According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 1.5 million K-12 students were homeschooled in 2007. That is a 36% increase in just last 4 years! This is clearly a growing trend, and it is important to understand the reasons behind it.

According to the same report, 88% of those parents homeschooled their children for concerns about the school environment and 73% had dissatisfaction with academic instruction at schools. Naturally, many of these parents feel that they can do a better job. Perhaps they are right. According to reports, homeschooled kids score higher than their schooled peers on standardized tests. By the eighth grade, homeschooled kids are four years ahead of their schooled peers. The increasing violence in schools is also influencing many parents’ decision.

But how do they overcome homeschooling’s lack-of-socialization problem? Because the parents have made a conscious decision to homeschool their kids, they are usually more actively involved in their kids’ lives. They organize social events for other homeschoolers. They also take kids to parks and playgrounds with other homeschoolers, and share play dates.

We believe that although traditional schooling and homeschooling have their own benefits, homeschooling has certainly grown and matured enough for parents to consider it as a real alternative.