Definition of Homeschool
Homeschooling means that, instead of enrolling your children in a traditional public or private school, you teach them at home. In the United States, each state has specific requirements that students must meet in order to receive credit for their homeschool courses. For example, they must take standardized tests at set intervals to show that they are eligible to advance through the grades and ultimately receive a diploma. The diploma that homeschooled students receive is just like a regular high school diploma and will be accepted by employers and colleges nationwide.
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History
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Originally, all students were educated at home. Churches offered some classes that centered on learning to read the Bible, and a few private schools existed for students from wealthy families. However, education was not a requirement in most states. This changed in the mid-19th century when Senator Horace Mann became an advocate for free public schools and teacher education. As a result of Mann's efforts, public schools became increasingly common, and students were eventually required to attend school. Since then, the quality of both public and private education has been up for constant debate, and some families have chosen to educate their children at home.
Types
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There are two major types of homeschooling students: Those whose parents act as their primary teachers and those whose parents enroll them in online distance learning programs. Parents who act as their children's teachers typically purchase a curriculum guide and follow the lesson plans to the best of their ability. They alone are responsible for monitoring their children's success. Parents who enroll their students in online programs work with certified teachers to make sure that their children are learning. Although the students in the second group attend school at home, they will technically graduate from the online school in which they are enrolled.
Misconceptions
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Despite misconceptions that homeschooled children will lack social skills, one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that students have more time to engage in community activities with other children and therefore become more socially adept than many of their peers. Likewise, a common misconception is the homeschooled students will not be accepted to respectable colleges, but studies show that homeschooled students score 67 points higher on the SAT than their average public school peers and frequently attend the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities.
Benefits
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In addition to producing socially and academically advanced students, homeschooling has the following advantages:
It enables parents to form stronger bonds with their children.
It allows morals, philosophy and/or religion to become part of a child's education.
It provides one-on-one, distraction-free instruction that is vital to the success of struggling students.
It enables gifted students to receive challenges that they crave but traditional classrooms may lack.
Considerations
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The benefits of homeschooling are only applicable when parents are intelligent adults committed to becoming dedicated teachers. To be effective, parents must have some prior knowledge of the subject matter being taught, and they must be willing to schedule time for providing lessons, grading assignments, going on field trips and engaging their children in volunteer experiences, community events and local enrichment classes and/or sports. Additionally, adequate finances must exist. Ordering curriculum guides and lesson plans costs an average of $500 per year. Plus, parents need to factor in the cost of important extracurricular activities. Parents who choose to enroll their students in online courses have more personal time, but the courses may cost around $3,500 per year.
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