Flipping through the television channels late on a Saturday night, an intriguing news report catches my eye. “Homeschooling Gone Wild: Should Parents Be Banned from
Homeschooling Their Children?” the newscaster declared. “After spending a week with a homeschooled family, researchers were shocked on what they found at this home. The mother, thirty-seven years of age, left her nine year old daughter unattended every day while treating herself to a nice spa day or out with her friends. We asked the child when she did her school work and the daughter blankly stated “I don’t.” Amazed by this response, we decided to look further into this story. We asked the mother if her child had any education prior to today’s interview and she
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According to author Rachel Gathercole of The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of
Homeschooling, “paradoxically, through, current research suggest that homeschoolers are actually better socialized than their conventionally schooled peers.” (4). She goes to emphasize that “in various studies homeschoolers have been found to have higher self-concepts, significantly few ‘problem behaviors’, and equal levels of self esteem compared with their conventionally schooled peers.”(Gathercole 4). Along with Gathercole, M. B. Nelson argues that “homeschooled children are more frequently exposed to a wider variety of people and situations that could be expected in a traditional classroom environment where their exposure is limited to twenty-five to thirty-five people of similar age and socioeconomic background(1998).”
(qtd. in Romanwski 126). Homeschoolers introduce their selves to a widely variety of people on a daily basics. When at home all day, a homeschooler develops stronger relationships with his or her family. Knowing how to act around family members automatically helps a homeschooler build relationships with other adults and kids that range in different
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Homeschooling benefits children in their socialization skills more
than public schooling. Along with socialization, homeschoolers have a greater academic education than public schoolers. Homeschooling bypasses the middle man(aka teacher). In a public school, a teacher teaches his or her students a subject. When the time draws near to leave, the student goes home to do his or her homework; but often times, the student forgets how to do the problems taught in class. The parent then sits down with the child for the rest of the night trying to re-teach the lesson to the child only to find out the next day that the teacher taught the student another way. In homeschooling, the parent becomes the teacher. The parent will have the manual and the student’s workbook. The parent will know the way the student should be taught, preventing long evenings frustrated at home. Homeschoolers get the one-on-one attention from the teacher unlike public schoolers. When a student gets the one-on-one attention, his or her grades automatically shoot up because of an understanding of one’s studies. Quoted in The
One main doubt that many people believe is that home schooling makes a negative approach to one’s child social skills. This is based on the supposition that children who are home schooled are trapped at home all the time. People who still suppose that children are home 365 days a year are mistaken, because home school children have several opportunities to interact with other kids their own age. According to Dr. Brian D. Ray, his studies substantiate that, homeschooled students are engaged in outside activities. They are frequently caught up in activities such as field trips, sports, etc. Homeschooled children do not only hang out with people their own age, but they learn how to socialize with people of all ages. This is a great benefit because they learn to communicate and become amiable (Ray 1).
In traditional school setting, it is said that children as young as grade school are being exposed to drugs, alcohol, bullying, and overly-sexualized nature (Chapman). In one day of a public school environment, there are many mischievous actions that go unseen due to the gaping student-teacher ratio. Children who are home educated have the chance to remain children for longer than most public schooled children because they avoid many of these negative influences. While homeschooling may not be solution that will completely eliminate all exposure to poor decisions, it will definitely reduce the possibility of them having to decide between saying yes or no to something illegal. Authority figures have more time to inform students of the dangers and consequences of being exposed to such activities when a student is homeschooled. The absurd amount of peer pressure that can be put on a student in traditional schooling is often why they make such decisions. Studies have shown that homeschooling makes it easier for children to avoid mimicking behaviors and character choices demonstrated by others around them like public school children do. The conclusion to the study explained that homeschooled students were more likely to develop greater social skills, be able to function well in an adult environment, and be able to take on negative peer pressures while still making responsible decisions. With that being said, if a college freshman who was previously public schooled was asked to go to a party with a group of friends but had a test he needed to study for the next day, then there is a greater possibility of him saying yes than there is for a student who was homeschooled for most his life. The traditionally schooled freshman would be easier to convince to come to the party than the homeschooled freshman because he grew up conforming to what he
Myths regarding the improper socialization of homeschoolers are as ever-present in modern society as they are false. Studies show that home-educated students are not only equal to publicly educated students when it comes to social skills, but are actually superior to their public schooled peers. While this may seem counter-intuitive, as public schooled students spend most days surrounded by dozens, or even hundreds, of other students, some suggest this is the very reason home-educated students hold the advantage in social fields. While public school students are segregated entirely based on grade, home school students interact with individuals of all ages, through partaking in various athletic activities with teams in their area, taking classes at co-op home-school centers, auditing classes at local colleges, and interacting with other social groups in their area. A study by the Seattle-based Discovery Institute in July of 2000, in which counselors were shown videotapes of homeschooled and public schooled children playing, supports the theory that homeschoolers possess superior social skills to public schoolers. Without knowing which children were from each category, the counselors noted that the homeschool students
Homeschooling is often portrayed as an overprotective mom - unwilling to let her kids leave her for a day at school, and a large number of children, all unable to hold a conversation, let alone function normally in society. As someone who was homeschooled from kindergarten through eighth grade, I can attest that my homeschool experience was the exact opposite of this confining stereotype.
This identity recognition occurs in several different aspects of a student’s life, which includes the student’s familial ties. In a study by Joseph Murphy, a sociologist at Vanderbilt University, he acknowledges that a home school education carries a lot of requirements for the family’s time investments (Murphy 253). Parents have to rearrange their schedules and routines, which strengthens the student’s relationship with his or her parents. However, it can also put a strain on the student’s parents (Murphy 253). The parent who does the majority of the education has to balance homemaking with teaching, which can be a major stressor for some. A mother or father who wants to write the curriculum may find that other obligations around the house will need to be dropped in favor of time. A positive side to the home school education’s impact on the student’s familial identity is that there can be a strengthening of familial bonds (Murphy 253). The parents involve themselves directly in the child’s education, allowing for a strengthening of relationships. Home schooled students can also grow closer to their siblings because they will have time and space to deepen the relationship. Samuel Blumenfield, an educator and author, said that home school families build a “generation bridge instead of a generation gap” (765). A home school family’s
More attention in class Students are able to show more attention to what they learn and come about a perfect whole in the end of the class. They can work on worksheets individually or in groups to have a self-evaluation of their understanding. At higher level, I allow students to write on index cards as a way of note taking and submit once in a while. Most of them find it interesting and focus on the listening more than usual. 3.
Many schools promote social events and interacting with fellow classmates to further their social boundaries, “Schools and teachers try to promote significant interactive experiences among their students. Another tool used is student service activities—fundraising, student-student tutoring, and volunteer work of various kinds. these activities are encouraged.prepare students for life outside of school”(Wynne). Public schooling offers a place where students can get along, and prepare them for life after school. By contrast, homeschooling is rarely so integrated....
Studies have shown year after year that homeschooled students consistently perform just as well as (or in many cases better than) traditionally schooled students on standardized academic exams. But very rarely does anyone ask why this is, or what caused the student to do so well, because they are usually too concerned with questions about the student’s social life or if they would be able to handle the transition into college. Therefore, my thesis statement is: Homeschooled students often achieve higher academic success and are more active in their communities than traditionally schooled students, due to a personalized approach to learning that emphasizes individuality. My research paper will debunk some popular myths about homeschooling, and give the real reasons why homeschoolers are so successful.
Homeschooled children are self-motivated because they have a desire to know about a subject instead of finding something just to pass a test. This curiosity enables them to work to their best abilities and become independent learn at a very young age. Since parents by their teachers a child cannot use any excuses when not complaining and assigned. When a child is self-motivated, this will help them be successful when entering college. The average homeschool child does 80% better than average students who attend public schools on their ACT or
School was designed to equally teach all children not only book knowledge but also offer practice in cooperation with others on a social scale. The home was designed to teach children right from wrong, to respect and obey authority, and how to socially function properly with others. Sadly, the parents ...
There are many differences between public and homeschooled children, and one difference is the class size. Some homeschoolers are taught in smaller group classes. These group classes include parents and students who gather together to form “co-op” groups for particular subject areas in which greater expertise is available from one of the parents (Everhart and Harper 2). This class formation forms classes that are similar to public school classes. Many homeschooled families also form communities of support groups to assuage isolation and ignorance on curriculum standards (Wichers 4). Because of their smaller classes, they get more one-on-one attention. In order for public-education students to receive the same attention, they are likely to have to pay for a tutor. For example, one site, www.tutor.com, at the least, offers unlimited tutoring for $39.99 per month for one hour (Tutor.com 1). Tutoring can ra...
Today, many parents are homeschooling their children. A U.S. Department of Education’s report shows that approximately 1.5 million children were being homeschooled in 2007 (Lips & Feinberg, 2008). This is almost 3 percent of all school age children (Lips & Feinberg, 2008). A private researcher, the National Home Education Research Institute, estimates 2.5 million children were being homeschooled in the 2007 – 2008 academic years (Lips & Feinberg, 2008). By either count, homeschooling is growing exponentially.
One might ask why some parents decide to home school their children rather than send them to public school to receive a traditional public education. In his article, “What Have We Learned About Homeschooling,” Eric Isenberg offers data which says, “Families choose to homeschool their children for both academic and religious reasons” (407). Even so, most people claim that public school offers the perfect environment for learning and developing. They argue
ABSTRACT: Homeschooling is a controversial topic among educators. The issues that follow a child throughout their educational and social lives, are elevated when a child has been home schooled. There is no social environment for the child to learn to develop basic social skills; most home schooling environments are made up of a child, perhaps accompanied by a sibling, and the parent teaching the information given. There is no room for a developed personality that is consistent with a child of equal age and grade in a normal schooling environment.
Homeschooling is a rising alternative in children’s education. As with any other major movement there have been doubts and debates as well as support and promotion for this educational approach. Homeschooling was once the norm in society before there was a public school system. But the parents involved in homeschooling feel very strongly about the positive outcomes that it has brought about in the lives and success of their children. It has once again surfaced and become popular but there are several people who question the possible negative effects this option creates.