Homeschooling in the United States, Research Paper Example

I would like to use Projects 1 and 2 to address the issue of homeschooling in the United States.  I believe that there is a general public perception that homeschooled children are socially maladjusted.  However, given the number of problems in the school system–from slashed budgets for teachers to poor test scores across the country–I believe that homeschooling could be a good alternative for parents who wish to ensure their children a solid education.  The manner in which we, as a nation, educate our children is a critical issue, with many children failing to achieve even the most basic of educations.  Although homeschooling requires a level or parental commitment that many mothers and fathers are unable to provide, it does remain a viable option for some families.  In addition, if the number of homeschooled children was to increase, then that would free up educational resources for children who remain in the publicly-funded education system.  I do not know very much about homeschooling, and so I believe I will bring a fresh perspective in terms of looking at the issue without many preconceptions.

My purpose in researching this topic is to widen my understanding of how one goes about homeschooling their child, as well as to investigate the positive and negative aspects of this alternative form of education.  I am personally interested in the topic because I believe that our public school system is unable to provide many children with a good education that will prepare them to become the necessary critical thinkers who can lead our country in the coming decades.  My project may serve to convince my readers to try homeschooling their own children.  Or, alternatively, if I determine through my research that homeschooling can have a negative impact on children, that may convince my readers to seek other ways to improve the education their children receive.  My target audience is both people who already have school-aged children, as well as those in their twenties and thirties who may have children in the near future.