PERSPECTIVES – News and Comments1
Home School Researcher Volume 40, No. 1, 2026, p. 12-15
(Volume 40 was originally scheduled to be published in 2024.)
Dacey Jungk
Tamuning, Guam, daceyjungk@gmail.com
Keywords: Homeschool, home education
As more studies are published on the topic of adolescent education and upbringing, and their importance on an individual’s later life, many parents are asking themselves, “What is the best kind of education for a child?” Countless educational options exist today, including public, private, online, boarding, and homeschool. As of 2022, there were 3.1 million homeschoolers nationwide; nearly six percent of all U.S. students (Ray, 2024). According to the National Home Education Research Institute (2024), the percentage of homeschooling students in the United States has been growing approximately two to eight percent each year. Why is homeschooling on the rise? This question will be answered through empirical research and observational studies, which will reveal that homeschooled children, when compared to conventionally schooled students, exhibit superior mental health, academic performance, and social skills.
Mental Health
A study comparing mental health between homeschooled students and conventional students disclosed that the former experiences less depression, externalising behaviour, and negative self-image. Guterman and Neuman (2017) conducted this study involving sixty-five homeschoolers and thirty-six conventional schoolers to examine adolescent emotion and mental health. To measure the levels of depression and externalising problems, such as behavioural issues and violence, amongst both sets of students, the authors issued a questionnaire containing twenty-seven topics related to psychological constructs. The final score was calculated by adding all numerical scores from the questionnaire; a higher score meant a higher level of depression or externalising problems. The mean level of depression score for homeschoolers was 4.80, and for conventional students it was 8.40. For the externalising problems questionnaire, homeschoolers scored an average of 41.00, and conventional students had a mean of 52.19 (note that these scores do not mean the students had nearly ten and seven times the amount of externalising behaviour as depression; the numbers are independent). These results indicate that homeschooled students have significantly lower levels of depression and externalising problems, such as behavioural issues and violence, than conventional students.
Mental health issues are directly related to one’s personal relationships and learning environment. In conventional school, students are more susceptible to bullying and negative peers. The National Bullying Prevention Center (2023) noted that 20.2% of students, about one in five, in the United States report being bullied in the past year. One in six experienced cyberbullying in the last year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Exposure to this type of environment can deeply harm a student’s well-being and view of themselves. Homeschooling allows a child to be nurtured in a healthy, loving environment with one-on-one attention to their education. In a classroom with twenty plus other students, children can have a hard time connecting with their teacher and peers because they are just one child in a sea of students. Studies reflect this notion, revealing that homeschoolers are able to adapt better in emotional environments (Lattibeaudiere, 2000), and they have more positive self-images than conventional students (Taylor, 1986).
It is widely known that sleep is crucial to daily function; what if it is also important to mental health? Collier Villaume et al., (2024) found that poor sleep is associated with greater risk of major depressive disorder and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (the latter of which is a condition in children and adolescents manifested as frequent irritability and angry outbursts). According to Wolfson and Carskadon (1998), “Students with short school-night sleep reported increased levels of depressed mood, daytime sleepiness, and problematic sleep behaviours in comparison to longer sleepers” (p. 10). In other words, poor sleep habits directly impact mood and behaviour. Meltzer et al. (2016) determined that homeschooled students typically wake up at the same time conventional students are starting class, allowing the former to gain an average of four more hours of sleep per week than their counterparts. The extra hours of sleep homeschoolers receive, along with the positive relationships they maintain, and the nurturing environment they are taught in, translates to less risk of depression, negative self-image, and mood dysregulation.
Academic Performance
Research indicates that homeschooled students perform better academically and on standardised tests than their counterparts. Cogan (2010) conducted a study at an institution including three separate data sets of college students (each set contained both previously homeschooled and previously conventionally schooled students). In this study, the author states that, “Descriptive analysis reveals homeschool students possess higher ACT scores, GPAs and graduation rates when compared to traditionally-educated students,” (Cogan, 2010, p. 7). The homeschooled students reported receiving an average 26.5 ACT score, and their counterparts received an average 25.0. The homeschoolers also earned an average high school GPA of 3.74, and the conventional students earned an average of 3.54. Additionally, prior to entering the institution, 14.7 percent of homeschooled students earned college credit, compared to 6 percent of conventionally schooled students. Homeschooled students also earned significantly higher first year, fourth year, and fall semester GPAs in their university. This supports the conception that, on average, homeschooled students outperform conventionally schooled students in academics, both in grade school and college.
One reason for the proven academic success of homeschoolers, specifically in grade school, is that they obtained more sleep than conventional students. As previously stated, sleep is crucial to daily function and mental health. Does it also affect academic performance? In a study by Taylor et al. (2013) to determine how sleep predicts academic performance, it was discovered that increased sleep efficiency was directly related to superior academic performance. They found that sleep variables, such as total amount of sleep, bedtime, wake time, irregular sleep patterns, etc., were significant predictors of academic success. In an article by Wolfson and Carskadon (1998), it was revealed that students who reported failing grades (obtaining a C, D, or F) said that they received less sleep, went to bed at a later time, and slept and woke at more irregular times than students who reported better grades (A and B). Furthermore, in a study involving 150 high school students, those who reported higher GPAs received more sleep and expressed less tiredness during the day than students who had lower GPAs (Link and Ancoli-Israel, 1995, as cited in Wolfson and Carskadon, 1998). The authors state, “One explanation for these results is that students who get more sleep and maintain more consistent school/weekend sleep schedules obtain better grades because of their ability to be more alert and to pay greater attention in class and on homework” (Wolfson and Carskadon, 1998, p. 10).
Not only does homeschooling provide extra sleep, students are able to take more breaks during their studies, allowing them to go at their own, comfortable pace, rather than the fixed rate of conventional school (Zhang and Gibson, 2024). Homeschooling also enables a one-on-one education and relationship between teacher and student (Murphy, 2014). In conventional school, it is customary to adopt a tight schedule, so as to ensure all students are always on the exact lesson. The entire class has to work at the same pace, moving onto the next lesson at the same time, even if a student feels that they need more time to learn and understand what is being taught. Homeschooled children can thoroughly work their way through curriculum and assignments, taking time to truly learn the subject. Many homeschooling parents have adopted the philosophy of “learning for mastery.” This notion, which was developed by Benjamin Bloom, describes an education in which the student learns in a way that allows them to develop their intelligence to the fullest, not just to check the box (Chicago University et al., 1968). In this type of learning, individuality is celebrated, and the student is encouraged to take their time to learn a subject and become highly proficient in it. It is factually true that homeschooled students outperform conventional students in academics (Cogan, 2010), but now it is known why: homeschoolers typically receive more sleep, work at their own pace in school, and learn for mastery.
Social Skills
Contrary to popular thought, homeschooled students have better social skills than their conventionally schooled peers. The idea that homeschoolers have no social experience is the most common misconception in the homeschooling world. This is likely because of the stereotype of extreme homeschoolers, who live in a cabin in the woods with nobody else around; sheltered and with no opportunity to develop social skills. This might be true of some homeschooling families, but the reality is completely different for the large majority.
In one study, it was revealed that homeschoolers are actually able to adapt better in social and emotional environments, as compared with conventional students (Lattibeaudiere, 2000). In another study, a researcher conducted a survey of thirteen homeschooled (and previously homeschooled) participants aged sixteen and older from Canada, Bulgaria, and the United States (Sakarski, 2023). They found that the individuals displayed a myriad of skills, and the results did not indicate a lack of social skills. The survey included fifty separate items which were rated on a scale of one to five, with one meaning “underdeveloped” and five representing “excellent.” The participants could choose how much (or how little) they related to the statement made about the soft skill (such as listening, humour, and empathy), and their scores were averaged. A score of at least three was determined to mean that the soft skill was well-developed and a four or higher meant it was very strong. The average scores of several of the skills are as follows: verbal communication, 3.77; active listening, 3.62; humour, 4.23; empathy, 4.31; cultural intelligence, 3.69; observation, 4.08; questioning, 4.00; optimism and positive attitude, 4.08; situational analysis, 3.92 (Sakarski, 2023). These data suggest that homeschoolers have well-developed soft skills.
One explanation for the strong and well-developed soft skills of homeschoolers is that homeschoolers are used to, and comfortable with, socialising with people of all ages, in contrast to conventional students who are only around children of their exact same age for their entire education. Many homeschooling families attend “co-ops”, which are groups that gather to teach homeschooling children in a classroom setting. Typically, these groups meet once a week in a church, library, or community centre, and the parents of the children teach the subject of their expertise. In a co-op, there is usually never an age limit on a certain class. The Chemistry class, for example, could consist of kids with ages ranging from nine to seventeen. It is commonplace to be inclusive of a variety of ages in any one class.
Another reason that homeschoolers have stronger soft skills than conventional students is because they typically have a greater range of friends of all different ages (Murphy, 2014). It can be difficult to find other homeschoolers in the same area who are the same age, so many students are friends with children much younger or older than themselves. This is a reflection of how humanity functions; people meet and become friends with people who are not their exact same age. If a twelve-year-old homeschooler is friends with an eight-year-old homeschooler, no one bats an eye. The four-year age gap is perceived as completely normal. However, if this same situation occurs in conventional school, people are completely shocked and think, “How is a third-grader best friends with a seventh-grader?” In conventional school, grades are not supposed to intermingle. Children learn, eat, and play with students their exact same age for their entire education. They are not free to connect with people in different grades. Thus, they must become friends with children their same age. To reiterate, the general assumption that homeschoolers have no social competence is false; their soft skills are well-developed through meeting and becoming friends with students of different ages.
Conclusion
To many parents, homeschooling can be intimidating because there are so many unknowns, and they desire the best for their child. They want their child to have friends, good mental health, and outstanding grades. Studies show that homeschooled students, when compared to conventionally-schooled students, exhibit superior mental health, specifically in regard to depression and externalising behaviour. Additionally, homeschooled students outperform conventional students in academics, possessing higher ACT scores, GPAs, graduation rates, and semester grades. Finally, the general assumption that homeschoolers are unsocialised simply isn’t true; homeschooling students have been revealed to have well-developed and strong soft skills, as well as the ability to adapt better in social and emotional environments, as compared with conventional students. In conclusion, multiple studies reveal short and long term positive benefits and outcomes of homeschooling over conventional schooling.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, September 28). Fast Facts: Preventing Bullying. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/bullyingresearch/fastfact.html
Chicago University, Regional Educational Laboratory for the Carolinas and Virginia, and Bloom, B. S. (1968). Learning for Mastery. Instruction and Curriculum. Regional Education Laboratory for the Carolinas and Virginia, Topical Papers and Reprints, Number 1. Evaluation Comment, 1(2). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED053419.pdf
Cogan, M. F. (2010). Exploring academic outcomes of homeschooled students. Journal of College Admission, 208, 18–25.
Collier Villaume, S., Stephens, J. E., Craske, M. G., Zinbarg, R. E., and Adam, E. K. (2024). Sleep and daily affect and risk for major depression: Day-to-day and prospective associations in late adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(2), 388–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.08.042
Guterman, O., and Neuman, A. (2017). Schools and Emotional and Behavioral Problems: A Comparison of School-Going and Homeschooled Children. Journal of Educational Research, 110(4), 425–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2015.1116055
Lattibeaudiere, V. H. (2000). An exploratory study of the transition and adjustment of former home schooled students to college life. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61, 2211A. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/8332
Link, S, C., and Ancoli-Israel, S. (1995). Sleep and the teenager. Sleep Research 24a, 184
Meltzer, L. J., Shaheed, K., and Ambler, D. (2016). Start later, sleep later: School start times and adolescent sleep in homeschool versus public/private school students. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 14(2), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2014.963584
Murphy, J. (2014). The Social and Educational Outcomes of Homeschooling. Sociological Spectrum, 34(3), 13-19, 34-36. https//doi.org/10.1080/02732173.2014.895640
National Bullying Prevention Center. (2023, November 9). Bullying Statistics. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/info/stats.asp
Ray, B. D. (2024, February 9). Research Facts on Homeschooling. National Home Education Research Institute. https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/
Sakarski, G. (2023). Evaluation of Homeschoolers’ Soft Skills: Initial Survey Results. Bulgarian Comparative Education Society.
Taylor, D., Vatthauer, K., Bramoweth, A., Ruggero, C., and Roane, B. (2013). The Role of Sleep in Predicting College Academic Performance: Is it a Unique Predictor? Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 11(3), 159–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2011.602776
Taylor, J. W. V. (1986). Self-concept in homeschooling children. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan. https://doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/726/
Wolfson, A. R., and Carskadon, M. A. (1998). Sleep Schedules and Daytime Functioning in Adolescents. Child Development, 69(4), 875–887. https://doi.org/10.2307/1132351
Zhang, K. C., and Gibson, L. (2024). Exploring the Lived Experiences of Home-Educating Families with Young Children in the UK: The Untold Stories. European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 14(9), 2598–2615. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14090171
Endnote
1. The “Perspectives – News and Comments” section of this journal consists of articles that have not undergone peer review. ¯