John Allasio graduated this year with honors from Madonna University with an overall GPA of 3.97.  Yet, he only “went” to school to the second grade.  When John was eight years old, the Allasio’s joined a growing number of parents who wanted more for their children than what they felt could be offered in public or private school.

STATISTICS

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 1.5 million children in the United States received a homeschooled education in 2007, an average of 2.9 percent of school age children between the ages of five and seventeen.  This was a 74 percent increase from 850,000 in 1999.

Heading the list of reasons for which parents chose to take control of their children’s education was moral instructiion at 36 percent.  Concerns over school environment, such as drugs, violence or negative peer pressure  factored in strongly at 21 percent and 17 percent listed dissatisfaction with the low standards of education.

GETTING STARTED

A wealth of information on homeschooling exists on the Internet, including the most often visited: http://www.home-school.com .  There are a variety of ways to approach homeschooling.  Parents can work alone or work with groups that take an active role in your child’s education.  There are umbrella schools where you buy the curriculum.  The Allasio’s explained that you send all the tests into the umbrella schools, they grade them and you get an actual transcript.  There is, however, a tuition involved with this process.
 

IN OVER YOUR HEAD?

Not all parents are math or chemistry whizzes.  However, be not afraid!  Kids reaching a high school level that strains your brain can attend community colleges, obtaining dual credit in the process.

SOCIALIZING

Outside activities with friends are readily available, allaying any parent’s fear that his or her child may suffer socially from homeschooling.  Most parents are aware that  kids need to be out.  Many activities are available such as skating, spelling bees, science clubs chess clubs and sports competitions.