| As the crisis in the economy drags on it is now | | | | 2003. In their study "Homeschooling in the United |
| directly affecting many of the nation's school | | | | States: 2003" it was found that 85 percent of |
| systems in the form of aging buses not being | | | | parents who home schooled cited "the social |
| replaced, crumbling schools not being repaired | | | | environments of other forms of schooling" as |
| properly and even laying off many staff including | | | | important to why they decided to homes school. |
| teachers. In this new economic reality more and | | | | 68 percent cited dissatisfaction with academic |
| more parents are looking at the many | | | | instruction at other schools". Other benefits of |
| homeschooling programs as a potential option to | | | | homeschooling programs include: |
| educate their children. Although many don't realize | | | | - Perfect Teacher-to-Student Ratio - Students |
| it, homeschooling was the norm and not the | | | | who are home schooled enjoy much more |
| exception for most of the nation's history. | | | | individualized attention than do students in |
| Because of the difficulties in commuting over any | | | | traditional schools. |
| appreciable distance formal schools were | | | | - Immediate, Personalized Feedback - The low |
| restricted to the largest towns and children living | | | | student to teacher ratio allows for effective two |
| on farms and in small villages were almost always | | | | way communications about assignments or |
| educated at home. In fact, many of the founding | | | | difficulties. |
| fathers were home schooled because there just | | | | - Curriculum tailored to the Student-A curriculum |
| wasn't any other choice. | | | | customized to the individual student allows the |
| Today homeschooling programs are legal in all 50 | | | | student to set their own pace. In other words, |
| states. Even though the Supreme Court has | | | | the student can work through a lesson as slowly |
| never ruled specifically about the practice of | | | | or rapidly as they are comfortable with. |
| homeschooling, the court has ruled that, "while a | | | | - Far Fewer Distractions - Students in |
| State may posit education standards, it may not | | | | homeschooling programs are able to focus just on |
| pre-empt the educational process by requiring | | | | the undertaking in front of them without external |
| children to attend public schools". However, each | | | | distractions. |
| state has some minimum requirements that | | | | Replacing the traditional school with homeschooling |
| homeschooling programs must meet. There are | | | | provides both the parents and the student with |
| few similarities between the states in these | | | | options that are not available to the families |
| requirements and a parent should check with their | | | | participating in traditional education methods. |
| particular state department of education on their | | | | Homeschooling programs allow families to be in |
| specific requirements. | | | | control of the education content used and to |
| The motivations for home schooling parents were | | | | make informed decisions about what best suits |
| detailed by the U.S. Department of Education in | | | | their needs. |