Several lists, from various sources, of reasons why parents have chosen to homeschool or continue to homeschool follow. Interestingly enough, the reasons a family continues to homeschool are often not exactly the same reasons they began to homeschool, or are at least much greater in number and often shifted in priority as their homeschool ripens.

 

(DISCLAIMER:  The following ideas do not necessarily respresent the opinions of the Meramec Valley Homeschool Association, nor the opinions of all homeschoolers. Each homeschooling family is different, and has its own constellation of reasons why it homeschools. Pop the question to a live homeschooling family today!)

(Homeschoolers, I hope you will send me YOUR additional reasons to add to this list.)

Three excerpts from the booklet, "First Things First", published by Families for Home Education (FHE), follow.

(This is a booklet that every family homeschooling or contemplating homeschooling in the state of Missouri should have on their shelves. To order yours contact your local Support Group Leader, FHE Regional Director, FHE Statewide Office, or click here to order.)

Why Home Education?

The reasons for home education are varied, but generally fall into one or both of two catagories: (1) moral reasons and religious reasons, and (2) academic reasons. Many homeschoolers are concerned that the traditional school has become a battleground for the minds and souls of America's youth. Youngsters in our nation's schools are increasingly being asked to choose lifestyles and behaviors that are directly opposite those held by their parents. Drug usage, teen pregnancy, suicide, and homosexuality are increasingly the accepted norm in many of our public schools.

The critical role of parents in the academic process is well documented. Parents who home school for academic reasons point to the advantages of one-on-one tutoring and the more personalized, lower stress environment in the home school, which builds self-esteem and leads to improved academic performance.

Studies have shown that many "school-aged youngsters are not ready, either mentally or physically, for formal classroom education. In short, home education provides for the unique needs of each child.

Why is Home Education necessary?

In a republic with a tradition of free enterprise, educational choice is a vital response to the state's monopoly over the molding of children's minds and character.

Although reasons for turning to home education vary, a common motive is the conviction that the home and family setting can provide for children an education superior to that offered via other available and affordable alternatives. The majority are reacting to the fact that government schools no longer allow open recognition and reverence for God or for the divine nature and destiny of man. Others are concerned with the academic deterioration of public education and find that their children attain much better achievement in home schooling.

All are concerned over the modern degeneracy of home and family life, and seek to maintain a close and caring environment for their own children.

Movitation

Motivations or convictions about home education vary immensely among individuals. Some of the more prevalent motivations include the following:

          *  religious / spiritual

          *  academic

          *  social / character

          *  alternative philosophies

          *  escape from problems in the government system

          *  and ALL of the above.

The only specific advice that applies to all is this:  if you are home educating only to escape something negative or a problem situation in a school environment, it's going to be a long year. In the words of Cathy Duffy, "Home education does not automatically change personalities and family relationships. These things take time, energy and much prayer."

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) points out that the Bible has instructed Christian parents to educate their children, which, for some families, is most effectively accomplished through homeschooling:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words, which I command you today, shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." 
                                                                                                                                                                --Deut. 6:5-7 (NKJ)

A collection of Reasons to Homeschool compiled by Pam Sorooshian from AOL listings:

1. To spend more time together as a family — especially to have the children together with us at times when they are fresh and rested, rather than when they are tired (and cranky) from school and homework.

2. Children can often learn much more quickly than their classes allow. At home they can move quickly through some material, allowing time for learning material not taught at school (foreign language, for example) or time for more in-depth study of subjects of interest.

3. Children with varying learning abilities can move at a pace appropriate to their developmental levels and interests. In the classroom, it is especially difficult to accomodate children who are learning more slowly or more quickly than average. All children are slower and/or quicker than average in various subjects.

4. The children can have long, uninterrupted blocks of time to write, read, think, or work on an activity. Creativity and serious in-depth study are discouraged in a classroom where there is a lot of noise, a schedule designed for keeping every child busy, and continuous interruptions.

5. Children can spend a lot more time outdoors (even reading, writing or studying) which is more physically and mentally healthy than spending most of their weekdays indoors in a crowded (often overheated) classroom. The child can be more in touch with the changes of the seasons and with the small and usually overlooked miracles of nature, if more time is spent outside.

6. Children will help more with household chores, learning skills (cooking, cleaning, etc.) as well as becoming more responsible.

7. More household responsibility develops a stronger family bond because working for the family is an investment in the family. People become committed to things in which they invest.

8. Children will have time to pursue more non-academic interests such as music or art.

9. Children will become more responsible for their own education. They will not be passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers (actually administrators or government committees), but will at least have input into designing their own education and eventually take over full responsibility.

10. Children will realize that learning can take place in a large variety of ways. They will learn to seek out assistance when needed from many alternative sources, not just rely on a classroom teacher to provide all the answers.

11. A more relaxed, less hectic lifestyle can be followed because we will stop trying to supplement school during after-school and weekend hours. No after-school homework.

12. Learning will be at more appropriate levels — more challenging, less busywork.

13. Learning can be more efficient because the children can learn using best methods for their own learning styles. In their case, our children read extremely well and learn well from reading. They do not need each piece of information to be taught through various methods that are needed by children whose reading comprehension is not so high.

14. The children will experience much less frustration by not having to constantly work in groups with other children who do not learn as easily or quickly, do not share their enthusiasm and love of learning, or have uncooperative attitudes and do not willingly do their share of group work.

15. Children will work and learn for internal self-satisfaction more than for external reward.

16. Children will not be as tempted to take the easy way out by doing just enough to satisfy their teacher. They will be the judges of the quality of their work.

17. Children will be more willing to take risks and be creative since they do not have to worry about being embarrassed in front of peers or being criticized by their teachers.

18. Children can concentrate without constant distractions.

19. Peer pressure will be reduced. There will be less pressure to grow up as quickly in terms of clothing styles, music, language, interest in opposite sex, etc.

20. Social interactions with others will be by choice and based on having common interests. Social interactions will be more varied, not just with the child’s chronological age peer group.

21. Field trips can be taken on a much more frequent basis and can be more productive when not taken with such large school groups. For example, on a trip to a nature center, the children can choose to spend several hours identifying birds or plants. On a school field trip, this would be impossible. Field trips can be more connected to the child’s own curriculum.

22. Volunteer service activities can be included in the family’s regular schedule. Community service is of tremendous importance in a child’s overall development as well as a learning experience.

23. Scheduling can be flexible, allowing travel during less expensive and less crowded off-peak times. This can allow for more travel which is a wonderful [learning] experience.

24. Children will be less likely to constantly compare their knowledge or intelligence with other children and will be less tempted to become conceited [or discouraged ] about their abilities.

25. Religious and family special days can be planned and celebrated.

26. Children will bond more with their siblings since they will spend more time together when they are not stressed and tired out from [conventional] school. They will discover that they can work together and help each other.

27. The children can get immediate and appropriate feedback on their work. They do not have to wait for the teacher (or a parent classroom volunteer or even another student) to grade and return their work, to find out if they understood it correctly. Feedback can be more more useful — specific and child appropriate comments rather than a letter grade or the generic “Super” or “Great Work”.

28. Time does not have to be spent on test taking at all unless it is something the child wants to do. In a classroom, testing is the way the teacher finds out how much the students have learned. Observation and discussion are ongoing at home, tests are unnecessary. Tests can be used by the child to see how much she recalls and to determine what to study next. Grades are unnecessary and there is no comparison of
test results.

29. Grades become of no importance and learning is motivating in and of itself. Understanding and knowledge are the rewards for studying, rather than grades (or stickers, or teacher’s praise or ...)

30. Children can be consistently guided in our family’s values and can learn from seeing and participating in parents’ daily life.

31. Skills and concepts can be introduced when the child is ready for them. She does not have to wait until a certain grade level to learn something which she is interested in and ready for right now.

32. Children will learn how to devote their energies and time to activities they think are worth it.

A long (!) collection of Reasons compiled by Wendy Pelton over 9 years of homeschooling:

I. EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL

   A. kids are surrounded by love & acceptance & support all day

        1. Our days start with lying in bed, arms around each other, reading for 1 or 2 hours.
            Our days end the same way. In the middle we read some more.

   B. children are not separated from their parents at an age when they're not ready,
        and for a predetermined length of time, not based on the child's readiness

       1. I think that each kid has a different schedule for how much time he is ready to be away
           from his parent(s), and that changes with his or her emotional development. There
           needs to be a gradual shift from home time to away time, not just a sudden 4 or 6 hour
           day, 5 days a week for Kindergartners and elementary aged children.

   C. home schooling allows a kind of emotional bond not available to public school parents
        because of the time spent together, the domestic team work, and the intellectual intimacy involved

   D. kids get help (social, emotional or academic) whenever they need it

   E. kids get structure (AKA: rules) and consequences (AKA: discipline) consistently,
        from the same set of values & expectations, non-stop. Misbehavior does not go unnoticed,
        and problems do not go unsolved.

   F. kids are not exposed to many children who have had inadequate or abusive parenting,
       or who may have been heavily influenced by aggressive T.V. shows or Nintendo games.

   G. children have alot more time for play, exploring, discovering, studying things in their
        environment, than they can have while attending public school

   H. kids have more time to get to know themselves, do independent projects, to have quiet,
        private time, to develop an identity

   I. self-esteem & self-confidence are protected & enhanced

   J. differences are celebrated, not shunned as deviant

  K. we can study outside, in a hammock, by a river, in a campsite, at a research location
        (e.g. cave, Mastodon State Park, wetland)

   L. we can take advantage of opportunities, such as excellent weather, birthdays, cultural events,
        visits from family & friends, etc., to celebrate or to do things (e.g. lots of camping, fishing,
        swimming) without missing school or getting in trouble

   M. we can camp or take field trips when places are not crowded with out-of-school families,
        and have our school on site

   N. homeschooled kids are aware that their teacher is there to teach out of love, not out of financial necessity

   O. kids learn much more for the fun, curiosity & excitement of it

II. SOCIAL

   A. we have more choice about what kids our kids are exposed to

   B. the real world they will encounter as adults & college students is actually more
        civilized than the world inside many middle schools, junior highs and high schools today;

   C. kids get help (social, emotional or academic) whenever they need it

   D. kids experience considerably less exposure to the unhealthy values of our addicted,
        greed-driven society

   E. kids experience much less brain washing by corporate advertisers to consume their goods
        or face "not being OK", because many home school kids don't have TV, or watch considerably less than their         public school counterparts and aren't exposed to many kids who watch a lot of TV

   F. parents have a much greater opportunity to instill their own values, reflected in everything we do
       all day, we can talk to kids immediately about moral issues, AND we can expose kids to more, different value        systems

   G. values become firm before kids are required to make difficult decisions (e.g. drugs, sex,
       cruelty, etc.). They will be better able to deal with such situations by college, than kids who
       had to begin making these decisions in 5th Grade or sooner

       1. If a person was creating a concrete patio, which they hoped would be able to hold 50
           people when done, would they have 50 people walk across it before the cement was
           good & hard & dry? Same with value systems. Young value systems are not ready for
           the challenges they will face in public schools of this new millenium.

   H. parents can make their spiritual system a background for information taught

   I. The "social learning laboratories" or playgroups & support groups of home schools are
      much more closely supervised, because there is one adult there for each 2 or 3 children.
      No playground, locker room or school bus horror stories. Problem behaviors are noticed & dealt with immediately.

   J. Family life is done as a team, so that the home parent can be teaching their Child about the basics
       of living, both physical & social, all day long, while learning, shopping, driving, cooking, cleaning,
       etc. "Life Lessons" we call them around our house.

   K. Kids are not trapped in an "age ghetto" 35 hours / week, instead they get to interact with kids
        and adults of all ages, at their homeschool, playgroups, homeschool gatherings, volunteer
        placements, ,jobs, sports events, music classes and more.

III. ACADEMIC

   A. an effective teacher/student ratio

   B. child's learning style, abilities, disabilities, interests are always well known to the teacher

        1. In public school, the child gets a new teacher every year, and they have to go about figuring
            this child out all over again. Learning time is lost and frustration often experienced.

   C. the learning style can be & will be accommodated due to the T/S ratio & motivation of natural parent

        1. Public school classrooms are so populated that it is impossible to accommodate each child's
            different personality, learning style, developmental level, academic level in each subject, etc.

   D. children are never afraid to ask questions, and every question gets immediate attention

   E. kids get help (social, emotional or academic) whenever they need it

   F. child goes at his own pace, in every subject, not tied to a grade or a class - each subject
       can be pursued at the child's own developmental pace.

       1. With this teacher/student ratio, it's immediately apparent when a kid needs more time
           at a certain point before progressing to the next level, and it is easily accomplished.
           Similarly, a child can race ahead at any time in any subject; no need to waste time &
           risk boredom on things a kid already knows.

   G. there is a LARGE choice of curriculums and pieces of curriculum from which to choose,
        that are the products of experience & not just theory

        1. The family can choose a comprehensive curriculum that best matches their belief system,
            their style of educating, and their child's learning style.

        2. Individual pieces of curriculum can be used as supplements or replacements for parts
            of a comprehensive curriculum, when they are found to better suit the student's needs
            (e.g.: "Spelling Power" Program, "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing", "Runkle's Geography")

        3. Families can totally custom design their own curriculum for each child, choosing what
            works best for each child's learning style, in each subject, at that child's developmental level.

   H. no bells interrupt learning, there are seldom time limits on projects.

        1. Home schoolers don't run the risk of spending too much time on a subject or too little time.

    I. children can learn at the time of day when they are most alert

   J. we can focus more on the child's strengths, and spend more time in their areas of talent
       and/or interest, including prospective career areas.

        1. Let's say that a kid is a great artist, he can have more time with more advanced art lessons.

   K. creativity and independent thinking are enhanced, rather than discouraged, maybe even
        destroyed, by the requirements of large class populations and excessive time structure

   L. written work can be corrected immediately, before any incorrect information sinks into
        their memories

   M. homeschoolers are more likely to teach divergent thinking, not just convergent thinking

   N. the homeschooled child learns to think & problem-solve, not just to follow directions

   O. they have more opportunities for independent study

   P. kids can easily pursue independent interests

   Q. because many home school kids are not exposed to T.V. or Nintendo/Sega,
        they do not suffer shortened attention span problems and difficulty focusing

   R. kids without T.V. & Nintendo have learned to fill their spare time with reading, playing music,
        handicrafts, building things, hobbies and outdoor play, which are all activities that build the mind,
        heart, spirit or body. T.V. and video games take time away from a child's natural development.

   S. Non T.V., non-video kids learn creativity & constructiveness from their activities,
       as opposed to the non-creativity & destructiveness promoted by T.V. & video games.

   T. the homeschooled child's learning experience is not interfered with by behavior problems of others --
        there is more time to teach & to learn

   U. we can study outside, in a hammock, by a river, in a campsite, at a research location
        (e.g. cave, Mastodon State Park, wetland)

   V. we have the chance for many more field trips
  
  W. we have the chance for long distance field trips 

   X. periods of learning are broken up by periods of play & chores

   Y. can choose any curriculum and/or modify & enhance curriculums to be more fun or
       more relevant or easier to learn, without needing it to fit 30 other kids, or needing it to be approved by a        committee on the School Board.

   Z. we can do unit studies

AA. we have many more opportunities for experiential work -- learning by experiencing the real thing or instructive         models!

       1. work in which the child is emotionally involved is much better learned

BB. We can add in a lot more of the arts - poetry, music appreciation, instruments -- we are
       not confined to band performances, arts, crafts

CC. We can pick & choose our sports according to our kids talents & interests (e.g. Kayaking)

DD. children are allowed independent study that allows them to explore their own interests,
        and get school credit for it

EE. school for us is an ongoing discussion. Ideas can be shared immediately and informally.
       The dialogue continues right through their teen years, so that we can communicate well
       through these difficult years

FF. we can joke & have fun with all our learning

GG. learning & reading are seen as an integral part of life, not as something separate

HH. Children continue to love learning & reading

    II. homeschooled kids have MUCH more time per day to read aloud, read silently and be read to, and much more
       comfortable settings for all this reading!

IV. PHYSICAL

   A. not forced to get up when the body's not ready, can live according to own body clock

   B. don't have to punch a clock, as a child

   C. don't have to lose 8 months or more of their life on a school bus

   D. don't lose time that is eaten up at conventional school organizing kids
        (e.g. getting them in line)

   E. we can study outside, breath fresh air, move around, be conscious of the weather
        & seasons

   F. kids are sick less often, because they are exposed to many fewer germs each day
       (consider how many kids attend your area's public school)

IV. MISCELLANEOUS

   A. It's FUN!  We get to spend time with our children, who give us pleasure, AND it's a blast to get to study fascinating things that seemed so boring when we studied them out of textbooks the first time around. While homeschooling is real work, it is by far the most fun and satisfying job that I've ever had!