Tim Tebow. Dr. Condoleeza Rice. Ansel Adams. Thomas Edison. Alan Alda. Whoopi Goldberg. Recognize those names? Of course you do! And you probably immediately associate their names with their various accomplishments. But do you know what they all have in common? It has to do with the very foundation upon which those accomplishments were built.
They were all homeschooled.
While you may not know any of the above mentioned personally, it is likely you do personally know someone who is involved in homeschooling, as it is growing in popularity. In fact, the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) claims that there were 1.5 million homeschooled students in the United States in 2007. Today, that number is closer to 2 million (NHRI, 2010).
Why are so many families clicking their heels and claiming, “There’s no place like home!”? The reasons are many and varied. Some families want to develop character and instill values in their children and do not feel the public school is the environment to accomplish that goal. Other families determine that the traditional approach to education is not a good fit for their particular child. The latter was the case for Ansel Adams, the brilliant photographer. He found school boring and confining and thus was disruptive. He was taken from school at age 12 and taught at home. Besides Greek, classical literature, and algebra, Adams studied and explored the rocky beaches and inlets of the Pacific Coast. No doubt this education fostered his incredible ability to capture the beauty of nature in his stunning photographs.
Still other families may find their child has a particular need that is better addressed with one-on-one instruction. Thomas Edison had a hearing problem that prevented him from following the lessons being taught at school. His teacher claimed him to be a dull student. His mother taught him at home instead. (Sahlman, 2013) The student labeled “Not so bright” became the inventor of the light bulb! The need may be other than physical. One family chose to homeschool their daughter during the difficult middle school season of life, when the girls in their small school were so cruelly establishing a pecking order. The one year at home made all the difference for their daughter. The time and attention enabled her to develop the confidence needed to re-enter a school setting with a healthier outcome. Sometimes needs, whatever they may be, can be better met at home.
Many families do not see their local public school as an institute of academic excellence. They feel their child could excel academically at home and statistics support this. According to one study, homeschooled students from 1,657 families scored 30 to 37 percentile points higher than their public school counterparts (Ray, 1997). One example of homeschooling academic excellence is Erik Demaine. He was homeschooled by his father and started college courses at age 12. He received his doctorate at age 20 and became the youngest professor ever at M.I.T. He is the leading theoretician in the emerging field of origami mathematics (Wertheim, 2005).
On the other hand, some families see the immense focus on standardized testing in the public school system as being detrimental to creativity, love of learning, and critical thinking. In some instances a student might have a particular talent that requires extra time to pursue. James Wyeth, the renown American painter, was taken from school to study at home so he would have more time to devote to his art.
And for many families the reason to homeschool is both simpler and more profound – time together.
Whatever the reason, there has never been such a resource-rich time to pursue home-based education. The internet and web-based learning provide so many choices and opportunities for parents and their students.
One resource that stands out is Global Student Network (www.globalstudentnetwork.com). Global Student Network offers over 300 courses – secular, Christian, honors courses, Rosetta Stone, career and technical courses, and 24/7 tutoring. Their curricula and assessments align with Common Core and national and state standards. Global Student Network also offers International Virtual Learning Academy (www.internationalvla.com), a fully accredited, online private school for grades K-12, with teachers for each course.
Will your child have instant name recognition someday? Perhaps. But even more important to ask – what do you recognize in your child now and how can you best meet that need, strengthen that weakness, challenge that strength, grow that potential? All you need to do so is at your fingertips.
Copyright © 2013 J. Hoffman / GSN (NV)
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Email: JHoffman@GlobalStudentNetwork.com
Sources:
http://nheri.org/research/nheri-news/homeschool-population-report-2010.html
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-successful-homeschooled-people.php
Ray, Dr. Brian (1997) Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America, National Home Education Research Institute, Salem, OR, in “Academic Statistics on Homeschooling” http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp
http://www.connecticutmag.com/Connecticut-Magazine/August-2012/No-Place-Like-Home/
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/notable.html
http://www.essortment.com/biography-ansel-adams-20681.html
Wertheim, Margaret (2005) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/science/15origami.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th
Sahlman, Rachel (2013), http://www.incwell.com/Biographies/Edison.html