A recent Canadian study, published in the Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, shows homeschool students perform better in the core academics of math and reading. The homeschool vs. public school debate has been going on for decades, and while this study will not resolve the arguments behind the debates it proves that homeschool students are not inferior to public school students. Hopefully with enough of these studies colleges and universities will become more accepting of homeschool students and offer them more opportunities.
The study compared standardized testing results of 37 homeschool students and 37 public school students, between 5 and 10 years of age. The public school students typically tested at their grade level (or slightly above) while the homeschooled students performed about 2.2 grades higher in reading and half a grade higher in math.
The study pointed out the importance a structured and organized homeschool in a child’s ability to excel academically. A subgroup of 12 homeschooled kids that were taught in a manner known as “unschooling“, which is an environment where teachers, textbooks, and formal testing does not exist, were also evaluated. This subgroup showed significantly lower scores on all seven academic measures. The differences between the students in a structured and unstructured school setting vary from one to four grade levels in certain tests.
It is great to know there are so many homeschool parents taking such an active role in their child’s education, and that homeschooled students are finally getting some of the credit they deserve. As with any discipline of education, the more involved parents are in their child’s education the more likely the children are to succeed and excel in their academics. Way to go homeschooler’s! Keep up the good work!
