Changes

In the [[United States]], homeschooling includes an estimated 1.1 million students - about 2.9% of children in grade K-12 - as of 2007.  "The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36% since 2003."<ref name="USA Today"/><ref>[http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/estimated.asp] Homeschooling in the United States: 2003 Statistical Analysis Report, National Center for Education Statistics, NCES 2006-042, Feb 2006.   

In the [[United States]], homeschooling includes an estimated 1.1 million students - about 2.9% of children in grade K-12 - as of 2007.  "The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36% since 2003."<ref name="USA Today"/><ref>[http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/estimated.asp] Homeschooling in the United States: 2003 Statistical Analysis Report, National Center for Education Statistics, NCES 2006-042, Feb 2006.   

A 2005 estimate from the [[National Home Education Research Institute]] places the number between 1.9 million and 2.4 million while the [[National Center for Education Statistics]] estimates that the number of students being homeschooled increased by 29% from 1999 to 2003.  Christian Examiner, Sept. 2007, Vol 25, No 9, Pg 1</ref>

A 2005 estimate from the [[National Home Education Research Institute]] places the number between 1.9 million and 2.4 million while the National Center for Education Statistics estimates that the number of students being homeschooled increased by 29% from 1999 to 2003.  Christian Examiner, Sept. 2007, Vol 25, No 9, Pg 1</ref>

Families who homeschool their children do so for a number of reasons.  A 2001 study by the [[US Census Bureau]] found that the single largest reason that parents homeschool is that they feel they can give their children a better education at home. This accounted for 50% of the homeschooling families; [[religion|religious]] reasons came in second at 33%.<ref>Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics, by Kurt J. Bauman, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2001, Working Paper Series No. 53 [http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053.html]</ref>  Other frequently mentioned reasons include dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools, the ability to provide religious or moral instruction along with academics, the ability to control what the child is being taught, flexibility in meeting the needs of a child with special needs (such as a physical or mental health problem, a temporary illness or giftedness), flexibility in scheduling family life, and concern about safety, drugs, and peer pressure at other schools.<ref>Homeschooling in the United States: 2003 Statistical Analysis Report, National Center for Education Statistics, NCES 2006-042, Feb 2006 [http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/TableDisplay.asp?TablePath=TablesHTML/table_4.asp]</ref>

Families who homeschool their children do so for a number of reasons.  A 2001 study by the [[US Census Bureau]] found that the single largest reason that parents homeschool is that they feel they can give their children a better education at home. This accounted for 50% of the homeschooling families; [[religion|religious]] reasons came in second at 33%.<ref>Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics, by Kurt J. Bauman, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2001, Working Paper Series No. 53 [http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053.html]</ref>  Other frequently mentioned reasons include dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools, the ability to provide religious or moral instruction along with academics, the ability to control what the child is being taught, flexibility in meeting the needs of a child with special needs (such as a physical or mental health problem, a temporary illness or giftedness), flexibility in scheduling family life, and concern about safety, drugs, and peer pressure at other schools.<ref>Homeschooling in the United States: 2003 Statistical Analysis Report, National Center for Education Statistics, NCES 2006-042, Feb 2006 [http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/TableDisplay.asp?TablePath=TablesHTML/table_4.asp]</ref>

The homeschooling ''movement'' began in the 1960s from very different ideological sources.  [[Seventh-Day Adventists]] Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore pioneered homeschooling as a result of their research into education and their concern about the harmful effects of schooling on students, particularly boys, between ages 5 and 15.<ref>http://www.moorefoundation.com/article.php?id=2</ref> On the other side of the political spectrum, John Holt wrote a book critical of schooling in 1964, entitled ''How Children Fail.'' Holt was "a left-winger who regarded schools as instruments of the bureaucratic-industrial complex."<ref>Micklethwait, John and Adrian Wooldridge, ''The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America.'' Penguin, 2004. pp. 190-1</ref> More generally, millions of Americans were alarmed at the 1962 [[U. S. Supreme Court]] ruling which banned school-sponsored prayer in public schools, and many of those parents began to look for alternatives.

The homeschooling ''movement'' began in the 1960s from very different ideological sources.  [[Seventh-Day Adventists]] Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore pioneered homeschooling as a result of their research into education and their concern about the harmful effects of schooling on students, particularly boys, between ages 5 and 15.<ref>http://www.moorefoundation.com/article.php?id=2</ref> On the other side of the political spectrum, John Holt wrote a book critical of schooling in 1964, entitled ''How Children Fail.'' Holt was "a left-winger who regarded schools as instruments of the bureaucratic-industrial complex."<ref>Micklethwait, John and Adrian Wooldridge, ''The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America.'' Penguin, 2004. pp. 190-1</ref> More generally, millions of Americans were alarmed at the 1962 [[U. S. Supreme Court]] ruling which banned school-sponsored prayer in public schools, and many of those parents began to look for alternatives.

Truancy laws brought pioneering homeschoolers into conflict with local officials. The first [[New York Times]] story on "home schooling" appeared in 1974, and concerned two parents charged with "educational neglect" by the [[Westchester]] County Department of Social Services. Tests showed that they performed at or about grade level "except for one who is a little slow in reading," and the parents received strong support from a state senator.<ref>"Parents Accused in Home Schooling," ''The New York Times,'' July 28, 1974, p. 45</ref> By the mid-1980s the ''Times'' was running articles with titles like "Schooling in the Home: A Growing Alternative" and "There Are Benefits In Homeschooling," and states were legalizing homeschooling.<ref>Belluck, Pam (1998), "Life After Home Schooling," ''The New York Times,'' November 1, 1998, p. ED26: "Some 15 years after states began legalizing home schooling in earnest, these early graduates are starting to make their way in the world."</ref> A 1997 article said "It's not only [[Christian fundamentalists]] any more" and a 2003 article noted "Unhappy in Class, More Are Learning at Home."

Truancy laws brought pioneering homeschoolers into conflict with local officials. The first [[New York Times]] story on "home schooling" appeared in 1974, and concerned two parents charged with "educational neglect" by the Westchester County Department of Social Services. Tests showed that they performed at or about grade level "except for one who is a little slow in reading," and the parents received strong support from a state senator.<ref>"Parents Accused in Home Schooling," ''The New York Times,'' July 28, 1974, p. 45</ref> By the mid-1980s the ''Times'' was running articles with titles like "Schooling in the Home: A Growing Alternative" and "There Are Benefits In Homeschooling," and states were legalizing homeschooling.<ref>Belluck, Pam (1998), "Life After Home Schooling," ''The New York Times,'' November 1, 1998, p. ED26: "Some 15 years after states began legalizing home schooling in earnest, these early graduates are starting to make their way in the world."</ref> A 1997 article said "It's not only [[Christian fundamentalists]] any more" and a 2003 article noted "Unhappy in Class, More Are Learning at Home."

[[New York]] is the only state which currently requires all home school students to take the [[GED]] equivalency exam in order to receive a high school diploma.  However, in most cases they are not required to take the otherwise-mandatory exam prep course first.

[[New York]] is the only state which currently requires all home school students to take the [[GED]] equivalency exam in order to receive a high school diploma.  However, in most cases they are not required to take the otherwise-mandatory exam prep course first.

*[[Isaac Newton]] (1643-1727), considered the greatest physicist of all time.  He was homeschooled until age ten, and then was an underachiever at school until he lodged with the headmaster.<ref>http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Newton.html</ref>

*[[Isaac Newton]] (1643-1727), considered the greatest physicist of all time.  He was homeschooled until age ten, and then was an underachiever at school until he lodged with the headmaster.<ref>http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Newton.html</ref>

* Christopher Paolini (1983-), the author of the best-selling [[Inheritance Cycle]] ([[Eragon]], [[Eldest]], [[Brisingr]], and [[Inheritance (Book)|Inheritance]]). He was homeschooled by his parents, through an accredited correspondence course from the American School in Chicago, Illinois, from which he graduated with his high school diploma at 15 years of age.<ref>[http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?author_number=934 Book Browse Author Biography: Christopher Paolini]</ref>

* Christopher Paolini (1983-), the author of the best-selling Inheritance Cycle ([[Eragon]], [[Eldest]], [[Brisingr]], and [[Inheritance (Book)|Inheritance]]). He was homeschooled by his parents, through an accredited correspondence course from the American School in Chicago, Illinois, from which he graduated with his high school diploma at 15 years of age.<ref>[http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?author_number=934 Book Browse Author Biography: Christopher Paolini]</ref>

* [[Blaise Pascal]] (1623-1662), one of the greatest mathematicians and philosophers of all time, was homeschooled by his father.<ref>E.T. Bell, "Men of Mathematics," 74-76 (1937).</ref>

* [[Blaise Pascal]] (1623-1662), one of the greatest mathematicians and philosophers of all time, was homeschooled by his father.<ref>E.T. Bell, "Men of Mathematics," 74-76 (1937).</ref>

*[[Brigham Young]], first governor of Utah, the leader of the [[Mormon Church]], and founder of 200 towns and villages.  He was homeschooled and had only "11 days of formal education."<ref name="homeschoolutah.org"/>

*[[Brigham Young]], first governor of Utah, the leader of the [[Mormon Church]], and founder of 200 towns and villages.  He was homeschooled and had only "11 days of formal education."<ref name="homeschoolutah.org"/>

In addition, a number of prominent people have chosen to homeschool their children.  [[David Guterson]], author of the novel ''Snow Falling on Cedars'' (1994), which won the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award, also wrote ''Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense'' (1992), an account of his family's homeschooling journey.<ref>[http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/snow/guterson.html http://www.randomhouse.com:  David Guterson]</ref>  Actor and recording artist Will Smith and his wife actress Jada Pinkett Smith homeschool their children.<ref>[http://www.rd.com/content/will-smith-interview/1/ Reader's Digest:  Will Power:  Will Smith is One Driven Guy]</ref>  Michele Bachmann homeschooled her own children, but Minnesota authorities prohibited the homeschooling of foster children (Michele Bachmann also had 23 foster children).<ref>http://www.radioiowa.com/2011/03/23/three-prospective-gop-candidates-make-pitch-to-home-schoolers-audio/</ref>  Roseanne Barr stated in an interview that she has started to homeschool her 11-year-old son.<ref>[http://in.news.yahoo.com/070322/137/6dlba.html Reuters Interview - Roseanne Barr says age gives her a louder voice]</ref>  Kristin Maguire, head of the [[South Carolina]] board of education, which governs all its [[public schools]], homeschools all four of her children.<ref>http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/09/17stjour.h27.html</ref>  Elizabeth Edwards, the late wife of the [[Democratic]] vice-presidential nominee (2004) and presidential candidate (2008) [[John Edwards]], homeschooled both of their youngest children.<ref>http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/2007/11/elizabeth-edwar.html</ref>  The wife of [[Glenn Beck]] homeschools their children.  [[Ayn Rand]] praised homeschooling in her popular work, ''Atlas Shrugged'': "I came here, not merely for the sake of my husband’s profession, but for the sake of my own.  I came here in order to bring up my sons as human beings.  I would not surrender them to the educational systems devised to stunt a child’s brain, to chaos with which he’s unable to deal, and thus reduce him to a state of chronic terror."<ref>[http://www.poohsthink.com/ayn-rand-on-homeschooling/ quoting ''Atlas Shrugged'', p. 785 (Plume Ed. 1999)]</ref>

In addition, a number of prominent people have chosen to homeschool their children.  David Guterson, author of the novel ''Snow Falling on Cedars'' (1994), which won the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award, also wrote ''Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense'' (1992), an account of his family's homeschooling journey.<ref>[http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/snow/guterson.html http://www.randomhouse.com:  David Guterson]</ref>  Actor and recording artist Will Smith and his wife actress Jada Pinkett Smith homeschool their children.<ref>[http://www.rd.com/content/will-smith-interview/1/ Reader's Digest:  Will Power:  Will Smith is One Driven Guy]</ref>  Michele Bachmann homeschooled her own children, but Minnesota authorities prohibited the homeschooling of foster children (Michele Bachmann also had 23 foster children).<ref>http://www.radioiowa.com/2011/03/23/three-prospective-gop-candidates-make-pitch-to-home-schoolers-audio/</ref>  Roseanne Barr stated in an interview that she has started to homeschool her 11-year-old son.<ref>[http://in.news.yahoo.com/070322/137/6dlba.html Reuters Interview - Roseanne Barr says age gives her a louder voice]</ref>  Kristin Maguire, head of the [[South Carolina]] board of education, which governs all its [[public schools]], homeschools all four of her children.<ref>http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/09/17stjour.h27.html</ref>  Elizabeth Edwards, the late wife of the [[Democratic]] vice-presidential nominee (2004) and presidential candidate (2008) [[John Edwards]], homeschooled both of their youngest children.<ref>http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/2007/11/elizabeth-edwar.html</ref>  The wife of [[Glenn Beck]] homeschools their children.  [[Ayn Rand]] praised homeschooling in her popular work, ''Atlas Shrugged'': "I came here, not merely for the sake of my husband’s profession, but for the sake of my own.  I came here in order to bring up my sons as human beings.  I would not surrender them to the educational systems devised to stunt a child’s brain, to chaos with which he’s unable to deal, and thus reduce him to a state of chronic terror."<ref>[http://www.poohsthink.com/ayn-rand-on-homeschooling/ quoting ''Atlas Shrugged'', p. 785 (Plume Ed. 1999)]</ref>

Others were taught to read at home prior to any school.  For example, [[Ronald Reagan]] was taught to read by his mother before attending school;<ref>http://americanhistory.about.com/od/ronaldreagan/p/preagan.htm</ref> the only African American man to win the Wimbledon tennis championship (in a stunning upset that relied on a brilliant strategy), Arthur Ashe, was nicknamed the "genius" and had been taught to read by his mother at age 5.

Others were taught to read at home prior to any school.  For example, [[Ronald Reagan]] was taught to read by his mother before attending school;<ref>http://americanhistory.about.com/od/ronaldreagan/p/preagan.htm</ref> the only African American man to win the Wimbledon tennis championship (in a stunning upset that relied on a brilliant strategy), Arthur Ashe, was nicknamed the "genius" and had been taught to read by his mother at age 5.