The choices parents have today on how and where to educate their children has expanded compared to many years ago. There is your neighborhood school, a private school, a charter school or another option, which is growing in popularity--home schooling. Studies show many advantages to home schooling. One being that it is not necessary for a child to attend a formal schooling to develop cognitively. The popularity of home schooling under goes much criticism. Some educators say children that are home schooled are receiving gaps in their student learning because parents may not be qualified to provide well-rounded education. Studies show that home schooled children excel in there studies. Developing (cognitively) as good if not better then children in a formal schooling setting. In the 1950's, there were approximately 15,000 persons home schooling. These figures are a "guesstimate" as many people just kept their children at home without reporting to the state. Most people home schooled for religious reasons; some were prosecuted, even jailed. Today every state recognizes the right to school your own children. States set their own regulations and conditions, hence different laws for each state. Today because of better record keeping the estimate of home schoolers is nearing 2 million. The reasons given today for home schooling are varied from religious, political, philosophical, and dissatisfaction with public schools. Teaching and cognitive development outside of school does not have to resemble teaching and cognitive development in school. Cultural experience can be the basis for development at home and in one's community throughout one's compulsory school years. People can successfully do things differently than schools. For example, it has been widely publicized in America that adolescent girls' self-esteem fades in high school, but in a book about home schooled adolescent girls the opposite was found: If one has thought seriously ...
