Why Homeschool?

Did you know that roughly 3.1 MILLION students were homeschooled in the 2021-2022 school year (Ray, 2023)? This accounts for roughly 6% of all school-aged children (Ray, 2023)! Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, many families opted for homeschooling, resulting in a significant surge in its popularity. Families around the globe have realized the benefits of homeschooling their child(ren), so what are they?

According to a recent 2023 research study by Brian Ray, the most commonly reported reasons families give for homeschooling are: 

1. The ability to customize and individualize curriculum and learning environments for each child’s interests/needs.

2. Accomplish more academically than would be achieved in a typical school setting.

3. Use unique teaching approaches that are not typically observed in schools.

4. Enhance family relationships between parents, children, and siblings.

5. Provide guided and purposeful social interactions with peers and adults.

6. Provide a safer learning environment (avoid exposure to physical violence, drugs and alcohol, psychological abuse, racism, and unhealthy sexuality that are often associated with typical school settings)

7. Allow for an alternative approach to education during school closure related to acute health situations such as COVID-19

8. Teach and emphasize certain values, beliefs, and worldviews to children.

Let's Debunk the Myths

There are many common beliefs surrounding homeschooling. Read below to find out what is true and what is not!

1. Most homeschooled children are religious - MYTH

   • There are a wide variety of individuals who decide to homeschool; atheists, Christians, Mormons, conservatives, liberals, low-income families, high-income families, black, Hispanic, white, etc. (Ray, 2023). There is no “typical” family who chooses to homeschool!

2. Homeschool children are not socialized - MYTH

   • Home settings provide a natural approach to socialization with people of all ages (Collins, 2020). In the “real world,” people are not separated into groups based on their age. Think about your workplace; do you only work alongside colleagues that are your exact same age? Most likely not! Therefore, age-integrated social interactions found within homeschooling can help foster communication skills with individuals of all ages. Homeschooled students also regularly socialize with peers outside their homes for activities like field trips, sports teams, and volunteer work (Ray, 2o23). When examining social, emotional, and psychological development, 87% of peer-reviewed studies show that homeschooled students perform better than their peers in more typical school settings at a statistically significant level (Ray, 2023)!

3. Parents are not provided an adequate education to teach their children, so homeschooled students receive a poorer education - MYTH

   • Homeschoolers typically score above public school students on standardized tests, scoring between 15-25 percentile points above their public-school peers on standardized tests (Collins, 2020; Ray, 2023). Of note, these findings are not impacted by the parental level of formal education or by family income (Ray, 2023). Additionally, academic achievement was not affected by whether or not the homeschooling parent ever held a teaching certification (Ray, 2023). Teachers are highly trained professionals, but parents have the advantage of being able to provide personalized one-on-one education to their children that teachers may not always be able to offer.

4. Kids who are homeschooled do not spend as much time at desks - (typically) TRUE

   • The belief that homeschooled children spend less time at a desk than their peers is (typically) true! Homeschooling families prioritize educating their child(ren) in natural settings, such as community outings and nature exploration (Collins, 2020)! For example, student education on insects may look very different if they are educated within a typical school setting or at home. While a teacher is unable to take 20 students and the necessary learning materials to a nearby park to study insects, it is much easier for a parent to do so. Therefore, a student in a more typical classroom environment might spend time at their desk reading and talking about various insects. On the other hand, the homeschooled child may read and learn about a variety of insects and then try to find them in nature! There are a variety of different homeschool methods and approaches: Charlotte Mason’s homeschool theory, unschooling, and traditional homeschooling, to name a few (Collins, 2020). Therefore, homeschooling may look very different from family to family!

There are many resources available for families interested in homeschooling. Check out the links below to explore information regarding curriculum opportunities and individualized ideas and recommendations for both families and occupational therapists!

Homeschool.com

Homeschool OT

Please note that there is no “best way” for your child(ren) to be educated. Respecting and honoring each family's decision regarding the type of schooling their child(ren) receives is crucial. For various reasons, many families are unable to homeschool their child(ren). Additionally, we here at SENSE-ational Spaces love and support our teachers! No form of education is final; families can change their minds!

Did You Know?

Did you know that SENSE-ational Spaces can work with you to develop positive learning environments within the home? SENSE-ational Spaces can work alongside you and your family to generate ideas, create specific recommendations, and even implement the modifications! As mentioned, homeschooling can look very different from family to family! Here at SENSE-ational Spaces, we can help support all forms of classroom environments. From more traditional desk setups to less conventional areas, we are here to foster positive learning environments!

Check out some areas we have worked with families to create! The more traditional desk setup (left) supports learning by minimizing visual input and creating a clean workspace, shown to improve educational outcomes (especially in young children!) (Fisher et al., 2014). This is a great option for a more traditional approach to homeschooling. We also can help create less conventional homeschool spaces (right), focused on movement within the classroom to promote physical activity and health (Webster et al., 2015). This is an excellent choice for homeschooling that utilizes the Charlotte Mason theory!

For more information on the impacts of classroom environments on student learning, check out our previous blog!

If you/your family is interested in learning more about how SENSE-ational Spaces supports learning at home, please reach out to us at:

Senseational.spaces@gmail.com

Or call us at: (612) 412-1034

We would love to have the opportunity to support learning within your home! In the meantime, check out this blog with some simple tools for the classroom that can be implemented within your home classroom today!

References

Collins, S. (2020). Homeschool Competency Course. Collin’s Academy Therapy Services. https://www.homeschoolot.com/otcoursepreview

Fisher, A. V., Godwin, K. E., & Seltman, H. (2014). Visual environment, attention allocation, and learning in young children. Psychological Science, 25(7), 1362–1370. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614533801

Ray, B. D. (2023, March 11). Research facts on homeschooling. NHERI. https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/ 

Webster, C. A., Russ, L., Vazou, S., Goh, T. L., & Erwin, H. (2015). Integrating movement in academic classrooms: Understanding, applying and advancing the knowledge base. Obesity Reviews, 16(8), 691–701. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12285