Unit 9_The Homeschool Option

Educating children at home as an alternative to formal education is an option chosen by families in many parts of the world.

What does "alternative" mean?

• teaching

• set of beliefs and values

• a choice

• a private teacher

Homeschooling is not a novel idea.

What does "novel" mean?

• new and unusual

• special, above average

• required

• common

In fact, the idea of sending children to spend most of their day away from home at a formal school is a relatively new custom.

What does "relatively" mean?

• repeated regularly

• special, above average

• well enough

• in comparison to something else

In the United States, for example, it was not until the latter part of the nineteenth century that state governments began making school attendance compulsory.

What does "latter" mean?

• new and unusual

• required

• Before, previous

• near the end

In the United States, for example, it was not until the latter part of the nineteenth century that state governments began making school attendance compulsory.

What does "compulsory" mean?

• repeated regularly

• common

• required

• very big

Before that, the concept of a formal education was not widespread.

What does "widespread" mean?

• common

• worried

• very big

• new and unusual

Children learned the skills they would need for adult life at home from tutors or their parents, through formal instruction or by working side by side with the adults of the family.

What does "instruction" mean?

• set of beliefs and values

• teaching

• a choice

• a private teacher

In the modern developed world, where the vast majority of children attend school, families choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons.

What does "vast" mean?

• the larger part, most

• very big

• required

• special, above average

In the modern developed world, where the vast majority of children attend school, families choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons.

What does "majority" mean?

• the larger part, most

• teaching

• very big

• set of beliefs and values

Children who have exceptional talents in the arts or other areas may be homeschooled so that they have more time to devote to their special interests.

What does "exceptional" mean?

• special, above average

• very big

• Before, previous

• well enough