National Home Education Network

Librarians

As a librarian, you are likely to be involved in homeschooling in at least two different ways. First, homeschooling families tend to be intensive library-users, and it is important that you have a general understanding of the wide variety of homeschooling methods that different families may be using so that you can best understand and meet their needs. Second, you need to have accurate and up-to-date information about homeschooling in order to provide it to people who turn to libraries as a reliable source of information.


Some Things Librarians Should Know About Homeschooling
Yes! It's legal.

Homeschooling is legal in all states, but specific laws vary from state to state. It is important that librarians are aware of the basic legal facts regarding homeschooling in their area so that they do not inadvertently pass on incomplete or inaccurate legal information. Because the public school district offices usually do not have accurate or up-to-date homeschooling information, it is not a good idea to refer people directly to their local school district for legal information.

NHEN provides a brief overview of the legal requirements in each state as well as information about where to get more in-depth legal information.
The Who & the Why
Who are homeschoolers? They are everybody! They are your neighbors and the neighbors of your family members and your friends. They live in the cities, in small towns, in the suburbs, and in the most remote rural areas. Read more...

Families choose to homeschool for a wide variety of reasons: academic and learning purposes, values-based or religious reasons, social issues, health issues, safety concerns, and flexibility of family schedules or lifestyles. Find out more...


Homeschooling Methods


Don't assume that one homeschooler uses methods anything like another one uses.There are as many different ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling children.

There are as many different ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling children. Librarians may see methods called Unit Study, Classical, Unschooling, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, to name only a few.  Librarians should ask their homeschooling clients about their homeschooling methods and not assume that one homeschooler uses methods anything like another one uses.


Some homeschooling families operate like small-scale versions of conventional schools, with textbooks and tests and traditional grades. Other families freely adapt ideas from alternative educational philosophies such as Waldorf or Montessori. Many families believe in interest-initiated, child-led, natural learning and they give their children considerable control over what is learned and how learning takes place.


 Although some homeschoolers use traditional textbooks, most use a wide variety of other resources. Many learning materials are designed specifically for home education. Find out about the kinds of resources homeschoolers use and where they get them by contacting support groups in your area.

Learning to Read

 Homeschooling children learn to read through a variety of methods including formal phonics, sight reading, and whole language. Librarians should be aware that ages and grade levels are not necessarily accurate indicators of a homeschooled child's reading level. Many homeschoolers delay reading instruction and very bright children may not read "at grade level." On the other hand, some young children may read at a very advanced level. And homeschooled children may need to be directed to advanced-level materials to satisfy in-depth interests.

What homeschoolers want most

What homeschoolers want most from their library is what most library users want:  a large quantity of high quality materials.
However, libraries could also satisfy a number of additional needs of the homeschooling community. NHEN has put together a list of things that homeschoolers say they'd like their libraries to provide.  The article, Library Sweet Library, describes, in detail, the successful relationship between one public library and its homeschooling clientele.

Homeschoolers can sometimes be demanding library clients.

Librarians may sometimes find it difficult to meet their expectations. We don't have all the answers, but librarians may be better able to find solutions if they are aware of what challenges to expect.
More homeschooling info for librarians

  One outstanding resource is David Brostrom's book, A Guide to Homeschooling for Librarians (Highsmith Press, 1995; ISBN 0-917846-46-X. This book helps library staff understand the variety of reasons why people choose homeschooling, explains homeschooling educational styles, and the various library needs of homeschoolers. It also offers advice about developing services, programs, and policies that relate to homeschooers. The author makes specific recommendations for public librarians who are motivated to improve services and collections that benefit people in their homeschooling communities.


In addition to Brostrom's book, a number of articles about homeschooling have appeared in professional library journals. These and additional resources are listed in our "References for Further Reading."