One of the questions I am most frequently asked in my talks with parents has to do with my assessment of home-schooling. There are several different motivations for these questions. Some parents are already home-schooling their children and are looking for support for their out of the mainstream decision. Other parents are considering the possibility and want to hear some expert opinion. Finally some parents are opposed to it and want arguments to justify their position.

From all the evidence I can find, and from my talks with parents and children who have participated in home-schooling, it can provide an excellent education. This is particularly true in those communities which welcome home schooled adolescents into the local high school science labs and sports team which would otherwise be unavailable to them. For those parents who choose to home school. There are now many on-line communities for helpful information and guidance and many excellent curricula for purchase.

The advantages are straightforward. We know that the effectiveness of education is closely related to the amount of time the teacher has for each pupil. Home schooling is like tutoring in this regard. In addition, home-schooled children don’t have to spend part of their school day being bused back and forth from school. Furthermore, parents who home school can use the environment much more freely than can a class room teacher. Children can visit museums, take nature walks, visit historic sites and so on. If we are honest, most education does not really take place in the classroom. Last but not least, parents can individualize instruction in keeping with the child’s particular interests and abilities. A home schooled boy in Northern California taught himself to read when he was nine because he was raising goats and wanted to explore books and articles about the best way to do this. He later went on to Harvard and to medical school.

It should be said; however, that home-schooling is not for everyone and is probably not the wave of the future. Most parents do not have the time, or the financial resources, to home school. It also takes a dedication and commitment that are not commonplace. And there are the limitations of not being in a school system with science and sports facilities. But for those parents who choose to go this route, it can be an exciting challenge, and for home schooled children it can be a richly rewarding experience.