The number of children involved in homeschooling increases by about 15 percent each year. There are a number of reasons as to why parents decide that homeschooling is right for their child: These include:

• Rise of violence in the public schools
• Ability to teach religious and moral values
• Individualized instruction

Rise of violence in the public schools
It seems that at least twice during a school year, we hear about crimes committed by students against other students and teachers. The most violent of these are when students bring guns to school and randomly shoot their classmates and teachers.

It was almost unheard of twenty years ago that children were bringing guns or knives to school. There were no metal detectors to walk through before entering the school. Today this is the standard. No wonder that parents have mixed feelings about sending their children to public schools and prefer to homeschool them.

Ability to teach religious and moral values
Many parents feel that homeschooling their children will allow them to instill religious and moral values in their children on a daily basis. When children attend public or private schools, they are confronted with peer pressure.

Children are teased and bullied. If they do not wear the latest fashions, they are shunned by their classmates. There is a tendency to become a part of the group rather than be an individual.

Homeschooling allows the child to freely express themselves in comfortable surroundings.

Individualized instruction
For some parents, homeschooling is the answer to the overcrowded classroom. Teachers are not able to spend time with each child to assess their particular learning problems and offer the extra help that may be needed.

Homeschooling actually starts at a very early age. Although we do not generally consider it, but as a child grows from baby in the arms to a toddler walking walking around, parents are teaching their children. Small children often imitate their parents and want to be involved in their activities. How many times has your child walked to the mailbox with you? When you get to the box, the child wants to be picked up so they can take the mail out of the box. The child is imitating what you do but is also learning a real-life activity.

If you decide homeschooling is right for your child, you will need to determine what the requirements are for testing and evaluation and moving through elementary school to high school to graduation. Homeschooling is legal in every state in the United States.

Parents do not have to have a degree to homeschool their child. They need to be able to organize a curriculum, test, and assess their child. The states do have reporting activities that parents must follow and there are curriculum guidelines.

One of the most important aspects of homeschooling your child is that you do not have to have a formalized curriculum. The child does not have to be taught from a specific textbook, chapter-by-chapter. The parent can assess the interest of their child and determine the best way to approach their learning.

Children who are homeschooled generally do not have problems with socialization. They tend to be comfortable with adults as well as children of their own age groups. They also tend to know what they want from life and base their opinions on their individual beliefs.

Homeschooling your child may be right for you. But you also have to consider more than the normal curriculum, your child also needs after school activities. Private schools and community groups offer sports activities in which the homeschooled child may participate.

The advantage of homeschooling your child is that you have the opportunity to broaden their horizons in a less structured atmosphere and offer them a variety of learning options. This makes for a well-rounded person who has self-confidence and a willingness to succeed.