Homeschooling
Also called home education or home school – is the education of children at home rather than
in a public or private school. Prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws in
the 19th century, most childhood education worldwide occurred within the family or community,
with only a small portion of the population attending schools or employing tutors. Today most
children are institutionally schooled.
Especially in the English-speaking nations, homeschooling can be an option for parents who
wish to provide their children with a quality of education or social environment that they believe
is unattainable in schools. Homeschooling may refer to instruction in the home under the
supervision of correspondence schools or umbrella schools. A curriculum-free philosophy of
homeschooling may be called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator John
Holt in his magazine Growing Without Schooling.
History
Rise of compulsory education
The earliest compulsory schooling in the West began in the late 17th century and early 18th
century in the German states of Gotha, Calemberg and, particularly, Prussia. In the United
States, the first state to issue a compulsory education law was Massachusetts, in 1789, 1863,
and the popular McGuffey Readers, sometimes bolstered by local or itinerant teachers, as
means and opportunity allowed. The United States has been asserted to have been at the
height of its national literacy under this informal system of tutelage.
After the establishment of the Massachusetts system, other states and localities began to
make school attendance mandatory. In 1912 A.A. Berle of Tufts University, later delegate to the
Paris Peace Conference, asserted in his book The School in Your Home that the previous 20
years of mass education had been a failure and that he'd been asked by hundreds of parents
how they could teach their children at home. In his follow-up work, How Children Learn, 1967,
he tried to demonstrate the learning process of children and why he believed school short
circuits this process.
In neither book had he suggested any alternative to institutional schooling; he'd hoped to
initiate a profound rethinking of education to make schools friendlier toward children. As the
years passed he became convinced that the way schools were was what society wanted, and
that a serious re-examination wasn't going to happen in his lifetime.
Leaving teaching to publicise his ideas about education full time, he encountered books by
other authors questioning the premises and efficacy of compulsory schooling, like De-
schooling Society by Ivan Illich, 1970, and No More Public School by Harold Bennet, 1972
(which went so far as to offer advice to parents on how to keep their children out of school
illegally). Then, in 1976, he published Instead of Education; Ways to Help People Do Things
Better. In it, he called for an "underground railroad" to help children escape compulsory
schooling. After the book's publication Holt was contacted by families from around the U.S. to
tell him that they were educating their children at home. In 1977, after corresponding with a
number of these families, Holt began producing a magazine dedicated to home education:
Growing Without Schooling. The Moore's cited studies demonstrating that orphans who were
given surrogate mothers were measurably more intelligent, with superior long term effects –
even though the mothers were mentally retarded teenagers – and that illiterate tribal mothers
in Africa produced children who were socially and emotionally more advanced than typical
western children, by western standards of measurement. Similar to Holt, the Moore's
embraced homeschooling after the publication of their first work, Better Late Than Early, 1975,
and went on to become important homeschool advocates and consultants with the publication
of books like Home Grown Kids,1981, Home School Burnout, and others. In 1995, Roland
Meighan of Nottingham School of Education estimated some 20,000 families homeschooling
in Australia.
Free Download ~ The 457 page eBook by Charlotte mason entitled "Homeschool", beautifully
digitally preserved.
Free Download ~ Become a Homeschool Professor : Homeschooling Your Child
Also called home education or home school – is the education of children at home rather than
in a public or private school. Prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws in
the 19th century, most childhood education worldwide occurred within the family or community,
with only a small portion of the population attending schools or employing tutors. Today most
children are institutionally schooled.
Especially in the English-speaking nations, homeschooling can be an option for parents who
wish to provide their children with a quality of education or social environment that they believe
is unattainable in schools. Homeschooling may refer to instruction in the home under the
supervision of correspondence schools or umbrella schools. A curriculum-free philosophy of
homeschooling may be called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator John
Holt in his magazine Growing Without Schooling.
History
Rise of compulsory education
The earliest compulsory schooling in the West began in the late 17th century and early 18th
century in the German states of Gotha, Calemberg and, particularly, Prussia. In the United
States, the first state to issue a compulsory education law was Massachusetts, in 1789, 1863,
and the popular McGuffey Readers, sometimes bolstered by local or itinerant teachers, as
means and opportunity allowed. The United States has been asserted to have been at the
height of its national literacy under this informal system of tutelage.
After the establishment of the Massachusetts system, other states and localities began to
make school attendance mandatory. In 1912 A.A. Berle of Tufts University, later delegate to the
Paris Peace Conference, asserted in his book The School in Your Home that the previous 20
years of mass education had been a failure and that he'd been asked by hundreds of parents
how they could teach their children at home. In his follow-up work, How Children Learn, 1967,
he tried to demonstrate the learning process of children and why he believed school short
circuits this process.
In neither book had he suggested any alternative to institutional schooling; he'd hoped to
initiate a profound rethinking of education to make schools friendlier toward children. As the
years passed he became convinced that the way schools were was what society wanted, and
that a serious re-examination wasn't going to happen in his lifetime.
Leaving teaching to publicise his ideas about education full time, he encountered books by
other authors questioning the premises and efficacy of compulsory schooling, like De-
schooling Society by Ivan Illich, 1970, and No More Public School by Harold Bennet, 1972
(which went so far as to offer advice to parents on how to keep their children out of school
illegally). Then, in 1976, he published Instead of Education; Ways to Help People Do Things
Better. In it, he called for an "underground railroad" to help children escape compulsory
schooling. After the book's publication Holt was contacted by families from around the U.S. to
tell him that they were educating their children at home. In 1977, after corresponding with a
number of these families, Holt began producing a magazine dedicated to home education:
Growing Without Schooling. The Moore's cited studies demonstrating that orphans who were
given surrogate mothers were measurably more intelligent, with superior long term effects –
even though the mothers were mentally retarded teenagers – and that illiterate tribal mothers
in Africa produced children who were socially and emotionally more advanced than typical
western children, by western standards of measurement. Similar to Holt, the Moore's
embraced homeschooling after the publication of their first work, Better Late Than Early, 1975,
and went on to become important homeschool advocates and consultants with the publication
of books like Home Grown Kids,1981, Home School Burnout, and others. In 1995, Roland
Meighan of Nottingham School of Education estimated some 20,000 families homeschooling
in Australia.
Free Download ~ The 457 page eBook by Charlotte mason entitled "Homeschool", beautifully
digitally preserved.
Free Download ~ Become a Homeschool Professor : Homeschooling Your Child
Canada
New Zealand
Karl M. Bunday cites the New Zealand TV program "Sixty Minutes" (unrelated to the U.S. program), as stating
in 1996 that there were 7,000 school-age children being homeschooled. Philip Strange of the Australian
Home Education Association Inc. quotes "5274 registered home educated students in 3001 families" in
1998 from the New Zealand Ministry of Education.
Republic of Ireland
From 2004 to 2006 225 children had been officially registered with Ireland's National Education Welfare
Board, which estimated there may be as many as 1500 - 2000 more unregistered. The right to a home
education is guaranteed in the constitution of Ireland.
United Kingdom
Roland Meighan's 1995 estimate was "almost 10,000", One home-education advocate estimated 50,000
children being home-educated in 2005.
- Meighan estimated the total number of homeschoolers, in 1995, to be 10,000 official and 20,000
unofficial. - In April 2005, the total number of registered homeschool students in British Columbia was 3,068.
- In Manitoba, homeschoolers are required to register with Manitoba Education, Citizenship and
Youth. The number of homeschoolers is noted at over 1,500 in 2006; 0.5% of students enrolled in
the public system.
New Zealand
Karl M. Bunday cites the New Zealand TV program "Sixty Minutes" (unrelated to the U.S. program), as stating
in 1996 that there were 7,000 school-age children being homeschooled. Philip Strange of the Australian
Home Education Association Inc. quotes "5274 registered home educated students in 3001 families" in
1998 from the New Zealand Ministry of Education.
Republic of Ireland
From 2004 to 2006 225 children had been officially registered with Ireland's National Education Welfare
Board, which estimated there may be as many as 1500 - 2000 more unregistered. The right to a home
education is guaranteed in the constitution of Ireland.
United Kingdom
Roland Meighan's 1995 estimate was "almost 10,000", One home-education advocate estimated 50,000
children being home-educated in 2005.
United States
According to United States Department of Education report NCES 2003-42, "Homeschooling in the United
States: 2003", there was an increase in homeschooled stu U.S. from 850,000 students in (1.7 percent of
the total student population) to 1.1 million students in 2003 (2.2 percent of the total student population).
During this time, homeschooling rates increased among students whose parents have high school or
lower education, from 2.0 to 2.7 percent among White students; 1.6 to 2.4 percent among student in grades
6-8; and 0.7 to 1.4 percent among students with only one parent.
Race and ethnicity ratios remained "fairly consistent" in this time period, with 2.7 percent of White students
homeschooling, 1.3 percent of Black students, and 0.7 percent of Hispanic students.
As in 1999, homeschooling rates were highest in families with three or more children (3.1 percent), and
higher in families with two children (1.5 percent) than only one child (1.4 percent). There were more
homeschool students from families with two parents (2.5 percent) than only one parent (1.5 percent), and
students from two parent families where only one parent worked were more than twice as likely to be
homeschooled (5.6 percent).
By 2001, according to the Canadian based Fraser Institute, Muslim Americans were the fastest growing
subgroup in the American homeschool movement, and were predicted to double in number every year for
the following eight years after.
According to United States Department of Education report NCES 2003-42, "Homeschooling in the United
States: 2003", there was an increase in homeschooled stu U.S. from 850,000 students in (1.7 percent of
the total student population) to 1.1 million students in 2003 (2.2 percent of the total student population).
During this time, homeschooling rates increased among students whose parents have high school or
lower education, from 2.0 to 2.7 percent among White students; 1.6 to 2.4 percent among student in grades
6-8; and 0.7 to 1.4 percent among students with only one parent.
Race and ethnicity ratios remained "fairly consistent" in this time period, with 2.7 percent of White students
homeschooling, 1.3 percent of Black students, and 0.7 percent of Hispanic students.
As in 1999, homeschooling rates were highest in families with three or more children (3.1 percent), and
higher in families with two children (1.5 percent) than only one child (1.4 percent). There were more
homeschool students from families with two parents (2.5 percent) than only one parent (1.5 percent), and
students from two parent families where only one parent worked were more than twice as likely to be
homeschooled (5.6 percent).
By 2001, according to the Canadian based Fraser Institute, Muslim Americans were the fastest growing
subgroup in the American homeschool movement, and were predicted to double in number every year for
the following eight years after.
According to a 2003 U.S. Census survey, 33% of homeschooling households cited religion as a factor in
their choice. The same study found that 30% felt school had a poor learning environment, 14% objected to
what the school teaches, 11% felt their children were not being challenged at school, and 9% cited morality.
According to the U.S. DOE's "Homeschooling in the United States: 2003", 85 percent of homeschooling
parents cited "the social environments of other forms of schooling" (including safety, drugs, bullying and
negative peer-pressure) as an important reason why they homeschool. 72 percent cited their " to provide
religious or moral instruction" as an important reason, and 68 percent cited "dissatisfaction with academic
instruction at other schools."
Unit studies
The unit study method incorporates several subjects — such as art, history, math, science, geography and
Bible or theology — around the context of one topical theme – like water, animals, American slavery, or
ancient Rome.(Link 1) For example, a unit study of Native Americans could combine age-appropriate
lessons in: social studies, how different tribes lived prior to colonization vs. today; art, making Native
American clothing; history (of Native Americans in the U.S.); reading from a special reading list; and the
science of plants used by Native Americans. The next unit study subject could change to some other broad
topic.
Unit study advocates assert that children retain 45% more information following this approach.
All-in-one curricula
"All-in-one" curricula, sometimes called "school in a box", are comprehensive packages covering many
subjects; usually an entire year's worth. They contain all needed books and materials, including pencils and
writing paper. Most such curricula were developed for isolated families who lack access to public schools,
libraries and shops.
Typically, these materials recreate the school environment in the home and are based on the same subject-
area expectations as publicly run schools, allowing an easy transition into school. They are among the more
expensive options, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation. The guides are usually extensive,
with step-by-step instructions. These programs may include standardized tests and remote examinations to
yield an accredited school diploma.
Student-paced learning
Similar to All-in-one curricula are learner paced curriculum packages. Often called "paces", these
workbooks allow the student to progress at their own speed. Prices vary depending upon the publisher.
Community resources
Homeschoolers often take advantage of educational opportunities at museums, community centers, athletic
clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources.
Secondary school level students may take classes at community colleges, which typically have open
admission policies.
Unschooling
"Unschooling" is a term that can be used with two distinct meanings.
Some use the term "unschooling" to describe methods of education that don't resemble schools, primarily
indicating that they don't rely heavily on textbooks or spend much time at desks. The parents actively conduct
the children's education, using a variety of resources.
The term "unschooling" as coined by John Holt indicates that parents don't authoritatively direct the child's
education, but interact with the child following the child's own interests, leaving them free to explore and
learn as their interests lead. "Unschooling" doesn't indicate that the child isn't being educated, but that the
child isn't being "schooled", or educated in a rigid school-type manner.
"Unschooling" is distinct from "deschooling," which may be used to indicate an anti-"institutional school"
philosophy, or a period or form of deprogramming for children or parents who have previously been
schooled.
Holt's unschooling assumption was that children learn through the experiences of life, and he encouraged
parents to live their lives with their child. Also known as interest-led or child-led learning, unschooling
attempts to follow opportunities as they arise in real life, through which a child will learn without coercion. An
unschooled child may utilize texts or classroom instruction, but these are not considered central to
education. Holt asserted that there's no specific body of knowledge that is, or should be, required of a child.
Unschooling advocates claim that children learn best by doing; a child may learn reading to further an
interest about primitive peoples, or math skills by operating a small business or sharing in family finances.
They may learn animal husbandry keeping dairy goats or meat rabbits, botany tending a kitchen garden,
chemistry to understand the operation of firearms or the internal combustion engine, or politics and local
history by following a zoning or historical-status dispute. While any type of homeschoolers may also use
these methods, the unschooled child initiates these learning activities.
Cost to families
There may be a financial impact on families in addition to the purchase of school supplies and curriculum
materials, as one parent (typically the mother) usually refrains from employment outside the home in order
to supervise the child's education. Some compensate by running a business as a family, working from
home, or enlisting the help of friends or relatives during the hours in which the adults are working. According
to a Businessweek study, however, a second income outside the home is at least as likely to be a financial
drain as a benefit, especially for younger families with children.
The tangible costs associated with homeschooling are as variable as the reasons and philosophical
approaches. Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998,
Lawrence M. Rudner, Table 2.12, tracked expenditures running from less than $200 to greater than $2000,
per student. Notably, the three largest categories were the lowest three levels of expenditure. Students in the
$200 or less category were in third – 17.9% of all students – $400-$599 was second – with 21.5% – the
largest single category, at 33.8%, was the $200-$399 range. The highest 5 expenditure categories
combined – ranging from $600 to $2000 per student – amount to 25.1% of the total, and only 2% of
homeschool students lived in households that spent $2000 and over.
All of these levels were well below the U.S. national average expenditure for public school students in 1998;
$6200-$6500 per student. The majority utilized less than 10% of public school expenditures.
The study also indicated a relationship between the amount of money spent on homeschool students and
their academic achievement.
Criticism
Opposition comes from varied sources, including organizations of teachers and school districts. The
National Education Association – a teachers' union, and the largest labor union in the United States – is on
record as opposing homeschooling outright, though in recent years they've not been as outspoken.
Opponents state concerns falling into several categories: academic quality and completeness; reduced
government money for the publicly run schools; lack of socialization with peers of different ethnic and
religious backgrounds; fear of religious or social extremism; that homeschool curricula often exclude critical
subjects; that parents are sheltering their children, or denying them opportunities that are their right, or
providing an unfair advantage over students whose parents lack the time or money to homeschool.
Some argue that while homeschooled students generally do extremely well on standardized tests, such
students are a self-selected group whose parents care strongly about their education and would also do
well in a conventional school.
Gallup polls of American voters have shown a significant change in attitude in the last twenty years, from
73% opposed to home education in 1985 to 54% opposed in 2001.
Legality
Homeschooling exists legally in many parts of the world. Countries with the most prevalent home education
movements include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some
countries have highly regulated home education programs as an extension of the compulsory school
system; others, such as Germany, have outlawed it entirely. In other countries, while not restricted by law,
homeschooling isn't socially acceptable or considered desirable and is virtually non-existent.
In many countries where home education doesn't exist legally, underground movements keep children out
of the compulsory school system and educated them at, sometimes considerable, risk. In other countries,
while the practice is illegal, the governments don't have the resources to police and prosecute offenders.
their choice. The same study found that 30% felt school had a poor learning environment, 14% objected to
what the school teaches, 11% felt their children were not being challenged at school, and 9% cited morality.
According to the U.S. DOE's "Homeschooling in the United States: 2003", 85 percent of homeschooling
parents cited "the social environments of other forms of schooling" (including safety, drugs, bullying and
negative peer-pressure) as an important reason why they homeschool. 72 percent cited their " to provide
religious or moral instruction" as an important reason, and 68 percent cited "dissatisfaction with academic
instruction at other schools."
Unit studies
The unit study method incorporates several subjects — such as art, history, math, science, geography and
Bible or theology — around the context of one topical theme – like water, animals, American slavery, or
ancient Rome.(Link 1) For example, a unit study of Native Americans could combine age-appropriate
lessons in: social studies, how different tribes lived prior to colonization vs. today; art, making Native
American clothing; history (of Native Americans in the U.S.); reading from a special reading list; and the
science of plants used by Native Americans. The next unit study subject could change to some other broad
topic.
Unit study advocates assert that children retain 45% more information following this approach.
All-in-one curricula
"All-in-one" curricula, sometimes called "school in a box", are comprehensive packages covering many
subjects; usually an entire year's worth. They contain all needed books and materials, including pencils and
writing paper. Most such curricula were developed for isolated families who lack access to public schools,
libraries and shops.
Typically, these materials recreate the school environment in the home and are based on the same subject-
area expectations as publicly run schools, allowing an easy transition into school. They are among the more
expensive options, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation. The guides are usually extensive,
with step-by-step instructions. These programs may include standardized tests and remote examinations to
yield an accredited school diploma.
Student-paced learning
Similar to All-in-one curricula are learner paced curriculum packages. Often called "paces", these
workbooks allow the student to progress at their own speed. Prices vary depending upon the publisher.
Community resources
Homeschoolers often take advantage of educational opportunities at museums, community centers, athletic
clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources.
Secondary school level students may take classes at community colleges, which typically have open
admission policies.
Unschooling
"Unschooling" is a term that can be used with two distinct meanings.
Some use the term "unschooling" to describe methods of education that don't resemble schools, primarily
indicating that they don't rely heavily on textbooks or spend much time at desks. The parents actively conduct
the children's education, using a variety of resources.
The term "unschooling" as coined by John Holt indicates that parents don't authoritatively direct the child's
education, but interact with the child following the child's own interests, leaving them free to explore and
learn as their interests lead. "Unschooling" doesn't indicate that the child isn't being educated, but that the
child isn't being "schooled", or educated in a rigid school-type manner.
"Unschooling" is distinct from "deschooling," which may be used to indicate an anti-"institutional school"
philosophy, or a period or form of deprogramming for children or parents who have previously been
schooled.
Holt's unschooling assumption was that children learn through the experiences of life, and he encouraged
parents to live their lives with their child. Also known as interest-led or child-led learning, unschooling
attempts to follow opportunities as they arise in real life, through which a child will learn without coercion. An
unschooled child may utilize texts or classroom instruction, but these are not considered central to
education. Holt asserted that there's no specific body of knowledge that is, or should be, required of a child.
Unschooling advocates claim that children learn best by doing; a child may learn reading to further an
interest about primitive peoples, or math skills by operating a small business or sharing in family finances.
They may learn animal husbandry keeping dairy goats or meat rabbits, botany tending a kitchen garden,
chemistry to understand the operation of firearms or the internal combustion engine, or politics and local
history by following a zoning or historical-status dispute. While any type of homeschoolers may also use
these methods, the unschooled child initiates these learning activities.
Cost to families
There may be a financial impact on families in addition to the purchase of school supplies and curriculum
materials, as one parent (typically the mother) usually refrains from employment outside the home in order
to supervise the child's education. Some compensate by running a business as a family, working from
home, or enlisting the help of friends or relatives during the hours in which the adults are working. According
to a Businessweek study, however, a second income outside the home is at least as likely to be a financial
drain as a benefit, especially for younger families with children.
The tangible costs associated with homeschooling are as variable as the reasons and philosophical
approaches. Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998,
Lawrence M. Rudner, Table 2.12, tracked expenditures running from less than $200 to greater than $2000,
per student. Notably, the three largest categories were the lowest three levels of expenditure. Students in the
$200 or less category were in third – 17.9% of all students – $400-$599 was second – with 21.5% – the
largest single category, at 33.8%, was the $200-$399 range. The highest 5 expenditure categories
combined – ranging from $600 to $2000 per student – amount to 25.1% of the total, and only 2% of
homeschool students lived in households that spent $2000 and over.
All of these levels were well below the U.S. national average expenditure for public school students in 1998;
$6200-$6500 per student. The majority utilized less than 10% of public school expenditures.
The study also indicated a relationship between the amount of money spent on homeschool students and
their academic achievement.
Criticism
Opposition comes from varied sources, including organizations of teachers and school districts. The
National Education Association – a teachers' union, and the largest labor union in the United States – is on
record as opposing homeschooling outright, though in recent years they've not been as outspoken.
Opponents state concerns falling into several categories: academic quality and completeness; reduced
government money for the publicly run schools; lack of socialization with peers of different ethnic and
religious backgrounds; fear of religious or social extremism; that homeschool curricula often exclude critical
subjects; that parents are sheltering their children, or denying them opportunities that are their right, or
providing an unfair advantage over students whose parents lack the time or money to homeschool.
Some argue that while homeschooled students generally do extremely well on standardized tests, such
students are a self-selected group whose parents care strongly about their education and would also do
well in a conventional school.
Gallup polls of American voters have shown a significant change in attitude in the last twenty years, from
73% opposed to home education in 1985 to 54% opposed in 2001.
Legality
Homeschooling exists legally in many parts of the world. Countries with the most prevalent home education
movements include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some
countries have highly regulated home education programs as an extension of the compulsory school
system; others, such as Germany, have outlawed it entirely. In other countries, while not restricted by law,
homeschooling isn't socially acceptable or considered desirable and is virtually non-existent.
In many countries where home education doesn't exist legally, underground movements keep children out
of the compulsory school system and educated them at, sometimes considerable, risk. In other countries,
while the practice is illegal, the governments don't have the resources to police and prosecute offenders.
Research results
Academic findings
Home Schooling Achievement, a study conducted by National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI),
indicates the academic integrity of homeschooling; the average homeschooled student outperforms their
public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that public
school performance gaps between minorities and genders are virtually non-existent among homeschooled
students.
Social findings
In the 1970s Dr. Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted 4 federally funded analyses of more than
8,000 early childhood studies, from which they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early,
1975. This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same findings designed specifically for
educational professionals. This analysis concluded that, "where possible, children should be withheld from
formal schooling until at least ages eight – ten.". Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for
formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready."
They concluded that the outcome of forcing children into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as
the child leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at the new pressures and
restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because unready learning tools — senses, cognition, brain
hemispheres, coordination — can't handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures they
bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustration, 5) failure which quite naturally flows
from the four experiences above, and 6) delinquency which is failure’s twin and apparently for the same
reason." According to the Moores, "early formal schooling is burning out our children. Teachers who attempt
to cope with these youngsters also are burning out." He further stated that "the self-concept of home-
schooling children is significantly higher (and very much so statistically) than that of children attending the
conventional school. This of course has important implications in the areas of academic achievement and
socialization, to mention only two. These two areas have been found to parallel self-concept very closely.
Regarding socialization, it appears that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. Critics who
speak out against home schooling on the basis of social deprivation are actually addressing an area which
favors home schoolers. Apparently, the research data indicates that it's the conventionally schooled child
who is actually deprived."
Academic findings
Home Schooling Achievement, a study conducted by National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI),
indicates the academic integrity of homeschooling; the average homeschooled student outperforms their
public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that public
school performance gaps between minorities and genders are virtually non-existent among homeschooled
students.
Social findings
In the 1970s Dr. Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted 4 federally funded analyses of more than
8,000 early childhood studies, from which they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early,
1975. This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same findings designed specifically for
educational professionals. This analysis concluded that, "where possible, children should be withheld from
formal schooling until at least ages eight – ten.". Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for
formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready."
They concluded that the outcome of forcing children into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as
the child leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at the new pressures and
restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because unready learning tools — senses, cognition, brain
hemispheres, coordination — can't handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures they
bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustration, 5) failure which quite naturally flows
from the four experiences above, and 6) delinquency which is failure’s twin and apparently for the same
reason." According to the Moores, "early formal schooling is burning out our children. Teachers who attempt
to cope with these youngsters also are burning out." He further stated that "the self-concept of home-
schooling children is significantly higher (and very much so statistically) than that of children attending the
conventional school. This of course has important implications in the areas of academic achievement and
socialization, to mention only two. These two areas have been found to parallel self-concept very closely.
Regarding socialization, it appears that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. Critics who
speak out against home schooling on the basis of social deprivation are actually addressing an area which
favors home schoolers. Apparently, the research data indicates that it's the conventionally schooled child
who is actually deprived."
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