| What is HE ( Home Education) Home Education is a child centred, family orientated, broad based learning experience. Which is a way of life for an increasing number of people who want something richer and radically different for their children. |
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 | |
| 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.
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. |