The National Home Education Research Institute, in an article published in January of this year (2021) notes the following statistics on homeschooling:
There are an estimated 4.0 to 5.0 million homeschool students in grades K-12 in the United States (or 7% to 9% of school-age children).
A demographically wide variety of people homeschool: One nationwide study conducted by the U.S. Dept of Education in 2019 shows that 41% of homeschool students are Black, Asian, Hispanic, and others (i.e., not White/non-Hispanic).
The home-educated student typically scores 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests, regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income.
87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools.
69% of peer-reviewed studies on success into adulthood (including college) show adults who were home educated succeed and perform statistically significantly better than those who attended institutional schools (Ray, 2017).
They participate in local community service more frequently than does the general population.
These adults vote and attend public meetings more frequently than the general population.
They go to and succeed at college at an equal or higher rate than the general population.
By adulthood, they internalize the values and beliefs of their parents at a high rate.
With all of this good news, why WOULDN’T you homeschool??? Well, for several reasons. To help us think through the pros and cons of homeschooling, we invited veteran homeschooling mom, Holli Turner, to join us. Holli has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and worked for 7 years as an RN before she and her husband decided that they would homeschool their children. Her husband, Darryl, is her best friend and biggest cheerleader, and they have 2 daughters and a son. They live in middle TN and are active members of a local church. Holli has a passion for applying God’s word to everyday situations, especially the cultural lies that target girls and women of all ages. She loves to talk about holistic wellness, apologetics, historical fiction and homeschooling.
- Don’t homeschool your kids if you want a lot of free time.
This is your new job. There will be time for shopping trips, coffee with friends, or that daytime Bible study group, but the homeschooling years will require a lot of your mental, emotional, and physical energy. You’ll be spending lots and lots of time with your family.
- Don’t homeschool if you’re not willing to consider this your new career or job.
See #1. A homeschooling lifestyle is just that — a lifestyle. It’s not an add-on to lots of other things you are doing. Commit the same devotion and professionalism as you would for any other employer.
- Don’t homeschool if you have a difficult relationship with your child.
If your child won’t even come when you call them. If you are constantly arguing and butting heads. If you get on each other’s nerves. Seriously consider how the relationship will be strained by being not only the mom but also the teacher. If you really want to homeschool your kids, then work on the relationship you have with them first.
- Don’t homeschool if you think all kids can learn the same way.
Auditory. Kinesthetic. Visual. Verbal. Social. Solitary. There are many different learning styles and your kids will likely vary in their preferences. You’ll likely be tempted to teach them in the same way you learn, but be flexible. Be open to different curricula for different kids, too. Again, one size doesn’t fit all.
- Don’t homeschool if you’re not willing to live with a messy house, at least sometimes.
The kitchen will be used for science experiments. The dining room table may be used for crafts or painting. You’ll have books and papers and projects out each day AND the laundry still needs to be done and meals prepared. Every. Single. Day. There are routines and systems that will help, but your home is your learning environment. Don’t expect Martha Stewart-esque perfection.
- Don’t homeschool if you’re not willing to go out into the community for activities, field trips, friendships.
Some homeschool naysayers were homeschooled themselves who were never allowed to go out into the community during school hours and whose parents tried to indoctrinate them out of fear. Don’t be that family. Be involved in your community by volunteering as a family. Field trips are actually very rich when you have a small number of kids along for the event. Get together with friends for a fun picnic lunch. Homeschooling doesn’t always have to be done at home.
- Don’t homeschool simply because you’re afraid of junior high or high school and all the peer pressure and issues that brings.
The junior high years are becoming an increasingly common time for parents to pull their kids from public or private schools. Bullying, drugs, secular curriculum, standardized testing and more contribute to the wave moving home. Doing anything from fear is not a good motivation, especially something as serious as homeschooling. It’s a radical change for a 7th grader to come home for school if they’ve always been in a classroom. You will have a HUGE transitional year and your student will need lots of empathy and attention from you. Don’t sit them at the kitchen table with a computer and some books and expect them to navigate this well.
- Don’t homeschool if you’re not willing to pay for the curriculum, tutors, or classes your kids may need.
While homeschooling needn’t be expensive, especially in the elementary years, as your kids get older, you will need to be sure that you can provide the resources they need. If you can’t teach Algebra or chemistry, you’ll need to hire a tutor or pay for tutorial classes. Don’t slide by just because of the expense.
- Don’t homeschool if your spouse is totally against it.
This is too much of a life change for the two of you not to be on the same page. You will have some really hard days and you’ll need the support of your spouse to help you through.
- Don’t homeschool if you are really concerned about what others think of you.
Although homeschooling is becoming more common, it’s still a minority choice. Be okay with being THAT family. You’ll likely have a friend or two as well as a family member who disagrees with your choice. After you’ve counted the cost, embrace your new, hard, fun way of life!