| HEN Ireland November 2006 Home - About us - Contact us - Learn about HE |
| Learn about Home Education HEN Ireland |
Where to start
If you are new in home-education, you would probably like to find resources in how to do things.
Thankfully, there is a long list of wonderful and inspiring books out there as well as very useful
websites to help you decide what method or philosophy suits you and your family best.
We want to help you. That's why we are putting together these lists for you. Even if you are an
experienced home-educator, we would love to surprise you with new and refreshing ideas. Also,
we would love to encourage you to send us more of your favourite resources to share with
everyone else.
If you are new in home-education, you would probably like to find resources in how to do things.
Thankfully, there is a long list of wonderful and inspiring books out there as well as very useful
websites to help you decide what method or philosophy suits you and your family best.
We want to help you. That's why we are putting together these lists for you. Even if you are an
experienced home-educator, we would love to surprise you with new and refreshing ideas. Also,
we would love to encourage you to send us more of your favourite resources to share with
everyone else.
The legal side of Home Education in Ireland
There are a some legal issues you should consider if you are home educating your child in
Ireland. Learn more about it.
There are a some legal issues you should consider if you are home educating your child in
Ireland. Learn more about it.
 | Methodology: What do Home Educator do? | |
| Philosophies in Home-Education | |
| Books in Home Education | |
| Educational resources to use with children | |
| Links to other Home Education websites | |
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a look at the FAQ's page.
Have a look at the FAQ's page.
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How Effective is Home Education?
Much of home education is based on conversational, informal, non-structured and opportunistic
methodologies and its mechanisms are difficult to quantify. However, there is no doubt among
researchers in home education, of the effectiveness of the process. It can be difficult to quantify
and compare schooled children with home educated children, particularly when there is little
traditional record of the child’s learning process.
A major problem is in the definition and the characterisation of education in a broad context. In
the few attempts to map a comparison between comparable groups, results have shown that
children who are home educated have a significant advantage over their school educated
peers. Alan Thomas concludes his 1999 research by saying “At the very least, the research
described in this book confirms that education at home is a viable alternative to school.”
Roland Meighan in his 1997 “The Next Learning System: and why home-schoolers are trail
blazers”, has a chapter devoted to effectiveness research. Social skills research by Julie Webb
(1990) and Gary Knowles (1993) concluded that “the idea of there being social disadvantages
to home-based education was not supported by the evidence. Indeed, the evidence suggested
the reverse.” This is echoed in the research of Alan Thomas (1999) who found that “Socially,
research shows broader and more applicable skills sets in home educated children when
compared with their peers.”
On the issue of intellectual and academic development, the academic excellence of home-
schooled children has been repeatedly demonstrated in research in the USA and the UK.
Summarising earlier findings, they found that home-based children consistently score at or
above the 50th percentile on standardised tests, with more than half scoring at the 70th and
80th percentile. (Alaska Dept. of Education 1985, Hewitt Research Foundation 1985, 1986.)
Later studies from the USA put home schooled children at least two years in front of their
schooled counterparts in intellectual achievements. In Brian Ray’s 1991 study it put home
schooled children up to 10 years ahead in some areas. More recently these findings have been
replicated by Paula Rothermel at the University of Durham. Her findings, published in 2002,
which demonstrate the remarkable success of home educated children, can be found under the
Academic research section of HEN’s website.
Curiously Dennis Littky has used those methods favoured within home schooling in a newly
formed high school (The Met School) in Rhode Island, USA and it has produced astonishingly
successful results, with a 97% college acceptance level.
Much of home education is based on conversational, informal, non-structured and opportunistic
methodologies and its mechanisms are difficult to quantify. However, there is no doubt among
researchers in home education, of the effectiveness of the process. It can be difficult to quantify
and compare schooled children with home educated children, particularly when there is little
traditional record of the child’s learning process.
A major problem is in the definition and the characterisation of education in a broad context. In
the few attempts to map a comparison between comparable groups, results have shown that
children who are home educated have a significant advantage over their school educated
peers. Alan Thomas concludes his 1999 research by saying “At the very least, the research
described in this book confirms that education at home is a viable alternative to school.”
Roland Meighan in his 1997 “The Next Learning System: and why home-schoolers are trail
blazers”, has a chapter devoted to effectiveness research. Social skills research by Julie Webb
(1990) and Gary Knowles (1993) concluded that “the idea of there being social disadvantages
to home-based education was not supported by the evidence. Indeed, the evidence suggested
the reverse.” This is echoed in the research of Alan Thomas (1999) who found that “Socially,
research shows broader and more applicable skills sets in home educated children when
compared with their peers.”
On the issue of intellectual and academic development, the academic excellence of home-
schooled children has been repeatedly demonstrated in research in the USA and the UK.
Summarising earlier findings, they found that home-based children consistently score at or
above the 50th percentile on standardised tests, with more than half scoring at the 70th and
80th percentile. (Alaska Dept. of Education 1985, Hewitt Research Foundation 1985, 1986.)
Later studies from the USA put home schooled children at least two years in front of their
schooled counterparts in intellectual achievements. In Brian Ray’s 1991 study it put home
schooled children up to 10 years ahead in some areas. More recently these findings have been
replicated by Paula Rothermel at the University of Durham. Her findings, published in 2002,
which demonstrate the remarkable success of home educated children, can be found under the
Academic research section of HEN’s website.
Curiously Dennis Littky has used those methods favoured within home schooling in a newly
formed high school (The Met School) in Rhode Island, USA and it has produced astonishingly
successful results, with a 97% college acceptance level.
Reasons Why People Home Educate
The motivation behind home education is highly diverse. The principal motivations (in no
particular order) are:
There is no research available on the prevalence of these motivations nationally or
internationally. (Much of the research done in other countries has oriented around one or other
of these motivations or around a specific pedagogy.) There are other reasons, less often stated
e.g. parental convenience or geographical location. Frequently it is a combination of several of
these. In some instances the process is child driven, in some, parent driven. In almost all
circumstances, it is the child’s choice to remain outside the traditional schooling situation. The
first of these motivations appears to be predominantly middle class in nature. The last is found
most significantly among travellers and ethnic minorities.
The sociological divisions within home education await research. In a recent study by Dr.
Rothermel, involving over 1000 home educated children in the UK; she stated “For half the
sample home-education was a lifestyle choice. Families valued the freedom and flexibility that
home-education brought them” (Rothermel, 2002.)
The motivation behind home education is highly diverse. The principal motivations (in no
particular order) are:
- Philosophical e.g. looking for child led education
- Child centred e.g. some children respond badly to the structure of school
- As a response to non-educational problems in school e.g. bullying by pupils and
teachers - Medical related e.g. Dyslexia, autism, other special needs
- Religiously related e.g. Catholic, Muslim.
- Culturally related e.g. resident foreign nationals, travelling community.
There is no research available on the prevalence of these motivations nationally or
internationally. (Much of the research done in other countries has oriented around one or other
of these motivations or around a specific pedagogy.) There are other reasons, less often stated
e.g. parental convenience or geographical location. Frequently it is a combination of several of
these. In some instances the process is child driven, in some, parent driven. In almost all
circumstances, it is the child’s choice to remain outside the traditional schooling situation. The
first of these motivations appears to be predominantly middle class in nature. The last is found
most significantly among travellers and ethnic minorities.
The sociological divisions within home education await research. In a recent study by Dr.
Rothermel, involving over 1000 home educated children in the UK; she stated “For half the
sample home-education was a lifestyle choice. Families valued the freedom and flexibility that
home-education brought them” (Rothermel, 2002.)
| Many thanks to Nick Gudge for sharing his own writings to complete this section. |