The practise of providing formal education, especially primary or secondary education, at home rather than in a school.

Homeschooling is teaching a child at home, normally by a parent or other family member. The Illinois Supreme Court defined a school as "a place where instruction is imparted to the young" (People v. Levisen, 404 Il. 1950 as quoted in The Right to Home School by Chrisptopher J. Klicka, page 1). Homeschooling and home education are often used synonymously; however, home education may be used to describe a general approach to learning that encompasses a broad spectrum of methods and objectives.

Homeschooling is defined as the education of a child by one or more members of his family.

(also home education or home school) An educational alternative in which children are educated at home and in the community, in contrast to a compulsory education which takes place in an institution such as a publicly-run or privately run school. Home education methods are similar to those widely used before the popularization of compulsory education in the 19th century. Before this time, the majority of education worldwide was provided at home by family and community members, with only the privileged attending privately run schools or employing tutors, the only available alternatives at the time.

Homeschooling – also called home education or home school – is the education of children at home rather than in a public or private school. Prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws in the 19th century, most childhood education worldwide occurred within the family or community, with only a small portion of the population attending schools or employing tutors. Today most children are institutionally schooled.