| Let's be honest: When people here the term | | | | resources that exist for parents interested in |
| "homeschooling", one of the first images that | | | | taking charge of their children's education. Many of |
| pops into their mind is a backwards, old-fashioned, | | | | these programs are developed by professional |
| inadequate form of education. However, it is true | | | | educators and are accredited programs that are |
| that for centuries, children have been taught at | | | | recognized as valid education curriculums. Students |
| home by their parents. This practice is in no way | | | | are encouraged to think for themselves and take |
| a new phenomenon and has helped produce many | | | | ownership of their learning experience. |
| of history's greatest movers and shakers! In | | | | Some people might say that this information |
| contemporary American society, homeschooling | | | | sounds good in theory and on paper, but when it |
| has received a reputation for being a poor way to | | | | comes down to it, how do homeschool students |
| educate children. This reputation, which is limited in | | | | perform compared to students from the public |
| perspective, is neither fair nor accurate. | | | | school? The answer to this question would |
| The education that homeschoolers receive is | | | | surprise many! "A 1997 study by Dr. Brian Ray of |
| often more dimensional and diverse than the | | | | the National Home Education Research Institute |
| standard means of education received in a typical | | | | (NHERI) found that home educated students |
| classroom. One of the greatest aspects of a | | | | excelled on nationally-normed standardized |
| homeschool curriculum is its flexibility. Learning a | | | | achievement exams. On average, homeschoolers |
| lesson about the Impressionist Art period? Pack a | | | | outperformed their public school peers by 30 to |
| lunch in a bag and the family in the car, and head | | | | 37 percentile points across all subjects." |
| to the museum to see actual work by the artists | | | | Finding a program with high standards and that |
| you are learning about. Learning about the wonder | | | | fits the needs of you and your child is important, |
| of birds in your science lesson? Grab a pair of | | | | but as you can see, choosing to homeschool your |
| binoculars and head outside. These are both | | | | children would in no way impair them for a bright |
| incredibly valuable experiences. | | | | future. |
| In addition, there are many great homeschooling | | | | |