3 Reasons Why Homeschooling Works

According to National Home School Education Institutional Research (n.d), students who are homeschooled have an advantage over public school students in various ways.

• They test higher (15 to 25 percentile points) on standardized academic achievement tests and this is regardless of families' level of formal education or income.

• They score higher SAT and ACT tests.

• They are actively recruited by colleges.

• They are above average in social emotional and psychological development.

• They succeed in life significantly better than their public school counterparts.

I am going to share three reasons why I think homeschooled students have these results.

1. Class size: Children learning at home don't have to deal with large and sometimes overcrowded classrooms. Instead, kids have more one on one instruction time and are more likely to stay on task and engaged. Students who learn in small class settings outperform those who learn in large groups (Lynch, 2017). Class sizes do matter and home school students have the advantage of being in a tiny class within the comfort of their homes.

2. Relationship: Positive relationships are a necessity for learning. Students need to feel as if they are part of a community and have a sense of safety, and acceptance. Learning is relational, which is why teachers are encouraged to build healthy relationships with their students. Parents have an opportunity to continuously build on an already established relationship with their children as they home-school. This provides the child with a sense of belonging and motivation to learn.

3. Self-paced: Home-schooled students can move at their own pace. A stay-at-home mom once told me that when she realized her children had learned what was needed, they moved on. That is not a luxury offered in public schools where students have to go with the learning flow of the class, making it more difficult for kids who are falling behind and less motivating for students who are trailing ahead. Having the flexibility of moving at the child's pace can make learning more effective and engaging.

For whatever reason you want to homeschool your child, be encouraged in knowing that your child can still receive a high-quality education, go to college, and become a successful and high-functioning member of society. Ignore the naysayers who speak against homeschooling because according to many studies, homeschooled students are doing exceedingly well.

References

Lynch, M. (2017, October 24). Does class size really matter? The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/class-size-really-matter/

National Home Education Institutional Research (2023, July 20). Research facts on homeschooling: Homeschooling the research. https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/