For thousands of county youngsters, their parents are their teachers and their classroom may be the kitchen table, the public library or a museum. They are home-schoolers, and some estimates put their numbers at more than 1 million nationwide and growing at least 15 percent a year. The little light bulbs go on Denise Harter of Escondido started home-schooling her daughter Lillian when she was about to enter kindergarten. Harter was unsure of the quality of her neighborhood school, and moving to another area or paying for private school would have meant she and her husband both would have had to work full time. And she really enjoys being with the girls while they are learning.
Some parents have religious reasons for teaching their children at home.
Beatty said many parents believe education is best accomplished in the family setting. We do it because we feel it is the best thing for our children. Some parents replicate the school environment at home, complete with desks and the Pledge of Allegiance, Beatty said. Others have far less structure, creating lessons around everyday life, such as trips to the market or spending time at Mom or Dad's workplace. The home-school movement was started about 50 years ago by parents who thought schools were too rigid and conservative, said former U.S. Department of Education researcher Patricia Lines.