by Author Name Withheld 26

Created on: May 19, 2008

Ask 10 parents why they decided to homeschool, and you'll probably get 10 different answers. Some benefits are proven and some anecdotal, but these are mentioned most often, according to homeschool researchers.

It's a great way to learn: With its one-on-one attention and the ability to cater to the child, homeschooling produces some spectacular academic results. Homeschooled students consistently perform better than public school students on standardized tests, but the advantages go beyond test scores. Homeschooled students have the freedom to learn what interests them, delving as deeply into a topic as they want to go, while keeping in mind that there are some things they need to know whether they want to or not (multiplication tables, anyone?). In general, they can do more hands-on projects, take more field trips, be more creative than their public school counterparts. The curriculum can be molded to suit them, rather than the other way around.

It fosters close family relationships: The togetherness of homeschooling may seem like a bad thing at times, but in the end, parents find that they know their children better than they ever could have otherwise. In the haven of the family, strengths and weaknesses, of both parents and children, are exposed and dealt with. Children have a safe place to fail and to grow. Siblings draw close. Rather than being separated for eight hours a day, families live life together, sharing in its work and its joy.

It allows parents to guide the moral development of their children: Most homeschooling parents shiver at the thought of their 6-year-old modeling himself after other 6-year-olds, which is what happens in traditional schools. These parents put themselves in the place of role model, passing on their values to their children. They can deal with tender topics, such as sex education, in their own way and their own time. These conscientious parents do not try to hide the world from their children. That is impossible. Rather, they guard their innocence and act as the wise gatekeeper, deciding when to let concepts in.

It keeps children safer, physically and emotionally: It's no secret that public schools are not exactly bastions of good behavior. Sure, there are great teachers and great students. But there are also skimpy clothes, foul language, guns, drugs, drinking, sex. Even homeschoolers cannot keep out the influences of our culture, but they can keep their kids from wallowing in them eight hours a day. Homeschooled children won't be shot in a classroom. They won't get high or drunk at school. Their parents will know, for the most part, who they hang around with. Their tender psyches won't be exposed (as much) to peer pressure and bullying. They can learn who they are as a person without relying on the group to define them. They can be themselves.

For most parents, the reasons they chose to homeschool are many, perhaps an amalgam of the above. But they choose to keep homeschooling because it's working.

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