| Home schooling is also known as home | | | | bearing that early childhood education |
| education, and is a method of teaching | | | | had on the mental, and, physical |
| children in the family home, rather than | | | | development of children between the ages |
| at an institution, such as a public | | | | of 8 to 12 years of age. Through these |
| school. Originally, all schooling was | | | | studies, the Moores produced evidence |
| done in the family home, or informally | | | | that formal schooling was damaging to |
| within small communities. Very few | | | | children, and a cause for some |
| children ever went to school, or had | | | | behavioral problems commonly found in |
| private tutelage. Children who did have | | | | school aged children. |
| this type of education were considered | | | | According to these tests, illiterate |
| to be privileged, and were mainly from | | | | tribal mothers in Africa had children |
| wealthy families. | | | | that were more socially, and emotionally |
| Informal education, mainly conducted in | | | | advanced than children in the western |
| the home, was the only way for children | | | | world. The Moores believed that this was |
| to gain an education. In the US, there | | | | largely due to the bond between parents, |
| were books dedicated to home education, | | | | and their children being broken when |
| such as "Helps To Education in the Homes | | | | children were institutionalized in |
| of Our Country" authored by Warren | | | | schooling systems. |
| Burton. Parents were the main teachers | | | | In some English speaking countries, it |
| of their children, although, where | | | | is still an option for parents to home |
| possible, local teachers would assist | | | | school their children rather than to |
| parents, and take classes. It is said | | | | send them to an institutionalized |
| that before schooling was | | | | school. There are a wide variety of home |
| institutionalized, the US was at its | | | | schooling methods available to families |
| height of literacy skills. | | | | who choose to home school their |
| The 19th century saw many significant | | | | children, rather than send them to |
| changes to the way education, and | | | | schools, including methods such as |
| schooling was conducted with the | | | | classical education, Waldorf education, |
| introduction of compulsory school | | | | and the Montessori method. |
| attendance laws. It is now considered a | | | | Home schooling can also refer to |
| human right that children are given an | | | | schooling done in a home environment, |
| education provided by the government. | | | | with supervision by teachers through |
| Over the years, there has been much | | | | correspondence schools. While children |
| controversy over the effectiveness of | | | | are schooled at home, they must still |
| institutionalized schooling, and some | | | | complete compulsory educational |
| people have even gone as far as saying | | | | subjects, and take tests. |
| that the compulsory schooling system is | | | | One of the main reasons that parents |
| damaging to younger children, especially | | | | choose to home school their children is |
| boys who are slower to mature. | | | | that they feel the schools are unable to |
| In the early 1970s, Ray and Dorothy | | | | offer their children the same quality of |
| Moore, who later become well known home | | | | education, or social environment that |
| schooling advocates, researched the | | | | can be taught at home. |