The allure of homeschooling is pretty strong in these parts, as each new school year more families are deciding to take their child's education into their own hands. But to many who are not in the movement, the appeal of homeschooling may seem mysterious. After all, school is a convenience, allowing parents to work and pursue their interests while promoting cognitive and social growth in the children. To top off matters, public schools offer this valuable service for free. So why do so many families sacrifice the convenience of conventional schooling? Homeschooling is a dynamic growing movement because it has a lot to offer.

Homeschooling is a natural extension of a simple lifestyle. Free from the demands of daily 7:30 drives to the elementary schools, parents have more quality moments with their children at the start of the day. School 'work' is accomplished during the schooling periods, and homework doesn't consume family time. The weekends and weekdays flow together and a more regular daily rhythm is possible. These are cherished advantages of the homeschool.

Parents and children become partners in education, each learning from the other and developing relationships among family members. The family remains the focus of social development for the child for an extended time. Although strong peer relationships develop, it is not at the exclusion of family.

In Texas, there are few curriculum requirements for homeschoolers. Families choose an approach fitting their needs. Within families, different approaches can be found for individual children. The approach is often flexible, with regular maintenance and fine-tuning. One year, an organized approach may work perfectly, and then the family decides to depart from the routine to travel or grow in a different direction. For some, this flexibility is the main reason to homeschool.

The two contrasting philosophical poles, unschooling and curriculum-driven pedagogy, contrast quite a bit more than mainstream public and private schools. The unschooling movement, originating with John Holt, espouses a family-centered approach to learning. Children spend time with family and friends, doing the things that occur naturally. Some unschooled children are highly driven in academics, and others may have only one special interest they choose to pursue. The children are self-taught, or parents follow their lead in designing instruction. Many other families choose to do more traditional schooling at home, consisting of purchased or created curriculums, typically with a great emphasis on enrichment areas. Those who homeschool for religious purposes often use religious-based materials.

Homeschooling families network to serve the growing population of homeschoolers. Levels of involvement in the local organizations vary tremendously from family to family. Some parents engineer meetings, classes and events. Many children are involved in three or more organized homeschool activities per week. Other families attend special events only. There are numerous local organizations serving the population, some with specific religious philosophies or geographical boundaries.

Despite these meaningful rewards, most people who turn to homeschooling do so for other reasons, and discover the true gifts of their decision only after some time has passed. Many parents today choose to homeschool because they are, quite frankly, disgusted with the system. Public and/or private schools have turned them off. Infamous reasons for homeschooling include: TAAS-driven curriculums and exhaustive testing routines, the competitive atmosphere of performance-based evaluations, poor teachers, lack of individualized attention, inappropriate amounts of time spent on specific content areas and disciplinary procedures, developmentally inappropriate pedagogy (sitting still for hours on end, no play time or shortened recess for grade school children). The list goes on. Every homeschooling parent who has had a child in school can share a nightmarish story from the dregs.

Clearly, homeschooling isn't for every family. Many families love the schools and have positive experiences in their formal educational settings. Homeschooling requires parents to work less, often sacrificing social class status. Further, homeschooling requires patience and a desire to be with children a whole lot. Some parents who deeply embrace parenting prefer to have regular reprieves.

Those with the desire and focus who are afraid to take the leap into the great unknown may want to begin exploring the possibility of homeschooling by educating themselves about the movement. Attend meetings, talk to parents, and check out books about homeschooling from the public library. When and if you become convinced that homeschooling is right for you and your child, you have to take the plunge. A perfect time will never present itself, but you can create a homeschooling lifestyle from the one you have. Split-shifts is a possibility for two-parent households: one parent may work days and the other evenings. Reevaluating priorities and personal goals may be necessary to realize the homeschool dream. Often families downsize their possessions, buy a cheaper home and live without some of the luxuries of a middle-class lifestyle. Single parents can join support groups and co-ops to facilitate occupation and educational needs. Your imagination becomes your greatest possession when taking this journey.

Homeschooling is a dynamic growing movement because it effectively meets individuals' needs. In Austin, we are blessed with a large and diverse homeschooling population. To learn more about local organizations, ask your local librarian for the Austin Area Homeschoolers Newcomers Guide.