By JARED ORZOLEK

orzolek@crescent-news.com

NAPOLEON -- Drew, Sarah and Alyssa Horner learn about an array of subjects during the school day, from music to history to foreign languages.

But these students do not learn in the traditional classroom setting of a public or parochial school.

Drew, 18, Sarah, 16, and Alyssa, 12, are the children of Jack and Debbie Horner, who have home schooled the children since they moved to Napoleon from Fostoria 11 years ago.

"We started when Drew was in first grade and Sarah was in kindergarten. We started home schooling because we were going to move. We thought it would make the transition easier," Mrs. Horner said.

"We just do what we feel is best for our kids. Home schooling is not for everyone. For home schooling parents, every minute is a teaching time. You may not even know you are teaching them, but you are."

The Horner children are three of hundreds of home schooled children taught by parents or guardians across northwest Ohio each year. Parents who educate their children at home do so for a variety of reasons, including a desire for academic excellence and for religious reasons.

Home schooled children have a more flexible education schedule than children who learn at a traditional school.

The Horner's school day begins at 8 a.m. and continues to lunchtime when the children take a break to complete a newspaper delivery route. The children then continue school until approximately 3:30 p.m.

"They try and get school done during the day. At night, we have a whole different schedule," said Mrs. Horner.

During the evening, the Horner children participate in activities such as volleyball and basketball teams organized by the Northwest Ohio Christian Home Educators (NOCHE) -- a local home schooling support group.

Children educated exclusively at home are prohibited from participating in high school sports, but the NOCHE volleyball and basketball squads travel to Fort Wayne and Toledo to compete against teams from Christian schools or other home school groups.

"You do have to do a bit more travel, but, thankfully, they have these programs," Mrs. Horner said.

The children also perform drama presentations at the Archbold Community Theater and attend a home schooled music program at Christ Community Church in Ridgeville Corners.

"We just finished the 'Wizard of Oz' this summer," Mr. Horner said.

Parents or guardians who wish to educate their children at home must possess a high school diploma, but Mrs. Horner has bachelors and masters degrees in music education from Bob Jones University in South Carolina and Mr. Horner has a bachelors degree in chemistry from Cedarville University.

The couple has been married for 20 years and Mr. Horner works as a quality manager for Chase Brass while Mrs. Horner works as the primary educator for the children. The family attends Bethany Baptist Church in Grand Rapids.

Mrs. Horner educates three children with diverse educational preferences and career aspirations.

"You have to make sure you keep up with what's going on," Mrs. Horner said.

"The biggest thing is keeping organized. It's a constant struggle."

Drew, a high school senior, cites history as his favorite subject and intends to study broadcasting at his mother's alma mater when he begins college.

"I just like seeing what took place earlier in the world and how it applies to today's life," he said.

Sarah, a high school junior, enjoys learning the Spanish language.

"I think its fun to learn another language. When people speak Spanish, you can pick it up and know what they are saying," she said.

Alyssa, who is working to complete the seventh grade, said she enjoys learning about grammar, history and science.

The children are taught with the help of a complete curriculum provided by a home school textbook supplier.

Parents and guardians who home school can obtain textbooks from the Ohio Department of Education for free or spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on educational materials from specialized companies.

When the Horner children graduate from high school, they will have the opportunity to attend a graduation ceremony put on by NOCHE. In Ohio, home schooled children do not receive a state-recognized high school diploma, but their transcripts, combined with ACT or SAT scores, are deemed acceptable by many colleges and universities.

"We have already been in contact with schools to find out exactly what is needed," Mrs. Horner said.

"Every college is different."

If a home schooled graduate would like to enter the workforce following graduation, they typically obtain a General Equivalency Degree (GED).

Home school parents or guardians must submit an assessment signed by a certified teacher or standardized test results to the district superintendent each year.