Are you the pioneer type? Early American Pioneers were known to be adventurous. Are you adventurous?

Children love adventure. They love the outdoors, exploring their surroundings, building hideouts, playing make-believe roles, and being the hero. I remember when I was a young boy, some of my favorite past times were playing cowboys and Indians, trail blazing, tracking, trapping, and hunting large game (usually rabbits and squirrels because my dad wouldn’t let me hunt bear). I would spend hours making believe I was Daniel Boone, Crazy Horse, or General George Custer. My younger brother and I lived with our parents in the woods of Maine, which was the perfect frontier. We lived a quarter mile from our cousins Timothy and Ricky, which were the perfect enemies. Though we didn’t home school, this would have been the perfect opportunity for our parents to teach us about American History, the westward move, Appalachian Mountains, the great Mississippi, and much more.

Doing a unit study on the early American Pioneer is the type of study that can easily involve the whole family. It’s an opportunity to get in touch with nature, go hiking, camping, fishing, etc. We can teach our children about camp fire safety, building a shelter, how to read a compass and the list goes on. If you think you might be interested in this approach to American History, you might consider ordering the unit study help book “Pioneers: Nature, Life and Times, and American Geography” by Amanda Bennett from your local book store.

Amanda Bennett’s Unit Study Resources Research and preparation work have all been done – all you have to do is open the study and begin! The daily lesson plans are split into two parts, one for younger children and one for older students – so that everyone is working on the same topic, just on a different level of complexity. http://www.unitstudy.com/Pioneers.htm

Some families will tell you home schooling is a fabulous adventure. While it's true that home schooling is not for everyone, it's equally true that for many of these families there is no other lifestyle by comparison; home schooling is it! One thing is for sure, if you don't make the attempt, you won't have the opportunity to find out.

It is my opinion that all home schoolers are pioneers. However, those who home schooled during the earliest stages of the home school movement have truly earned the title of “pioneer”, having cut a trail through incredible circumstances that none of us will probably ever have to face. Twenty years ago, home schooling was considered a crime in each state. Today, thanks to those that have gone before us, home schooling is legal nationwide.

What about the early home schoolers (pioneers)? Whatever happened to them? In their largest research survey, to date, of adults who were home schooled, Homeschooling Grows Up documents what many have been asking over the years. How do home schooled students turn out? Can home school graduates get into college, or get a job? Are they happy?

Homeschooling Grows Up tells what homeschooling parents have known all along, home schooling works. Author Dr. Brian D. Ray found that a staggering three-quarters of home-educated adult's ages 18-24 have taken college-level courses compared to 46% of the general United States population. Seventy-one percent participate in an ongoing community service activity compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages. Eighty-eight percent of the homeschool graduates participate in some type of professional organization compared to 50% of U.S. adults. Only 4.2% of the homeschool graduates consider politics and government too complicated to understand compared to 35% of U.S. adults. Seventy-six percent of homeschool graduates surveyed between the ages of 18-24 voted within the last five years compared to only 29% of the relevant U.S. population. As for being happy, 95% of the homeschool graduates surveyed are glad they were homeschooled.

Thanks to the hard work and resourcefulness of early homeschool parents, they have graduated their students into the ranks of success. Maybe you can, too. Certainly, the resources provided through the Member Handbook, Record Keeping Center, and Member Center of our Web site are here to help you do just that.

Choosing to launch a home school program is a different process for every family as they plan their program according to their child’s individual needs.

A Typical Scenario: A parent begins researching educational opportunities before their child reaches compulsory age. They research various curriculum resources, state requirements, support groups in their area, availability of educational services, etc. Slowly, this family prepares to launch their home school program as the culmination of extensive research designed to support their long term goals.

A Necessary Scenario: Perhaps a child is facing health issues, or is falling behind and needs help getting back on track. Maybe it’s a job that requires a family to move frequently. Whatever the reason, an immediate need must be met. However, over the course of the school year a spark ignites into a full scale barn-fire with the flames getting bigger and bigger. Once home schooling, these parents have realized their child’s potential and at once begin planning long term goals. What began as a temporary solution has developed into a lifestyle.

You do need passion if you hope to make it as a home schooler, but its passion mixed with determination and discipline. You must have patience, grit, and drive. Launching a home school program is a life changing decision. Make no mistake about it. Home schooling is flat-out commitment and challenge.

Despite challenges, the rewards of home schooling are unlike any other. As we have learned from those who have gone ahead of us, home schooling prepares students for the next stages of life in a variety of settings, and yes, home schooling works. As you begin your program, remember to be your own best fan. Communicate the confidence that you're the ideal architect to shape your child’s education. You will get it right.