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| Last week, we told you about a big honor for a California teenager who is home-schooled. Sixteen-year-old Michael Viscardi of San Diego won first prize in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology. He showed solutions to a nineteenth-century math problem. |
| Michael has been schooled by his mother, who has a doctorate in neuroscience. He also worked on his project with a professor at a university. |
| Home-schoolers have won other honors including national competitions in geography and spelling. |
| The National Center for Education Statistics did its latest research on home-schooling in two thousand three. Researchers found that more than one million American students learned at home. That was more than two percent of the school-age population. |
| The report said the number of home-schooled students had increased. In nineteen ninety-nine, about eight hundred fifty thousand students were considered home-schooled. This meant they were taught at home instead of a school for at least part of their education. The students’ time spent in public or private schools could not be more than twenty-five hours a week. |
| Michael Viscardi, for example, has been taught mostly at home, but with advanced math classes at a local university. |
| The researchers asked parents why they home-schooled their children. Thirty-one percent said the most important reason was concern about the environment of the local schools. Thirty percent said it was to provide religious instruction. Sixteen percent said they were not satisfied with the quality of the instruction in the local schools. |
| The Associated Press recently reported about an increase in the number of black Americans home-schooling their children. An education expert said much of this increase was in cities with histories of racial tension. Also, some families were concerned that local schools were not teaching about African-American history and culture. |
| Critics of home-schooling say children need to attend school to help them learn social skills. They also say that some home-schooled children do not get a very good education. Still, all fifty states and the District of Columbia permit home-schooling. But some require more parent preparation or student testing than other states do. |
VOCABULARY
| Word | Synonyms | Antonyms | Meaning | Example |
| Honors | Awards, Distinctions | Disgraces, Dishonors | Marks of distinction or achievement | Michael Viscardi received honors for winning first prize in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition, showcasing his exceptional abilities in math, science, and technology. |
| Neuroscientist | Brain researcher, Neurologist | Non-expert, Layperson | A scientist who specializes in the study of the nervous system | Michael Viscardi’s mother, being a neuroscientist, provided him with a strong educational foundation, contributing to his success in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition. |
| Competition | Contest, Tournament | Cooperation, Collaboration | An event or contest in which individuals or teams compete against each other to achieve a specific goal | The Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science, and Technology is a prestigious national competition where students showcase their research projects to compete for top honors. |
| Population | Inhabitants, Residents | Emptiness, Uninhabitants | All the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country | The National Center for Education Statistics conducted research on home-schooling, revealing that more than one million American students, over two percent of the school-age population, learned at home in the year 2003. |
| Instruction | Teaching, Training | Ignorance, Neglect | The action or process of teaching or providing knowledge and information to someone | Thirty percent of parents who home-school their children cited providing religious instruction as a significant reason for choosing this method of education. |
| Environment | Surroundings, Atmosphere | Isolation, Vacuum | The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates | Thirty-one percent of parents chose home-schooling due to concerns about the environment of local schools, indicating dissatisfaction with the conditions or atmosphere in traditional educational settings. |
| Dissatisfaction | Unhappiness, Displeasure | Satisfaction, Contentment | The feeling of discontent or lack of fulfillment with someone or something | Sixteen percent of parents expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of instruction in local schools as a reason for opting for home-schooling. |
| Increase | Rise, Growth | Decrease, Decline | An instance of becoming greater or larger | The number of home-schooled students increased from about eight hundred fifty thousand in 1999 to more than one million in 2003, reflecting a growing trend in alternative education. |
| Racial tension | Ethnic conflict, Strife | Harmony, Unity | The feeling of hostility, unease, or conflict between different racial or ethnic groups | An increase in home-schooling among black Americans in cities with histories of racial tension suggests concerns about the racial climate or the lack of cultural representation in local schools. |
| Social skills | Interpersonal abilities, Social abilities | Antisocial behavior, Isolation | The skills used to communicate and interact effectively with others | Critics of home-schooling argue that attending school is crucial for children to develop social skills, as they have opportunities to interact with peers and learn from social experiences. |
| Permission | Authorization, Consent | Prohibition, Restriction | The action of officially allowing someone to do a particular thing | All fifty states and the District of Columbia permit home-schooling, although the requirements and regulations may vary, granting parents the legal permission to educate their children at home. |