Homeschooling could be the smartest way to teach kids in the 21st century — here are 5 reasons why

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Homeschooling isn't what it used to be.

What largely started in the 1980s and '90s as a way for Catholic parents to infuse religion into their kids' education now has more mainstream appeal.

Homeschooled kids have the same access to online learning, friendships, and extracurricular activities as the typical public school student — but without many of the drawbacks, like standardized lesson plans and bullying.

Here are a handful of reasons homeschooling makes sense in 2018.

Personalized learning is a strong method of instruction.

The core idea of homeschooling is the idea that kids need to learn at the speed, and in the style, most appropriate for them. In the education world, enthusiasts call the approach "personalized learning," and it's in place in a number of schools already.

Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are big fans of personalized learning, since it tends to use technology as a way to tailor lesson plans to students. In a recent blog post, Gates pointed to research that personalized learning helps boost scores in reading and math.

Homeschooling parents can take the method a step further. As parents, many are in the best position possible to know, and provide, the right kind of instruction.

Students can learn more about what they really care about.

Without formal curricula to guide their education, homeschoolers get the chance to explore a range of topics that might not be normally offered until high school or college. They can study psychology in fourth grade, or finance in eighth grade.

Some parents are capable enough to pass on this knowledge themselves. But many parents Business Insider has spoken with rely on online learning platforms like Khan Academy or workbooks. Some take their older kids to local community colleges.

While many homeschool families do teach English, math, science, and history, education is by no means limited just to those subjects.

Social media gives kids a way to form lasting friendships.

The most common misconception about homeschoolers is that they lack social skills. Before the internet, there was some truth to the stereotype.

But today's students have just as much opportunity to see kids their own age as those in private or public schools, and often without as much distraction. Homeschoolers still use apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook — which may foster unhealthy and even addictive relationships to tech — but also lets them meet up with other homeschoolers or those from traditional schools.

"They're doing just as well or better," Brian Ray, a homeschooling researcher at the National Home Education Research Institute, told Business Insider.

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