behind designs in
Egyptian burial masks, sarcophagi, and jewelry.
As children get older, their academic schedules tend to become more structured.
Some families have strict schedules in which each hour is planned out. The kids
are expected to complete a set amount of work on a variety of subjects (such as
math, logic, writing, reading, history, science) during the course of a day. If
theyre taking classes through a cyber charter school or a virtual academy, then
they are expected to log in every school day and complete the assignments that
are provided.
Other families are more laissez-faire, and arent as focused with making progress
through textbooks or workbooks, or getting through a set curriculum in a certain
amount of time. These parents encourage their children to spend their academic
time delving deeply into one or two subjects until the childs curiosity is satisfied,
and then moving on to a new topic.
As children get older, they develop the ability to shape their own academic
journey. Homeschooling is especially suited to those who are self-starters. Such
students are capable of working through a math workbook on their own, and

asking for help when they are stuck on a problem. Or theyll spontaneously read
books and write stories without much prompting. Other homeschool children who
arent as self-motivated will need a parent to prod them and make sure they stay
on task.
Whether a family should make learning highly structured or more laissez-faire
depends on what works best for each child and for the family.
8. How do you know what to teach?
Before I talk about curriculum options, let me share my personal philosophy:
Reading, writing, and math are the most important academic skills. If your child
can master those three foundational subjects, he will be able to teach himself
pretty much any other subject.
Reading is the most crucial. In order to do math, you have to be able to read. In
order to write well, you have to read well. All three skills are developed through
practice, practice, practice. Just as a good musician has to listen to a lot of
music, and constantly practice an instrument, so a writer must read a lot to get a
feel for language, and then put it into practice by writing regularly. Same with
math. You get good at it by solving a lot of math problems.
Regarding curriculum, you have basically two options. You can either go with a
ready-made curriculum, or you can custom-design one based on your childs
needs and interests. A lot of homeschool families do a combination of the two. (If
you opt to go the cyber charter school/virtual academy route mentioned earlier,
then the curriculum will be provided.)
Here is a partial list of curriculum resources:

State standards. This is a good starting point if youre worried about

whether your child is at grade level in a given academic area. When I
searched seventh grade California standards on the Internet, I got
350,000 hits. The first two hits directed me to the California Department of
Education, where they describe what they expect students to know for
every grade level and subject area.
Syllabi from private and magnet schools. Many private and magnet
schools publish their course syllabi online. I found the sixth grade math
syllabus for a performing arts/magnet school in my area that explains what
mathematical concepts will be covered, and what textbook will be used.
You can do some Internet sleuthing on your own and find all kinds of
information from educational institutions from around the world, including
prestigious schools whose curriculum you can access at home if they
publish it on the Internet.
Online bookstores and libraries. There are a lot of textbooks and
workbooks for the homeschool market. Some are complete packages that
cover a range of subjects, and include a teachers manual. Some focus
narrowly on one topic, others focus on a cluster of related topics. There is
also a lot of educational software available if your child prefers to learn on

a computer. If youre buying from an online bookstore that includes

customer reviews, read them. This is a free and valuable source of
information and advice from other homeschool parents.
Custom-designed curricula. Some parents create workbooks for their
children if they dont find what theyre looking for. One homeschool parent
put together a booklet of math word problems for his kids, and had copies
printed and bound for not very much money. Another parent created a
short anthology of classic poetry (most of which is in the public domain) to
help the children get a feel for language. Asking other homeschool
families about their curricula is a good way to learn whats out there and
what theyve found most useful.

9. Am I locked into a homeschooling commitment for the rest of my childs

academic career?
Not at all. You can take it one year or even one semester at a time. If
homeschooling works one year, but not the next, no problem. You can always
enroll your child in the local public school. Of course, its better to time the
enrollment so that your child isnt starting in the middle of the year, but it wont be
impossible if thats the only option.
One family I know homeschooled until seventh grade. At that point, the boys
decided they wanted to go to a traditional school to play varsity sports. The boys
both did very well academically and socially. Their teachers considered them
model students because they were so polite and well-behaved. Both boys
eventually earned college degrees and are now happily married men with
children.
10. What about getting into college?
Many colleges and universities welcome homeschool applicants, and say so on
their webpage. Do an Internet search with the words homeschool admissions
plus the name of a particular college to see what theyre looking for in
homeschool applicants.
Because homeschool students dont have normal high school transcripts, many
colleges will put greater weight on their SAT and ACT scores, and they require
the student to describe in detail what their course of study has been, including
any college courses they may have already taken.
Top-tier colleges require all studentsnot just homeschoolersto be
outstanding. This can work in a homeschoolers favor if he knows how to take
advantage of his flexible schedule to excel in a particular area or pursue an
interest to a degree that sets him apart from the typical applicant.
For more information on college admissions of homeschoolers, see the links
here, here, and here.
11. Is homeschooling legal in my state?
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. But each state has its own requirements.
Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Iowa, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Michigan do

not require homeschool parents to contact the state if they choose to

homeschool. At the other extreme, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island,
Vermont and Massachusetts require parents to submit test scores, curriculum,
professional evaluations, and parental teaching credentials. Other states fall
somewhere in between these two extremes. You can do an Internet search
(homeschool laws plus the name of your state) to find out what your state
requires in terms of paperwork and standardized testing. The Home School Legal
Defense Association website also gives a state-by-state summary.

12. How do I find other homeschoolers?

Do an Internet search to find out whether there are homeschool groups near you.
If not, you can start one. Ask people in your social network whether they know of
any local homeschool families, then contact those homeschoolers to find out
what networks they belong to and what activities are available. Clergy and
religious groups, pediatricians, sports associations, and local scout troops are all
possible resources for finding other homeschool families.
Homeschooling can be a rewarding journey that will bring you closer to your
children and give you the chance to help them shape their destinies to a degree
that isnt always possible with traditional schooling. Good luck!
Christine Silk is a staff member at Prager University, and a homeschool parent.
She is also a writer and blogger. Her website is christinesilk.com.
Copyright 2014 by Christine Silk. All rights reserved.