10 Fast Facts About Homeschooling
Wondering whether homeschooling your children is the right choice for your family? Check out these 10 homeschooling facts to learn more.
Homeschooling is an entirely different ball game compared to the public educational system. But how can you know if it’s something you want for you and your child? There is nobody that will tell you directly whether one way is better than the other or vice versa.
If you’re considering homeschooling or even if you’ve been doing it for a while and you want to gain a better understanding of the process, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re discussing ten homeschooling facts to help you on your journey.
Homeschooling Facts You Should Know
Use this list as a guide to performing research about homeschooling. Keep these facts in mind to help you feel more confident and secure about homeschooling your children.
1 – Curriculum
Homeschooled children are not required to follow the same curriculum as students enrolled in public school. Many parents choose not to educate their children using textbooks, providing hands-on activities, instead. You might find that your child is more interested in one subject over another, and that’s okay.
Both children and parents can benefit from hands on learning because it tends to be much more enjoyable for the child, and gives the student an option to explore their interests.
2 – Parental Involvement
Getting involved in your child’s education is what homeschooling is all about. That’s why it’s important to stay current on the latest information regarding how children learn. Many homeschooling parents find that they get a lot of support from other homeschooling parents in their community.
We know a lot of you are wondering, but we think it’s safe to say that you can homeschool your child even if you work a full-time job. You should feel free to prepare assignments that your child can work through on their own. They can bring questions to you when you’re available.
3 – Educators That Homeschool
It’s not unusual to find educators that homeschool their own children. Teachers know the education system from the inside out. This prompts them to educate their children at home. Homeschooling allows teachers to use their skills and experience without a lot of rules and regulations. You can learn from these individuals that have adapted to non-conforming literacy.
4 – More Studies Are Needed
While there are a lot of statistics available about homeschooling facts, there still aren’t a lot of studies regarding the efficacy of it. Many people believe that homeschoolers do better than average on standardized tests. Others believe they are raised only in religious homes. Some statistics will tell you one way or the other but there are more studies needed to clarify how good homeschooling is for your child.
5 – Graduating
Contrary to popular belief, homeschoolers don’t need a high school diploma to get into college. Colleges recognize homeschooled students just the same as traditional students. They also have special application processes for your homeschooled student and they take varied backgrounds into consideration.
6 – Statistics
Remember that more studies are needed to ascertain exact benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling. But there are some homeschooling facts and statistics to be aware of:
- At least 2.3 million students were homeschooled in 2016
- Homeschooling families range in ethnicity and income
- Poverty is linked to homeschooling efforts
- Parents without a high school diploma homeschool at the highest rate
- Many states don’t have any accountability standards for homeschooling
7 – Why Parents Homeschool
Parents can decide to homeschool their children for various reasons, including concern over the environment at public schools, academics, and religion. These are among the top reasons why parents choose this route.
You may have a different thought process entirely. It’s up to you and your child to decide what’s best for his or her education and future.
8 – Academic Performance
It has been noted that homeschooled children typically score in the fifteenth to thirtieth percentile on standardized achievement tests. Public school students score, on average, in the fiftieth percentile.
It has also been noted that some homeschooling students have a ‘math gap’, making them less likely to pursue careers in the STEM fields, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
9 – Socialization
There are still ways to get your child the socialization he or she needs. Extracurricular activities, such as sports or community volunteer work also look good for college.
You can rest assured that your child has the opportunity to score above average on measures of emotional, social, and psychological development when exposed to these activities.
It has been noted that adults who were homeschooled are more tolerant of politics than those that were schooled in the public system, although there is still more research needed.
10 – Real World Success
Again, while there is still more research needed, so far, adults that have been homeschooled report that they participate in local community services more frequently than the general population.
They also vote and attend public meetings more. And, perhaps the most astonishing, homeschooled adults went to and succeeded at college at an equal or higher rate than their traditionally educated counterparts.
Final Thoughts
Making the decision to homeschool your child is all about your personal preference. If you’re not happy with the way your child is learning in the public school system, homeschooling is an option.
Just remember these homeschooling facts while making your final decision.
Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter what your background is in order to become a homeschooler. Even if you haven’t completed high school, you can help your own children achieve success. It might even be easier than you think.
We offer programs for Primary school, Middle school, High School, and GED/High School Prep. If you’re interested in more homeschooling facts, or if you have questions, sign up for one of our our virtual open houses.
