| Through much of human history, the only education | | | | being that the children have certain minimum levels of |
| children received was from their parents. It was only in | | | | knowledge is various subjects. |
| the middle ages that special institutions were set up to | | | | Home schooling should not be confused with home |
| impart education, and this too was only to the socially | | | | study which is institutionally supervised education |
| elite and royalty. The education imparted at these | | | | programs for those who would like to attend school |
| institutions was what is called Classical Education - the | | | | but can not. This include such forms of education as |
| study of history, philosophy, ancient languages and | | | | Independent Study Programs where visiting teachers |
| perhaps some rudimentary science. Most children | | | | visit students who are unable to attend school, for a |
| were apprenticed - they learned a vocation either | | | | variety of legitimate reasons which can include physical |
| from their fathers or from a skilled tradesman. This | | | | or learning disabilities, on a regular basis to set the |
| was the education that saw them through life. | | | | study schedule and monitor progress. Many school |
| It was only in the late 17th century that compulsory | | | | districts also offer support programs for children who |
| education began in the West. This was a concept the | | | | are unable to attend school due to sickness and injury. |
| early settlers brought with them to America. Families | | | | These programs are designed to allow the children to |
| moving out from the east coast to settle the virgin | | | | keep up with the class work until they are able to |
| lands to the west were basically on their own and | | | | return to school. Neither of these or other home study |
| what little education was available to children was | | | | plans offer parents any control over what and how |
| given by the parents. But schools soon followed and | | | | their children study and so cannot be called home |
| by the end of the 19th century, schooling was available | | | | schooling. |
| to most American children. However, by the middle of | | | | There are many reasons why parents opt for home |
| the 20th century, people were beginning to question | | | | schooling. Among the most common are: |
| the prevailing education system and the type of | | | | · Control over what their children will learn |
| learning it imparted. It was at this time that the concept | | | | · Maintaining and developing the family bonds |
| of home schooling emerged, or to be historically | | | | which need not be affected because the child must go |
| accurate, re-emerged. | | | | to school. |
| So what exactly is home schooling? It is basically an | | | | · The option of being able to understand and |
| alternative to institutional (regular school) education in | | | | respond to a child's special needs |
| which the family, as a unit, works together to impart | | | | · Concerns about the safety of children in |
| knowledge and learning to the children. Home schooling | | | | schools and also about the journey to and from there. |
| is legal in all the fifty states and while the specifics of | | | | · Home schooling provides a huge amount of |
| the rules and regulations governing this form of | | | | flexibility. Parents who travel often are able to adjust |
| education differ from state to state, in general the | | | | the study schedules so as to take their children with |
| parents have freedom to choose when, how and | | | | them. |
| what their children will study, subject to the end result | | | | |