Rachel Howard admits she first balked at the thought of teaching her 10-year-old son, Robin, at home.

"It’s a huge responsibility," Howard said of providing a well-rounded education for her fifth-grade son. "When I first started, I was very nervous."

Now, instead of being intimidated, Howard and her husband, Robert, consider the opportunity to home-teach Robin a blessing.

"I like really getting to know Robin, really knowing his heart," she said. "I love being able to work with my child as an individual."

And you can’t beat the commute.

Nationwide, an estimated 850,000 American children are home-schooled, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The Howards are one of about 40 families in Palm Springs Unified School District’s home-schooling program this year.

Like other parents and students who have chosen the Palm Springs district’s 5-year-old home-schooling option, the Howards are working closely with teachers on various facets of Robin’s schooling, from curriculum to field trips to writing labs.

The district, by law, must meet with families at least once a month to discuss their home-schooling approach.

But often, it’s more like once a week or every two weeks, said Lynn Yada, one of two teachers assigned to work with the Howards.

The Howards also work with teacher Cindy Hollinger to get more out of home schooling.

"It’s often difficult in the beginning," Yada said.

"It’s difficult to take that curriculum as a parent, if you’re not a teacher, to plan, to gauge, to find out, ‘What do I need to provide more reinforcement for?’ It takes practice and working through the program," she said. "People learn at different paces and at different levels."

Not just for the gifted

The district’s home-schooling program attracts all kinds of students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Although home schooling has been in the district for five years, many parents and students have misconceptions about it, district officials said.

"I think there’s kind of the perspective out there that it’s only for students who are really gifted," said Anne Kalisek, principal of the district’s alternative education center. "That’s not really true."

Yada and Hollinger see all kinds of kids whose parents conduct home-schooling for everything from religious to medical to philosophical reasons.

"I have kids who are overweight and ridiculed," Yada said.

Some parents hire teachers, often retired or former public or private school teachers, to give their children one-on-one instruction.

Other parents provide schooling at home even though they both work.

"I’ve had husbands and wives both home school. While one is sleeping, the other one is schooling," Yada said.

Students must study a minimum of four hours a day, but parents have the freedom to schedule lesson plans as they see fit.

Rachel and Robin typically get started at 7:30 every morning, continuing with their scheduled lessons until at least lunch.

"For us, math is first," Rachel said. "He’s awake, more alert, we’re gung-ho and we’re starting the day. It works for us. But everybody’s different."

Rachel prefers to stick to each lesson plan until Robin has a firm grasp of the material and is ready to move on. Home-schooling allows that flexibility, she said.

"Why rush him? He’ll never get it," Rachel said, recalling her own struggles in school once she had fallen behind in a subject.

Robin describes himself as "pretty focused" with such an approach, and he likes that he can follow up the day’s studies with soccer, basketball and other athletic endeavors. After all, he’s the kind of kid who’ll join his dad in 16-mile hikes and 25-mile bike-a-thons.

Even so, on Fridays, Robin participates in several hours of physical education classes at Agua Caliente Elementary School. Like all of the 21,500 kids in the school district, Robin is entitled to use any school facilities that will help with his education.

Robin attends field trips, for instance, from those that allow him to talk to veterans at a local military air museum to those that thrust him into a veterinarian’s emergency operating room.

Robert, Robin’s father, is equally interested in participating in his son’s education, whether it’s helping his son understand an astronomy lesson or being by his son’s side on a field trip.

Even Robin’s older sisters are involved, helping Robin with some of those particularly vexing math problems.

"So it’s a family affair," Rachel said. "It’s important for the parents to work together. All it takes, really, is time, willingness to work hard and love for your child."

Rachel still tends to shy away from calling herself a bona fide "teacher," and she constantly looks to Yada and Hollinger to share their expertise.

"I really needed the guidance from teachers; I wanted the district to be there for me," Rachel said. "If I have any questions, their door is open."

The district encourages parents to attend such educational sessions as writing labs.

"They can watch us model how we teach writing," Yada said.

Same academic standards

Home-schooled students are also tested and held accountable for the same academic standards as other students, Kalisek said.

Along with district mandates, the federal No Child Left Behind law requires schools to test 95 percent of students in different groups, including special-education students, which includes home-schooled kids.

Before families are ever considered for the home-schooling program, they’re asked to meet with teachers such as Yada and Hollinger, who instill in parents and students that it’s a decision not to be taken lightly.

"It’s a huge commitment on the parents’ part," Kalisek said.

The program simply isn’t right for parents who aren’t willing to put in the necessary time and who don’t have the patience.

"If a family decides to pursue it, it’s probably better started at the elementary level," Kalisek said.

Among the greatest benefits of home-schooling is that parents can work closely enough with their kids to truly understand how they learn best.

"That is something that is invaluable, and that I wish I could make available to all of our parents (in the district)," Kalisek said. "Because a lot of parents don’t have that luxury, with working, to really be able to sit down and know how their child works best."

For the Howards, home-schooling is a rewarding education for the entire family, Rachel said.

"I had wonderful teachers when I grew up, but I wish I would have had more time with them."