Home Schooling: One of the Fastest Growing Trends in Our Country

Why should you care about home schooling? While about 82% of homeschooled children receive all of their education at home, some students take classes at local schools or eventually return to a public school full time – maybe in your classroom.

Race of Parents Who Home School Question #1

Question #2 More than ¾ of parents who home school have had some college, a Bachelor’s or graduate degree.

Question #3 80% of parents who home school come from two parent homes.

Question #4

About 15% of home schooling families are non-white. Question #5

Question #6 The two primary reasons parents choose to home school are: Concern about the environment at school A desire to provide religious or moral instruction.

Question #7 About 55% of home schooling families have just one parent working outside the home.

Question #8 Michigan law mandates that home schooled children must be schooled from the ages of 6 to their 16 th birthday.

Question #9 There are no requirements for how many days a home schooled child must be instructed in the state of Michigan.

Question #10 There are about 2 MILLION home schooled children in the US – almost twice as much as in 2003.

Notable Facts *Lower income families are as likely to home school their children as middle class or wealthy families. *About half of the families who home school have both parents working outside the home. *About 20% of parents who home school are single parents. *About 25% of parents who home school have not attended college. *Home schooled children tend to score higher on standardized tests than students receiving a public education.

Things to consider if a previously home schooled child is enrolled in your class: Contrary to popular belief, home schooled children have above-average social and psychological development.

Home schooled children are usually self-motivated, independent learners.

Home schooled students score significantly higher on standardized tests, like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills – on average 37 percentile points higher.

150 Colleges and universities in the United States actively recruit students who were home schooled because they: read with comprehension have a wealth of different educational experiences they know how to access and use information and they have an enthusiasm for learning.

Resources Princiotta, D., Bielick,S., Vand Brunt, A., & Chapman, C. (2006). Homeschooling in the United States: National Center for Educational Statistics. US Department of Education. (National Home Education Research Institute) (Home School Legal Defense Association)