Homeschooled Children Become Well-Rounded Adults
Most Would Homeschool Their Own KidsHomeschooled children, who have chalked up impressive academic achievements, grow up to be civically involved, politically active adults, according to a new report. The 2003 survey of 7,306 adults who were homeschooled as children was conducted by Dr. Brian D. Ray of the Salem, Oregon-based National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) on behalf of the Purcellville, Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Dr. Ray found that, contrary to many worst-case predictions, home-educated adults are, on average, happy with the way they were educated, and are more actively involved than the general population with charitable organizations, neighborhood groups and political parties.
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Overwhelmingly, the respondents said they were pleased with the way their parents and guardians chose to educate them. In fact, the majority of the survey respondents planned to turn homeschooling into a family tradition.
- happy to be homeschooled: On a five-point scale, with 1=Strongly Agree and 5=Strongly Disagree, the mean response to “I am glad that I was homeschooled” was 1.3.
- homeschool their own kids: 55% strongly agreed and 27% agreed, “I would homeschool my own children.”
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In recent years, homeschooled children have often dominated national spelling bees and other learning-based contests. A 1999 study by Lawrence M. Rudner, published by Education Policy Analysis Archives, found “exceptionally high” scores among 20,760 homeschooled students who took standardized achievement tests. But many critics of homeschooling warn that, despite such academic achievements, home-based education isolates children from social interaction and may produce alienated adults who won’t or can’t participate in society. The NHERI study found the opposite to be true. |
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Homeschooled |
General |
|
community service |
71% |
37% |
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believe “politics and government are too complicated to understand.” |
4% |
35% |
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worked for a candidate, party, or cause |
14% |
1% |
|
worked for a candidate, party, or cause |
13% |
5% |
|
voted in last five years |
76% |
29% |
|
voted in last five years |
95% |
40% |
For all civic activities (e.g., working for candidate/political party/political cause, voting in national/state elections) and at all age groups, the home-educated adults in this study were more civically involved than the general population.
--National Home Education Research Institute
Of the 7,306 adults who participated in the survey, 5,254 were homeschooled for at least seven years; this group provides the basis for the majority of the survey’s results. Of these 5,254 respondents, 30% were homeschooled for between seven and nine years and 70% were homeschooled for between ten and fourteen years.
To view more iEdx information about homeschooling, click here.
To view a synopsis of the National Home Education Research Institute report, Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community and Civic Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, and Other Traits, click here.
To view the HSLDA's (longer) summary of the National Home Education Research Institute report, Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community and Civic Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, and Other Traits, click here.