5 Homeschooling Facts Everyone Should Know

There’s an ongoing trend in the US when it comes to education – across the country, homeschooling is increasingly being discussed and executed as an education option. That means there’s an estimated two million students, or approximately 3% of the K-12 students learning from home. This is a massive increase from the past, whereby the homeschool population has increased by 74% since 1999. Keep reading to learn important homeschooling facts. 

One of the main drivers of parents choosing to homeschool their children lies with moral and religious instruction, but a growing number of parents are choosing to do so for a number of other reasons, including greater freedom to travel, a more flexible curriculum, and better attention to students. There are, of course, systemic problems in education that also feed into the decision-making, such as dissatisfaction with public schools, bullying, concerns about the safety of school environments, or medical or special needs of the child, to name just some.

Even with the growing number of homeschooled students and the mind shift that’s taken place as a result of lockdown and Covid-19 learning from home, homeschooling families often still face skepticism. Despite the skepticism, homeschooling figures rival charter school enrollment, and it is seen as a viable alternative to expensive private schools. 

As a result, homeschooling rates will most likely continue to increase. Whether you are a homeschooling parent, thinking about homeschooling, or simply interested in educational trends, here is a primer on homeschooling:

Homeschooling Facts You Need to Know

1. Homeschooling is Legal

Homeschooling is legal in the US and has been since 1993. However, every state has it’s own rules and regulations. This means it’s really important to do your research when considering homeschooling your child. Ten states and two US territories have no homeschooling requirements, for example, while six have high regulations.

What this means is that in high regulation states, like Oregon, for example, you’ll need to keep track of your child’s test scores, undergo professional evaluation, submit curriculum planning, notify schools in writing of your intention to homeschool your child, and in some cases, even proving your ability and qualification to teach. In Nebraska, which is another high regulation state, homeschools are treated like private schools and must cover specific subjects. 

By contrast, a low or no regulation state, like Alaska, homeschoolers are not required to notify the state or district of their intention to homeschool, and it’s also not required to keep test scores or keep track of student progress. 

Confused? The National Home Education Network maintains an At-a-Glance State Information page for anyone looking to learn more about homeschool regulations.

2. Homeschooled Students are Socialized

The stereotype that a typical homeschooled student lacks social skills and sits at a desk six hours a day, working either in isolation or just with a parent, has been shattered over the past decade. 

The increase in the number of homeschoolers has led to an increase in the number of homeschool organizations providing support, activities, outings, and resources. Often homeschooled students study with siblings and other local homeschoolers, are members of youth sports leagues, and even participate in public school co-curricular activities. 

In fact, in states like New Hampshire, homeschoolers’ access to public school co-curricular activities is protected by law. Many museums, libraries, and organizations now offer programs geared specifically toward homeschoolers. For more information about homeschool organizations, visit Home Education Magazine’s state-by-state list of support groups.

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’s also worth mentioning that while more research is still needed, adults who were homeschooled as children are believed to be more tolerant of politics than those that were schooled in the public system, and they’re also more likely to participate in community services as well as vote and participate in public meetings.

3. Homeschooling Can Be Affordable

How much does it cost to homeschool? This will depend on the family and choice of curriculum, but $700 to $1,400 annually per student is frequently cited. 

While there is potentially money to be gained by homeschooling, the highest cost of homeschooling is often the loss of income when a parent leaves the workforce to stay at home and teach the kids. It may not come as a surprise that the increase in the rate of homeschooling has coincided with the widespread availability of the Internet. 

Although the majority of homeschooled students come from two-parent families with a stay-at-home parent, the Internet has opened the doors to telecommuting, off-hour options, and freelance work, which has allowed many more parents to homeschool while still contributing to household incomes. Many families got to test run this way of living during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and determining whether they could balance homeschooling alongside online work.

4. Homeschool Curriculum Choices are Abundant

One of the biggest areas of appeal with homeschooling is the variety of choices available when it comes to curriculum. There are many different philosophies and associated approaches to homeschooling, and the choice dictates the type of curriculum, for example, one might choose to stick to a more traditional structure of lessons and tests, or a family might choose to go with something more unorthodox like unschooling, where students choose what they learn. 

Whatever philosophy you choose, resources are the next challenge. The purchase of curriculum packages or enrollment in an online program is a large portion of the direct cost of homeschooling a child. Considering students typically study several subject areas and require new materials and courses as they progress academically, the cost can add up over the years. However, with ingenuity and research, many families manage to educate their children at home on modest budgets. With the growing popularity of homeschooling, free and low-cost educational resources have flourished. For example, HelpTeaching.com and KidsKonnect.com offer printable worksheets for a wide range of grade levels and subjects. 

Several major online schools provide courses for homeschooling students, and a number of elite universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, now offer massive open online courses, providing a free option for secondary students transitioning to college. Many homeschooling websites, like The Home School Mom, provide ample information to help parents make informed decisions as to the homeschooling method best for their children.

5. Homeschooling Isn’t Always a K-12 Commitment

It is not uncommon for families to homeschool for a period of time and then transition students into schools. Sometimes the homeschooling parent must return to work for financial reasons, the homeschool dynamic no longer works for the family, or the students themselves express the desire to enroll in school. The reverse can also be true. A student may transition from school to homeschooling when the current educational circumstances are not meeting the student’s needs. Some homeschool situations are temporary, for example, when a student is bullied, for family relocation or when a medical condition arises. Ideally, a strong partnership between parents and school personnel will help students transition either way successfully.

The decision to homeschool is a personal one, just as is the decision to send a student to the public, charter, private, or parochial school. The key is to make informed decisions about the best educational methods for each individual child.

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Joe Pizzuto-Pomaco is an educator, writer, and editor who has taught in public and private schools 15 years.