Education is continually evolving worldwide. Parents can choose from several teaching methods that will suit their kids. Families opt to homeschool for numerous reasons like conflicting religious and academic philosophies, unsatisfied with teaching methods used by the teachers, and the notion that kids do not progress academically in a traditional school environment.
A Brief History of Homeschooling
In the 1970s, famous educators Dorothy and Raymond Moore, together with John Holt, wrote about education reform, which sparked the progression of the homeschooling movement. They introduced homeschooling as an alternative academic formula.
Based on the statistics shown by the National Home Education Research Institute, there are approximately 3.1 homeschooled students in the US, with the rate swiftly increasing by 2-8% yearly. Like in some foreign countries, homeschooling is legal in 50 states in the U.S.
Homeschooling doesn’t lessen the children’s opportunities to have a better life. There have been a plethora of successful people and celebrities who considered homeschooling. Even before the digital age, early presidents, scientists, inventors, and entertainers were homeschoolers at some point in their lives.
Yet, it didn’t hamper their educational and professional aspirations. The children’s inclination to learn and the support from their families are the key factors in achieving a favorable homeschool outcome.
Homeschooling Is Gaining Popularity
For the past several weeks, the education sector has changed incredibly. Due to the recent pandemic, schools suddenly closed for the academic year; others resorted to implementing remote learning to finish what was left for the semester.
Regardless of their situation, it is apparent that homeschooling will be the immediate and most viable education method in the coming months.
Homeschooling is not as mainstream as regular schools. However, it’s been receiving its fair share of acceptance since the 21st century. Today, more parents have been apprehensive about the school environment.
The prevalent issues of safety, alcohol, drugs, and peer pressure happening make traditional education daunting both for kids and adults.
A study in 2016 about parents’ involvement in education showed that parental apprehension about the environment in conventional schools appeared higher than other factors, such as the quality of education.
Moreover, various studies showed that homeschoolers and learners whose families are involved in their learning were more likely to have better academic performance. Their chances of fulfilling graduation requirements and entering college sooner than usual can also significantly increase.
The atmosphere created at home is much more conducive to learning, and the guidance of the parents during the classes helps incredibly in maintaining the child’s concentration. Hence, the academic advantage over the students in public or private schools.
Benefits of Homeschooling
A direct tutoring method
Generally, class size can significantly affect students’ learning ability. The lower the student-teacher ratio, the faster the students learn. Teachers can also individually assist learners, especially those who require extra time to familiarize themselves with the subject matter.
Consequently, instructors can ensure that everyone has completely understood the lessons before moving on to the next. Learning and teaching are efficient in homeschool methods.
A customized learning procedure
Every child is unique; it has its strengths, weaknesses, and learning capabilities. When parents of homeschoolers can customize the learning path based on their children’s abilities, it can identify which areas require additional time and which ones they are good at.
Through the tailored learning system, the child’s development is presumably faster. Thus, their motivation to do better in their education.
Promote the child’s independent thinking
Children attending traditional schools typically rely on others instead of coming up with their ideas. On the other hand, homeschoolers are very expressive and quick to create plans because of their training.
These kids learned how to think independently and don’t get fazed by peer pressure. When they reach college, they’re more mature than their classmates and can seamlessly navigate through collegiate life.
Types of Homeschooling
Traditional homeschooling
Essentially, traditional homeschooling is performing school at home, merely following the usual methods of formal classes.
Moreover, buying textbooks and other school materials, observing structured schedules, and frequently tracking quizzes and exams are all part of the learning procedure. It is imperative to align the child’s curriculum with what traditional schools are following.
Roadschooling
Roadschooling is primarily using the landmarks and attractions they see when they’re on the road to educate their children. It allows their kids to have ‘sort of hands-on experiences on the topics. Eating at an Italian restaurant can be a teachable moment about pasta and the place.
They can do bird feeding at the park when they know that tomorrow, they will be traveling to a place with a bird sanctuary. These are typical scenarios of road schooling and how kids can benefit from them.
Unschooling
Unschooling is a technique that focuses on the learner’s interests and curiosities as the learning pathway. Instead of following a regular curriculum, unschoolers acquire knowledge naturally.
It primarily uses the experimental process of learning to become educated. The concentration relies on the child’s interests and personality.
Worldschooling
World schooling combines multi-age and experiential learning with travel and/or cultural experiences to facilitate learning and discovery. The term “world schooling” was coined more than a decade ago and has since been adopted by thousands of families.
Eclectic Homeschooling
Eclectic homeschooling is a highly personalized education method that involves combining and combining a variety of homeschooling resources. It is a highly personalized approach for each child based on their individual strengths, learning styles, and interests.
Classical Homeschooling
A classical homeschool curriculum teaches grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric from a Christian perspective and employs an educational approach best suited to a child’s natural learning style. Secularism’s rise has targeted long-taught academic subjects.
Montessori Method
This humanistic student-centered approach includes free movement, large unstructured time blocks (up to 3 hours), multi-grade classes, and interest-based and individualized learning plans.
Teachers only instruct indirectly, employing a plethora of manipulatives (tactile objects such as tools and toys) and providing the student with a variety of options from which to choose.
Homeschooling with Unit Studies
Unit studies are thematically related learning plans in which students study the same event or object from each subject area’s perspective. For example, in Geography, students might study Egypt, the book of Exodus in Reading, “out of Egypt” theories of human origins in Science, and pyramids and triangles in Geometry-Trigonometry.
These topics can be addressed separately or collectively. Unit studies can be viewed as a tool to be used in conjunction with other, more comprehensive educational methodologies, such as the Eclectic method.
Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
Some homeschooling styles are based on the philosophies of educators who have become well-known for their perspectives on education. This approach is based on the findings of a 19th-century British educator who believed that education should include a child’s environment, disciplines, and life as a whole.
20 Famous and Successful People Who Were Homeschooled
Allonzo Brian Trier
Professional Basketball Player
Allonzo Trier is a famous professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing guard position. Before his stint with the Knicks, he was already starting to make a name for himself by playing with his college team, the Arizona Wildcats.
He earned accolades like second-team all-conference honors and was the most outstanding player. In between his collegiate career, Trier played donning the American uniform in the FIBA U19 World Championship in 2015 and won the gold medal.
Trier went for homeschooling during his ninth and tenth grades. Not attending a conventional school played a significant role while he pursued his athletic aspirations.
He joined basketball teams that were members of homeschool athletic associations, the Oklahoma City Storm and Tulsa NOAH (Northeast Oklahoma Association of Homeschools).
Jason Taylor
Professional Football Player
Jason Paul Taylor is known as the premier defensive end and outside linebacker of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). His professional career brought him several recognitions in the NFL.
Walter Payton’s NFL Man of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year were the final titles before his retirement in 2011. Before playing for the Dolphins, he also had brief seasons with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets.
As a kid from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Taylor attended homeschooling when he was in 10th to 12th grade. His passion for football started when he played for Woodland Hills High School.
To accommodate his rigid training while studying, choosing home education helped him fulfill his academic and athletic responsibilities incredibly. It ultimately paid off since it gave him more than a decade of playing in the pro.
Shaun Roger White
Professional Snowboarder, Skateboarder
Shaun White started to earn his celebrity status when he turned pro in snowboarding at the age of 13. At the tender age of 17, White became a professional skateboarder and was known as the first player to earn two titles in different sports, Summer X Games and Winter X Games.
The 33-year-old multi-talented athlete is currently carrying the record for the most number of gold medals in X-Games and Olympic gold medals as a snowboarder. Aside from becoming an athlete, White also ventured into designing clothes and had short-acting and music careers.
The three-time Olympic gold medalist didn’t attend a traditional high school. He took homeschooling and followed a public school curriculum. He had to split his time training, competing, and studying at a young age.
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova
Professional Tennis Player
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is one of the outstanding professional tennis players of her generation. The 33-year-old native of Russia has been actively playing at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) from 2001 to 2020. She ranked as the world’s no. 1 in the singles division by the WTA.
Furthermore, she is an Olympic silver medalist in women’s singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Sharapova became the first female Russian tennis player at the age of 18.
From then on, she earned a long list of accomplishments and was considered by former players as one of tennis’ best competitors.
Sharapova started to show her prowess in tennis at the age of seven and went to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Since then, she has been passionate about it and has gone to the highly regarded IMG Academy. Because of her supportive parents, Sharapova went for home education to have enough time to train.
The Hanson Brothers
Entertainers
Isaac, Taylor, and Zac, the three Hanson brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma, dominated the music scene back in 1995. Because of their distinct style of music, the brothers gained millions of supporters and earned various recognitions. In 1997, they received three Grammy nominations for the famous song “MMMBop.”
Everyone knew and sang this hit release; it even sold over 16 million records worldwide. Before becoming singers, they already had a knack for playing the piano, but eventually, they learned to play different instruments to adapt to the band’s needs.
Coming from a family-oriented background, their parents sent them to homeschool so they could be together as a family whenever their father traveled for work.
The Hanson family had to live in South America for a while due to their dad’s work assignment. Even their two younger siblings were also homeschooled when they returned to the U.S.
Christina Maria Aguilera
Entertainer
Christina Maria Aguilera, the American singer and songwriter, is behind the successful songs “What A Girl Wants,” “Genie In A Bottle,” and “Beautiful.”
The New York-bred singer started her career in entertainment by appearing on TV shows. From her debut album in 1999, Aguilera had a burgeoning career which led her to earn numerous accolades.
She received six Grammy Awards, including the Latin Grammy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dubbed the world’s best-selling singer, she sold an estimated 75 million records.
When she began appearing on various TV shows, Aguilera experienced terrible bullying at school. Not known to most people, she went to homeschooling in ninth grade because it didn’t stop. So, her mother decided to go to homeschool, which also helped her chase her goals.
David Karp
Web Developer, Businessman
David Karp is the founder of the microblogging and social networking site Tumblr. Before leaving his position as the CEO of the company, Tumblr reached an agreement with Yahoo! to acquire the company.
Karp achieved his flourishing career without earning a high school diploma. He started as an intern at an animation company, Frederator Studios.
After working for several online companies, he eventually started his software consulting firm, Davidville. Together with his colleague, Marco Arment, they built Tumblr. BusinessWeek recognized Karp as the Best Young Tech Entrepreneur. By 35, he was among the top 35 innovators in the world, according to the MIT Technology Review TR35.
The 33-year-old New Yorker was a dropout of The Bronx High School of Science. However, his education continued by going for home education. His mother supported this choice and made a homeschooling regimen with several tutors. At 15, he was free to do intensive exploration of the computer world, and a few years later, he had his digital startup.
Andrew Carnegie
Businessman
Andrew Carnegie was the man behind the Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburg. At present, it is the U.S. Steel, the second-largest local steel producer. He spearheaded the expansion of the steel industry in America during the 19th century.
As a philanthropist, he donated roughly $350 million to charities and foundations. Coming from humble beginnings, Carnegie knew what it was like to be reduced. Hence, he urged affluent individuals to use their money to help the community.
The Scottish businessman was an elementary dropout. He only experienced five years of formal education. He gained knowledge through homeschooling. Also, he had a passion for reading, which significantly helped him throughout his education.
Rex David Thomas
Businessman
Rex David Thomas was the founder of Wendy’s, the well-loved fast-food chain in the 1960s. He was a hands-on owner and took part in every aspect of the business. He even appeared in commercial advertisements over 800 times, surpassing any other company founder in TV history.
Unlike other successful people in business, Thomas was a high school dropout and went homeschooled. But because he didn’t want to influence the youth to quit school, he went to Coconut Creek High School and got his GED in 1993, more than 40 years after he dropped out.
As an education advocate, he always mentioned that quitting school was the worst mistake he’d ever made.
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
Artist
Leonardo da Vinci is the father of paleontology, ichnology, and architecture. The brilliant artist behind The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, he also gained the moniker Renaissance polymath. He is known as one of the greatest painters of all time and holds a world record for the priciest and most precious work of art.
Despite Da Vinci’s versatility in various fields, he didn’t have a formal education. His father, who acted as his teacher, had easy access to scholarly references.
Through homeschooling, he was able to learn primary education in elementary. Indeed, his father’s efforts went a long way for him since Da Vinci was a well-accomplished artist.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie
Writer
Agatha Christie is a famous author who earned the title of best-selling fiction writer of all time by the Guinness World Records. Her notable works were the fiction novels, “Hercule Poirot” and “Miss Marple.”
She also had a total of fourteen short story collections that gained attention because of the intriguing plots. Due to such popularity, Christie was able to sell more than four billion copies of her literary works.
The English author, who was from Torquay, Devon, came from affluent blood. She considered herself the intellectually challenged in her family because of her difficulties with reading and writing.
She had dysgraphia and dyslexia, which led her to a homeschool arrangement. But despite all these hurdles, she pulled through and achieved a favorable outcome as an author.
Clive Staples Lewis
Writer
Clive Staples Lewis, or C.S. Lewis, was the man who wrote the famous “Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Space Trilogy.” His works were exemplary, and he was able to sell more than a million copies.
It was “The Chronicles of Narnia” that became the most recognized among his works; it was seen on TV, stage, and cinema and heard on the radio.
The Oxford University graduate didn’t have formal schooling when he was a child. His mother taught him. They had a library full of books that encouraged him to be a voracious reader. Following his mother’s death, Lewis was taught by private tutors until he reached nine years old.
David Murray “Dav” Pilkey Jr.
Every child knows the book series “Captain Underpants,” but not everyone knows the author. It’s David Murray Pilkey Jr., an accomplished illustrator of children’s literature, cartoonist, and author. The “Captain Underpants” series received a Disney Adventures Kids’ Choice Award in 2007. His latest title was the Milner Award as the Favorite Children’s Book Author in 2016.
Unknown to the public, Pilkey Jr. has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is dyslexic. He struggled at school and received frequent scolding from the teachers. Hence, he was left sitting at a table in the hallway most of the time.
This experience was his inspiration for writing the character of Captain Underpants. His parents decided to homeschool him because of the significant changes in his attitude and health.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
President
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. became America’s 26th president. Before he acceded to the presidency, he was the 25th vice president and the governor of New York before that. Roosevelt Jr. was an active politician, and he was the leader of the Republican Party.
Together with other former presidents, Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, Roosevelt’s face is included in the National Museum of Mount Rushmore. According to the sculptor, these four presidents had the most significant impact on the history of the United States.
Despite coming from an opulent background, Roosevelt learned through home education. He was a weak and asthmatic child. With a massive collection of reading materials, his parents encouraged him to read any book that he liked.
Sandra Day O’Connor
Associate Justice of U.S. Supreme Court
Sandra Day O’Connor is a politician and jurist who served in the U.S. Supreme Court as the Associate Justice for 25 years. Aside from her notable tenure on the court, O’Connor received unanimous confirmation as the first female Majority Leader of a state senate in Arizona.
She was prudent all the time, and thus she ended up providing the deciding vote in most cases. O’Connor was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the nation in 2009.
O’Connor grew up on a cattle ranch in Duncan, Arizona. It was far from the nearest school, so she had to learn at home. Her mother was her teacher, and going for long nature walks was her form of education. Furthermore, she was a prodigious reader, which also made a considerable contribution to her studies.
Taylor Swift
Singer, songwriter
Taylor Swift is easily recognizable as one of the most successful women in the music industry. She started songwriting at the age of 14 and received seven Grammy awards by the time she was 24.
Despite not attending any college or university whatsoever, she received an honorary doctorate of fine arts degree awarded to her by New York University (NYU) for being among the most “prolific and famous artists of her time.” Throughout her career, she has won over 460 awards and has been nominated for more than 900.
While building her career, Taylor no longer had enough time to attend a regular school. So, with the help of her parents and tutors, she pursued homeschooling and conveniently learned wherever she was.
John Adams
Statesman, lawyer, diplomat, writer
John Adams was the 2nd president of the United States. A remarkably honest and prodigious writer and speaker, He was also a well-respected politician and lawyer best remembered as a huge proponent of independence from Great Britain.
His long and meaningful life poetically came to an end on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which he so ardently advocated for.
Just like most children of this time, John was first taught how to read at home. As he grew, he often skipped school to pursue other passions; later on, he was homeschooled by his parents.
Thomas Alva Edison
Businessman, Inventor
Hailed as the “Wizard of Menlo Park ” for his well-known works in a New Jersey town, this man was the mind behind the invention of the phonograph and one of the earliest models of motion picture cameras.
His telegraph and telephone innovations, among many others, have shaped modern living, although he is more often recognized for inventing the light bulb. Thomas Edison amassed a great record of 1,093 patents throughout his lifetime.
Thomas received very little formal education. Because he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was dyslexic, he did poorly in school and was often regarded by his teachers as a lazy and difficult student.
Seeing how this was affecting her son’s confidence, his mother took matters into her own hands by homeschooling him herself and eventually raised a successful inventor.
Simone Arianne Biles
Gymnast
A gold medal-winning athlete, Simone Biles is the first female gymnast to win three consecutive world titles; from 2013-2015 and the first African-American woman to take the all-around title at her first world gymnastics championship. She was said to live up to expectations as an Olympic athlete.
Simone’s grueling training schedule made homeschooling a necessity during her high school years to maintain her education while growing her career as an athlete.
She chose to be homeschooled at the age of 13 and missed prom along with other events a typical student would experience. According to her, this was “the only way to push her gymnastics career forward,” which then proved to be worthwhile.
Brie Larson
Actress
Brie Larson is best known for her role in Marvel Studio’s Captain Marvel, aside from her supporting roles in comedies and other independent films. She began pursuing drama at the young age of 6 and has built a great career as an actress ever since.
Moreover, she also attempted a career as a recording artist in the past and flourished there for a while. She was also the youngest student to attend San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater.
Brie started her entertainment career at a very young age and was homeschooled for the majority of her childhood by choice of her parents. Homeschooling gave her the space to pursue her career and other interests, which was something she considered to be a fun experience.
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