Why Homeschool? Parents, Educators & Students Comment On The Benefits Of Homeschooling

This piece is a compilation of comments and stories from parents, educators and students on the benefits homeschooling can have over traditional schooling. If you’re considering homeschooling for any reason, or you’re just wondering about why certain people choose to homeschool, I strongly recommend bookmarking this page and having a read through it — there are some fantastic comments here. I’ve made a short summary of what’s been contributed so far, along with the link to the full comment or story:

  • A mother of 3, originally having no intention of homeschooling her children, continues to be “stunned” at the benefits her family has enjoyed from homeschooling (Lauren) (527 words)
  • A teacher and pediatrician who has worked with parents of children with special needs lists 3 benefits of homeschooling (Leann) (192 words)
  • A mother of 7 who has homeschooled her children for more than 10 years comments on its benefits (Charlene) (235 words)
  • A now-college student details how they were homeschooled for 1 year, and considers it their most influential form of education (Mateo) (958 words)
  • A certified teacher in Florida discusses why parents might consider homeschooling (Melissa) (469 words)
  • A literacy specialist and homeschooling mother talks about how her daughter is thriving having been homeschooled, and there is even more socialization than in a school setting (Delilah) (326 words)
  • An employee of an educational travel company that facilitates homeschooling compares the benefits of traditional schools and homeschooling (Sandra) (224 words)
  • A mother who has homeschooled for 3 years, and was homeschooled herself, lists 3 benefits of homeschooling (Bridget) (213 words)
  • A homeschool graduate and homeschool mom for 6 years gives a detailed account of her story, as well as her experience homeschooling her children (Bonnie) (830 words)
  • A homeschooling mother of 6 years discusses her experience (Tiffany) (314 words)
  • A homeschooling mother gives a detailed account of how her experience has been homeschooling her children, and gives some great advice (Denise) (1,528 words)
  • An educator highlights how the majority of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show there’s a positive effect for homeschooled students (Joshua) (215 words)
  • An employee of a large tuition marketplace lists 3 benefits of homeschooling (Adam) (204 words)

While the goal here is to open your eyes on how homeschooling can be a great way to go, I should still emphasize (as many people here have said) that whether homeschooling is right for you or your child depends on your specific needs. Few things are more important than you or your child’s education, so make sure to look at a lot more credible resources (including arguments against homeschooling) before making such a major decision.

Finally, if you have your own comments on how homeschooling can be beneficial, please make a submission here and we’ll add it.

I actually had no intention of ever homeschooling my three kids. But due to several reasons, I decided to pull my oldest daughter out of public school after kindergarten. I had no idea what would happen, but I decided I would try my best. Well, we are going into our 4th year of homeschooling now and I continue to be stunned at the benefits that my family has enjoyed because of homeschooling!

My children are able to enjoy getting all the sleep they need, and have a relaxed morning waking up. No rushing! My kids can eat when they're hungry, and not have to hurry through meals to get out the door.

My kids are able to learn at their own pace, not the pace of a room of 25 kids. My kindergartner actually started her curriculum in April because that's when she was ready. No need to wait till August or September!

My girls have a much better sibling relationship now that we spend so much time together. They have many more shared experiences because they are not separated all day long!

My kids have so much more time for independent and outside play. They finish their schoolwork in a fraction of the time it would take in public school, and of course there is no homework to battle! I believe my kids are so much more healthy and active with the homeschooling lifestyle. No sitting at a desk for 7-8 hours a day.

Due to all the extra time, we have much more time and energy to devote towards social things. Yes, social things! My kids are heavily involved in sports, homeschool co-op activities, church, scouting meetings, various lessons, and running the neighborhood with other kids. We had less time to do things like that when my oldest daughter was in public school because she didn't get out of school until after 2pm. Then we had homework to do, and she had to be in bed early enough to be back in school by 7:40am Monday - Friday. That's a tight schedule for a 5 year old!

Even more importantly, my kids have developed a love of learning and curiousity about the world around them. We celebrated the end of our homeschool year at the end of May and my kids were a little sad. We decided to keep up with some subjects during the summer because they did not want to stop.

I love the flexibility of being able to take time off of school for trips, when family comes to visit, for birthdays, or if my husband has the day off of work. We are in charge of our lives and our schedule, not the school system.

I have really enjoyed being able to be the main person shaping my children - not a teacher I barely know. It was strange to hand my daughter over to a near stranger and have her spend the majority of the day with her. I love that I now know everything my daughter is doing and learning. Our relationship is much closer and I am so happy to have the special bond with her that homeschooling brings.

--Lauren Schmitz, The Simple Homeschooler

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#lauren

As a teacher, and pediatrician who has worked with parents of children with special needs, I can comment from that perspective.

Some benefits of homeschooling

1. Some children on the autism spectrum have a unique combination of splinter skills or skills unrelated to other skills in life and social communication difficulties. This combination makes traditional school challenging. The child cannot develop the skill for which they may have genius-level talent. The communication skills in which they struggle with are challenged all day long. That leads to frustration and can even cause anxiety and depression. Using an online school combined with home-schooling can make a more individualized curriculum possible and allow time to develop individual talents and interests.

2. Homeschooling is usually more efficient. There is less test-taking, required procedures, changing classes, and other delays teat are expected with a low teacher to student ratio. This efficiency can lead to more free time to pursue hobbies, sports, music, and volunteer in the community.

3. Some families have homeschooled for a year because their child needed a break for a year either for a recent move, family stresses, or bullying situations in the school.

--Leann Poston M.D., M.B.A., M.Ed., Invigor Medical

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#leann

My name is Charlene Hess and I run the homeschool blog Hess Un-Academy. I have been homeschooling my 7 kids for more than 10 years and I would love to share some my favorite benefits of homeschooling. Homeschooling is such a wonderful way of life and I find those that choose this lifestyle have been able to provide their kids with a very rich educational environment. When you choose to homeschool your kids you are choosing so shun traditional schooling and the expectations that come with it for something more. Homeschooling has allowed our family to experience things we never would have been able to in a traditional school setting. My kids enjoy regular field trips to highly educational places. We enjoy hands-on experiments that bring our lessons to life. We have the freedom to jump down a rabbit hole and explore everything there is to know about a particularly interesting topic rather than being forced to move on to something else less interesting because of the need to 'study for the test' so-to-speak. My kids have benefited from strong sibling relationships because they are always learning together. And perhaps most importantly, I have been able to talk my kids through scary world events and help them to understand and to not be afraid rather than subjecting them to the opinions of teachers and peers. Homeschooling is one of the best choices we ever made.

--Charlene Hess, Hess Un-Academy

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#charlene

As someone who has participated in a myriad of learning opportunities—a Spanish Immersion school, ‘Gifted’ Public School classes, homeschool, and now an online high school—I’ve explored and experienced the boons and benefits of each, while also becoming very aware of their shortcomings. In my experience, each learning opportunity has provided what I needed at the time, but I look back at some much more fondly than others.

Of my many different forms of education, the most influential one was certainly homeschool. While I only ‘officially’ homeschooled for one year, I can attribute much of my growth since to that experience. In that year, while participating in Classical Conversations, my mom sought to instill two things: a love of learning and a desire to seek dual perspective.

As a then seventh grader, I didn’t really appreciate how much those changes—amongst others from my homeschool year—would affect me. Heck, I’m still not sure I fully understand their benefit. Nonetheless, while I may not fully grasp their long-term benefit, allow me to share their short-term influence:

Growing up, I loved learning. I was read to from a young age and constantly encouraged to explore subjects of interest as deeply as I would like. And then public school happened. From a young age, there’s such an atmosphere of competition—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, instead of competing on actual knowledge, we often compete and compare by looking at our grades. As I’m sure many people can relate to, that led to a ton of cramming and dumping—but not actual learning.

In my one year of homeschool, we said goodbye to all that. Competition was primarily limited to my mom, which challenged me to think, speak, and write much more like an adult. At the same time, we flipped grades on their head. They were no longer a measuring stick, but rather a celebration of growth and learning. And, while we celebrated my good grades and built on the weaker ones, we frequently reviewed past content—breaking my habit of cramming and dumping. By the time I returned to public school and gifted classes, I cared little for grades and much more deeply for learning. Not only has this helped me score in the 99th percentile on standardized tests and college entry exams, but that focus on learning boosted my grades from an A/B student to a straight A student.

While the focus on loving learning boosted my academic merits, my growth in seeking dual perspective has aided me as a thinker, writer, and leader. Like most children, I had some strong assumptions about the world. From the ‘fact’ that adults never erred to my determination that everyone saw the world as I did, I had plenty of misperceptions.

When homeschooling, we flipped subjects on their head. We looked at math from a logical perspective, rather than one of memorization and application. Reading and writing became opportunities to observe and consider others’ actions and how those reflected their worldview. And in science, we explored several different schools of thinking—many of which I’ve never even seen discussed in public school. Those experiences—looking at traditional subjects from a new perspective—not only led me to think for myself and understand why I believe what I believe, but greatly aided in the formation of my worldview. While the world—especially the political one—often screams back and forth, I consistently engage in insightful, thought-provoking discussions with friends and peers who think differently than I do. And I would never have done so if I wasn’t thought to seek dual perspective.

While I’m no longer ‘officially’ a homeschool student, I consider what I do today to be glorified homeschooling. I attend an online high school and partake in an early college program. Beyond learning for mastery and exploring different perspectives, I now realize I grew in countless other areas as well. From time management to personal responsibility, I find myself completing more schoolwork in less time with better long-term retention than many of my collegiate peers. And that has little do with my innate strengths, but rather with the difference in my education.

I’m now on track to complete my sophomore year of college by the time I graduate high school in 2021. Further, I’ve worked hard to build my professional network and am in the process of creating an online course and writing a book—both of which I believe have the potential to lead to fruitful careers.

Now, before I wrap up this relatively long exposition on my homeschool experience, I’d like to address a deep concern my mom had before homeschooling: ‘Am I going to mess my child up?’

While I cannot be objective, I would say she’s done the opposite. I learn differently than my peers, am more efficient with my time, look at the world from a variety of perspectives, and frankly, just have a lot of fun with what I do. I promise, I’m socially competent. Not only that, but I’m a leader: President of the National Honor Society at my high school, Founder and President of a Student Organization at Southeastern Louisiana University, and member of the leadership team at my youth group. Plus, while titles are cool, I often lead in the little moments that will never end up on a resume—the ones, that I believe, distinguish a servant leader from a self-serving leader.

To all potential homeschooling parents, this is what I can say: homeschool isn’t perfect for everyone. Nor should it be. However, for those who believe their child is capable of more, or have concerns about their success in public school, I encourage you to take the same brave jump my mom did. Homeschool for 1 year and observe from there—I promise, you’re not going to ‘mess your child up.’

--Mateo Chaney-Martinez, LinkedIn profile

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#mateo

I am a certified teacher in Florida. I left teaching to pursue home education for my children. I also own a business which provides consultations, public speaking services, tutoring, and Florida homeschool and unschool evaluations. I work with general education as well as special needs populations. My experience includes public school teaching, a master's degree in reading and literacy and a graduate certificate in special needs education.

There are many reasons why families choose to homeschool. Some move to home education because their students need more one on one education than the schools in their area provide. Others are concerned about safety in schools. Some families choose homeschoolingsimply because they want to be a larger part of their children’s lives than they would be if they utilized public schools and sent them off each day for 8hours. While homeschooling is not the choice of every family, there are benefits for those who choose this education option.

Home education families generally have flexible scheduling options and local groups with which they can meet forfield trips, park play days, and lessons. Parents can work, then homeschool before or after work. In some cases, grandparents or fellow homeschoolers will assist if parents are working. Whether parents work or not, there is a flexibility which allows for vacations when schools are in session, the freedom to goexplore the world rather than learn within brick and mortar wall. Also, parents have the option to choose curriculum components which means a more individualized learning experience for their children. Children also have more free time as their lessons take less time than lessons in public school wheremore children must be taught at one time. I have seen students open successful businesses, attend dual enrollment college programs while in high school, and pursue interests which are not traditional school topics. They were able to broaden their horizons because they had free time and the option to choose what to study after their work was complete each day.

Students with special needs often benefit from one on one instruction and small group lessons. They also have the opportunity to work onlife skills and job preparatory activities. Additionally, children with special needs will have more flexibility and time for occupational therapy, feeding therapy, physical therapy, or other necessary assistance. Home education allows for flexibility of schedule which is a helpful tool when dealing with meltdowns and medical appointments. Also, in many states standardized testing is notrequired to show that learning is happening which means that children with anxiety may not need to take tests at a young age and this may assist in dealing with their anxiety.

Home education is one of many education options for parents today. There are benefits for those who choose homeschooling and I have seen this education model work well for families. Remember that you can work and homeschool. You can enlist assistance from family, friends, and online education options as well. Then, consider whether homeschooling is right for your family.

--Melissa Packwood, M.S. Ed., floridareadingcoach.wordpress.com/

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#melissa

I am a literacy specialist and homeschooling mom. I was a special education teacher for 8 years and started my own business (Thrive Educational Services) creating multisensory reading resources for children who struggle with reading. I also homeschool my 8 year old daughter.

I often hear this concern about the lack of socialization, among other concerns when homeschooling children. I can tell you as a former classroom teacher, there are many benefits to homeschooling although it is not the right fit for every child and family. Some benefits include individualizing the curriculum to tailor the child's needs, flexibility in teaching methods and content, better socialization, more family bonding time, the ability to encourage children to pursue their interests, and less anxiety in children.

My daughter was in the gifted program but I noticed she was learning the same content year after year and she was bored. So I pulled her out and now she is thriving. She didn't really like school but she did very well, consistently earning 100's on her assessments. But I knew she needed more and she really liked learning. Now she completes her school work in 2-3 hours, has several activities with other homeschooled kids every week day, and is eager to learn every day. I love being able to nurture her curiosity which is something that is difficult to do in the classroom with so many other children and curriculum demands. And I am surprised that her social schedule is much busier now than when she was in school. People forget that in school kids are not talking to their friends all day long. They get about 20 minutes to talk to their friends during lunch and that's it. But with homeschooling, my daughter meets with her friends daily do to activities, take classes, have play dates at the park, and go on field trips. There is a lot more socialization going on and it's more natural than the school setting.

--Delilah Orpi, Thrive Educational Services, LLC

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#delilah

We are an education travel company that helps families explore destinations around the world for the purpose of embellishing their children’s learning/education.

For most of our client families we become their homeschooling arm as they explore the world — for a few weeks or a few months or, for some families, for as long as a year. So we have a unique vantage point from which to observe students who are learning in traditional brick and mortar schools and then see what happens when we introduce learning outside, anywhere and everywhere. We see value in both:

Traditional schools provide an on-going, built in social system and provide a trained adult who offers direction and support and can create the opportunity for learners to work in teams.

Homeschooling offers the learner the opportunity to follow personal interests and passions, to learn and perfect skills at his/her own rate and requires the learning of self agency, self efficiency and self determination. Homeschooling also allows the learner the opportunity to practice new skills in the real world, all over the world. These, we think, collectively move learning way past just doing well on tests.

There are, of course, many more pluses and minuses to both ways of learning — and they are often different for different learners. But the ones above are the easy ones to see.

--Sandra Dee Hoffman, Children's Concierge, LLC

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#sandra

I've been homeschooling for 3 years (and was also homeschooled myself for several years). Here are some of the benefits I've seen:

- More personalized instruction. With the one-on-one I'm able to give them, my kids won't get lost in the shuffle. Additionally, with the wide variety of curriculum choices available, we are free to choose what fits for us.

- Greater socialization. When we are homeschooling (outside of corona times), my kids actually have greater opportunities for socialization with people of all ages. We participate in a wide range of outside activities that have us outside the home almost every day of the week. Many of these involve interacting with other homeschooling families of all ages. Rather than sitting in a classroom all day (where they're expected to be quiet and NOT socialize), my kids are busy forming relationships with others as they learn about the world around them.

- We have opportunities for more in-depth instruction than is available in school. Because we homeschool, we can deep-dive into a subject that we're interested in. Field trips, trips to the museum, educational web sites, and hands-on projects and experiences are all easy to incorporate into our instruction. I think it's much easier for learning to be fun when it's outside of the traditional classroom setting.

--Bridget Sielicki, The Freelancing Mama

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#bridget

I am a homeschool graduate (I completed grades 1 through 12 at home) and a homeschool mom (for the past six years). I've seen the benefits of homeschooling both in my own life and in my daughters' lives.

As a homeschool student, I had the flexibility to work during school hours as a nanny during my teen years. I babysat for three full days (8 am to 6 pm), once a month, for a family with four kids (who were also homeschooled), for several years. In the year before I started university, I started working as a cashier at a local gas station and was able to fill in for the weekday morning cashier because I was homeschooled. The money I earned as a nanny and in other part-time jobs during high school let me pay for my entire first year of university myself.

During my junior high and high school years, I had spare time to write several novels. Those novels are not published (yet), but I have a good start to a YA fantasy series (if I can find time now, as a busy mom, to edit and find a publisher for those novels). Homeschooling gave me the time to pursue my hobbies and interests, and allowed me to develop strong writing skills that helped me later in university and now as a blogger and author of children's nonfiction books. I know other homeschool students who have started homeschooling to allow them to pursue music or sports at a professional level even as teenagers.

I went to university immediately after high school and completed a B.A. in English with highest distinction. I earned the Governor General's Award (in Alberta) for the highest GPA in my graduating class. I had a 3.97 average for my four years of university. A few years later, I went on to complete a second B.A. in Writing at the University of Victoria.

Many parents worry about the transition between homeschooling and university, but I felt I was better prepared for university than many of my friends there. As a homeschooler, I was already used to managing my time and getting my work done. In eight years of university, I have never pulled an all-nighter to finish a paper or study for an exam. I always had my work completed well ahead of the deadline. In eight years of university, I also only ever missed one class. My professors knew I was the student who would show up, pay attention, take notes, and produce good work - and that is the work ethic that I learned as a homeschool student.

As a homeschool mom, I've seen numerous benefits in homeschooling my daughters over the past six years. This year, I had three children in school, in grades 1 through 7. My daughters have a close relationship with each other because of homeschooling; my older daughters frequently (and willingly) help their younger siblings. And the younger siblings look up to their bigger sisters and are eager to learn because they see their big sisters doing schoolwork.

My second daughter is working a grade ahead of her peers. She just turned 10 this month and is completing Grade 5. She skipped Kindergarten and jumped straight into Grade 1 because she'd watched her older sister doing school and wanted to do it herself. My oldest two girls still work very closely together on their schoolwork, even though they are two years apart in age. Homeschooling has let my 10-year-old work at her own pace, rather than being held back to the pace of her peers.

Other benefits of homeschooling include:

- less time lost in commuting to and from school (in the first year my oldest daughter spent homeschooling, we were able to finish her schoolwork in the same time that we'd spend driving to and from her Kindergarten the previous year)

- no bullying or peer pressure (I experienced bullying on the bus during Kindergarten, and my daughters have experienced bullying briefly at a playground and at a kids' club, but those were both places that we could leave without a second thought)

- better socialization skills (kids in school learn only to associate with their peers, while my daughters are used to hanging out with kids in a variety of age groups)

- better chance to learn life skills, such as cooking and cleaning- more flexibility during the school year (this past year, I had the opportunity to hike the West Coast Trail with my cousin, but we could only get reservations for September, so my daughters started school a few weeks late, after a special vacation with grandma while I spent a week hiking)

- less interruption of school due to moves (we've moved twice in the middle of the school year; our first move was from Vancouver to Victoria over Christmas, and we simply packed up the books in one place and unpacked in another place, without the girls having to adjust to a new school and new routines)

--Bonnie Way, The Koala Mom

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#bonnie

I have been homeschooling for over 6 years now. I have 3 kids who are 13, 10, and 7.

I think the biggest benefits are they are less stressed and have more time to be a kid.

They each have their own learning styles and as long as we use what works best for them, they are able to learn much quicker. This gives them more confidence. And the fact that they are able to learn at their own pace in a relaxed and non-judgmental environment, means we are all less stressed. When my 10-year-old was 5 she practically taught herself how to read. I would push her and push her to do flashcards and sit and learn with me, but she was always resistant and her attention span wasn't great. I soon realized that she just wasn't ready & I had to just let her be. As soon as she was ready she actually came to me. I taught her the basics and she just took off from there. That's when I knew we had made the right choice in homeschooling.

We spend 2-3 hours a day on schoolwork, anywhere from 3-5 days a week. Because our time is our own and we make our own schedule, we can change things any time we need to. We all enjoy having this freedom, and they especially enjoy that they have so much more time to play and do the things they really want to be doing. We also have the freedom to work wherever we want. On nice days we will often work outside or at the park.

Keeping them socialized has also never been a problem. There are a number of homeschool groups out there, you just have to look for them. We get together for fun, interesting learning activities as well as playdates. We even do gatherings for holidays and special events.

--Tiffany Eiben, Glow Essential

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#tiffany

Every family who homeschools has a different reason for doing so. I homeschooled because the first of my two children learned to read at age 4 and I didn’t want her to become the class clown or the problem child due to boredom. It was a decision based on what I knew was being taught by the local schools. They did not expect children to read until the second half of first grade. Although I never said we would homeschool til the end, that is what occurred. Both of my now adult children are grateful for having been homeschooled.

Homeschooling allows flexibility.

Flexibility to decide how much or how little religious or political ideology to discuss with your children and at what age. Speaking of this, there was one thing that pushed me over the edge toward homeschooling. While I was making the decision, I had friends and relatives who were teachers in public schools in two states. Both were kind enough to provide copies of the state proficiency exams for young students. Both contained objectionable material. Questions that were worded in such a way as to sway the child toward a specific ideology. I didn't disagree with the teaching. I disagreed with the state making that decision for my family.

Flexibility in providing for the needs of the family.

There were times when my husband would be called away to work in a different city for an extended period of time. We could travel with him bringing homeschool with us. During our homeschool there was a time when I, as their teacher, had been in an accident and for an entire school year, could not teach them. Instead, they read. Nothing more. That year their end of year test scores jumped several grade levels, all because they read.

Flexibility in deciding what curriculum to use or to design a curriculum of your own. Flexibility to combine curriculum from different vendors for different subjects as the need fits your child.

One year, my daughter’s year-end math exam score did not reach my expectations. After realizing the issue was with word problems, I purchased a math curriculum that was entirely word problems. The next year her score jumped 3 grade levels. Also, I always included my children in the curriculum decision making. After all, they will be the ones required to read from those books and do those math problems. Allowing them to take ownership in their curriculum would ensure they would give it a chance. Because they enjoy reading, choosing high school curriculum for literature and history became important for them to approve the layout, font and photos in the text. For high school foreign language they could literally choose any language in the world. This kind of flexibility with curriculum is not possible in the classroom.

Flexibility to personalize your child’s education based on their interests, learning styles, or educational needs. We didn’t realize my son had a learning disability and ADHD because accommodations in our homeschool came naturally. It wasn’t until he reached college level courses that it became evident and we were able to make adjustments. Also in homeschooling, finding out what sparks your child’s interests and honing in on that is part of training your child in the way they were intended to go. One summer my son attended a week long camp that included a small amount of computer programming. When I realized his excitement over that one area, I purchased a homeschool computer programing course for middle and high school and taught two classes that year for our local home school group. That one thing, which he may not have had an opportunity to do, became a focus in his college degree program. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Aerospace Engineering.

Homeschooling brought ’normalcy’ to an otherwise chaotic time.

We lived in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. Although we were slightly out of harms way, we had family that were required to stay as emergency personnel. It was a frightening time, going back to our home and seeing the devastation all around us, and not being able to reach family members. (This is when everyone learned to use text messaging!) Living without electricity for weeks. Homeschooling. I brought out their books the second I noticed the effect all the worry and upheaval was having on my kids. “Everyone at the table. Let’s do school.” That little bit of ordinary was needed during a crisis.

Most homeschoolers, don’t ‘miss' anything. Homeschool parents will often say, their kids will ‘miss' being bullied or shunned because they have red hair or wear glasses; they’ll ‘miss' the peer pressure of smoking, drugs, alcohol, and sex. And yes, the vast majority of homeschoolers will miss these things. Parents who homeschool from the early years are able to teach their children to be discerning when choosing their friends. It’s not an easy task, and there are some who cannot avoid it. But with homeschooling, parents are present for the better part of their children’s day. They know who their friends are. They know their families. They can see the influence one friend has verses another and can teach their children the difference.

Homeschoolers don’t miss the fun things their traditionally schooled peers enjoy either. Parents come together and form groups to provide activities such as P.E., talent shows, field trips, science and history fairs; even high school graduation and prom. Parents who have had to ‘bring school home’ are finding out that it doesn’t take all day to ‘do school.’ Elementary level takes 2 to 4 hours; Middle school 4 to 6 hours; and High school 6 to 8 hours. This includes all homework, well, because everything is 'home-work'. With additional time in the day, families can add a lot of things that others cannot. In the early years we went to the library twice per week, and had outings to have tea and do art projects with friends. As they grew older we added activities and courses such as vocal performance, musical theater, public speaking, debate, choir, music theory, piano, ballet, ballroom dance, martial arts, logic, financial education, economics, participating in professional performing arts, in addition to the aforementioned field trips. These students have time for extracurricular activities exponentially above and beyond what their peers can do. High school students can work and volunteer and still have time for activities.

A close family friend said to my daughter, ‘Don’t you want to go to high school so you can become Homecoming Queen?’ She replied, ‘I was queen of the Junior Cotillions. Nothing beats that.’

They also have time for what is important to their families and for their future. For our family it is important that they have a sound education in Biblical faith. That they can state logical, well-reasoned answers for why they believe. They also had time to produce stellar essays for college scholarships and to produce a cohesive resume of activities for college admissions applications. Colleges love homeschoolers. By the time most homeschoolers are in high school they are self learners giving them, once again, an edge for college success. Both of my kids were accepted to every college and university they applied to. They won and attended college on multiple scholarships totaling $190,000 for 4 years of college debt free with cash left over. (There are scholarships for red hair, duck calling, yodeling, a Zombie Apocalypse scholarship.) Most applications are short essays. Homeschooling families begin thinking and planning for college as they are choosing their high school curriculum. Traditionally schooled kids are told not to do anything until late high school junior year. What they don’t know is that the earlier they start then more opportunities there are to graduate debt free.

The myth that homeschoolers are somehow not ‘socialized’ is the opposite of reality. One only has to think logically, which is not part of the traditional school education, to have the answer. For example: In public, private, and charter schools, children are the same age, learning the same things, and live in the same neighborhoods having the same experiences for the better part of 12 or more years. Now, name one situation in which an adult will be with other adults of the same age, have the same identical education, and live in the same neighborhood. The answer? Zero. It doesn’t exist. This is essentially the reason why employees coming from high school have difficulty assimilating into the culture of any company. They have no idea how to communicate with or interact with the older employees and managers in the company. Homeschoolers, however, spend their days with adults and siblings of various ages, as well as co-op groups, and more. They learn how to interact with the real world. It is traditionally schools kids who are lacking in social development. This myth is perpetuated partly by the school system who gets paid by the number of children in their schools, and by parents who would like to homeschool but use ’socialization' as an excuse. Most would agree the person who genuinely wants the best for children is the parents.Homeschooling gives them that opportunity.

--Denise Thomas, Get Ahead Of The Class

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#denise

The popular conception for those against home schooling is simply wrong. Ray's recent review of all the studies in the U.S. showed clearly that the majority of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement reveal a positive effect for the homeschooled students compared to institutional schooled students. In fact a large majority of studies show clearly positive outcomes through all the measured criteria for the homeschooled compared to those in conventional schools. A majority of the studies on the relative success of the home-educated who later became adults show positive outcomes for the homeschooled compared to those who had been in conventional schools:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15582159.2017.1395638

Essentially in every measure we have to quantify success of schooling those who have been home schooled come out ahead (e.g. knowledge, testing, etc.) -- most importantly this includes social development. Honestly, a lot of our culture is socially toxic and home schooling can help protect children from some of the worst effects (e.g. racism, bullying, sexualization, etc.). Home school children are less likely to abuse substances, have teen pregnancies, and get into trouble with the law. Their adult relationships are healthier and they are in general better educated.

All that said, there could be a bias towards success based on the parents that home school their children now.

--Joshua M. Pearce, Ph.D., Google Scholar profile

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#joshua

In my opinion, there are three main advantages for homeschooled students, first is the greater flexibility in the curriculum. Many parents share the feeling that the current national curriculum in schools is too results-driven, focusing only on teaching children to effectively jump through hoops in exams, rather than teaching them to solve problems creatively. The concern is that children learn to pass exams but at the cost of developing a deep understanding of the subject. Homeschoolers have the capacity to choose exactly what their children learn and ensure that there’s an emphasis on the art of learning and the joy of developing a lifelong mastery, rather than centring their entire education around tests and metrics.

Second is through homeschooling you are able to work at a pace and teaching style to suit your child's needs. With the average class size in many schools now exceeding 30 pupils, there are some very valid concerns surrounding the ability to find a happy pace and teaching style for every student.

Following on from this point, my third main benefit is the Individualised attention and instruction that your child will receive with homeschooling. Your child or children have next to no competition for educational instruction in the classroom.

--Adam Bell, Tutorful

PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/why-homeschool#adam