It is estimated that between 700,000 and 1.3 mil-
lion children in the United States are home schooled.
In 2001 this represented approximately 3 to 5 per-
cent of all students from kindergarten through grade
twelve. Numerous studies have shown that the majori-
ty of home-schooled students come from a two-
parent, middle-class household. Though more single
mothers without college education are beginning to
home school their children, most parents have some
college education and a higher income than the na-
tional norm. Other typical characteristics of home
school families include the following: (1) Equal num-
bers of boys and girls are home schooled with chil-
dren ranging in age from three to seventeen; (2)
though the mother is usually the primary teacher,
both parents play an active role in the process; (3)
there are generally three or more children in the fam-
ily; (4) more than 70 percent regularly attend reli-
gious services, representing a variety of backgrounds;
(5) children are usually home schooled a minimum of
three years; and (6) though students usually study all
traditional school subjects, home school parents gen-
erally place an emphasis on reading, mathematics,
and science.
Reasons for Home Schooling
As mentioned before, parents choose to home
school their children for many different reasons. The
two most popular are called ideological and pedagog-
ical, with those home schooling for ideological rea-
sons called ideologues and those doing so for
pedagogical reasons called pedagogues. Ideologues
are generally motivated by religious beliefs and
choose instructional methods focused on religious
teachings, moral values, and patriotism, mixed with
basic skills. The majority of ideologues, though not
all, are fundamentalist Christians who have a strong
desire to connect their religious beliefs to their in-
structional curricula.
Parents who choose to home school their children
for pedagogical reasons can be separated into two
groups. The first group, originating in the late 1960s,
includes parents who want their children to develop
individual awareness and fulfill their potential. Be-
cause of this motivation, they typically use loosely de-
fined curricula where their children are placed in
unstructured, exploration-seeking environments.
The second group of pedagogues has chosen to home
school their children because of dissatisfaction with
the climate or quality of the education provided in the
public school setting. Contrary to the first group,
these parents usually teach their children in struc-
tured environments, focusing on the learning of basic
skills, discipline, and patriotism.
How, When, and How Much
Because parents choose to home school their chil-
dren for different reasons, every home school looks
a little different. Studies have shown, however, that
ideologues usually teach a more traditional curricu-
lum, and many include biblical training and the
teaching of religious history. Out of their desire for
their children to become self-aware and develop their
potential, the first group of pedagogues discussed
above believes that education should consider all as-
pects of the human experience—rational, emotional,
spiritual, aesthetic, and creative. Unfortunately, very
few studies have examined how the second group of
pedagogues educates their children. This is a reflec-
tion of the wide variety of reasons why this particular
group of parents decides to home school their chil-
dren.
Each home school also looks different in terms of
when parents begin to home school their children,
how many hours are spent ‘‘in school,’’ and how much
parents spend to home school their children. Similar
to how parents choose to educate their children, these
decisions are also a reflection of why parents have
chosen to home school. For example, while most par-
ents begin educating their children around the age of
six, there are some who begin as young as age three
or four and others who wait until the child is between
ten and twelve. One reason for such variability is that
parents are the ones who determine when their child
is ready for school. Though there is still much variety,
most studies have shown that the average home-
schooled child spends three to four hours per day
being educated. Additional time is also spent on spe-
cial projects such as field trips, reading for pleasure,
cooking, playing, gardening, and so forth. Finally,
most studies have found that the national average
spent on home schooling is $500 a year per child.Academic and Social Outcomes
Despite concerns that home-schooled children
will have poorly developed social skills and will not
learn at a similar rate as their same-age peers, most
studies have revealed the opposite. In fact, most
studies have shown that home schools produce supe-
rior social and academic results. For example, one
study found that 50 percent of 224 home-schooled
children in Michigan scored as well as or better than
90 percent of their same-age peers and only 10.3 per-
cent scored below the national average on a measure
of self-concept and self-esteem. Another study re-
vealed that home-schooled students generally partici-
pate in at least five extracurricular activities outside
the home, with 98 percent participating in at least two
or more activities.192 HOME SCHOOLING