| Home education, also called homeschooling or | | | | All-in-one curriculum, form of home education |
| home school, is an educational alternative in which | | | | dates back to 1906, when the Calvert Day School |
| children are educated at home by their parents, in | | | | of Baltimore, Maryland made such materials |
| contrast to the compulsory attendance which | | | | available through a downtown Baltimore |
| takes place in an institution with a campus such as | | | | bookstore and a National Geographic |
| a public school or private school. Home education | | | | advertisement. |
| methods are similar to those widely used before | | | | Within five years, nearly 300 children were making |
| the popularization of compulsory attendance | | | | use of materials from Calvert's Home Instruction |
| requirements in the 19th century. Before this | | | | Department. In less than a century the materials |
| time, the majority of education worldwide was | | | | had become the basis for lessons for more than |
| provided at home by family and community | | | | 350,000 children annually in more than 90 |
| members, with only the privileged attending | | | | countries. |
| privately-run schools or employing tutors, the only | | | | In the United States, homeschooling is the focus |
| available alternatives at the time. | | | | of a substantial movement among parents who |
| In modern times, although there were American | | | | wish to provide their children with a custom or |
| families living overseas who were already | | | | more complete education, which they feel is |
| homeschooling their children, the first parents | | | | unattainable in most private schools or the state |
| known to homeschool within the United States | | | | governments' public school systems. In many |
| were Tom and Mary Bergman of Utah, 1971. | | | | instances one motivation is to provide religious |
| Unknown to each other at the time, the second | | | | education along with education on traditional |
| known family was Charles and Virginia Birt Baker | | | | subjects; religious education would not be available |
| of Texas, 1972. | | | | in a public school setting, and the available private |
| Homeschooling was sometimes erroneously called | | | | schools may be too expensive for the family to |
| unschooling, but the latter was a curriculum-free | | | | afford, or may be of a different faith than that |
| philosophy coined in 1977 by American educator | | | | of the family. Home schooling is also considered an |
| John Holt in his alternative education magazine | | | | excellent alternative by groups whose job |
| Growing Without Schooling. The terms | | | | necesitates frequent moves, such as military |
| homeschooling and home education also include | | | | families. While a growing number of families in the |
| instruction in the home by parents choosing to be | | | | U.S. |
| under the supervision of correspondence schools, | | | | are educating their children at home, the vast |
| which are referred to as "umbrella schools" | | | | majority of families still utilize the institutional |
| [example: Christian Liberty Academy]. | | | | setting for their children. |
| In the United States, homeschooling is the focus | | | | In 2003 about 1.1 million children (up 29% from |
| of a substantial movement among parents who | | | | 850,000 in 1999) were home-educated on the |
| wish to provide their children with a custom or | | | | United States[4]. A desire to provide religious or |
| more complete education, which they feel is | | | | moral instruction, and a desire to provide a better |
| unattainable in most private schools or the | | | | learning environment are among the most |
| government's public schools. While many families in | | | | common reasons for homeschooling. |
| the U.S. are educating their children at home, the | | | | Other reasons include: more flexibility in adapting |
| vast majority still utilize the institutional setting for | | | | educational practices for children with learning |
| their children. Despite its popularity some people | | | | disabilities or illnesses; allowing the introduction of |
| have concerns about the recent renaissance of | | | | more non-traditional studies, such as Latin and |
| this traditional method of educating children. | | | | agriculture, focusing more on a child's unique gifts, |
| The general historic foundations of home | | | | such as art or mathematics; and providing more |
| education originate with the informal education | | | | hands-on methods of learning such as unschooling. |
| systems that existed in many parts of the world | | | | As educational choices become abundant through |
| before the rise of publicly-run schools in the late | | | | a vast array of educational products and services |
| 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, | | | | available, computers, and the internet, the idea of |
| famous figures such as Thomas Edison, Abraham | | | | homeschooling in the U.S. is expanding in popularity |
| Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson (the only U.S. | | | | and acceptance. Some state governments, like |
| President to hold a Ph.D.) might be considered to | | | | those in Alaska, California, Pennsylvania, Utah, and |
| have been home-educated as they were | | | | Kansas, sponsor home-education "virtual" charter |
| self-educated or had mentors or tutors growing | | | | schools and/or reimburse parents who purchase |
| up, but received little formal education. | | | | curricula approved by the state. |
| In the United States, the "curriculum in a box", or | | | | |