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Home / Culture and Society / Education / Homeschooling
Home Schooling Numbers Increase Steadily
By:MIKE SELVON
More families each year are taking their children out of public schools and home schooling them instead because the parents believe that their children can learn better and faster without the many distractions and negative influences that are part of the package with public school environments.
Even though it is often viewed by those in the mainstream as revolutionary or eccentric, the trend toward home schooling is growing and is gaining in popularity and respectability and is winning over an increasing number of supporters.
According to researchers who study such trends, the numbers of home schoolers in the U.S. has swelled considerably, growing from approximately 15,000 back in 1970 to over 500,000 by 1990, and estimated at over 1.1 million as of 2003.
A good indication of the interest and strength of the home schooling movement the number of support organizations that are in a particular country. The United States has long had a good variety of support groups and the increase in such groups from other areas of the world such as Europe, Australia and Asia.
To many, there are persistent questions such as: why are so many parents are choosing to teach their children at home rather than in traditional settings? How effective can home schooling really be?
Will my children be prepared for college? Can they gain the social skills they need without the interactions that are part of traditional schooling?
It is interesting to consider that while some people think about home schooling as radical, rebellious, or even extremist, the reality is that home schooling was the original system of education for centuries all around the globe.
The fact is that it was not until the last century that children started school so young as they do now. Typically, most of the children who did go to school started going at age twelve or later.
Many notable people from American history were educated in their homes and at their hearths, such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and even Albert Einstein.
The fact of the matter is that school attendance did not become compulsory until in the United States until the later part of the 19th century, and in light of that, home schooling really isn't just a recent fad, but actually the old educational standard.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, estimates are that anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of homeschooling families choose it for religious reasons, primarily because of the desire to protect their children from atheistic influences in public schools.
And, according to an article in Time magazine, the very backbone of the movement toward home schooling education practices is the Christian Fundamentalist community that strongly believes that religion is either ignored or debased in public classroom settings.
However, some parents have stated that their reasoning for removing their students from public education is in order to limit their exposure to damaging and immoral influences during their early years.
Still, other families decide to go the home schooling route primarily for educational reasons. Many are discontented with the overcrowding of classrooms, the low academic standards, and the many safety concerns rampant in many public schools.
It's really not so important why parents end up deciding on home schooling for their children because the major benefits, in the eyes of many parents, is that they are able to have much greater involvement in their children's lives and they remain influential role models during a time when it matters the most.
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Article keywords: homeschool, homeschooling, home schooling, home schooling numbers increase steadily
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Should you or should you not home school your children?. Get all the latest about home schooling, and we appreciate your feedback at Mike Selvon home education blog.
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- 1). Homeschooling While You Shop? By : Ura Kondo Rinaldi, M.A.
Yes, It can be done! We are all busy juggling multiple tasks at once, and it does not get any easier when you are homeschooling. Here is an idea to get your children to help out with a chore and provide them with a learning opportunity at the same time.
Before going to the grocery store, ask your children to help you with a shopping list. You can go around the house - the fridge, pantry, and the bathroom cabinet, etc.
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- 2). Getting Ready To Home School By : Kris Koonar
When it comes to your children, you want the best. Home schooling is your chance to shine, as not only a parent, but as a teacher. By keeping your child at home, you are able to conduct their lessons in a timely and efficient manner and help you child to stay on track with their education. To make sure your child’s home schooled education is successful, there are several things you can do.
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- 3). 5 Advantages Of Homeschooling By : KB Lim
What makes homeschooling better than traditional schooling? Lately, there is a rising trend in families choosing to homeschool their child than send their child to a traditional educational institution.
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There is a wide variation when it comes to the public opinion on homeschooling. Some are avid supports, while some do not find it in the best interest of children. And to weight out the pros and cons of homeschooling, a list of advantages and disadvantages of this alternative means of education is set up.
Either way, if it is really the best of the.
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- 6). Read Widely And Become Better At Homeschooling By : Brandon C. Hall
For many people, homeschooling is a desirable alternative to the education offered by the public and private school systems. When you homeschool your children you have the flexibility to create an educational curriculum more suited to their needs. Homeschooling also makes economic sense, especially when you consider the costs involved with sending multiple children to a private school.
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- 7). The Social Aspects Of Homeschooling By : Ricky Lim
Going to a regular school is more than just education. School kids get to mingle with their peers and teachers and in the process acquire social skills that are important when they progress into adult life.
Some critics have criticized that homeschooling does not fulfill this aspect of education. Since the child is studying alone at home, it does not give him/her the opportunity to pick up social skills.
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- 8). Homeschooling Curriculum - Are You Making The “Right” Choice? By : Matt Weight
Copyright 2006 Matt Weight
After deciding to homeschool your child, you now to work out what you are going to teach them. There are many curriculum choices you can make. You can purchase pre-packaged curriculum, make your own curriculum, or you could even teach a combination of both. Some parents prefer to focus their teachings on their religious beliefs.
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- 9). Spectrum Workbooks Have Helped Kids Learn for a Decade By : Paul Stevens
Available to supplement classroom learning and help children achieve higher grades are Spectrum workbooks, a series that allows young learners to reinforce subjects they are learning in school.
Spectrum workbooks follow current teaching methodology and subject standards, according to editors at School Specialty Publishing. The books are written by educational experts in various subject areas.
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- 10). Ancient Asian Calculating Tool May Hold Key to Boosting Children’s Mental Math Skills By : NurtureMinds
A growing number of American educators and concerned parents are looking for ways to help children develop the math skills necessary to succeed in the careers of the future.
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The federal government definitely plays a role in American education today, particularly in the attached to the funds it distributes to states and to local school districts, the specific rules regulating school attendance are the province of each individual state.
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- 5). Quick Tips for Getting Started in Home Schooling By : Gerri Stone
If have decided that home schooling really is right for you and your kids, you will likely want to know what to do next. Here are some quick points for getting started with home schooling:
· Locate your state's home school group. You can do this online easily by typing in your state and the keyword “home schooling” at your favorite search engine. Then go to your state listing.
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- 6). The Social Aspects Of Homeschooling By : Ricky Lim
Going to a regular school is more than just education. School kids get to mingle with their peers and teachers and in the process acquire social skills that are important when they progress into adult life.
Some critics have criticized that homeschooling does not fulfill this aspect of education. Since the child is studying alone at home, it does not give him/her the opportunity to pick up social skills.
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- 7). The High Costs Of Homeschooling By : Ricky Lim
Most people think that homeschooling is cheap since there is no need to pay for school fees and other miscellaneous fees. However, that is further than the truth.
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- 8). Thinking Outside the Books - Homeschool Math Lab Days By : Cindy Prechtel
At a recent homeschool convention, I had the opportunity to speak to many moms about ways to think "Outside the Books", when it comes to our homeschooling. I wasn't advocating never using textbooks or changing programs, but rather, helping them see that there are many ways to "show what you know". It is also important for us to help our children see that real learning happens all the time, not just when they are filling out worksheets or sitting at our school table.
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- 9). “Homeschooling Your Children: The Basic Facts!” By : Matt Weight
Copyright 2006 Matt Weight
Wikipedia states that “Home education, also called homeschooling or home school, is an educational alternative in which children are educated at home by their parents, in contrast to the compulsory attendance which takes place in an institution with a campus such as a public school or private school.”
Around the world Homeschooling has been increasing quite substantially over the last 4 years.
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- 10). Home Schooling or Not? By : zuev
Much of what I thought about home schooling was wrong. The conventional wisdom about this rapidly growing dimension of American education is too simple, too stereotyped and too stale.
For instance, the Home School Legal Defense Association, despite its energetic lawyers and many admirers, is not the leader of home schooling in this country. There is no leader, and no reigning ideology.
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