| More and more parents are looking for an | | | | Home schooling is legal in all 50 states in the USA |
| alternative form of public education. Many are | | | | and most of Europe but laws widely vary. With |
| taking part in an upswinging trend called | | | | the use of the Internet, there is no limit to what |
| homeschooling. From the homeschoolers point of | | | | the home teacher and students can learn and |
| view, there are many advantages. Some include | | | | study. Flexible, self paced material is a major |
| one on one instruction tailored to the individual | | | | drawing point to any home schooling setup. |
| student's needs, more efficient use of instruction | | | | Options for educational choice provides parents |
| time, a safer environment under parental control | | | | with alternate educational opportunities for their |
| and, in many cases, religious instruction. | | | | student. One option open to parents is Competent |
| However, there are obstacles standing in the way | | | | Private Instruction (CPI - the formal instruction to |
| of successful home schoolers. This ranges from a | | | | children of compulsory attendance age outside the |
| lack of social contact with peers to lack of | | | | traditional school setting). Each state has its own |
| expertise in curriculum to actually being able to | | | | rules and laws as to Competent Private |
| get into and compete at the college level. | | | | Instruction. |
| Five basic methods have been recognized for | | | | There are some areas which cause some |
| students to receive adequate home school | | | | concern to the home schooling teacher. |
| instruction. | | | | One is math. Most home school teachers do not |
| 1. Unschooling or natural learning has its main focus | | | | have the expertise to help their students over |
| on allowing the student to determine studies | | | | the trouble spots, especially in the upper level or |
| based on their individual interests. Textbooks may | | | | college preparatory mathematics. Video tapes and |
| or may not be used depending on sources | | | | other resource books are helpful, but it still comes |
| needed. | | | | down to being able to show the student how to |
| 2. Unit Studies ties a topic together by using | | | | get through the process. |
| different parts of the curriculum to express points | | | | Increased reading speed and comprehension is |
| of view. A topic may be studied from a science, | | | | another area that is a major hurdle. There is |
| English, math, history, art, etc. view points. | | | | plenty of computer software available to help the |
| 3. Charlotte Mason educated her students with | | | | slow reader overcome some of their problems. |
| little to no homework, short, ungraded lessons, | | | | A third area of concern is making sure that the |
| free afternoons, discipline, and ideas or culture. | | | | home schooler is prepared adequately for college. |
| Testing was done by the student telling the | | | | Are there any differences in enrolling a home |
| teacher what they had done or read. | | | | schooler compared to a high school graduate? |
| 4. The Principle Approach is a philosophy that | | | | Does each college have its own set of criteria to |
| promotes the belief that all truth is ultimately | | | | admit a home schooled applicant? How does one |
| God's truth. Students are taught to research, | | | | prepare for an ACT test? |
| reason, relate and record their work on a subject, | | | | Home schooling can be a very rewarding process, |
| basically from a Biblical point of view. | | | | but it is important to set up procedures to meet |
| 5. The Classical Method teaches students to be | | | | expected goals. Those aspiring to give their |
| thinkers. It basically breaks down into teaching | | | | children a home school education must look at the |
| three or four different levels of thinking during the | | | | big picture and adjust their teaching methods |
| student learning years at increasing levels of | | | | accordingly. |
| difficulty. | | | | |