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state, used particular curricular packages, or

joined associations.23

The Home School Market, published in April 1995, esti-

mated that the number of homeschooled children had doubled

since 1990 to 800,000 and would double again in the next

five years.24  The Home School Legal Defense Association

maintains that the number is already much higher--1.23

million.  The estimate is based on HSLDA's analysis of the

numbers provided by major curriculum distributors (such as

Calvert, A Beka, and Konos), which supply complete, year-

long packages to homeschoolers.  HSLDA's estimate is larger

than the federal government's because they have calculated

high numbers of homeschoolers for populous states, like

Texas, that do not monitor or regulate homeschoolers and

figured in "underground" homeschoolers who have no contact

with schooling authorities or homeschool groups.25

A more exact count of homeschoolers is expected when

the results of federal government household surveys are

published.  The Census Bureau, working with the National

Center on Education Statistics, has begun to include ques-

tions on homeschooling.

Homeschooling families support a growing industry.  For

instance, Mary Pride, publisher of Practical Homeschooling

magazine, distributes 100,000 copies of the publication.

Pride's much-lauded The Big Book of Home Learning has sold

close to a quarter million copies.26  The HSLDA, which has

45 employees, has 53,000 families as dues-paying members.27

Homeschooling Today, one of the newer homeschooling jour-

nals, has a circulation of about 20,000.28  Pat Farenga of

Holt Associates, the homeschooling clearinghouse named after

John Holt, receives 40,000 inquiries a year.29 Amazon.com,

the online bookseller, lists 217 books about homeschooling.

Frequently Asked Questions

It will probably not come as a surprise to learn that

homeschooling elicits much criticism and misunderstanding.

Sometimes the critics are family members or neighbors.

Large lobbying groups, such as the National School Boards

Association and the National Education Association, have

also made statements that suggest that homeschoolers are

poorly supervised.  In the summer of 1997, at the annual

National Education Association convention, an anti-home-