An educational model in which children are educated at home rather than attending school. Often, the parents are required to provide the children with minimum content established by the school district or the state, but the children may concentrate on subjects that are of interest to them.
education of children at home, under parental supervision, rather than in a public or private school, in some cases using materials prepared by the parents, in many using materials prepared by organizations specializing in home- school education. For children in the United States, compulsory attendance at school is required between ages set by various state laws, often six to 16. States have different rules about what parents must do to meet compulsory schooling requirements. Some require parents to register as home schoolers, to submit a formal curriculum plan, or to obtain a state teaching certificate. Parents considering home schooling should care¬ fully explore the laws in their state, contacting their state department of education or the organization listed below. They should also read about and talk with others who have been involved in home schooling, to get a full appreciation of the substantial commitment required. Home schooling has been successful in some families, with children achieving educational levels comparable to (and sometimes even higher than) those children attending high school, even when the parents in the family were not themselves highly educated in formal terms. Critics cite, in addition to the enormous commitment involved, the loss in “intangible” education from socializing with other students in a school setting. Perhaps 100,000 to 250,000 students are presently being educated at home. For adults or former dropouts enrolled in a correspondence school course and studying at home, the term more commonly used is home study.