In The News

Survey of Adult Homeschooled Students: Better in Almost Every Way

by Bob Ellis (Dakota Voice) December 17, 2009

Homeschooling has been misunderstood and maligned for many years, but critics are running out of bad things to say about this educational option in the face of mounting evidence of the advantages.

Homeschooled students out-perform their public school peers academically in most areas and have for a long time.  This has left defenders of the educational status quo able only to criticize more intangible things like socialization and such.

While most homeschooling parents (my wife and I included) actually consider the reduced “socialization” homeschooled children receive an advantage, (less exposure to immoral practices and peer pressure by their classmates, less exposure to institutional derision of religious values, etc.), considerable evidence has been compiled which shows no dearth of real socialization either.  Our oldest, my daughter, has been involved in Girl Scouts since she was five, group activities with other homeschooled students, Sunday School, AWANA, swimming lessons, marital arts, playing with neighbor children, and so forth–and our family is no exception among the homeschool community. Read entire article by clicking on the title or on the link below: http://www.dakotavoice.com/2009/12/canadian-survey-of-adult-homeschooled-students-better-in-almost-every-way/

Couple's homeschooling venture is a resounding success for family

by SARAH BRYAN MILLER
POST-DISPATCH CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC

Andrew McCall and his older brother, Peter, were hyperactive as small children, says their mother, Anna Lackschewitz. That made her worry about how they'd do in a classroom.
"School is a very anxiety-producing experience for a lot of kids," she said, "and anxiety is not a good starting point for learning."

So Lackschewitz, a Juilliard-trained violist, decided to home-school them for a couple of years. That turned into a career in itself: She and her husband, Alvin McCall, a cellist in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, ended up teaching them and their two younger brothers,
Charles and Max, until ninth grade.
Read entire article...

Christmas: A Study of Love by Amanda Bennett

The warm feeling of love, the snug feeling of togetherness and family, and the joy and excitement of celebration -- all to be found in many American homes this time of year.
From the preparation and celebration of harvest and Thanksgiving to the last day of the Twelve Days of Christmas, there is a wonderful feeling of caring and sharing everywhere, and as homeschooling families, we can take this time to learn, prepare our homes and our hearts, and share with others throughout the year.
At our house, we begin planning for the holiday season by preparing unit studies on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. This has become a regular tradition here, and one that is eagerly anticipated year after year.

Homeschooling High Schoolers:
Career Planning
by Shirley M.R. Minster

When a student begins the high school years, adults begin talking about careers. “What are you going to do after high school? What colleges are you thinking about?” It is common for teens to dislike any talk about ‘after high school’. Some even express fear by retorting sassily that they want to do nothing. Read More...

Home Education: Delicious and Nutritious
by Melissa Wiley

Homeschoolers talk a lot about the reactions and comments they get (so often negative) from people who don't know much about homeschooling. Nearly everyone has encountered a critic in the extended family, a naysayer in the neighborhood, a cross-examiner in the grocery store. Then there are the articles and editorials, a handful every week, in which some "expert" wags a warning finger about the disadvantages of home education. Read More...