Frequently Asked Questions About Homeschooling

A Former Homeschooling Mom, Robin Khoury, Answers Your Questions

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Robin

Q. Is homeschooling legal?

A. Homeschooling is legal in every state in the United States. However, each state has different laws regarding homeschooling. Some states require registration and reporting while others don’t. Some states give homeschooling families tax breaks and supply subsidies.  Check with your state organization for the current laws in your state.

Q. Are parents qualified to teach their children?

A. Research shows that the educational background of the parent does not determine the academic achievement of homeschooled students. What does affect academic achievement is the determination of the teacher that a student learn. Parents have a distinct advantage in teaching their children because they know them better than anyone else, and care whether or not they grasp the material. After all, parents have a bigger stake in the success of their children than anybody else.

Q. Where Do Homeschoolers Get Curriculum?

A. Homeschoolers get curriculum from a variety of online sites, mail order catalogues, curriculum fairs, and homeschooling swap meets. Many homeschoolers use online curriculum now and local libraries to customize their own curriculum.

Q. What About Socialization of Homeschooled Students?

A. Homeschooled students have proven to be better socialized than their institutionally schooled peers. The school where children are segregated into groups of others their own age is an artificial environment that is never again duplicated after graduation. True socialization is the ability to relate to and learn from people older and younger. Homeschoolers are usually much more open to bonding with all ages because they grow up interacting with different ages.

Q. What are the advantages of Homeschooling?

Homeschooling has many advantages, among them are:

1. Individualized Education
2. Superior Safety of children
3. More Attention
4. Low Student-Teacher Ratio
5. Better use of time
6. Improved Health
7. Parental control over diet, curriculum, learning environment
8. Ability to travel
9. Better self esteem
10. No labeling
11. Children are taught family values, not government dogma
12. Fewer distractions
13. Less destructive competition

Q. Who are some famous people that were homeschooled?

A. The “Homeschool Hall of Fame” includes people like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, John Newton, Abigail Adams, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, Ansel Adams, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Andrew Carnegie, Marie Curie, and many more.