Homeschooling

Kate McReynolds Homeschooling represents a real alternative to traditional public education, as well as to the ideology of consumerism, conformity, and competition that permeates our increasingly standardized educational institutions.

cross the nation, public schools are cutting back or eliminating recess, art, music, physical education, and drama. Excessive homework and test-prep are encroaching on childrens free time and family time, making it difficult for them to engage in activities that are important for their full development. Competitive college entrance requirements push young people to take Advanced Placement courses and SAT-prep courses, adding to their already heavy homework loads. The school work itself, driven by high-stakes tests, is typically dull and lifeless, consisting of little besides the memorization of disembodied facts and concepts. Children seem to dislike school more than ever. We are told that all this is necessary to prepare our children for the future. But is it? Is there an alternative way to educate our children that will respect their happiness and individuality, and will foster their natural love of learning? Growing numbers of parents are turning to homeschooling. Variations By its very nature, homeschooling cannot be easily described. There is no unified homeschool movement, no standardized curriculum or centralized source of information on academic achievement. Parents have many different reasons for homeschooling their children. For some the motivation is not the repressive and dreary nature of the public school curriculum, but the need to teach a religious-based education. Other parents fear violence in the schools (Bauman 2001, Masland and Ross 2003). Still others want to spend more time with their children (Blanchard 2006). Some homeschooled children follow a traditional curriculum and a set schedule, some are deschooled, a style of homeschooling that permits children to follow their own interests at their own pace. Some homeschoolers engage in distance

Kate McReynolds, a child clinical psychologist, is the Associate Editor of Encounter. She is the mother of two teenage children.

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learning, i.e., Internet-based instruction, and purchase books and ready-made curricula. Many make or find their own materials, join learning cooperatives, and make use of community-based learning opportunities, such as public lectures, community theater, and continuing education classes (Russo 1999). Increasingly, homeschoolers are joining together to share resources and even to form partnerships with traditional schools (Bauman 2001; Blanchard 2006). But regardless of the form it takes, homeschooling is a growing trend, increasing annually by 15 to 20 percent (Bauman 2001; Masland and Ross 2003). Evaluating the Outcomes Academic achievement among U.S. homeschoolers is difficult to assess. There is no uniform curriculum; standardized tests are voluntary in many states; and federal systems of accountability are absent. Nevertheless, a variety of studies suggest that by traditional standards, homeschoolers do pretty well. They tend to score higher than public school children on standardized achievement tests (Rudner 1999), advanced placement exams (Richman 2005), the SAT (King 2004) and the ACT (Golden 2001). Homeschoolers attend college at higher rates than public school students (Richman 1999). About three-quarters of the nations colleges have policies regarding homeschool applicants and many, including Harvard, actively recruit homeschoolers (Cloud and Morse 2001). In 2001 Stanford University admitted 27% of its homeschooled applicants, nearly twice the acceptance rate of traditionally schooled applicants (Golden 2001). Once in college homeschoolers tend to have higher grade point averages than their traditionally schooled peers (Golden 2001). Despite its apparent academic success, a prevalent mainstream concern is that homeschooling deprives children of the social and emotional development necessary to make it in the real world. The socialization question, as it is often called, represents a number of concerns. If children dont attend traditional schools will they be able to cope with college? Will they be able to get and keep a job? Will homeschooled children know how to get along with others? Will they tolerate peoples differences? Will they know how to behave as society expects? I decided to

talk with homeschoolers to get a better idea of their day-to-day life. Ellen Ellen, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, homeschools her five children. She was originally somewhat opposed to homeschooling, put off by her impression that homeschoolers were trying to shield themselves from the world, but all that changed when she sent Aidan, her first child, to kindergarten. I knew something was wrong on the first day of school. I asked the teacher if I could meet with her and she seemed shocked. She agreed, but during our meeting her attitude seemed to be, What are you doing here? Although the school, which Ellen had researched and carefully selected, had an open door policy, Aidans teacher didnt value parent cooperation. There were 37 children in Aidans class and they were expected to sit in desks and do academic worksheets; there was very little playtime. Aidan, who already knew how to read, was bored and restless. Ellen was surprised to get reports that her well-behaved son was acting up in school. She discovered that the punishment was losing recess, which struck her as counterproductive. At home, her young son talked about teachers yelling at students, about students yelling, and about his feeling that his teacher was always watching him. Ellen suspected he had been pegged as a troublemaker. Six weeks into the school year a family emergency required Ellens attention. She left town for two weeks, taking Aidan with her. When they returned, Aidan did not go back to school. Ellen is a proponent of Waldorf education, developed by Rudolph Steiner, a holistic developmental approach that discourages introducing academics too early. Aidan spent his first year of homeschool primarily playing with friends, going to the library, doing art, and going on outings with his mother. Now, with five homeschoolers ranging in age from 3 to 13, some of the work is more academic, some of the time more structured. The children learn with books and workbooks, with friends, from programs at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Natural History, and other community resources. But each one has a unique developmental path that homeschooling is fostering. Ten-year-old Caleb, for example, is a peacemaker who is unusually sensitive to

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peoples well-being. He is more of a homebody than Aidan, and not as interested in academics. His education, therefore, is not as book-based, rather he spends time building and sculpting. Ellen has been methodical about math but, in keeping with her philosophy, does not introduce it too soon.
I observe my children very carefully to see how things are affecting them, not to cater to their every whim, but to make sure of healthy growth in every aspect of their lives, not just academics. It takes a lot of attention.

regation, competition, and the near exclusive focus on academic subjects.

My children, and other homeschoolers I know, interact with people of all ages. In my family we have to adjust to each individual on a daily basis. There is an awareness of differences, a give and take. The older children help the younger ones and this develops compassion and understanding. Multi-age socializing is a very natural, real world practice that children in traditional schools dont experience. Homeschoolers have more time to socialize too. We are out in the world everyday interacting with people. And the children have time to play with their friends because theyre not burdened with afterschool programs and homework.

It seems to be working. When Ellens daughter, Justine, who is sunny, artistic, and loving, was six, she spent the entire year drawing pictures. It was all she wanted to do and she was very focused and content. Now 8 years old, her interest is turning to academic subjects and she recently asked for a math workbook. When her mother gave her one shortly before bedtime, Justine took it to bed with her and began working out problems. She enthusiastically told her mother, Dont be surprised if you see me here in the morning still working. Ellen believes that by allowing children the freedom to develop their own interests and learn material when they are ready we are protecting their natural enthusiasm and preparing them in the best possible way for the future.
Their enthusiasm for the things they are interested in is so untainted by competition and external expectations that its retained. Their enthusiasm for whats coming in the future is preserved. If we expose them to academics too early were stunting their ability to use their knowledge creatively and in their own way. If its too early they wont know what to do with what they know, but if we pay attention to the unique way that each child learns and grows, they will be free to accomplish what they want in life.

Ellen goes on to say that cooperation, which she defines as working together for the common good, is not fostered in traditional schools. How does putting children in a very competitive environment, where the emphasis is on individual achievement, promote social harmony? What are we teaching children when we socialize them in this way? But Ellen believes that one of the biggest advantages of homeschooling for socializing children is the cultural opportunities it can provide. The things that we share in our culture, like art and music, are the things that socialize us. This is where we come together as a society. And this is whats being eliminated from public schools. Ellens son, Aidan, has decided to start public high school next fall. Shes not worried about how he will cope. This is what he wants. Hes motivated to be a part of this experience and hes a creative problem solver. He has the skills to overcome whatever challenges he meets. Elisa Elisa is a lively, articulate 15-year-old girl who has been homeschooled for the past year. She is a veteran of the Popcorn School, a parent cooperative pre-K and kindergarten, a public school, and a private school. When the homework started piling up in middle school, Elisas mother suggested homeschooling. Elisa resisted, fearing shed become a social outcast. By 8th grade, then in private school,

Ellen is very familiar with the socialization question. Shes puzzled that people think of public school as the real world. Its silly, says Ellen. This is the world; we all live in it. Ellen believes there are many aspects of traditional schooling that work against healthy socialization, such as age seg-

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Elisa was doing six hours of homework a night. She was overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, and wanted a break. Desperate, her worries about being a social outcast faded. I didnt care if I ever saw my friends again. But it took meeting a group of homeschooled children for Elisa to get excited about what she was about to begin. Describing her reaction to a dramatic production that she attended staged by homeschooled children, Elisa said, These are homeschooled kids and they are happy and they are doing this incredible production. I never looked back. I asked Elisa how she knew the children were happy. She said:
You can tell. When youre in a place like school everyone seems very empty. They have very structured days and they are forced into a corner. But when I met these homeschool kids, they knew who they were and where they were going. You could see it in their smiles, in their eyes. I had never met anyone like that. They had an intelligence and a knack for life. Theres a tangible difference.

The people Ive met in these classes are friendships Ive kept.

Elisa expresses her belief that holistic education is the natural way to learn and that experiential learning is its essence. Actually getting to touch and feel what you are learning is whats missing in the public schools. She is so wonderfully alive and enthusiastic that I asked Elisa to say more about happiness. She replied:
This might sound odd, but once when I was little I was at the grocery store with my Dad, I saw this organic milk and on the carton it said, From happy cows, on happy farms. I begged my Dad to buy that milk, and I could taste the difference. In schools kids are not naturally grown; they dont develop naturally. They cant tell happy from sad; they are fed emotions. It was a nightmare that I couldnt wake up from. Now I feel real. I feel this is what life should be like. I have never been more fulfilled and genuinely happy.

Elisa told me that she has wanted to write a novel ever since she could say the word novel. Shes writing one now, and studying herbs and medicine. Im doing things that really interest me, and thats the cardinal difference. Im getting to do things that I wouldnt have been able to do in school, things that will help me in my career path and in my life. Elisa also studies French, geography, mathematics, and English. She has two voice teachers and a dance teacher. Elisa and her mother have written a play, a parody of regular school that is currently in production. Its the most surreal thing about homeschooling. You dont expect to be able to write a play and see actors voicing the words you wrote. Its unbelievably heart-warming and jawdropping at the same time. Did her fears about her social status prove true? Elisa laughs.
There are so many misconceptions about homeschoolers, that theyre nerds, theyre isolated. If you take any class, youll meet people. But when you choose the classes you take you meet people who are mutually interested, and you come together in a way that you cant in school because in school its forced down your throat.

Henry and Adam Henry and Adam have taken charge of making popcorn for the Pied Piper Childrens Theater production of Anything Goes. Ten-year-old Henry measures oil, then popcorn into the movie-theater style popper. Seven-year-old Adam closes the popper door and begins to assemble popcorn boxes. He shows me a hot mitt that he brought so he wouldnt burn his hand when he opens the door. Their friend Emma joins them and they play as the kernels heat up. When the popcorn is ready, all three children scoop it into boxes with a paper cup. They repeat the process until the concession stand is full of popcorn boxes. I watch them closely, trying to detect deficits in their socialization. I cant see any. Homeschoolers, including Henry, Adam and Emma, frequently participate in theatrical productions at the Pied Piper Childrens Theater in New York City, where I live. The founder and Artistic Director of the theater, Reinaldo Martinez-Cubero, has worked extensively with homeschoolers and public school children, in childrens theater and in his private music studio. I asked him if, in his experience, there was a difference in the social skills of

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homeschooled and traditionally schooled children. He replied,

Not anymore. When I started working in childrens theater, fifteen years ago, there was a difference. The homeschooled children were not as skilled at negotiating and compromising with their peers. That was really the only difference. But that has changed. Homeschooling has evolved; parents are more committed to getting their children out and involved with other children. The Pied Piper Theater is a magnet for homeschooled kids because the families create a whole curriculum around the show so they have a great learning experience and a great social experience. I always have ten or fifteen homeschoolers and they are no different from the other kids. Of course, so much depends on the parents. We have some great parents who are doing great things. We have one homeschooler who has serious learning disabilities. If she were in public school shed be in a class for disabled kids and shed be doomed. But as a homeschooler shes been able to do everything that the other kids do; shes no different.

more involved in community and civic affairs, such as volunteering and working for political candidates, than were traditionally schooled adults. They also voted and attended public meetings at higher rates. Over 74% of the young adults surveyed had taken college classes compared to 46% of the traditionally schooled population. The overwhelming majority was gainfully employed or attending college. 98% of the homechool graduates had read at least one book in the six months prior to the study, compared to 69% of the comparison group. Rays study demonstrated that adult homeschoolers are happier and find life more exciting than their traditionally schooled peers. Other studies have concluded that homeschooled children are not socially isolated (Meighan 1984), that their self-concept, a barometer of socialization, tends to be better than traditionally schooled children (Taylor 1987), and that home-schooling fosters leadership skills at least as well as traditional schooling (Montgomery 1989). Conclusion The British pediatrician and psychoanalyst, D. W. Winnicott (1986, 178-179) cautioned that there is a price to pay for education that neglects childrens emotional and imaginative capacities. We can measure it, he said, in terms of the loss of the opportunity for creative learning, as opposed to being taught. Creative learning is connected to Winnicotts concept of creative living, which he considers the foundation of health and happiness. He says, In creative living you or I find that everything we do strengthens the feeling that we are alive, that we are ourselves (1986, 43). When children learn creatively, they retain a personal, self-directed sense of purpose that is unmistakably their own. And this can be measured in enthusiasm and vitality. The homeschoolers that I met are learning and living creatively. They seem to be the very picture of homeschool advocate, John Holts (1983, 288) description of the learning child, It is their desire and determination to do real things, not in the future but right now, that gives children the curiosity, energy, determination, and patience to learn all they learn. Homeschooling represents a real alternative to traditional public education, as well as to the ideology of consumerism, con-

As a frequent volunteer at the Pied Piper Childrens Theater, I was surprised to discover that there are so many homeschooled children involved. It turns out that Im acquainted with many homeschoolers. I didnt know it because theyre just like everyone else. The World as a Class Room The stereotype of the isolated, misfit homeschooler is giving way as, in growing numbers, homeschoolers make the world their classroom. It appears that homeschoolers spend more time in their communities and have meaningful interactions with a wider variety of people than traditionally schooled children typically do. Perhaps this accounts, at least in part, for the empirical findings that suggest that parents who educate their children at home are doing a good job socializing them (Russo 1999). In one study, Brian Ray (2003) of the National Home Education Research Institute surveyed over 7,300 adults who had been homeschooled, most for at least seven years. Ray found that homeschool graduates were significantly

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formity, and competition that permeates our increasingly standardized educational institutions. References
Bauman, K. J. 2001, August. Home schooling in the United States: Trends and characteristics. Population Division, U. S. Census Bureau. Working Paper Series No. 53. Available on line at <www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053.html>. Blanchard, J. 2006, Dec. 21. Making strategic moves in education more parents supplementing homeschool with public school partnerships. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sect. A, p. 1. Cloud, J., and J. Morse. 2001, August 19. Seceding from school: Home sweet school. Time Magazine, pp. 46-54. Golden, D. 2000, February 11. Home-schooled kids defy stereotypes, ace SAT test. Wall Street Journal, Sect. A, pp. 1 and 16. Holt, J. 1983. How children learn. Reading, MA: Perseus Books. King, L. 2004. Put your feet up, its time for school. Available online at <www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/08/13/ b2s.homeschool/index.html>. Masland, M., and M. E. Ross. 2003, October 24. Teaching children well, from home: Homeschooling still growing in credibility. Newsweek. Available on line at <msnbc.msn. com/id/3313359/>.

Montgomery, L. 1989. The effect of home schooling on leadership skills of home schooled students. Home School Researcher 5 (1): 1-10. Richman, H. 2005, Winter. Online homeschoolers score high on AP exams. Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Newsletter. Issue 89. Richman, H. 1999, Spring. What do homeschoolers do after college? Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Newsletter. Issue 66. Ray, Brian. 2003. Home educated and now adults: Their community and civic involvement, views about homeschooling, and other traits. National Home Education Research Institute. Available on line at <www.nheri.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 171&Itemid=47>. Rudner, L. M. 1999. Scholastic achievement and demographic characteristics of home school students in 1998. Education Policy Analysis Archives 7(8). Russo, F. 1999. Home-school report card. Time. Available on line at <www.time.com/time/magazine/article/ 0,9171,991967,00.html>. Taylor, J. W. 1987. Self-concept in home schooling children. Doctoral Dissertation, Andrews University, 1986. Dissertation Abstracts International, 47, 2809A. Taylor, J. W. nd. Self-concept in home schooling children. Available on line at <www.moorefoundation.com/article. php?id=54>. Winnicott, W. D. 1986. Home is where we start from: Essays by a psychoanalyst. New York: Norton.