An entire school career can be a wild ride. Looking back, what do you remember? Maybe you had a bad photo taken on picture day in elementary school. Maybe you got braces in middle school. Maybe you attended your high school prom with your sweetheart. There were probably some ups and downs.
Homeschooling may be for you. Image: Shutterstock
What stands out to many people is the way education takes place simultaneously with social growth. In fact, many people believe that homeschooling children takes away some of the chance to grow in a social setting.
However, homeschooling is not the creepy, sister-wife kind of thing people often envision. Students who are homeschooled are required to pass the same standardized tests as everyone else. Their “teacher” is also required to provide proof their student has passed the academic tests.
While 2.9 percent (about 2 million) of U.S. students are homeschooled, it is still a hotly debated topic. The government allows it, and the United States Supreme Court says it favors educational choice as long as states set standards.
Homeschooling started out in rural areas where there was little access to schools. Families still wanted their children to get an education, and they felt the best way was to provide that at home, in a safe environment.
Homeschooling not creepy. Image: Shutterstock
In recent years, many homeschooled kids split their time between a traditional school and homeschool. Sometimes the homeschool teacher works with students on subjects that are difficult to teach such as foreign language.
“In addition many families do partnerships to help their children compete in academics and athletics with non-homeschooled children. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, around 2006, 18% of homeschooled students attend a public or private school on a part-time basis. Some students take one or two classes at traditional school campuses. Some spend several days per week on campuses that are designed to educate part-time students.”
Some of the main reasons students get homeschooled are concern about the school environment, to provide religious or moral instruction or dissatisfaction with the academic instruction at available schools. Occasionally a student is homeschooled due to a physical or mental health condition that a school cannot provide for.
All the states have slightly different laws regarding homeschooling. Interestingly enough, the requirements for who is allowed to teach a child that is homeschooled are some of the toughest.
