Overview

For most of human history, everyone was homeschooled. The idea of sending kids to a building for 8 hours a day is very new (Industrial Revolution). Today, millions of parents are opting out of the system to teach their kids themselves.

Core Idea

The core idea is Customization. The school system is “One Size Fits All.” Homeschooling is “Bespoke Suit.” You can tailor the curriculum to the child’s interests and pace.

Formal Definition

The education of children at home or a variety of places other than school, usually conducted by a parent. Unschooling: A radical version where there is no curriculum at all. The child learns by living.

Intuition

  • The Factory vs. The Studio:
    • School: Bells, rows, standardized tests. Efficient for the state.
    • Home: Reading on the couch, going to museums, cooking. Efficient for the individual.

Examples

  • Religious Homeschooling: Parents who want to teach their values without secular influence.
  • Secular Homeschooling: Parents who think schools are too rigid, too test-focused, or unsafe (bullying).
  • Pandemic Pods: During COVID, neighbors hired a teacher to teach 5-6 kids in a living room. A hybrid model.

Common Misconceptions

  • They have no friends: “What about socialization?” Homeschoolers actually have more diverse social lives. They interact with adults, old people, and kids of all ages at the library/park, rather than just 30 kids of their exact same age.
  • Deschooling: The period of time it takes for a kid to “detox” from the school mindset (waiting to be told what to do) after leaving school.

Applications

  • Gifted Kids: Often bored in school. Homeschooling lets them do Calculus at age 10.
  • Special Needs: Kids with ADHD often thrive at home where they can move around.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Privilege: You need a parent who can afford to stay home and not work. Single moms usually can’t homeschool.
  • Quality Control: Some parents are bad teachers. Some kids slip through the cracks and learn nothing.

Further Reading

  • Holt, John. Teach Your Own.
  • Westover, Tara. Educated. (A memoir about the dark side of isolation).