How to Homeschool Your Child: Success Stories from Moms, Dads & Students

By Ronald W. Holmes Ph.D.

This book provides real-life experiences and tips from parents who have successfully homeschooled their children from the kindergarten to the high school level under different regulations, instructional options, and methods in the United States. Through extensive research, this book also provides useful and resourceful information about homeschooling for parents seeking an alternative school choice for educating their children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728330808

Ronald W. Holmes Ph.D.

Ronald Holmes is president and publisher of The Holmes Education Post, an education focused Internet newspaper. He is the author of 24 books, publishes articles on educational issues and offers unique, evidence-based solutions, perspectives, best practices, and resources to improve public education. Ronald Holmes earned a PhD in Educational Leadership, a MED in Educational Administration and Supervision and a BS in Business Education from Florida A&M University. He also earned a MED in Business Education from Bowling Green State University. He has experience as a district superintendent, school administrator, college instructor, school teacher, and test developer.

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Copyright © 2019 Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/15/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3081-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3079-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3080-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019916192

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

Homeschooling Definition

Homeschooling Perspectives

Historical Perspective

Legal Perspective

Homeschooling Legal Requirements

Psychological Perspective

Psychological Perspective - Ecological Systems

Psychological Perspective - Social Behaviorism

Psychological Perspective - The Looking Glass Self

Homeschooling Options

Homeschooling Methods

Homeschooling Statistics

Homeschooling Studies of Students

Academic Performance

Homeschooling Studies of Parents

Reasons for Homeschooling

Homeschooling Profile of Celebrities

Background and Commonalities Among Parents In This Book Who Homeschooled Their Children

Objective

Background

Academics

Social Issues

Other Reasons for Homeschooling

Real Stories of Homeschool Moms & Dads

A Better Way to Learn

Balancing Time

California Choice

Elementary Educator

Flexible Learning

Fresh Start

Grand Teaching

Homeschool Co-Op

Homeschool Dad

Homeschool Family

Homeschooling With A Purpose

Homeschool Newbie

Keeping It Fun

Lawyer Turns Teacher

Mindfulness Curriculum

Morning Hustle

Mother’s Observation

Necessary Choice

Signs of Homeschooling

The Professor

The Veteran

Real Stories of Homeschool Children

Current Student

Former Student

Key Advice from Homeschool Parents

Decision-Making

Curriculum

Collaboration

Resources

Conclusion

Homeschooling Resources

References

Suggested Books for Homeschool Students

Suggested Books for Homeschool Parents

Author’s Background

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Parental involvement is essential to the success of students in the educational setting. I am elated and amazed by the number of parents who have successfully homeschooled their children as a viable school choice option.

In writing this book, I applaud the dedicated, passionate, competent, and hard working parents who are an integral part of the educational process to educate their children especially those who have or are currently homeschooling them. Through a public, private, or homeschooling setting, parental involvement brings out the best in students academically, socially, and athletically. It affords students the best opportunity to contribute and succeed in a global and competitive world.

My interest in this topic was piqued from a communication with my dentist Dr. Delores Hubbard-Brooks who saw the value of homeschooling through one of her patients’ nine children. Hubbard was amazed at how well these children behaved and intellectually communicated with adults. She recommended that I consider investigating the research on homeschooling and writing a book on the topic.

As I began to investigate the topic, I noticed a gap in the literature on whether or not homeschooled students receive a quality education and socialize or interact with other students and adults outside of their home. Also, I noticed a gap in the literature on whether or not homeschooled students participate in extra-curricular activities similar to the experience of students in a traditional school setting. This guided my focus for developing and answering questions of the participants (parents and students) in the book. It also guided my focus for identifying research that explains how children develop through social relationships, interactions, and experiences with people in their surrounding environment.

Considering the time it takes to gather information and write a book, I would like to thank all the participants who shared their stories about homeschooling. I also would like to thank my wife, Constance C. Holmes, for being the editor for the book. Her continued unwavering support to my publications and service to public education is greatly appreciated.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all of the parents who have used or currently using homeschooling as a school choice.

It is my hope that this book will show the importance of parental involvement in schools, and how it is maximized through homeschooling.

FOREWORD

Many reports such as A Nation at Risk have criticized the state of the public school system in the United States. This publication of the National Commission on Excellence in Education in 1983 contributed to the ever-growing assertion that America’s public school system was failing academically on both a national and international scale.

During the period 1963 – 1980, for example, the average SAT scores dropped over 50 points in the verbal section and nearly 40 points in the mathematics section. In drawing inferences from written material, nearly forty percent of 17-year olds tested could not successfully draw inferences, only one-third could solve a mathematics problem requiring several steps, and only one fifth could write a persuasive essay. In comparison to students outside of the U.S. on referencing tests conducted in the 1970s, American students were never first or second and, in comparison with other industrialized nations, were last seven times (Wikipedia).

In addition to poor academic performance, America’s public school system has been plagued by other concerns such as bullying, peer pressure, drugs, and violence. These concerns have contributed to the evolution of parents seeking other school choices to educate their children. Some choices are found in homeschooling and America’s best schools such as Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Virginia, Maine School of Science and Technology, and Stanton College Preparatory College in Florida.

The U.S. World and News Report magazine annually recognizes America’s best schools covering U.S. states and the District of Columbia based on students’ performance on the state reading and mathematics exams, college readiness index based participation rates in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses and the performance of students on the national exams.

America’s Best Schools

In 2012, I wrote in the book "Current Issues and Answers in Education" about the remarkable success accomplished at TJHSST as a model for other schools to benchmark and emulate. TJHSST, for example, is a high performing school that became America’s best in the country for four consecutive years, 2007 – 2010. TJHSST was selected from 21,786 public schools covering 48 states including the District of Columbia. TJHSST is a public magnet high school in Alexandria, Virginia operated by Fairfax County Public Schools.

When I interviewed Principal Dr. Evan Glazer about how he accomplished such success, he quickly stated that the school’s success is a result of highly motivated students, a rigorous curriculum, a supportive parent community and high expectations for the academic environment. All stakeholders of the school (students, teachers, parents, etc.) consistently worked towards a common goal in accordance with the mission statement, noted Glazer.

In preparing students for college and careers, Glazer noted that TJHSST offered students a comprehensive college preparatory program with emphasis on mathematics, science and technology. Students are required to take a minimum of seven college level courses and maintain a B average in order to remain at the school. From the freshman to the senior level, students develop a skill set in research and communication skills. They participate in an intensive four-year program that includes the ninth grade IBET (Integrated Biology English and Technology), humanities, computer science, fine arts, foreign languages and physical education. Seniors are required to develop a technology laboratory project through the school’s mentoring program or a specialized technical research laboratory. They are to present their projects along with the freshman class at a research symposium.

As students need additional academic assistance, the school provides an intervention team comprised of a teacher, counselor and parent. The team assesses the academic concerns of students and recommends appropriate support in the eighth period day program. The eighth period day results from increasing the school day by one hour and a half longer than other high schools in Fairfax County. During the eighth period, students gain academic assistance from their teachers and participate in extracurricular activities. At TJHSST, students also develop their own software, learning tools and schedules as network engineers. With a low turnover rate of eight percent annually, teachers use integrated technology such as web broadcast and smart boards to improve learning outcomes according to Glazer.

While parent involvement is a major challenge for most American schools, TJHSST has a strong parent community that allows teachers and administrators to focus on the academics. Parents monitor the halls, serve on school improvement committees, landscape the campus, identify scholarships for students, fund programs, and partner with government and legislative officials to advocate for the school, said Glazer.

Homeschooling

As evident by TJHSST, student performance is at its best when parents are integrally involved in the educational process. This is supported by research that when parents and schools work collaboratively, students perform better on tests, earn higher grades, enroll in more advanced courses, and more often graduate and pursue higher education (National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools found in Burdett, 2017).

One way to maximize parental involvement is through homeschooling. Homeschooling is where children obtain all or most of their education at home rather than school. Homeschooling is usually facilitated by a parent, tutor