Home School

Home schooling is another way for a child to receive his or her education. It is one of many alternatives to regular schooling (classrooms and schools). It is the oldest alternatives to regular schooling and one of the most effective. There are many true stories proving that home schooling is an effective and often successful way to teach you child. But first lets talk about home schooling began in the U.S.

Home schooling started in colonial America, (around 1777 to 1783) for most colonial homes, home schooling was the only thing available. According to the Texas home school coalition, our founding fathers had a strong conviction that children should be able to read for the very important reason of reading the Bible for the spiritual benefits and truth it contained (Texas home school coalition 1997). Sometimes parents would hire a tutor to teach their children subjects in which they did not feel qualified (Texas home school coalition 1997).

It wasn't till later that education developed into religious training in the universities in the Ivy League. These universities were strictly there to train ministers. According to the THSC (Texas Home School Coalition), the entrance requirements often included being able to read and translate Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. Eventually, communities and states began to establish schools funded by the government however, these schools still had a strong religious up bringing.

Home schooling has been around for a long time. But most people won't know the steps it takes to successfully home school a child. But, to fully understand these steps one must first learn the basics of home schooling.

Home schooling means to teach or be taught at home. Home schooling is to teach children at home, or be taught at home rather than in the public school system, using an approved curriculum. Of course the parents have to have a degree to teach their children (except in New Jersey). According to the New Jersey Education laws all high schools in New Jersey will accept students who were taught by their parents. The parents have to bring proof of the child's progress and the names of the textbooks the child has used (NJ Education Laws 1). I do not think many colleges can accept students that went through home schooling at a high school level. These laws differ from state to state.

California's Department of Education maintains that you can't homeschool your children unless you hold credentials as a tutor. Carolyn Pirillo, the department's deputy general counsel, says, "If everyone in the state without teaching credentials could say, 'I'm a private school,' there would be no standard whatsoever. It would be tantamount to repealing compulsory attendance law."

Since 1990 the number of home-schooled children in the country has soared 400 percent, to nearly 2 million, according to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI). The institute estimates that 150,000 of those children are African-American. Five years ago Blacks were thought to make up only about 1 percent of the total. Some believe the number of homeschooled children may be closer to 4 million; it's difficult to make a precise head count of children whose homeroom is the living room.

According to the home schooling laws of New York you have to hire a service to keep records of all school courses that your children complete at home, if you want to get school credit for completing New York homeschool courses. These services are authorized by the state to keep records of your activities and award your children with credits. With the increased popularity of home schooling across New York, it has become more common for the board of education to designate one of their staff members to assist home schoolers in finding the information they need. This makes it easier for parents in New York to home school their children. This also eliminates the possibility for children not to receive credits at the end of the school year, due to some error. But, one must follow the New York home schooling law's instructions in order to receive credit.

Parents who determine to commence home instruction after the start of the school year, or who establish residence in the school district after the start of the school year, should provide written notice of their intention to educate their child at home within fourteen days following the commencement of home instruction within the school district (New York state homeschooling regulations 100.10 home instructions). Within ten business days of the receipt of the notice of intention to instruct at home, the school district shall send to the parents a copy of section 100.10 (the NY home schooling laws) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education and a form on which to submit an individualized home instruction plan (IHIP) for each child of compulsory attendance age who is to be taught at home. These are just where just a two of the laws that New York has pertaining to home schooling.

But, no matter what state you live in, it's necessary to know your state's home schooling regulations. And in a highly regulated state such as New York, it's especially important. If you do not follow these regulations while teaching your child at home, your child might not receive credits at the end of the school year. It will be a waste of time, and the process will have to be repeated again. Home school regulations in your state should be available in any school in your neighborhood.

Now that we covered the rules and regulations of home schooling, lets get to the typical home schooled student and their parents. Usually parents home school their children because they feel that regular schools lack the one on one atmosphere that is provided in home schooling. Parents who teach their children at home feel that schools don't have the right environment. The home environment offers the child a place free of competition, peer preasure and violence, allowing the child instead to focus on their studies and education (Bruner 65). Home school provides a more secured and loving environment for the child. The encouragement allows the student to be nurtured in all areas of life.

Since most home schooling is done at an early age it is hard for the child to have say in the mater. Sometimes children are home schooled for different reasons. A mental disorder or a fear might be the reason a child gets home schooled. These disorders are quite common and it affects teens.

A child with a fear of public places or a social anxiety disorder might be the perfect candidate for home schooling. Social anxiety might also be called "social phobia," it is a disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations (Robins and Regier. 1-2). People with this disorder have