"You were what?"  "Was it terrible?"  "Was it weird?"  Despite the stereotypes, homeschooling is not a cult filled with estranged children who build robots in the basement or raise chickens and goats on fenced farms that protect them from the outside world.  After studying test results and study skills, it has been proven that this is a viable form of education where competent students are formed.  As one of these competent homeschoolers, I am a well-rounded, socially functional athlete who understands  how this style of schooling leads to successful young men and women.  While many students thrive in public and private grade schools, I have excelled in my studies, largely due to my early years as a homeschooler.

The benefits of my home school education from 1st to 5th grade were numerous.  Waking up every morning at a leisurely 8:00 a.m. made for an attentive and energetic learning atmosphere. Having my mother's attention divided only between my older sister, younger brother, and me made for quick learning.  Also, because I was homeschooled, my mother realized quickly that I was highly capable in certain subjects, such as math.  Once my aptitude was discovered, there was no stopping me.  In just two months I completed two years of my math curriculum.  This was in part due to the fact that I could work on math whenever I pleased because of a flexible schedule.  Reading presented a different beast.  Before I began any formal education, it became apparent that I was left-handed.  I was also determined to read from right to left, and my mother believes that the hours she spent with me, determinedly  pushing me to move

my eyes and my finger across the page from left to right while learning to sound out words, may have prevented dyslexia.  We spent hours upon hours drilling words and sentences, left to right, left to right, and after a year of intense work with a focus that no classroom school teacher could have had, my mother helped me conquer my slow reading ability. Since that time, my reading skills have been well above grade level.

Because students who go through public or private schools are familiar with routines and the classic classroom learning, homeschooling is foreign and therefore given stereotypes.  These assumptions could not be more wrong.  Not only is homeschooling not strange or a poor form of education, it has the potential to be more efficient and often boasts better results.  "The most comprehensive academic homeschool study ever completed --  the Progress Report of 2009: Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics released by the National Home Education Research Institute -- concluded that homeschooled students score an average of 34 to 39 percentile points higher than their peers on standardized achievement tests.(Martinez)"  While public school students have to wake up early, take all the same classes, and keep a uniform system, my family could do just the opposite.  We woke up when we were no longer tired, studied at a  personal pace, staying on track with some subjects but excelling in others, and our schedule was flexible to promote the pursuit of athletics, music, religious activities, and a great deal of play.  By these means, I excelled in math, and I enjoyed my mother's belief in and commitment to my success.

For many families, homeschooling is a way of life that involves a healthy combination of work, play, adult interaction, and exposure to peers. Homeschooled kids are often uniquely able to pursue their talents and dreams.  Although I was only homeschooled through age ten and now attend a traditional high school, this type of education was brilliant and fed my desire for freedom and learning in all areas.  Now, as a high school student excelling in honors and AP classes and earning high test scores, I still credit homeschooling for much of my success.  Whether the result of  hours of free time spent outside using my imagination or the extra time spent studying math, there is no question that my abilities as a student now were shaped at my kitchen table.

Works Cited

"Study Finds Homeschoolers Test Better Than Public School Students." Parentables. Web. 18           Dec. 2014. .