The Changing Face of Homeschooling

My homeschool journey began thirty-four years ago, in 1991, when my mother withdrew me from my high school prior to my junior year. Ten years later, I opened my homeschool when my oldest child turned seven. In the years that have passed since then, my family has grown to include seven sons and three daughters with the seventh one to graduate this spring. Across our state and even our nation, homeschooling has grown as well. As it has, the face of homeschooling has undergone significant changes in terms of demographics, motivations, methods, and public perception.

1. Growth in Popularity

• 1980s: Homeschooling was a relatively rare and often misunderstood educational choice. In the 1988-1989 school year, the first year that homeschool numbers were kept in NC, there were only 1,385. Families choosing homeschooling often faced skepticism or legal challenges as homeschooling was not widely recognized or regulated in many states. NCHE recently shared the stories of some of the homeschool pioneers in our state in a series of articles chronicling the forty years of our organization (nche.com/40years).
• Today: Homeschooling has become a mainstream option with millions of families participating worldwide. Legal acceptance has grown, and homeschooling is now regulated to some degree in most places. Gone is the fear that our founders faced of fines or serving jail time for schooling our children at home. In the 2023-2024 school year, there were 96,529 homeschools in NC.

2. Diverse Demographics

• 1980s: The homeschooling movement was dominated by two primary groups:
  • Conservative Christian families motivated by religious beliefs.
  • Progressive families seeking alternative, child-centered education.
• Today: Homeschooling appeals to a broader demographic, including secular families, minority groups, urban professionals, and families with specific educational needs (e.g., gifted students or children with disabilities). It reflects the increasing diversity of motivations and cultural backgrounds. NCHE strives to meet the changing needs of the growing population of homeschooled children from more diverse backgrounds through efforts such as our homeschool helps director and offering resources for families with children who have special needs, multicultural liaisons, and our annual state conference with featured speakers from a wide range of specialties.

3. Motivations

• 1980s: Common motivations included religious beliefs, dissatisfaction with public schools, and a desire to protect children from secular influences. Many felt compelled to homeschool to give their children a strong start in life without the burden of peer pressure and expectations to perform academically before they were developmentally ready.
• Today: Adding to the former motivations are the quality of education, concerns about school safety and bullying, flexibility, tailored learning for special needs, and the ability to incorporate cultural or personal values.

4. Methods and Resources

• 1980s: Resources were limited. Families often relied on library materials, self-created curricula, or resources shared within small homeschooling communities. For example, my mother had one curriculum option. Publishers refused to sell to homeschool parents and teacher keys were worded for classroom teaching instead of providing a means for busy parents to check their child’s answers.
• Today: As any attendee of the vendor hall at our annual Thrive! Conference can attest, there are now hundreds of curriculum options. Publishers have discovered that homeschoolers are the jackpot of marketplaces! Curricula specifically designed for homeschoolers are now the norm, and the hardest obstacle is narrowing down the many choices to find the best fit for your child’s learning style. Additionally, the Internet has revolutionized homeschooling. Parents now have access to online courses, educational apps, YouTube tutorials, open educational resources, co-ops, and community classes for shared learning experiences.

5. Technology Integration

• 1980s: Homeschooling was primarily paper-based with a focus on hands-on activities, with minimal use of technology.
• Today: Technology plays a central role, including virtual classrooms, adaptive learning platforms, and global networks connecting homeschool families. Our children can open a laptop and engage in livestream classes from around the world.

6. Legal and Public Perception

• 1980s: Homeschooling often operated in a legal gray area with some families facing legal action. Public perception was skeptical with concerns about socialization and academic outcomes. Parents were afraid to take their children anywhere or even allow them to play outside during school hours, fearing that someone would report them as truant. The most common response to informing a curious inquirer that my children were homeschooled was a perplexed look and more questions about what that was.
• Today: Homeschooling is legally recognized in all fifty states and in most countries. Academic studies and success stories have improved public perception, though debates about socialization and oversight continue. An encounter with a curious inquirer usually ends with them telling me how their grandchild, neighbor, niece, and best friend’s child “are all homeschooled, and it is just the most wonderful thing!”

7. Socialization Opportunities

• 1980s: Socialization opportunities were limited to small homeschooling groups or community activities. For perspective, when I say small, I mean that if you found one other family in your county who homeschooled, your entire homeschool universe just doubled!
• Today: Homeschoolers participate in a wide array of social and extracurricular activities, including sports teams, co-ops, scouting, and local or virtual clubs. Like most homeschooling parents I know, we have trouble staying home enough, not trouble in finding activities to attend.

There were just over 3,000 homeschools in total for the entire state the year that I began homeschooling as a student. Today, there are more than that in my tri-county area alone. Homeschoolers come from all walks of life: we see more fathers homeschooling, working moms and single parents are doing whatever it takes to be able to homeschool, and families from all ethnic backgrounds are bringing new perspectives and fresh ideas to the culture of homeschooling. The face of homeschooling has shifted from a niche, counter-cultural movement to a flexible, widely accepted educational option that accommodates diverse families and learning styles. It has been an incredible experience to come along for the journey over the past thirty-four years. I wonder what kind of changes are in store for the remainder of my homeschooling years.