"I learned everything in the library. School taught me how to spit." - Terry Pratchett, author, interviewed on The Book Show, Sky News, Sunday January 14, 2001
Research on the effectiveness of homeschooling
The Third Way in Education: Thinking the Unthinkable - Paula Rothermel
Choice in Education Resources Database
Discriminating, Elitist and Racist An A to Z Article: How can you respond when someone calls you these things?
Socialization: The "S" Word, An A to Z - Ways to answer: "Aren't you worried about socialization?"
School Standards: from Educational Heretics websiteA Multiple Intelligences Bookshelf - New Horizons for Learning
Judith Rich Harris: "The Nurture Assumption" Why Children Turn Out The Way They Do; Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More
100 Pages of Independent UK Home Education Support
Assessment & Evaluation on the Internet
Free Range Education ...is a book for parents: for those who are contemplating
home education, those whose families are getting started and those who are just
plain interested in this fast-growing form of education.
Featuring the stories of more than twenty home educating families, it certainly
answers the question: "But what do you do all day?" In fact, it answers
a whole lot of other questions too, like, "How do your children socialise?"
"How do they do exams?"
An extensive chapter on the law relating to home education, written by an experienced
solicitor, will answer another frequently asked question: "Is it legal?"
"Free Range Education" offers a glimpse of the diversity and energy within home
education and an honest account of the joys and difficulties along the way.
It is full of ideas, experiene and practical suggestions, all laced with humour,
cartoons and words of wisdom from writers and thinkers across the centuries.
It is also a celebration of home education, providing a unique view of how far
this movement has come in the past few decades.
Learn in Freedom This site is about learning in freedon, taking responsibility for your own learning. It shows you how to use your own initiative in learning, so you can use schools and teachers just when they are helpful to you, and volunarily chosen by you. Besides internal links, there are links to more than 1,000 other Web sites.
International Home Education For a small but not inconsiderable number of children, education has taken place in the home rather than in school... Home education is defined...as the full time education of children in and around the home by their parents or guardians, or by tutors appointed by the parents or guardians... In many instances, home education is seen by parents to be a last resort, when they perceive that the child's needs are not catered for in the school system. Individual children's education sometimes requires, for short or long periods, an individual approach which is sometimes not available within the state system. It is my belief that to permit home education is an essential part of democracy. - Petrie (1998), Education and the Law, Vol 10, pp 123 - 134
Herald
Herald is a UK support group for families of home educated children and those
interested in home-based education as an alternative to schooling.
Many parents who consider home-based education as an option when traditional
schooling fails their children are put off taking the plunge through lack of
confidence and fear of being left without adequate support from either the Local
Education Authority or established home educators. Herald ofers its members
a stepping stone between the rigours of schooling and the autonomous approach
which many home-based educators strive to achieve, by suggesting a structured
yet flexible framework as a basis for study.
Herald provides assistance withg both What to do and How to
do it. Three topic-based schemes with resources are sent to members each
year, and comprehensive notes suggest ways in which the child's education can
be effectively organised and journalised. In addition, a regular newsletter
gives news of educational developments and research, comments, letters and children's
news. Resources are available for loan, and a Helpline telephone number and
email address is available for members. A membership card for each Herald
child is produced to help deter any accusations of truancy which home-based
educators sometimes encounter.
Herald produces a study plan which has been designed specifically for
use by home-based educators. This ensures that children receive a balanced curriculum
which is flexible enough to meet the needs of individuals of all ages and abilities.