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Why Homeschooling Families Choose That Path

by Ari Armstrong

Homeschooling can work extremely well for some families and poorly for others. Being clear about why you're considering it—and what tradeoffs you're willing to accept—helps you decide whether it's a good fit.

My Family's Story

When my child and I toured five local schools as he prepared for kindergarten, I thought he would have done fine in any of those schools. I was not, however, overwhelmingly impressed by any of the options. Most importantly, when I asked him where he wanted to go to school, he strongly expressed his desire to homeschool, and I strive to respect his autonomy.

Having earned my bachelor's degree, worked as a tutor for a decade, written about education policy, and maintained some flexibility in my schedule, I was confident that I could help my child thrive in a homeschool setting.

Like all families, we've had our struggles with scheduling and schoolwork. Overall, though, homeschooling has been a great choice for us. My child has spent countless hours at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, excelled in his reading and math (although spelling continues to be a challenge), spent long afternoons and camp trips playing with his friends, wandered the halls of History Colorado and other museums, enjoyed classes in pottery, and grown in his geology club.

Homeschooling is not the right choice for every family, but it was the right choice for our family.

Why People Homeschool

Families choose to homeschool for many reasons: flexibility of schedule, academic goals, special needs, concerns with school.

Why do most people homeschool? In February 2025, Pew Research Center published findings about this.

Citing the National Center for Education Statistics, Pew observed, "Some 3.4% of K–12 students in the United States were homeschooled during the 2022–23 academic year," up from 2.8% in 2018–19. (The pandemic played a role in the bump.)

According to Pew and NCES, homeschooling parents who could select multiple options offered the following reasons to homeschool, by percent:

School safety and academics are worth additional discussion.

Gallup reported in August 2025 that "41% of K–12 parents fear for their child's safety at school." Although some concern is warranted, parents should try not to exaggerate risks based on highly publicized but low-frequency extreme events. By and large, schools remain relatively very safe places for children.

Harassment and bullying are more common problems (and staff misconduct, although rare, is not unheard of). National surveys commonly find that roughly one in five students reports being bullied.

Many students thrive academically in traditional schools. However, some students struggle. The Colorado Measures of Academic Success reports for 2025 that 42% of fourth graders fully met or exceeded expectations in English, while 36.5% did so in math. Some studies report higher test scores among homeschoolers, but the evidence has limitations (selection effects, non-random samples, inconsistent testing).

Common Pitfalls

Homeschooling looks different for each family, but a few challenges come up often. Thinking about them in advance can help families avoid frustration and burnout.

Underestimating parent time and energy: It's probably best to think about homeschooling as taking on another demanding part-time job. Sure, when children get older, they can become more independent in guiding their academic progress and biking or driving to meet friends. But, especially in the younger years, children need a lot of help with academics and a lot of parent-involved opportunities to socialize.

Avoiding structure entirely: Some families are drawn to homeschooling because they want less regimentation and more freedom—and that can be a real benefit. At the same time, core skills such as literacy and math usually don't develop automatically. Most children need sustained practice and effective instruction to build those skills.

Making homeschool overly rigid: The opposite error of eliminating structure is trying to reproduce the intense structure and rigidity of traditional school at home. Teachers of large classrooms have some inherent limitations. Classes must be timed. Keeping order is hard. The teacher has to worry about addressing not only the average students but the high-achievers and those who are struggling. One of the great advantages of homeschooling is its flexibility. Parents can lean into their child's interests, adapt materials to their child's skill level, and focus on essentials. My family focuses on core literacy and math for around two hours in the morning, then switches to other topics and social engagements.

Expecting academic miracles: A child who struggles academically in school also may struggle in homeschooling—though one-on-one instruction and flexibility can make a big difference for some students. Parents should be sensitive to potential neurodiversities, including dyslexia and autism (diagnosing and coping with such conditions is beyond the scope of this web site). My child has done very well academically as a homeschooled student, yet I think he also probably would have done fairly well in school.

Not planning social routines intentionally: Unless you happen to live in a neighborhood where many children often go outside to play together without much parental oversight, you're probably going to have to spend considerable effort planning and participating in social engagements with your child. My family has been fortunate to join several informal recurring meet-ups over the years. I will mention, though, that such groups tend to dissolve over time as some people move on. Sometimes tension among parents can disrupt a meet-up. I know homeschoolers who have been part of consistent groups for years. Yet you should expect arranging for social engagements to take effort, especially during your child's younger years. Importantly, many Colorado school districts provide tax-funded, one-day-per-week "enrichment" programs for homeschoolers. My child joined one of these programs in fourth grade, and he loves it. The program offers another important social outlet for him.

Best Wishes on Your Journey

One idea is to write down all the reasons you're thinking about homeschooling, then carefully evaluate each reason, checking out reliable sources of facts where relevant.

The homeschooling journey looks a little different for each family—that flexibility is part of the appeal of homeschooling—and I wish you success in deciding whether that option is right for your family.

This page was first published January, 2026.

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Practical Concerns about Homeschooling: Socialization, Time, and College
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