Homeschool parents' self-reported activities and instructional methodologies in music

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the music instruction of homeschooled students in a large, Midwestern metropolitan area. The research questions were: (1) What kinds of music activities and instructional methodologies do homeschool parents use to teach their children about music? (2) How do the self-reported minutes of music instruction homeschooled children receive compare with the minutes of instruction recommended by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for public school children? (3) How do homeschool parents' reports of homeschool music instructional goals align with national standards published by the National Association for Music Education? An online survey tool was used to collect data from homeschooling families. Results indicated that most homeschooling parents were musically literate. Their children learned how to read, perform and understand music through private lessons and family activities. Homeschooled children were most likely to study keyboard, voice or stringed instruments. Areas for further research were discussed.