The 2009 NCES report offers clues to what homeschooling parents view as the benefits of educating their children at home. The reason cited most commonly was to provide moral or religious instruction, followed by concerns about the school environment and dissatisfaction with traditional school academics--all factors that may be addressed with homeschooling.
Children who are homeschooled receive one-on-one instruction and are not part of a large group, according to Kids Health, a website by Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media. They are able to work at their own pace and not worry about keeping up with the rest of the class if they don't understand something, being held back if they've already mastered a subject.
Kids Health points out that parents who homeschool have more freedom to take advantage of community resources such as museums and libraries. Students can get involved in the community through volunteer work with learning components.
Homeschooling requires parents to teach their children, but not all parents are experts in every subject, cautions Kids Health. Having experience and education in a subject makes it easier to teach, while homeschooling on a new subject may require research or the assistance of a tutor for your child, the website notes.
Teens and older children who are homeschooled are often responsible for their own work and must learn time management, according to Kids Health. Teaching a teen to plan ahead and organize his work as well as to guide her learning and make sure she completes her classwork is challenging for a family.
Homeschooled children are not exposed to their peers as often as children enrolled in a public or private school, the Kids Health website notes. Many homeschooling parents form networks to organize outings, athletics and other activities for their children. Local libraries also may be able to put homeschooled students in touch with each other, according to Kids Health.