Homeschooling
Homeschooling is educating children at home with educational materials and content chosen by parents. The instruction of children is most typically done by parents, and sometimes with the help of private tutors. Homeschooling in many developed countries is a widely accepted and legal alternative to public school or private education. (Note that some places may categorize homeschooling as a form of private education.) In the United States, homeschooling is a legal option for parents who wish to educate their children in a different learning environment than what exists within the schools of the community. Different states in the U.S. have different legal requirements if children are to be homeschooled. Homeschooling is also often an alternative for families living in remote or rural areas.
Internet Resources:
About.com Homeschooling
http://homeschooling.about.com/?once=true&
About.com’s webpage for homeschooling information and resources. The page contains many helpful links for parents, including curriculum guideline links.
American Library Association’s Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
http://www.ala.org/alsc/
The Association for Library Service to Children, (part of the ALA) provides many practical and excellent resources to support children’s librarians and educators in their work and also to guide children and their families and caregivers to the best resources available in print, nonprint, and emerging formats.
A2Z Homeschooling
https://a2zhomeschooling.com/
The A2Z Homeschooling website helps parents homeschool their children from preschool, kindergarten, through high school with free online education, home-friendly lesson ideas, educational websites, helpful articles, top homeschool programs, books, materials, and curriculum.
Christian Home Educators of Ohio
https://www.cheohome.org/
Christian Home Educators of Ohio (CHEO) is a non-profit state organization founded to serve the homeschool families of Ohio and to provide them with the tools to succeed. Although based in Ohio, homeschoolers from other states can find useful links leading to good homeschool resources on this website.
Eclectic Homeschooling
http://eclectic-homeschool.com/
This site contains articles and resources for parents who homeschool their children, including lesson plans.
Growing Without Schooling
https://www.johnholtgws.com/growing-without-schooling-issue-archive
This is the website of homeschooler pioneer John Holt. He is a sought after speaker and supporter of school reform. Holt developed the idea of “unschooling,” a curriculum-free philosophy of homeschooling.
Homefires Journal of Homeschooling
https://www.homefires.com/
The Journal of Homeschooling online; this website was created by Diane Flynn Keith, who homeschooled her children from Kindergarten through high school. The site provides helpful tips and tricks for homeschoolers, as well as links that lead to additional resources.
Used Homeschool Curriculum
https://a2zhomeschooling.com/materials/curriculum_shop/budget_curriculum_shop/used_homeschool_curriculum/
This page on the A2Z Homeschooling website provides a list of sites through which homeschooler resources can be bought, sold, or loaned.
Homeschool Diner
http://www.homeschooldiner.com/
The Homeschool Diner offers articles, curriculum ideas, and links to online resources. It also offers support to homeschoolers through helpful suggestions and friendly advice.
Homeschooling In America
http://www.homeschoolinginamerica.com/
This website educates people interested in homeschooling about the advantages of homeschooling, the laws in each of the fifty states, and how homeschooling works on a day to day basis.
Homeschooling Legal Defense Association
http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Through annual memberships, HSLDA is tens of thousands of families united in service together, providing a strong voice when and where needed.
Home Education Magazine
https://www.home-ed-magazine.com/
This website presents homeschooling information, support and encouragement, resources and reviews, free newsletters, networking and discussion lists, and online archives of Home Education Magazine, offering 10 years of articles, interviews, columns, resources, reviews and more which can be read online.
National Home Education Research Institute
http://www.nheri.org/
The National Home Education Research Institute’s mission is to produce high quality research (statistics, facts, findings) on home based education. They serve as a clearinghouse for the public, researchers, homeschoolers, policy makers, and the media.
Ohio Homeschooling Parents
https://ohiohomeschoolingparents.com/
Ohio Homeschooling Parents (OHP) initially began as a social media network of Ohio homeschooling families. They provide exhaustive resources and support to those who are already homeschooling their children and those who are transitioning to homeschooling from the public school system.
The Virtual Schoolhouse
http://www.ibiblio.org/cisco/schoolhouse/
This is an online school house that was developed by Cisco Corporation. Although they are in the process of updating and creating a new school site, this one still functions with good learning opportunities.
Print Resources
Some recent publications about homeschooling are listed below. Many public libraries have information about homeschooling, including curriculum guides.
Rockett, M. (2007). Homeschooling at the Speed of Life: Balancing Home, School, and Family in the Real World. Tennessee: B&H Publishing.
This book is a thoughtful resource for busy homeschooling mothers which will help them to keep order in their home. In tune with today’s pace, the book provides basic home-management principles, teaching parents how to de-clutter their homes, develop life skills in their children, tame the paper monster, and keep organized records.
Rupp, R. (2000). Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School. New York : Three Rivers Press.
A comprehensive guide to designing a homeschool curriculum which features the standards for knowledge that should be acquired by a child at each level and recommended books to use as texts for every subject.
Wise, J. & Wise Bauer, S. (2004). The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, Revised and Updated Edition. New York : W.W. Norton & Co.
The authors provide detailed information on a homeschooled curriculum for a type of classical education called the “trivium.” There are suggestions for lessons, how-to tips, and lists of resources.
This pathfinder was created by B. Novak for Dr. Eileen Abels Info 780 Course at Drexel University, Spring, 2008.