Monday, April 19, 2010

Homeschooling

Noelle Bisinger Spring 2010
Fundamentals of Curriculum Development
Homeschooling

Homeschooling is the education of children under their parents’ supervision. It replaces full-time attendance in a formal school setting and is largely based from the home. Parents who homeschool their children often draw from community resources. The choice to provide homeschool education often involves the consideration of multiple factors and a thorough decision-making and planning process. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2007) the percentage of school-age children that was homsechooled increased from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007. However, researchers caution that such estimates rely on parental self-report data which some parents choose not to submit, so it is likely that the number of homeschooled children is greater than the figures indicate.

The history of homeschooling in the United States is linked to religious practice, geographic limitations, and educational reform. Data from the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES), conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) show an estimated 1.5 million students were homeschooled in the spring of 2007. According to the 2003 and 2007 NHES surveys, the three reasons selected by parents of more than two-thirds of students were: 1) concern about the school environment (85% and 88%, 2) to provide religious or moral instruction (72% and 83%), 3) dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools (68% and 73%). In 2007 NHES, parents also selected which reason for homeschooling was the most important. Thirty-six percent reported that providing religious or moral instruction was the most important reason for their decision, 21% reported concern for the school environment, and 17% reported dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools as the most important reason for homeschooling. The remaining parents reported other reasons for their decision which included: child has a physical or mental health problem; child has other special needs; interest in nontraditional approach to education; other reasons such as family time, finances, travel, and distance.

Although many families homeschool their children until they are no longer school-age, many try this type of instruction for a shorter time. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment (1999) that the average turnover rate is 2 years. Accordingly, the number of children with some homeschooling experience would be approximately 6-12% of the population, by age 18. The 2-year turnover rate suggests that some parents find that the potential benefits they first considered do not outweigh those provided by a traditional public education.

The advantages of homeschooling largely revolve around parental freedom and control over how their children will learn. Individualized teaching, one-on-one time spent with the child, varied and enriched learning opportunities, strengthened family relationships, and religious or moral instruction are some advantages that parents cite as beneficial to their homeschooled children. Some parents feel that the traditional education setting is one that can actually do more harm than good for a child. They may feel that the physical and emotional safety of children may be compromised, and choose homeschooling as an alternative. School environments may be perceived as gateways to moral, social, or criminal mischief, in which students’ learning is negatively influenced.

The decision to homeschool should involve consideration for many key factors. One potential drawback of homeschooling is time commitment. Homeschooling tends to take up a lot of time. It requires curriculum development, lesson preparation, and lots of planning. A homeschool parent also has to sacrifice personal time. Homeschooling can also cause financial strain on families, as the teaching parent will most likely not be able to work outside of the home. Opponents of homeschooling argue that children suffer in terms of socialization opportunities. Household organization is key to creating an effective learning environment. Distractions in the home must to be monitored and limited, and regular household duties may conflict with schooling time. Creating a competitive curriculum may also be challenging for parents, as they strive to prepare their children to excel alongside publicly-educated peers or gain acceptance to college. Social stigma is another potential disadvantage. One must finally consider whether or not a child is willing to be homeschooled. Ultimately the decision is made by the parents, but without the motivation and efforts from the child, homeschooling could become very difficult.

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