Home Schooling Information and Learn Home School Basics

Through much of human history, the only education children received was from their parents. It was only in the middle ages that special institutions were set up to impart education, and this too was only to the socially elite and royalty. The education imparted at these institutions was what is called Classical Education – the study of history, philosophy, ancient languages and perhaps some rudimentary science. Most children were apprenticed – they learned a vocation either from their fathers or from a skilled tradesman. This was the education that saw them through life.

It was only in the late 17th century that compulsory education began in the West.  This was a concept the early settlers brought with them to America.  Families moving out from the east coast to settle the virgin lands to the west were basically on their own and what little education was available to children was given by the parents. But schools soon followed and by the end of the 19th century, schooling was available to most American children. However, by the middle of the 20th century, people were beginning to question the prevailing education system and the type of learning it imparted. It was at this time that the concept of home schooling emerged, or to be historically accurate, re-emerged.

So what exactly is home schooling? It is basically an alternative to institutional (regular school) education in which the family, as a unit, works together to impart knowledge and learning to the children. Home schooling is legal in all the fifty states and while the specifics of the rules and regulations governing this form of education differ from state to state, in general the parents have freedom to choose when, how and what their children will study, subject to the end result being that the children have certain minimum levels of knowledge is various subjects.

Home schooling should not be confused with home study which is institutionally supervised education programs for those who would like to attend school but can not. This include such forms of education as Independent Study Programs where visiting teachers visit students who are unable to attend school, for a variety of legitimate reasons which can include physical or learning disabilities, on a regular basis to set the study schedule and monitor progress. Many school districts also offer support programs for children who are unable to attend school due to sickness and injury. These programs are designed to allow the children to keep up with the class work until they are able to return to school. Neither of these or other home study plans offer parents any control over what and how their children study and so cannot be called home schooling.

There are many reasons why parents opt for home schooling. Among the most common are:

• Control over what their children will learn
• Maintaining and developing the family bonds which need not be affected because the child must go to school.
• The option of being able to understand and respond to a child’s special needs
• Concerns about the safety of children in schools and also about the journey to and from there.
• Home schooling provides a huge amount of flexibility. Parents who travel often are able to adjust the study schedules so as to take their children with them.