A Look at Homeschooling in the U.S.A.

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ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, December 28, 2004: Homeschooling is on the rise in the U.S.A. According to this news release, the National Home Education Research Institute, based in Salem, Oregon, estimates that 1.7 million to 2.1 million children were home taught during the 2002-2003 school year, up as much as 13 percent from 2000-2001. Parents decide to homeschool for various reasons but the two most common reasons are because of parental concern about the environment in public schools or because parents want to give religious and moral instruction to their offspring. Kris Wightman, who has been homeschooling for 15 years says, “I thought it sounded like I fell off the turnip truck (if you want to know what that means, click here). I initially started to homeschool because we lived in a rural area and I did not think the schools were up to par. I thought I would eventually send my children to traditional schools.” The news release explains, “Wightman loves the flexibility that homeschooling provides her family to take vacations, the quality time she can spend with her children, the camaraderie built among siblings, the ability for them to learn at their own pace, and the thousands of dollars saved on private schools.” With eight children and the youngest only 1-year-old, Wightman expects to be homeschooling for another 20 years. Traci Hodges and her husband Harlan are both working parents who have managed to squeeze homeschooling into their lives for their 9-year-old daughter Amoree. The Hodges wanted to protect their daughter from exposure to drugs, alcohol and sex but they also appreciate the flexibility homeschooling gives them. Amoree has been able to work at her own pace and because of her aptitude for math, she has advanced beyond her grade level.



Access to the internet has fueled the movement. Home educators can find curriculum guides and resource material easily. There are thousands of web sites plus homeschooling magazines and support groups. The article says, “Outside institutions are beginning to recognize homeschoolers as a marketable group and are reaching out to them and their needs. The St. Louis Science Center holds Homeschool Days – science workshops on different topics – once a month. The St. Louis Zoo is working on starting its own series this winter. Six Flags and Silver Dollar City both hold special days or discounts for homeschoolers.” Even universities have seen a rise in the number of applications from homeschoolers. Nanette Tarbouni, admissions director at Washington University, says, “We get 40 to 50 applications from homeschoolers a year. That’s still a small sliver of the 20,000 applications Wash U. receives, but a growing sliver.”



Nancy Schaaf decided to homeschool her 12-year-old son when she realized how little attention he was getting in the classroom. Schaaf says, “The teachers in the public schools are becoming very, very swamped with a lot of paperwork and dealing with special-needs kids who are being added to the classroom. My child was going to school for seven hours a day and not getting any attention. He was losing his excitement for learning.”



In conclusion the article sums it up, “Homeschooling has grown about 7 percent every year for the last 4 years. As homeschooling moves from the fringes closer to the mainstream, it is clear it has gained many supporters.”