Fake News: 5 Popular Homeschool Myths Debunked

When it comes to homeschooling, there’s a lot of fake news out there. To help clarify some of the misunderstandings, we take the time to debunk 5 popular myths about homeschooling.

Myth 1: Hardly anyone homeschools.
Fact: As of the spring of 2016, there are approximately 2.3 million children educated at home in the United States. With a growth rate of at least 2% annually, homeschooling is closer to become mainstream as opposed to an alternative form of education.

Myth 2: Homeschoolers have difficulty getting into college.
Fact: Today, many colleges are recruiting homeschoolers not because they possess a specific type of diploma, but because they exhibit academic abilities and character traits that enhance the classroom experience and campus life.

Myth 3: Homeschoolers aren’t qualified to teach their children.
Fact: You don’t need a college degree in education or a teacher’s license to teach your own children, and a parent’s educational attainment does not advance or hinder a child’s achievement alone. The Bible also advises parents to be their children’s first teachers (Deuteronomy 11:19).

Myth 4: Homeschoolers aren’t socialized.
Fact: Contrary to the most common assumption about them, homeschoolers are often more active in their local communities than their traditional school counterparts. Homeschoolers also generally rank above average in measures of social, emotional, and psychological development.

Myth 5: Homeschoolers can’t compete with the traditional school students.
Fact: Homeschoolers score 15-30 percentile points higher above public-school students on standardized test scores. In addition, homeschoolers outperform all other students on the ACT and score 67 points above the national average on the SAT.

Sources:
HSLDA
NHERI