Christopher Byrnes asked:


Homeschooling is an alternative form of education that is fast growing. There are approximately two million people in the country today that undergo homeschooling. It completely fills up the role of institutional learning. In homeschooling, both parents and their children determine the extent of their learning.

Everybody can avail of homeschooling. All fifty states legally approve the practice of homeschooling. What differs from state to state are the laws governing the homeschooling program. Homeschooling can be very convenient for single parents who run a home business. They can have their kids to help them as well. Children of disabled parents can be tapped to take on a medical profession or one that involves social services.

Homeschooling should not be confused with home study or other forms of home-based education. In the latter, the parents and children do not have a say on the content of the curriculum. Examples of these are independent school programs. Home study is usually offered to those kids who for some valid reason could not attend school, say injury.

There is not much requirement for one to administer homeschooling. Some states do not even require a highschool diploma from the parents. There is however, one state which requires some training program for homeschooling before allowing a person to conduct it at home.

Homeschooling is preferred over institutional learning for various reasons. Some find the school curriculum questionable. Some parents think that schools cannot provide enough training to optimize the skills and talents of their children. Some are simply concerned with the issues regarding the safety and security within their local schools. Some children just do not fit in school so parents resort to homeschooling for their kids.

Not much is needed to enable one to administer homeschooling. Even simple household stuff or even pets can be used to demonstrate scientific concepts. One can also borrow tools from friends and neighbors. Books at home can also be great learning materials. If they are not sufficient, the bookstore and the public library are the best sources of knowledge as well as the internet.

If still clueless about the concept, there are many organizations, websites and publications which can help enlighten about homeschooling and offer great help along the process. The library is also one of the best resources for wealth of knowledge as well as the local museums.

Homeschooling can be a very rewarding experience for the family. It provides for more precious time for bonding. It is not necessary for parents to be geniuses to become homeschooling teachers. All they need to have is resourcefulness to find ways to answer their children’s questions.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Carnival of Homeschooling: No Child Left Inside

Hosted this week by Susan at Corn and Oil.

Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling: No Child Left Inside edition.
Does that No Child Left…. phrase sound vaguely familiar to homeschoolers? It might, as it relates to the controversial No Child Left Behind federal law. Requirements from the 2001 federal No Child Left Behind law have been perceived as sacrificing areas such as science, in order to spend more time on high-stakes test subjects. Some field trips and time devoted to outdoor learning activities were cut. Homeschoolers can celebrate that we generally do not have that mandated problem.
The No Child Left Inside Coalition celebrates their “historic legislation introduced on Earth Day”. April is designated as No Child Left Inside Days. Read more…

Paul Hata asked:


Homeschooling is a spiritual experience for the whole family. Because it is not just about books, or curriculum, or tests or achievements. It is about love, change, growth and enlightenment for both the children and the parents. Famous homeschoolers includes Alexander Graham Bell,Albert Einstein, Agatha Christie,Bernard Shaw,Benjamin Franklin,George Patton,Winston Churchill and many others.

The term ‘homeschooling’ basically refers to the process in which one or more children of not more than 2 families are instructed by parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household.The laws that define homeschooling vary from state to state. The legal requirements for establishing a homeschool also vary with the state.

According to the National Center For Education Statistics, almost 1.1 million children underwent homeschooling in 2005 alone. That’s a lot of children. Once upon a time, homeschooling used to be a

radical statement - something like a declaration of independence. It was the conservative Christians who advocated homeschooling in the ’80s and legalized it in every State. But the typical homeschooler of the day is not religiously motivated.

For most children, the actual process of learning begins much before school. Many children already know their alphabets, the names of animals, colors and other more complicated stuff before they reach school. This is mostly due to the hard work of a member of the family who has taken the time to teach the child. Homeschooling is just a natural progression from here. Instead of sending their children to a public school, parents make their own curriculum and teach their children in ways that best suit the child. This is homeschooling, in its most simplistic form.

Before you decide to go in for homeschooling, there are certain important matters for consideration. First off, meet with parents of other homeschoolers. Find out the pros and cons of homeschooling. Then ask yourself why you would want to adopt this method. This is a very important aspect, as the success of the program depends on the clarity and sincerity of your purpose.

Next, it is time to consider the expenses of homeschooling. It may cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand every year. More importantly, you are also effectively shutting out any job opportunity for one of the parents. It is only obvious that one parent will have to stay at home full time to manage the homeschool. A home-based business however is a great alternative.

Are you qualified to take on homeschooling for your children? Teaching is a continuation of your own learning process. With the advent of the internet, information is aplenty. There are various books and resources for those interested in homeschooling. Go through the various methods of homeschooling and choose one that is most suited to you. It helps if you know what kind of learning style your child has. Also, find out what your child feels about homeschooling before you start.

Every state has its own laws regarding homeschooling. For instance, in North Carolina, you must first file a ‘Notice of Intent’ to start a home school. In this you have to mention if the school is a ‘Private church’ school or a ‘qualified non-public school’. The persons providing the education are required to have at least a high school diploma. You have to maintain an annual record of the child’s attendance and disease immunization. Every year, the child is required to undergo a standardized test. Each student attending the eleventh grade has to take a nationally standardized test. These are the requirements in North Carolina, but it is enough to give you a good idea of what homeschooling entails.

Homeschooling may seem like a lot of fun and freedom from the outside. However, things are seldom as simple as they seem.Homeschooling is a lot of added responsibility and hard work. But, if successful, it will forge a strong bond of love and respect between parent and child, while providing your child with the best form of education he needs.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Opting out: Why one parent chose to educate her children at home

SIX-YEAR-OLD Ismail Iftikhar doesn’t go to school – he’s not playing truant or been excluded, in fact, he’s a good boy who is literally at the top of his class.

For Ismail is being home-educated, and each day at 11am he settles down with his books and is led through his studies by his mum, Sahida Bano. Read more…

Opting out: Why one parent chose to educate her children at home

SIX-YEAR-OLD Ismail Iftikhar doesn’t go to school – he’s not playing truant or been excluded, in fact, he’s a good boy who is literally at the top of his class.

For Ismail is being home-educated, and each day at 11am he settles down with his books and is led through his studies by his mum, Sahida Bano. Read more…

HomeSchool Carnival, the Last Minute Filling in For a Friend Edition!

Hosted this week by
The Common Room. As always, a nice collection of homeschool reading.

I haven’t submitted a post to the weekly homeschooling carnival in forever- just because I keep forgetting. So when Henry asked me to pitch in at the last moment because the scheduled bloghost couldn’t do it, I quickly agreed.
Then, of course, came the part I always struggle with, finding a theme- one nobody else has used, one that is clever, and witty, and preferably has some artistic tie-in so you can choose cool graphics to illustrate your post.

And then I looked at the time and decided that this is just going to be the All About Me Blog Carnival. You can probably figure out why. =) Read more…

HomeSchool Carnival, the Last Minute Filling in For a Friend Edition!

Hosted this week by
The Common Room. As always, a nice collection of homeschool reading.

I haven’t submitted a post to the weekly homeschooling carnival in forever- just because I keep forgetting. So when Henry asked me to pitch in at the last moment because the scheduled bloghost couldn’t do it, I quickly agreed.
Then, of course, came the part I always struggle with, finding a theme- one nobody else has used, one that is clever, and witty, and preferably has some artistic tie-in so you can choose cool graphics to illustrate your post.

And then I looked at the time and decided that this is just going to be the All About Me Blog Carnival. You can probably figure out why. =) Read more…

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Every parent dreams of giving their child an exceptional education. For many parents this means looking at the different schools within their home areas. For others this can mean looking at a suitable homeschooling program. While there are lots of different types of homeschooling programs that are available each state has its own set of rules regarding homeschooling. These homeschooling laws are worth checking out before you enroll your child in a home school program.

To find out what your local homeschooling laws are like it is best if you know some facts about your state’s policy towards homeschooling. This is due to the fact that some states seem to have no need for documentation from parents or homeschooling programs about their enrollment policies or the subjects that they teach.

When you look for this information on the internet you will find that there are four categories of homeschooling laws. These laws range from no legal requirements about homeschooling to very strict laws regarding homeschooling. At present there seems to be about 6 states where the homeschooling laws are very strict. On the other hand there are 10 states where there is no need for homeschooling laws.

These homeschooling laws are also found in the territories of the US. Since there are many different criteria that states have for homeschool studies there are times when as parents you will need to provide documentation. The documentation will include parental notification to the state about your child’s studying as a home school student.

For the states where the homeschooling laws are very strict the state requires more than a parental notification from the parents. The documents that you must produce are achievement test scores, the homeschool curriculum approved by the state, professional evaluation of your child’s educational progress.

You will also need teacher qualifications of you and your spouse as teachers for your children while they are engaged in homeschooling. Some states may require that state officials visit your home to inspect if the children are receiving a high education. These are just a few of the various documents and other facts that you need to be aware of regarding your state’s homeschooling laws.

Since each state has different rules regarding homeschooling it is a good idea if you can find information about the state laws for homeschooling. The main fact that you should keep in mind with state laws and homeschooling is that before your child becomes a home school student you might need to see what the homeschooling laws are.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Amazing video is related to homeschooling after all

I really wanted to blog about this amazing video but alas, this is a blog about homeschooling, not popular culture. However, Henry of Why Homeschool posted about this as a lesson for life. Great tie-in Henry!

Please watch the video before you read Henry’s post The effect will be much greater the less you know about it.

Britains Got Talent has Susan Boyle as one of their contestants. She has a dream to be a professional singer. Susan is 47, a bit overweight and not real attractive. She’s never been married, never even been kissed. She cared for her sick mother for years. Read more…

Carnival of Homeschooling - Peter Rabbit Edition

The carnival is hosted this week at Guide to Homeschooling Resources.

Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.- Beatrix Potter

Carnvial of Homeschooling- Peter Rabbit I attended school, but many years later when I heard this quote by Beatrix Potter, I was reminded of a teacher who did attempt to squelch my creativity for a bit when I didn’t pass her “art test” and she refused my enrollment in her freshman art class. Thankfully, passion is rarely stopped by such obstacles and a friend shared the useful bits of the lessons she learned in the class with me.

Busy as Bees

Home education not only prevents creativity from being rubbed off, but encourages each child to create, explore and discover their place in the world. In honor of the Easter holiday and Ms. Potter, I present the Peter Rabbit Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling, starting with some great Peter Rabbit Resources: Read more…