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Homeschooling. Say the word and it elicits a variety of mental images. From academic wonder kids to homes with twelve children seated about the kitchen table, from four year olds reading at a sixth grade level to families with isolationist mentalities who rarely venture into public but one image of homeschooling cannot be applied thousands of different families across the United States and around the world.

The hype and the truth about homeschooling need to be sorted out. Many educated, knowledgeable people are uninformed about the world of home education which leads to the hype and, often, misinformation or stereotyping.

Every year, the media promotes the finalists of the National Spelling Bee. Invariably, it seems that there is a homeschooled youth among the top three winners. This leads to the hype or rather the myth about homeschoolers which claims that every homeschooled child is a genius ready to lead the academic world into new orbits. The truth is that many homeschooled students struggle with reading, math, and other core classes. But the homeschooling advantage is that, when a learning obstacle presents itself, the parent has the freedom to slow the pace, help the child conquer the problem, and move on with the course. Unlike a classroom teacher who must carry on for the sake of twenty other students, a homeschool parent has definite advantage.

So, what is the truth about homeschooling?
The truth is that is a legal avenue of educating children in the United States.
The truth is that homeschooling offers the ultimate and unbeatable teacher to student ratio! The truth about homeschooling is that it is difficult, but deeply rewarding. The truth is that homeschooling offers educational and family freedoms such as curricula choice, variable hours of instruction, travel outside of traditional summer and holiday breaks, heavy volunteer hours, opportunities for honing skills in sports, aviation, business, and other areas and more.
The truth is that homeschooling appeals to those families with children encountering learning and physical disabilities. The truth is that homeschooling parents are a different breed that take full responsibility for the education of their most precious gift their children.

But what is the hype about homeschooling?
The hype focused on homeschooling makes extreme claims such as "All homeschoolers are nerdy academic minds" or "All homeschoolers are religious zealots". Here's another. All homeschoolers are social misfits who are uneasy in group situations. The hype tends to be spoken from ignorance. With over one million youth homeschooled in the United States of America in the last thirty years, it seems that the hype and the myths would fade, but human nature tends to focus on the extreme or sensationalized cases of homeschooling.

Others are catching on to the benefits of homeschooling. Even doors that used to be closed to homeschoolers are opening wide. Colleges and universities now seek out homeschooled youth. This is not done for academic performance, but rather as a response to the reputation many homeschooled youth have attained as not only studious, but focused, undistracted individuals with caring hearts. This is the hype and the truth that most homeschoolers will gladly embrace!

Learn more about this author, Jan Vroegin.
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