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