Appetizer

Once upon a time - but not so very long ago or far away - a small grade school girl accompanied her mother and younger sister to the grocery store in the middle of a school day. As she was minding her own business, a friendly old man stopped her and asked, "Little girl, why aren't you in school?"

The little girl winced inwardly at the question, knowing from past experience that her answer would bring a volley of questions and raised eyebrows. Gulping, she shyly stated, "I'm homeschooled."

Much to her surprise, the man's face broke into a positive smile as he said, "Oh, really? I've heard of that before!"

While strange looks and ridicule were commonplace responses in the early days of the modern homeschool movement, the positive answer in the above exchange has quickly become the norm. Homeschooling is now the #1 school choice option after private schooling. It is widely accepted by both liberals and conservatives, and many people find the exploits of homeschoolers amazing, interesting, and refreshing. Colleges, government agencies, and employers are even beginning to seek out homeschooled young people.

Many people have noted that the mainstream media abounds with homeschool anecdotes regarding spelling bee winners, science geniuses, and bright college prospects, but is the average homeschool student really all that? Do homeschool students really fit the stereotypical bill of sheltered, ambitious, and unsocialized children? The information in this section will help you understand the views and data on homeschooling, including information on homeschool history, growth, demographics, regulation, academic progress, and much more.