Noting that an increasing number of parents turn to home schooling to avoid what they see as limited, inadequate, or even dangerous school options, this book provides a comprehensive guide for parents in their first year of home schooling. The chapters are: (1) "Thinking about Homeschooling?" considering the motivation for home…

Cooperative learning centers can provide educational activities for home-schooled children as well as support networks for home-schooling parents. This guide recounts development of a cooperative learning center founded by parents of over 70 home-educated children in upstate New York. Part 1 of the book details the development of The Alternative…

Noting that most home-schooling materials adhere to conventional schooling at the cost of creativity, this handbook provides guidelines for building a successful home school curriculum, one that avoids student resentment and parent burnout, targets children's interest and motivation, and understands how a child's developmental stages contribute to…

This book is a guide to providing library resources and services that support homeschooling. The first section contains an overview of the homeschooling movement, statistics that show a nationwide trend toward this form of education, and an examination of the motivations, philosophies and educational styles of homeschoolers. The second section…

This paper examines issues related to the provision of special education services by public schools to students in private, parochial, or home school settings and offers guidelines for local education agencies. First, the paper reviews federal statutory and regulatory obligations, particularly those under the Individuals with Disabilities…

This manual provides documentation and guidance for users of the public release data file for the School Readiness (SR) component of the 1993 National Household Education Survey (NHES:93). The NHES:93 was a random digit dial telephone survey of households developed by the National Center for Education Statistics and conducted by Westat Inc. For…

To assist parents, educators, and law-makers, this guide presents each state's Compulsory Education Law for Home Schooling situations. Compilation of facts and laws derives from materials collected from the chief state school officer or designated authority. Because many states are updating laws and requirements, the manual is intended as a…

This resource for parents draws upon research findings and the experience of home schooling parents to answer common questions about home schooling in the United States and Canada. Included is information on home schooling instructional approaches and curricula, record keeping, organizational tools, and practical tips. Chapter 1, "Initial…

This book provides a comprehensive guide for parents who want to help their children develop an important skill, writing, in a fun and creative way. The book shares with parents successful classroom and workshop teaching methods. It also provides guideline for home schooling parents. The book helps children become less intimidated by the English…

After explaining why more choice among schools is a good idea, this paper provides details and evaluations of state plans for increasing choice in schools, delineates the characteristics of a desirable school choice plan, and advises parents on choosing schools. Current school choice policies in the following states are briefly summarized: Alaska,…

This almanac is intended for parents who are considering home schooling or who are already home schooling and want to expand and obtain more resources, and for non-home-schooling parents who want educational resources to supplement their child's education at home. Part 1 of the almanac presents background information into what home schooling is…

This booklet is the fourth in a series designed to assist parents who are home-schooling their adolescent children and focuses on teaching a foreign language, history, science, and physical education. The articles in this booklet are: (1) "Habla Espanol? Tackling Foreign Language," examining effective and ineffective foreign language instruction…

Describes two main groups of home schoolers, "ideological" and "pedagogical." Highlights include a family's success with nondirective teaching; teaching styles; religious factors; the social impact; research results about use of public libraries; and 12 suggestions of how libraries can serve home schoolers information needs.…

This booklet is the fifth in a series designed to assist parents who are home-schooling their adolescent children and deals with high school requirements and college admissions. The articles in this booklet are: (1) "'How Do We Know When We're Done?'," concerning criteria for high school graduation, college recommendations, and evaluating…

Maine law allows parents to arrange with local school boards to have their children educated outside a public or private school, if the student will receive "equivalent instruction." If the proposed program of instruction is "equivalent" within the meaning of the law, it must be approved by local school officials. Parents are…