Academic Benefits of Home School Education

Home-school education provides academic benefits not possible with traditional schooling methods, such an in-depth focus on specific topics and individualized instructional methods. Students generally excel academically when home educated. According to a 2011 research article published on the website for the National Home Education Research Institute, home-schooled students, on average, score up to 30 percentage points higher on standardized tests than public school students.

Home-school students benefit academically from focusing on individualized learning topics or themes. Unique curriculum choices can focus on a student's talents, using methods most compatible with that student's learning styles and personal interests. Remedial instruction can be integrated into the curriculum as needed, and parents are able to select an individualized curriculum in line with religious or personal views.

According to 2012 article published by KidsHealth, home-school students do not have to compete with other classmates for a teacher's attention. Students benefit academically because they are usually able to cover more material in less time than in a traditional school setting. If a parent is not skilled in a particular subject area, tutors or other experts can help give a student individualized academic instruction.

According to KidsHealth, home schooling allows students to progress at an individualized pace. If a student is talented in math, but struggles in reading, he could move ahead in math while taking extra time to catch up on reading skills. If a child has already mastered a topic, he can skip it completely. This is a benefit over public schools where students generally study the same subjects at the same time. Because home-schoolers generally cover material faster than traditionally educated students, they have more time to earn college credit through an advanced credit program at a college or university. These programs help students adjust to college academics early and help improve transcripts for college admission.

Home-school students benefit academically from developing an internal motivation to learn. Students are accountable for their own education and have a personal responsibility to find opportunities to learn. A student who enjoys dinosaurs could select books about dinosaurs, visit museums and do extensive computer research to learn as much as he likes about dinosaurs. Because they have learned to study independently, home-schoolers often transition to college courses easily.