Why is there so much home schooling?

I think that many people who have no exposure to homeschooling have an incomplete view of the options and resources available to homeschoolers. The image of a kid sitting at the kitchen table alone all day, reading a textbook and completing worksheets Mom wrote for him, just isn't accurate. The homeschooled kids I've known spent lots of time out doing things -- visiting the local Science Center, taking "family field trips" to the state or national Capitol, taking workshops at the local university. Many of them participated in league sports with local high school, charter, or club ball teams; some sang in a performance choir, played in a local symphony, or danced with a studio. If anything, they got more social exposure than those who spent their days in a classroom with the same little group of kids all day. As to curriculum, several colleges offer free elementary and secondary courses; some offer not-so-free diploma programs. If I could go back and do everything over again (including that part where I had to have a full-time job to support my family and therefore didn't have the time), I would absolutely love to homeschool my kid. It would have been a wonderful way to engage his busy mind and support the outgoing nature that got stifled a bit in more traditional school settings.

This!

1. Yes, there are many "secular" homeschoolers. There are also Christian homeschoolers who chose homeschooling for non-religious reasons.

2. Not all public schools are "that bad". Some of us just feel that homeschooling is "that good".

3. Socialization is a red herring. Spending time with family, friends, neighbors, and community members offers ample practice at coping skills and self mastery.

It seems to be a trend, but I wouldn't call it a fad as it has always existed (children educated in their home by parents or somebody chosen by them). And I hope it isn't "the way of the future" because parents need choices. Not everybody can or should homeschool.

Because we don't want to be indoctrinated, we just want our kids to learn.

If I was in the US, I would homeschool my kid. I would not want my kid being shot up by some psychotic person while getting a mediocre education.

I am Canadian though.

We home-school, not to make them safer, but because we don't want them fed a bunch of rewritten history, and political indoctrination. Our home schooled kids are very successful and get into great colleges.

Also, I teach in the way my kids are tailored to learn. Agree that the word socialization is a joke among homeschoolers while still being a concern to those against homeschooling.

If I was in the US, I would homeschool my kid. I would not want my kid being shot up by some psychotic person while getting a mediocre education.

I am Canadian though.

While it's true that we have had a higher rate of these incidents in the US then the rest of the world combined, and we are falling behind most of the rest of the civilized world in our quality of education, it's actually a far greater risk to your child to simply walk out the front door of your home then it is to be in a school in the US.

I'd just like to point out that the chances of your child being shot in school are far less than them being killed in a car accident, or choking to death, or shot by a gun in the home, or pretty much any other way they might be killed. Purely from a statistical perspective, school is one of the safest places they can be- physically, at least (mentally is another issue altogether). If you don't believe me, feel free to look up the stats yourself.

^^^Exactly.

I was home schooled and plan on homeschooling my little ones. There was and is no religious basis for homeschooling. I have plenty of reasons for why I decided to home school, mainly government interference on how I raise my children. Along with that, the fact that our educational system is a joke amongst most industrialized nations. I have a cousin who is, for the lack of a more PC term, retarded. Seriously. He operates on a 3rd grade level at best, yet somehow he has a HS diploma from a public school. Really? I also went to college with a man who is now homeschooling his girls. They begged him to let them try public school, so he allowed it and within a month he said they got the worst attitudes and he took them right out again. I don't feel a stranger can teach my children any better than I can so why use this glorified daycare?

Other than religious reasons, here are some common reasons that people I know have chosen to homeschool.

1) Substandard academics. In some cases this in conflated with outright racism -- one person I know pulled her (minority) kid after she was told that they wouldn't assign her to the honors class, yet white students with lower test scores were put in.

2) Children who are both gifted and have learning disabilities -- like a high IQ and being dyslexic or dysgraphic. Very frequently these students are getting C's in classes, which makes the school reluctant to provide them with accommodations, and yet not achieving anywhere near their potential.

3) Bullying, gang, or drug problems at the local public school.

4) A child with strong and passionate interests in a specific area -- sometimes academic, sometimes non-academic such as gymnastics, sports, dance, music, or volunteer work. In these cases, homeschooling allowed the child to do grade-level work in unrelated areas while advancing significantly further in their chosen area.

1. Yes, there are many "secular" homeschoolers. There are also Christian homeschoolers who chose homeschooling for non-religious reasons.

2. Not all public schools are "that bad". Some of us just feel that homeschooling is "that good".

3. Socialization is a red herring. Spending time with family, friends, neighbors, and community members offers ample practice at coping skills and self mastery.

It seems to be a trend, but I wouldn't call it a fad as it has always existed (children educated in their home by parents or somebody chosen by them). And I hope it isn't "the way of the future" because parents need choices. Not everybody can or should homeschool.

I am not a parent but I totally agree with these responses!!

I have seen good and bad homeschoolers over the years.

I used to manage an educational supply store where tons of homeschoolers bought their curriculum and supplementary materials. Some of them seemed so in control and on the ball. I could tell they were passionate about teaching, and open to getting outside help or resources when their abilities were pushed to the limit in one area or another... Others not so much. The worst was a woman who allowed her son (around age 7 or 8) to choose his own curriculum. When he selected a TEACHER'S MANUAL for 6th grade arithmetic, she said that was fine and that would be his math curriculum. Meanwhile the boy did not yet know basic addition & subtraction and she asked for flash cards for that. Wow.

I was a "gifted kid" and INCREDIBLY bored in school, especially K-6 - but all the way through K-12. I had major anxiety issues which were completely masked but quite miserable. I had loads of friends, made straight A's, etc...but I spent a good part of my time worrying obsessively about things like whether I'd catch the bus after school or lose my lunch money or find a partner in gym class. I would cry almost every morning before school about this sort of thing, until 4th or 5th grade when I internalized more of the stress and worries. Even though things generally went my way, I was often a nervous wreck while I was at school and it was exacerbated by my extreme boredom and lack of challenges in the classroom.

At home, I read obsessively and researched topics that we were not studying in school. My parents took me on vacation to historical spots that further fueled my need to learn! At school, I was often the teacher's helper and spent hours of my day grading my peers' work or helping other kids with their work (which I deeply resented). I remember being forced to watch movies (not educational movies) for hours and "recess" was a joke. Really only time and maturity helped with my anxiety. I think I would have been a LOT happier being homeschooled and still would have had ample socialization. A friend of mine who was also a "gifted kid" as they called it in the 80's and early 90's, was homeschooled and obtained her GED at 16. I would have loved that option!!! High school was a huge waste of time for me and I don't feel I learned anything in grades 8-12 that would have helped prepare me for college more than my K-7 education already had. So just another "take" on it...