Clearly, my opinion is that homeschooling rocks; I've been homeschooling since 1991.  There are many things that I would include in my "list of reasons I think homeschooling works."

However, I think its most compelling feature is mastery learning.

What is it? What does it mean? How do we access, promote, develop, impart..."mastery learning?"

Mastery learning means that a child is not pushed forward to another level before they thoroughly understand, as far as they are able, the subject at hand. We use it all the time. When we teach practical life skills, like riding a bike, or sewing a garment or learning to be a carpenter. Dancing. Guitar.

It is an element that is largely absent, however, in academia.

Mastering the foundations of any skill or subject allows a firmer foundation on which to build future knowledge and competence.

Let's face it - most of us aren't raising prodigies. I sure wouldn't want the responsibility of that. Like each of us, our children have strengths and weaknesses that need to be fostered, fed and furthered. To truly learn a thing, any thing - interest, desire, understanding, proficiency...these are all vital in the process of learning.

Why would we push children on, when they have not mastered the basic skills - of anything? Age, grade, height, shoe size...seriously...none of these matter when it comes to learning.

Whatever curriculum parents choose, the number one consideration should be fitting the curriculum to the child, and not the child to the curriculum. Home education is far too "personal" to not capitalize on this ability to master. Parents - master the ability to not be ruled by curriculum!

If the curriculum doesn't fit the child, the child is not the problem. The curriculum is. Work with it, not for it. That's not what it was made for. It was made to help your child master something.

If it doesn't fit, tailor it to fit.