Brooke Layton

Professor Sobocinski

English 1202.525

3/26/2020

Why is Homeschooling Becoming More Popular?

All parents want their children to receive the best education possible, and for

more and more parents the best education is one that they give them. I have been

homeschooled for four and a half years. In that time, I have seen many of those around

me leave public school and become a homeschooler. Many friends, old classmates, and

family have made the choice to homeschool. Why are more people making that decision

to homeschool rather than let their child attend public school? Should you consider

homeschooling as an option for your child? It is proven that homeschooling has been

becoming more popular and the number of homeschoolers is growing. This is because

parents want the best learning environment and education for their children.

Homeschooling, also known as “the education of children at home by the

parents” or “parent-led home-based education”, has been becoming more common in

recent years (Burke, Ray). Homeschooling dates back to as late as the 1960’s (Burke).

It was harder to homeschool then and in the United States, was illegal in most places.

By 1993 homeschooling was recognized as an option for parents in every state (Burke).

Some state laws about homeschooling were extremely strict, making it very difficult to

homeschool. As time passed state laws changed making homeschooling easier to do in

all states, though laws still are different in every state and vary in their strictness
(Homeschooling History). Since then, the number of families homeschooling in the

United States has grown and grown.

In the article Homeschooling by the Numbers, by Rachel Coleman, she explains

how in the United States of America, since 1999 the estimated population of

homeschooling students has been growing, except for a small dip around 2013-2014

(Coleman). The

most growth

occurred between

the years 2003 and

2007 (Coleman).

Homeschooling

has been

becoming more

and more popular

Figure 1 The number of homeschooled students in the United States of America (Coleman).
and continues to

grow. Dr. Brian D. Ray, Ph.D. wrote an article titled Research Facts on Homeschooling.

In that article, he states the number of homeschoolers has been growing at an

estimated rate of 2% to 8% over the last couple of years (Ray). At first, an increase of

2% to 8% every year may seem small, but when you think of the number of

homeschoolers it is a large number of families. According to the National Home

Education Research Institution, in Spring 2019 the amount of K-12 homeschooling

students living in the United States of America was around 2.5 million (Ray). If the

average estimated growth is 5% and there were 2.5 million homeschool students in
2019, then in 2020 there will be an estimated 125,000 more homeschool students. That

is a lot of homeschoolers and the population is continuing to grow, but why?

It is a parent’s right and choice to homeschool, and there are many different

reasons families choose to homeschool. In the article Why Homeschooling is on the

Rise, by Autumn Burke, she quotes a statistic about reasons why parents homeschool

that states, 31.2% said school’s environment, 16.5% said academic instruction, 29.8%

said to teach religious and moral values, 6.5% said physical or mental disabilities or

needs of the child, 7.2% said special needs of the child, and 8.8% said a different

reason (qtd. in Burke). These are many of the reasons that families make the choice to

homeschool. There are more reasons by different families explaining why they choose

to homeschool.

Brian D. Ray gives a few more reasons why some families homeschool. The

parents want to be able to customize the curriculum, the child accomplishes more

academically than when in public school, the parents wants to try a different approach

to teaching and learning than what is offered in public schools, they want better family

relationships, the parents want to guide their child’s social experiences with both

friends, peers, and adults, they can provide a better environment than public schools,

and they can teach religious or moral values (Ray). These are the most popular reasons

parents gave for why they homeschooled their children. Are these reasons valid and

true?

In an article in USA today by Marina Pitofsky, she explains how over the last few

years school violence has gone up a lot (Pitofsky). There have been more acts and

threats of reported violence at schools all over the United States (Pitofsky). This is one
of the biggest reasons some families homeschool. No one wants to get a call saying

their child got hurt during a fight at school, or worse got killed in a shooting. Children’s

safety is a main priority of schools, but some take more responsibility and action than

others. When less action is taken the parents do not feel their child is safe and often

homeschool them. The parents want their children to be safe both physically and

emotionally. Bullying is another form of a bad school environment. If a child is being

bullied, and the school is doing nothing about it, or is trying but what they are doing is

not working. Then parents might take their child out of that school. If it is not a good safe

learning environment then the child is not learning well. They need a better environment

to learn, and the home is a better safer environment.

It is well known that when a child is being homeschooled, they have less contact

with people. This lowers their chances of catching a communicable disease. They are

less likely to get sick or accidently eat something they are allergic too. For children who

have a compromised immune system, this can literally save their lives. No one likes

being sick, and if you are homeschooled it lowers your chances of getting sick. The

home is a safe and a healthy environment. Perfect for children of all ages and health to

learn, grow, and develop in.

Academic performance and grades are another reason many families

homeschool. They feel they, as parents, can give their child a superior one-on-one

education then they would get at public schools. Ray says that on standardized

academic achievement tests, homeschooled students score 15 to 30 percentile points

higher than public schooled students (Ray). They also score better on ACT and SAT

tests (Ray). Many colleges have taken notice of homeschoolers better academic
performance and are actively recruiting them (Ray, Weller). In an article about

homeschooling Chris Weller wrote, “A 2009 study showed that the proportion of

homeschoolers who graduated from college was about 67%, while among public school

students it was 59%” (Weller). Homeschoolers already have many important skills

needed to succeed at college like time management and self-regulation (Weller). Many

parents have had the opportunity to notice that their child is more productive at home

and gets more done than they do at school. When some schools can not meet they give

the students their schoolwork online. For many students doing this schoolwork only

takes a few hours. Less than the time they spend doing it at school. All parents want

their children to get a good education and be successful. Homeschooling is a great

option.

There are many successful homeschoolers in our history and society. Some of

these people include George Washington, Charles Dickens, James Madison, Benjamin

Franklin, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale, the Wright Brothers, and

Thomas Edison. (Jeub). These influential individuals and many more that were just as

successful received their education in their own homes. Homeschoolers can become

very successful people. They also are more engaged in and willing to participate in their

communities and society (Ray). These are important skills that we want the next

generation to have.

In many homes, religion and morals are extremely important. Homeschooling

gives a larger opportunity for parents to teach their children about their religion and

morals. Teaching them more about their religion and morals can help the children follow

and hold onto them better. Also, because religion can be such a controversial topic it is
often ignored in schools (Jeub). How can we understand history without religion?

Religion impacts the choices and lives of almost every person in history. Some parents

want their children to know and understand how religion was an important factor in our

world history. They choose to homeschool so their children can learn the things they

decide are most important for them to learn.

Closely related to religion is family. Strengthening family relationships and bonds

is another reason some families make the choice to homeschool. In a research study

examining parent involvement done by Christa L. Green and Kathleen V. Hoover-

Dempsey, it was found that homeschooler parents are more interested and engaged in

their child's life than public school parents (Green). They have an active role in their

child’s learning and that leads to a strengthened relationship between the parent and

the child (Green). When homeschooling is done with multiple children, the relationship

between the siblings grows too. During lunch, my siblings and I almost always play a

card or board game together. Doing this strengthens our relationships with each other.

Homeschooling gives us that opportunity. I feel I have a closer relationship with my

parents and siblings than my public schooled friends because we homeschool. I spend

more time with my family and spend time on our relationships every day.

Having parents and family involved in children’s school work and everyday life

helps children to be more successful (Parent Involvement). In the Article How Parents

Involvement Leads to Student Success, they state that the benefits of students who

have engaged parents include higher grades and test scores, better social skills, higher

self-confidence and motivation, and the students are more likely to graduate and

continue on to post-secondary education (Parent Involvement).

 Some special needs children need a different environment than what is offered in

public schools. With homeschooling a better environment can be created just for the

child so they can learn the best way for them. The school work can be done at the

child’s chosen pace, one-on-one they can truly understand everything before moving on

(Special Needs Students). There are fewer distractions and the child can focus on what

they are doing. Taking breaks whenever the child needs them is another perk of

homeschooling. Any special accommodations for the child can be met (Special Needs

Students).

Another reason parents homeschool is their desire to guide their children’s social

interactions. This is helpful for parents who do not want their children exposed to certain

things until they are older. Also, it helps to keep their children safe and around good

people. Chris Jeub, an English teacher who homeschools his children, shared a quote

in the book The New Alternative Schools about two different types of sociability.

“Parents and educators...neglect to differentiate the kind of sociability they prefer.

The child who feels needed, wanted, and depended on at home... is much more likely to

develop a sense of self-worth and a stable value system.... In contrast is the negative

sociability that develops when a child surrenders to his peers (qtd. in Jeub).”

Homeschoolers receive very positive sociability in their homes. They feel

needed, wanted and depended on. With the help of parents and other family members

they grow their self-worth and self-confidence. This is the kind of sociability that is

important for children to have and develop.

 One reason many families refuse to consider homeschooling is because they

believe homeschoolers do not receive proper socialization. In recent years, more

opportunities for homeschool socialization have arisen. (Burke) Homeschooled children

can join public after school clubs, 4-H groups, scouting troops, sport teams, and more,

(Burke) They can still receive proper socialization and receive their education in their

own home. Another concern when it comes to homeschooling is the qualifications of the

teacher. There are co-ops, online groups and courses, and community college classes

to help when a parent is unable to teach a subject (Burke). In co-ops different parents

get together and each teach a subject that they are knowledgeable in. This also helps

for the children. After a while they get bored of just hearing their parent’s voices. Having

some other teachers is helpful and they child can learn from a more knowledgeable

teacher. Teaching is also a great opportunity for parents to discover something about

themselves. My mom never knew how good she was a debate until she began to help

teach it in our co-op class. She was a natural. Other teachers would ask her to come

help teach it in their co-op class. Without homeschooling and our co-op group my mom

would never have discovered this talent.

With the growing number of homeschooling, also comes a growing number of

opportunities for the homeschoolers. Many zoos, historical sites, libraries, museums,

aquariums, and businesses have special rates or events just for homeschoolers. With

all of these amazing opportunities, homeschooling is often a more hands on learning

experience. With these awesome deals and amazing hands-on learning opportunities

many parents choose to homeschool and give their child opportunities they could not

have in public school.

 All of these reasons come from one main idea, parents want the best learning

environment for their children. They want less violence, a healthy environment, the best

academic performance, their religion and morals to be taught, family relationships

strengthened, special needs cared for, guided social experiences, and hands-on

learning experiences. Parents know their children better than anyone else. They can

give them all of these things and more, and they can do it all within the walls of their

own home. The upcoming generation deserves and needs the best education possible.

How they get that education is the parent’s choice.

With all these reasons why homeschooling is becoming more popular, it can be

seen as a superior method of gaining education. This is not always true, though for

some families and children it is. Homeschooling is a choice and does not work for every

parent, child, or family. I have a friend who homeschooled for one year, but it was

difficult for her and her parents. She switched back to public school the next year and

has never regretted that decision. For her, her parents, and her family, homeschooling

was not the right choice. This is true for many families in the United States, but my

friend tried homeschool. Her family learned about it and tried it. It did not work and they

went back to public school. Every family in the United States can do this. They can give

homeschool a test run for a few weeks or days during the summer, see if maybe

homeschooling is an option they should consider. If they find out it is not, public school

is still there and willing to take and teach their children.

For some families it is an impossible task to homeschool. Homeschooling is a lot

of work, and many parents cannot do it (Green). It takes lots of time and effort to plan

and teach every or most subjects to any child. Parents working full time do not have the
time or resources to teach their children. Public schools are still extremely important for

families like these. Also, some homes are not a good environment for children to stay

and learn in. Public school is an escape for these children. Homeschooling is not the

right schooling option for everyone, but it still is a good option people should consider.

Currently with COVID-19 and most schools closing all over the United States,

many parents have the opportunity to see a little about what homeschooling is like. This

is not exactly like homeschooling. Homeschooling involves more field-trips, hands-on

experiences, and social interaction. For parents considering homeschooling, this is an

opportunity for them to see if they have the patience and ability to homeschool their

child. For every parent this is a time for them to begin to grow their teaching skills. It is

every parent's responsibility to teach their child at some level. Now with COVID-19 and

schools closed, every parent is a homeschool teacher. This is the time for them to learn

and acquire the skills necessary to teach their children. We do not know when schools

will open again. Until then every parent is a homeschool teacher. Many of these parents

may realize their child is more productive in their home. The number of homeschools

may grow even more in the coming months and years.

Homeschooling has been quickly growing because parents want the best

learning environment for their children. They want a safe learning and growth-oriented

environment for their child to learn in. A place where the child can be their best self and

learn the skills necessary to survive in today’s competitive world. After all, who knows a

child better than their parents? No one, parents are capable teachers, who know and

can learn the best ways and methods in which to teach and rear their children. The

number of homeschooling families is large and will continue to grow as more parents
come to the realization that their child deserves the best learning environment possible

for them, and that that best learning environment might just be in the walls of their own

home.
Works Cited

Burke. “Homeschooling Continues to Rise. Find Out Why!” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 31

Jan. 2020, www.thoughtco.com/why-homeschooling-is-on-the-rise-1832549.

Coleman, Rachel. “Homeschooling by the Numbers.” Coalition for Responsible Home

Education, 8 Oct. 2018, responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-

101/homeschooling-numbers/.

Green, Christa L., and Kathleen V. Hoover-Dempsey. “Why Do Parents Homeschool? A

Systematic Examination of Parental Involvement.” Education and Urban Society, vol.

39, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2007, pp. 264–285. Sinclair, doi:10.1177/0013124506294862.

Ray, Brian D. “Research Facts on Homeschooling.” National Home Education Research

Institute, 27 Nov. 2019, www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/.

Stahlmannn, Jenni, and Jody Hagaman. “Parenting: Homeschooling Gaining Popularity

in the U.S.” Herald-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2018,

https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180305/parenting-homeschooling-gaining-

popularity-in-us.

Weller, Chris. “Americans Are Rejecting the 'Homeschool Myth' - and Experts Say the

Misunderstood Education Might Be Better than Public or Charter Schools.” Business

Insider, Business Insider, 23 Jan. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/homeschooing-

more-popular-than-ever-2017-1.
“A Brief History of Homeschooling.” Coalition for Responsible Home Education,

Coalition for Responsible Home Education, 8 Oct. 2018,

responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-101/a-brief-history-of-homeschooling/.

Jeub, Chris. “Why Parents Choose Home Schooling.” Why Parents Choose Home

Schooling - Educational Leadership, Sept. 1994,

www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept94/vol52/num01/Why-Parents-

Choose-Home-Schooling.aspx.

Pitofsky, Marina. “There Were Nearly 1,300 More Threats Made at U.S. Schools This

Past Year, Report Finds.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 16 Aug.

2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/08/14/school-violence-us-

schools/987901002/.

“Special Needs Students - The Advantages of Homeschooling.” Calvert Education, 3

Jan. 2019, www.calverteducation.com/homeschooling-children-with-special-

needs/special-needs-students-the-advantages-of-homeschooling.

“How Parent Involvement Leads to Student Success.” Waterford.org, 1 Nov. 2018,

www.waterford.org/education/how-parent-involvment-leads-to-student-success/.

“Map: Coronavirus and School Closures.” Education Week, 27 Mar. 2020,

www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/map-coronavirus-and-school-closures.html.

National Center for Educational Statistics, Number of Students Homeschooled,

responsiblehomeschooling.org, 2017.

https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-101/homeschooling-numbers/.