| A brief history of home schooling | | | | access to a very valuable teaching tool |
| | | | – usually right in their home. Parents |
| During the settlement of this country, home | | | | can even create their own websites with |
| schooling was accepted as the primary means | | | | curriculums and objectives for the students |
| of educating children. Surprisingly, this led | | | | to review and follow over the course of their |
| to a literacy rate of almost 98%. Of course, | | | | education. |
| as the nation's population grew, so did the | | | | |
| number of schools, both public and religious | | | | Online research not only yields written |
| (private). This trend continued at a growth | | | | material about specific subjects, from |
| rate of nearly 15% per year. However, driven | | | | Aardvarks to Zen, it also offers photographs, |
| in part due to the Supreme Court decisions | | | | drawings, sounds and videos – things |
| relating to the practice of religion in | | | | that are particularly attractive to students. |
| publicly funded educational institutions, the | | | | Visiting websites prior to teaching about a |
| face of education began to change. | | | | subject obviously allows the instructor to |
| | | | select the sites that best suit their |
| How does use of the Internet assist parents | | | | curriculum. This "multimedia" learning |
| (and students) who home school? | | | | experience keeps the student's interest while |
| | | | preparing them to deal with the new realities |
| Parents who home school use several means of | | | | of a world increasingly focused on |
| determining the age and grade appropriateness | | | | technology. |
| of their subject matter. As they progress | | | | |
| through basic subjects such as math, reading | | | | The final word(s). |
| and writing, they can also enhance their | | | | |
| curriculum by performing online research. For | | | | Because there are technological advances |
| example, the Humane Society in their | | | | taking place every hour of every day, it is |
| community has elected to adopt a "no kill" | | | | very important that home schooled students |
| policy. The children have expressed a real | | | | enter the "digital age" with both eyes open |
| interest in this topic and want to know more | | | | and both feet embedded in this new ground. |
| than the newspaper is providing. By accessing | | | | This is because public and private schools |
| the Internet, this parent can provide her | | | | both focus on using computers and everything |
| students with all they need to know about "no | | | | related to them to give their students a |
| kill" shelter facilities close to home or | | | | competitive edge. Even children as young as |
| around the world. | | | | six are "computer literate." The needs of a |
| | | | parent who home schools mean they must |
| Once a home schooling parent feels | | | | increasingly rely on computer competency. |
| comfortable moving around the Internet and | | | | They can easily achieve these skills by |
| websites, then they are ready to pass this | | | | accessing online tutorials and related |
| knowledge on to their students. They now have | | | | websites. |