Home-schoolers finding plenty of help

NEW YORK — Jill Nardini planned to home-school her family even before she had children.

Nardini, 44, a self-described older mom who had fertility problems, said she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her children. Her desire to teach her 9-year-old son, Joey, and 7-year-old daughter, Jessie, about their Christian faith also influenced the decision.

"I know my kids better than anyone else. I know how to direct them," said Nardini, who lives in Kentwood, Mich.

Though still rare, the number of home-schooled children has been rising steadily for the last several years. In 2003, the last year for which figures are available, about 1.1 million students, or 2.2 percent of children aged 5 thorough 17, were being home-schooled, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That's a 29 percent increase from 1999.

Numerous factors are fueling the trend to home-school, experts said, including parents' concern about the environment and academic performance in schools or a desire to provide religious instruction. A child's health problems or other special needs are also common reasons.

Whatever the trigger for opting out of a traditional classroom, there are now myriad services available, including magazines, curriculum planners, tutors and specialized class programs to help home-schooling families educate their children. Eduventures, a research and consulting firm, estimates that the home-school market is around $650 million and has been growing at around 8 percent in the last few years.

"There is money to be made," said Tim Wiley, an analyst at Eduventures.

However, Wiley and others said catering to the market isn't always easy. Parents sometimes decide to stop home-schooling or change curriculums. Wiley noted distributing products through mail typically brings logistical problems, and there is pricing pressure in the tutoring market.

Regulations governing home-schooling differ from state to state. Experts advise home-schooling families to check with local authorities to make sure standards are met. Local home-schooling associations can also help decipher the rules and advise parents about how to keep good records of their children's performance, which may be necessary for college or job applications.

Suzanne Riojas opted to buy a packaged, accredited curriculum four years ago when she began home-schooling her three younger sons, now ages 18, 16 and 14, because it was easier than developing her own program, and she wanted to avoid any potential problems when her children apply for universities or employment.