INTRODUCTION ‘The poplar image of omeschooking desed,hyperatually pit nd di + kitchen tal, diligently table, and sentence diagrams. Mom, who ber a rermartable ro semblance to Jue Cleaves hover in the background edt jump ce, and speriion the instant she 4 word—“hemeschooling’—or pes sep going to conventional schook tuen of the ninetoenth century, most Ame ter part of their education in ways mach closer to those used by homeschoolers today than those Found in modern public schoo! Until the advent of the “common schoo!" movement 1850s, which culminated in compulsory attendance statutes nation- ‘wie by the turn of the century, school was optional for most fami les, Formal attendance a school was often confined to the winter children got the bet months when the pace of if slowed and ehicen were comparx Sve fee of agricultural chores. Fuhermore, unless child was male and planed to go to college of 2 seminary—or came fom & lo failyschool only lasted for thee eo five years. That provided just enough time to gee a good grep of cealing wring, snd sridmesic, with a smattering of history and iterate, The eet ofthe hnowiedge cilden nde w became competent adults wat sequted by working alongside olde family member or other ads, learning everyday sks by doing them, knowing tha their wore as snessental ontibtion to thee fan's ivethood. ‘Along with the widespread estublshment of publi school and compubory atendance avs came an equally widespread bel ia