Breaking the Stereotype

Somewhere along the timeline of homeschooling, the stereotype that homeschooled students are "social zeros" [1] or "antisocial creeps" [2] has developed. However, as it has become clear, homeschooling is incredibly beneficial and produces very successful graduates. Here are a few examples of homeschool graduates who contradict the stereotypes of homeschooled students. 


Abigail Adams 
Wife of the second President John Adams and mother of six President John Quincy Adams. She was self educated through ardent reading.

Ansel Adams
Famous photographer best known for black and white images. He was removed from school because he hated it and was therefore tutored at home. 

Clara Barton
Founder of the Red Cross. She was entirely educated at home.

Alexander Graham Bell
Inventor of the telephone. He only attend some institutionalized school from 10-14 years of age.

Agatha Christie
Writer best known for her mysteries. She was educated by her mother until the age of 16.

Thomas Edison
Creative inventor. He was removed from school after three months and was educated by his mother.

Benjamin Franklin
Founding Father of the United States of America and well-known inventor. Attended little institutionalized schooling.

Hanson
Musical group consisting of three brothers. 

Robert E. Lee
Confederate General. He was mostly educated by his mother.

C.S. Lewis
Christian writer best known for The Chronicles of Narnia. He was educated by his mother until her death.

Abraham Lincoln
16th U.S. President, known for The Emancipation Proclamation. He was mostly self-educated, only having attended about a year of school in scattered intervals.

John Marshall
Chief Justices of the United States Supreme Court in the 1800's. His formal education was sporadic. He had access to a good library and various tutors.

John Stuart Mill
Important economist. He was systematically homeschooled by his father.

Moffats
Canadian band consisting of 14 brothers, four of whom were homeschooled while on tour.

Wolgang Amadeus Mozart
Amazing Austrian composer who was probably homeschooled by his father.  

Frankie Muniz
Actor best known for Agent Cody Banks and Big Fat Liar. He attended institutionalized schooling until 6th grade, at which point he was homeschooled.

Sean O'Casey
Irish idealist and writer. He was never formally educated due to an eye disease.

Christopher Paolini
Best-selling science fiction author. He was entirely homeschooled and graduated at the age of 15. 

Theodore Roosevelt
26th U.S. President. He was entirely homeschooled by tutors due to illness.

Andrei Sakharov
Nobel Peace Prize winner in nuclear physics. He was entirely homeschooled through the 6th grade.

Jason Taylor
Professional football player; defensive end for the Miami Dolphins. He was homeschooled through out high school.

Mark Twain
Prolific American writer, best known for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. While he did attend some institutionalized schooling before the age of twelve, his true writing education began when he became an apprentice to his brother who was a printer.

Booker T. Washington
Former slave, scientist and founder of Tuskegee Institute. While he did attend formal schooling after he was free, he was self-educated until this point.

Woodrow Wilson
28th U.S. President during WWI. He was educated by his father due to the Civil war. After homeschooling, Wilson attended Princeton University. 


These are just a few examples of the many successful graduates of homeschool education [3].