It’s no secret that homeschooling has become more popular in recent years. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, the number of homeschooled students in the United States has grown by more than 2 million since 1999. With this increase in popularity has come an increase in scrutiny, and one of the most common questions asked of homeschooling parents is “Can my child really succeed academically without attending a traditional school?” To answer this question, let’s take a look at some famous homeschoolers who have gone on to achieve great things.
Michael Faraday
Few people have had as much of an impact on the world of science as Michael Faraday. Faraday is best known for his work on electricity and magnetism, but he also made significant contributions to the fields of chemistry, physics, and biology. Amazingly, Faraday was self-taught; he left school at the age of 13 and never received any formal scientific training.
Because he was able to teach himself so effectively, Faraday is often cited as an example of the advantages of homeschooling. Without the distraction of classmates or the limitations of a set curriculum, Faraday was free to explore his interests and develop his skills at his own pace. This helped him become one of the most celebrated scientists of his era—and paved the way for many other great thinkers who would follow in his footsteps.
Benjamin Franklin
Another self-educated man who went on to change the world was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was a writer, inventor, diplomat, and statesman, and is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He played a pivotal role in drafting both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and his many inventions include everything from bifocals to lightning rods.
Like Michael Faraday, Benjamin Franklin left school at a young age; he was just 10 years old when he began working in his father’s print shop. This early start allowed Franklin to develop his skills quickly and learn about a wide range of topics; it also meant that he had more time to devote to his many hobbies and interests. In fact, it was because of these interests that Franklin became such a prolific inventor; if he hadn’t had the time or freedom to tinker and experiment, we might never have benefitted from his many groundbreaking discoveries.
Another dropout-turned-tech-giant, Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft. He too was homeschooled starting in 10th grade; his parents hired a private teacher for him as well. In an interview with Teach From Home, Gates noted that he “felt lucky” to have been homeschooled because it gave him the opportunity to focus on his areas of interest—namely computer science—while still receiving a well-rounded education. He also credited his mother for instilling in him a “thirst for learning” that has served him well throughout his life and career.
You might be surprised to learn that Tom Cruise was homeschooled—but it’s true! He actually started his education at a public school but was later pulled out by his mother and tutored at home. (Interestingly, his sister also went on to be a successful actress.) In an interview with Parade Magazine, Cruise credited homeschooling with giving him the opportunity to focus on acting early on in his career and said that it made it possible for him to “jump right into movies.”
Jodie Foster
Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster was homeschooled for much of her childhood due to her intense work schedule. She began acting when she was only three years old and appeared in more than 50 movies by the time she turned 18. Needless to say, she didn’t have a lot of time for traditional schooling! However, that didn’t stop her from going on to have an incredibly successful career in Hollywood.
So there you have it: Many famous people who were homeschooled and achieved great things. This just goes to show that homeschooling can be an effective way to learn—even if you’re not sure where you want your education to take you just yet. If you’re thinking about homeschooling your own children or are simply curious about famous people who were homeschooled, we hope this blog post has been informative and helpful. Thank you for reading!
