Shift Towards Homeschooling from 2020-2022

In recent years, the United States has seen a significant increase in homeschooling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families concerned about the wellbeing and safety of their children have chosen to move towards homeschooling for their children's educational needs.

During the 2020-2021 school year, the United States saw a major shift towards homeschooling and other alternative methods of education amidst the pandemic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, during the spring semester of 2020, only around 5.4 percent of families had reported that they had decided to homeschool their children. Following the ensuing pandemic, by the fall semester of that same year, that rate had more than doubled to 11.1 percent². Clearly, due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, many families would choose to homeschool their children rather than opt for a traditional, in-person education setting.

Additionally, reports have found that this shift towards homeschooling has positively affected children. According to several studies, homeschooling can not only offer a positive alternative to traditional, in-person schooling; it can also serve as a great way to prepare children for college and further education¹. Additionally, with its more flexible and self-driven nature, homeschooling can be a much better fit for some students, allowing them to go at their own pace. This, in turn, puts more responsibility on children to pursue their education. Children are able to grow and explore their education, with more freedom granted than traditional schooling. This allows them to discover what interests them and find potential majors or career paths for after graduation.

During the 2021-2022 school year, most traditional public schools reopened for full-time, in-person classes. This led some families who may have turned towards homeschooling during the initial phase of the pandemic to return to in-person schooling. That being said, many more families decided to continue homeschooling their children. According to data shared by 18 states during the 2021-2022 school year, there was only a 17 percent decline in homeschooling³. Considering that homeschooling rates have more than doubled across the country, it seems evident that many families who turned to homeschooling during the first phase of the pandemic may have found it a better fit for their households.

A concern to some when it comes to homeschooling is that children may miss out on the interaction with peers they would typically receive from attending a traditional, in-person school. However, to account for this, many parents have turned to homeschool enrichment programs. Homeschool enrichment programs offer homeschooled children the opportunity to interact with peers in a similar age group. Activities such as field trips, picnics, music lessons, and other fun activities are planned to allow children to meet up with other kids and grow emotionally as they continue their educational pursuits at home.

Education reEnvisioned BOCES offers several homeschool enrichment programs to aid parents in their homeschooling endeavors. If you would like to learn more about our homeschool enrichment programs or other homeschooling opportunities we provide, click below to see our schooling programs and opportunities.

https://www.edreenvisioned.org/domain/135

Works Cited

1. Dennon, A. (2021, November 10). Impact of covid-19 homeschooling on students, schools: BestColleges. BestColleges.com. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/homeschooling-during-covid-19-and-student-outcomes/
2. Eggleston, C., & Fields, J. (2021, October 8). Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey shows significant increase in homeschooling rates in fall 2020. Census.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/homeschooling-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic.html
3. Thompson, C. (2022, April 14). As U.S. schools reopen, many families continue to opt for homeschooling. PBS. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/as-u-s-schools-reopen-many-families-continue-to-opt-for-homeschooling#:~:text=In%2018%20states%20that%20shared,to%20the%20U.S.%20Census%20Bureau.