<<  <  >  >>

Page 11

As families gain confidence in their homeschooling

abilities, they may opt for a less structured approach and

rely on homemade materials or borrow heavily from local

libraries.  Tutors may be sought to teach particular skills,

such as a foreign language or a musical instrument, and

older children are sometimes recruited to teach younger

siblings a particular academic discipline or task.  Home-

schooled children also participate in field trips and learn-

ing co-ops with other homeschooled students or even take

courses at a day school or community college.  In Ray's

study of 1,657 families, 71.1 percent of the respondents

said they custom design their curriculum to suit their

child's needs, and 83.7 percent said that their children use

a computer in their home.  The average cost is $546 per

homeschooled student per year.37

No matter the method employed, studies indicate that

one-on-one involvement with homeschooled children, especial-

ly during their primary years, is high.  Theodore Wagenaar

of Miami University notes that homeschooled children "are

considerably more likely to experience someone in the family

doing the following activities with them three or more times

a week: tell a story, teach letters, teach songs, do arts

and crafts, play with toys and games indoors, play games and

sports outdoors, take child on errands, and involve child in

household chores."38

What about Socialization?

How Do Homeschooled Children Meet Others?

Those are the questions homeschoolers report they are

usually asked first when they are asked to explain their

lifestyle.  Typically, homeschooled children engage in a

variety of activities outside the home--sports teams, scout-

ing programs, church, community service, or part-time em-

ployment.  Richard G. Medlin of Stetson University notes

that homeschoolers rely heavily on support groups as a

resource for planning field trips and maintaining personal

contact with like-minded families.39

In 1992 Larry Shyers of the University of Florida wrote

a doctoral dissertation in which he challenged the notion

that youngsters at home "lag" in social development.  In his

study, 8- to 10-year-old children were videotaped at play.

Their behavior was observed by trained counselors who did

not know which children went to regular schools and which

were homeschooled.