Michael P. Farris, Esq.
Chairman &
General Counsel

The homeschool advantage

Volume 53, Program 10 6/18/2004

Can children struggling with ADHD gain an advantage through homeschooling? Join Mike Smith and his guest as they talk about this issue on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Smith:
We've been talking this week with Dr. Steven Duvall about whether homeschoolers with ADHD have an advantage over their public school counterparts. Steve, did your study find any other advantages for homeschooling?


Dr. Steven Duvall:
Well, Mike, so far we've seen how homeschool and public school environments were shaped to provide instruction for students with ADHD. For example, we've seen how homeschools had advantages in much lower student-teacher ratios, a lot more one-on-one instruction, and parents who exhibited the same basic teaching behaviors as public school teachers. All these things led to higher levels of active academic engagement for homeschoolers, but most importantly, the higher levels of academic engagement allowed the homeschool students to achieve more in basic skill areas like, for example, reading and math. So overall it appears that homeschools have some very important advantages that really help to develop the academic skills of students with ADHD.


In conclusion, Mike, I'd say that we've found that homeschooling is an effective, powerful option for educating these students.


Mike:
Steve, thank you for being with us this week—and especially, thank you for doing this study. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.

How can the Home School Legal Defense Association help you? To find out, contact us and ask for a free copy of You Can Homeschool!. You'll get answers to important questions, plus you'll discover how we can help you 365 days a year and protect your right to homeschool your children. Call us toll-free at 866-338-8614. Or visit us online at homeschoolheartbeat.com.