RUMFORD – Abby Johnson likes not having to ride the bus to school each day. She also likes tying history and literature into craft projects, and she loves solving math word problems.

Abby, 11, from Peru, is one of more than two-dozen youngsters who are part of a group in the area that’s home-schooled.

Her mother likes teaching the children at home, too.

“I think education is better one-on-one,” said Michelle Johnson as she helped Abby and her sister, Emma, with a craft project Thursday morning at Rumford Public Library.

Being home-schooled isn’t all fun and games, though, she emphasized.

Her children, and the children of other home-schoolers, spend at least 20 hours a week, often more, doing academic work.

And education doesn’t end when the school year ends, either.

Denise Hurd of Andover, who has home-schooled all three of her children, including her youngest, Caleb, 16, said her husband, Peter, teaches on the weekend.

“Home-schooling fits our lifestyle,” said Hurd. “We used to travel quite a bit and I like my kids to be around. The most positive thing about home-schooling is that they can learn at their own pace. We can spend as much time as needed if they are struggling. Time is limitless. Some school right through the summer,” she said.

Caleb said being taught by his mother or father is less distracting than other ways to learn. He also likes going at his own pace, and often sees other youngsters through art lessons or a paint-ball team.

Abby and Emma also get together with other children through Girl Scouts, dance lessons and other activities. Sometimes the home-schooled children take part in public school offerings such as skiing or art programs through SAD 44.

Emily Bodemer of Andover said she planned to home-school her two boys, Logan and Coleman, before they were born. She said she wants certain religious references taught to her children, such as learning that the Pilgrims came to the New World so they could worship freely.

“We have so much flexibility,” she said.

Although home-schooled children must follow the Maine Learning Results, how they learn each subject topic is up to their parents. But each year, a portfolio of student work is submitted to a certified teacher for inspection. The teacher submits the paperwork to the state confirming that required subject matter has been covered.

Becky Bear of Hanover, mother of one son she home-schools, is among those who believe one-on-one learning is best.

“I want one-on-one, rather than 30-1,” said Bear, who moved to Maine from Colorado, where she said such class sizes were common.

Each month, about a dozen area families meet at the Peru Baptist Church to support each other, share teaching ideas, and perhaps plan an outing.

For the four families doing crafts Thursday, that outing will be one that will teach history, literature, art and more.

They are planning a road trip for the eight adults and six children to Washington, D.C. in September.

They are raffling a Maine quilt created by the students, and planning a spaghetti supper for May 12 at the Andover Congregational Church as fundraisers. Each child created at least one cloth appliqué of something that symbolizes Maine, such as a moose, lighthouse, Bean boot, or blueberry. They even got Gov. John Baldacci to sign a snippet of cloth for inclusion in the quilt.

People who want to raffle on the quilt may call Johnson at 562-8787 or Hurd at 392-2981.