Homeschooling is a growing phenomenon worldwide and especially across the United States. It is not fully understood yet as to what comprises the myriad of ethnological components in this educational choice by parents. To build upon existing theory, this study looked at the following ethnological factors; regional location of a family's home within the United States, ethnicity, and religious affiliation, to determine if these influence the style of homeschool operated, the instructional practices implemented, and the reading curriculum choices of homeschooling parents. Furthermore, this study looked at the style of homeschool a parent engaged in to determine if it influenced the type of instructional practices used and the type of reading program used to teach initial reading skills in the homeschool. This study also addressed the more focused question of how literacy education functions when embedded within a compatible cultural context such as the homeschool. The literacy practices of American homeschoolers may offer potential insights and understandings for the traditional educational community regarding literacy. (Contains 12 figures and 9 tables).) [Ph.D. Dissertation, Capella University.]