Homeschooling is parent-taught and parent-funded education, and is primarily home-based. Anything else is either public schooling, private schooling, or parochial schooling because it is not both parent-taught and parent-funded.

Homeschooling is customized to the needs of each family and child, and embraces a lifestyle of learning not limited to just textbooks.

• Parents are able to tailor a curriculum and course of study to their child’s individual abilities, learning style, needs, and future goals.
• Parents have greater opportunity for character training with their children.
• Parents are able to choose the worldview through which they will teach their children.
• Parents have the flexibility to move at the child’s pace, spending more time or less time mastering particular concepts or subjects.
• Children receive one-on-one tutorial-style teaching.
• Children have more time to pursue areas of interest.
• High school students can jump-start their college education or career preparation.
• Learning together builds strong family relationships.
• Learning becomes a lifestyle.

This is one of the most common question people ask homeschoolers. The 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines “social” as “relating to men living in society; disposed to mix in friendly converse; companionable.”

Many homeschoolers have discovered healthy socialization takes place when children are exposed to people of all ages in the community, rather than being limited to a classroom and a group of students all about the same age. Children learn social skills in everyday activities such as trips to the grocery store or library, visits with grandparents, church activities with friends, support group activities, park days, and community activities.  Most importantly, children often receive their most valuable socialization in the nurturing environment of home and family.

Research shows that homeschooled students are in general well-adjusted socially, and go on to become successful adults.

The answer is, “Probably!” But that’s not a bad thing!

Homeschooled kids are usually respectul of adults, able to interact well with all ages of kids, diligent to complete jobs expected of them, able to plan and implement learning or entrepreneurial goals, able to think critically, participate in their community, and on top of that they have a larger than average vocabulary!

The cost of home education is as varied as the individual families who teach their children at home. It depends on many factors, such as:

• The type of curriculum and resources you choose to purchase.
• The amount and type of extracurricular activities in which your child participates.
• Field trips you choose to take.

Tips to make homeschooling more affordable:

• Look for used curriculum sales. Homeschool Idaho holds the annual Curriculum Resale Event early in June.
• Many websites and social media groups offer used curriculum sales or exchanges.
• Libraries are increasingly catering to homeschool families with classes, kits and videos to check out, and even curriculum/textbook exchange or sales.
• Traditional homeschool co-ops encourage parents to share their skills by teaching classes. These are typically low-cost, because parents take responsibilty for teaching.
• HSLDA offers need-based grants for curriculum and disaster relief.

 Home education is an investment – a very worthy investment — in your children and their future!

A lot less than you might think!

Homeschooled students don’t have to take time to line up, change classrooms, or travel to and from a school, so they can proceed at their own pace. In elementary years especially, parents and children often find that they may only need a few hours to accomplish their work for the day.

Homeschooled students don’t typically have “homework” to complete in the evenings, so they are more free to pursue family time or work on other pursuits.

On the other hand, homeschool families often find that they embrace a lifestyle of learning, and all of life’s daily activities are part of directing the upbringing and education of a child! It may be hard to put a specific number on the hours spent learning.

Yes!

Idaho does not require any special certification or qualification to homeschool your kids.

Research and practical experience show that it is dedication and hard work, not special training, that produces outstanding educational results in a homeschool setting.

Student academic achievement has not been shown to be statistically related to the education level of the homeschooling parent or guardian.

Thousands of families are homeschooling children whose special needs range from Attention Deficit Disorder to severe multiple handicaps. Parents often find that when they bring these children home to be educated, they come out of the “deep freeze” that has kept them from making significant progress. Gone are the comparisons, labels, social pressures, and distractions that a regular classroom may bring. Parents can offer their children individualized education, flexibility, encouragement, and support, which may be ideal for children who are learning-disabled, medically sensitive, or attention-deficit.

Some students need a more advanced pace or more challenging courses than traditional schools can provide. Homeschooling allows these students to achieve their full academic potential, without the worries of including them in a grade level they may not be emotionally or socially prepared for.

HSLDA has resources to help you plan your special needs homeschooling journey.

Home educated students are not required to take any of the state-mandated tests that are required for public school graduation.

There are many factors that you will want to consider, depending upon the path that your child wants to take upon graduating from homeschool. Click over to our Homeschooling through Highschool page for more detailed information.

Stanford describes itself as “eager to embrace” homeschoolers because the “the brightest homeschoolers bring a mix of unusual experiences, special motivation, and intellectual independence that makes them a good bet to flourish in college.”

Universities appreciate our student’s strong work ethic, as well as their preparedness for college level courses. Most colleges accept parent-generated transcripts, especially when the scores on college entrance exams substantiate the student’s grade point average.

Click over to our Homeschooling through Highschool page for more information.