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Homeschool advantages and disadvantages
Homeschool advantages and disadvantages
Argument essay on homeschooling
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Intro
As one of the fastest growing trends in modern education and with more members than ever before, it is no wonder that homeschooling has received recent media coverage (Swartout-Corbeil; Saba and Gattis 1, National Household Education Surveys Program 1). However, many people are unsure about the reality of homeschooling (Saba and Gattis XI). Some of its critics show concerns over its claimed negative effects on a child’s ability to socialize with other children, while some were doubtful of its academic effectiveness (Saba and Gattis 5; Pitman). On the other hand, homeschoolers and their supporters say that it offers greater academic benefits than conventional schooling, and does not deprive a child socially either (Saba and Gattis 2; Dorian and Tyler 46). But amidst all this talk, what really are the effects of homeschooling on a child, on both the academic and social levels?
Background
Simply put, homeschooling is the practice of educating children of school-age at their home instead of at a public school with other children (Swartout-Corbeil). The history of homeschooling goes all the way back to the early colonial times (Pitman). In fact, countless renowned men were homeschooled as kids, such as the ones pointed out by Linda Dobson:
Some of the greatest minds of all time were homeschooled. Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin...Charles Dickens, John Quincy Adams…Ab[raham] Lincoln, James Madison, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Washington, and Woodrow Wilson were all homeschooled, just to name a few! (196)
In early history, homeschooling appealed widely to many families as the bulk of public schools were very exclusive in their selective process except to either the wealthy, or those of a specific ethnicity or gender. As a r...
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National Household Education Surveys Program. 1.5 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2007. Issue brief no. NCES 2009?030. 1.5 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2007. National Household Education Surveys Program, Dec. 2008. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. .
Pitman, Mary Anne. "Homeschooling." Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. Encyclopedia.com, 2004. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. .
Saba, Laura, and Julie Gattis. McGraw-Hill homeschooling companion. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Print.
Swartout-Corbeil, Deanna M. "Home Schooling." Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence. Encyclopedia.com, 2006. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. .
According to Mary Griffith, author of the book The Homeschooling Handbook, the concept of homeschooling is nothing new to society. It is only in the past 150 years that public school system as we know it came into effect (Griffith, 1999). Prior to that, “…the family was the basis for social life…the home was where children learned what was necessary to function in their community” (1999). By the mid-1970s, there were barely any people practicing homeschooling (Ray, 2004). However, over the past twenty years there has been a resurgence in people choosing homeschooling (2004). There has been a 500 percent increase in homeschooling from the 1990-1991 school year to the 2002-2003 school year (2004). The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) estimates “that between 1.7 and 2.1 million students were being homeschooled in the U.S., in every grade level from kindergarten through twelfth grade…Indications are that the growth rate is between 7 percent and 15 percent per year ” (2004).
Homeschooling is becoming more popular in today’s society then before. Homeschooling is teaching school subjects to one’s children at home (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). But is homeschooling the best way to educate children? Homeschooling can bring more positive outcomes versus public or private schooling. This is because homeschooling can bring many benefits such as family orientation, no worries about bullies, less exposure to bad influences like drugs. Also it has a good success rate, adaptable cost, and flexibility. Homeschooling will keep increasing year by year. According to Dr. Brian D. Ray about 2% to 8% per annum was the growth over the past few years. For these and many more reasons is why parents choose to home school their children.
According to Gretchen M. Wilhelm and Michael W. Firmin, in their article Historical and Contemporary Developments, the Department of Education found that over 1,700,000 students are homeschooled. That’s 3.4 percent of all school age children (304). Homeschooling is defined as an education that contains less than twenty five hours of public school teaching each week and is based out of a household. The earliest forms of education were originally taught from home, then later developed into public schools (Wilhelm and Firmin). Homeschooling not only affects the students taught, but also fellow Americans in the race to advance a nation. Homeschooling needs to be understood in order to revise education into a better and
Homeschool is a verb is defined as “to teach your children at home instead of sending them to a school” (Homeschool). This means that a child is not taught at a public or private school; But the child is not necessarily just taught at home. Many homeschooling students participate in learning with other homeschooling families. Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, and in the United States alone, it is estimated that there are between 1.7 and 2.1 million homeschooling students. However, it is hard to know the exact number of these students since some states have different laws and do not require reporting (Frequently). Perhaps in the years to come, states will become more regulated across the board about reporting.
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.
Home schooling originated in a time when there were a small number of schools. Even when more public and community schools became available, traditional groups like the Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons, chose to school their young children at home. The Amish society kept their older children out of the public schools and chose to educate them through life in the community. The movement for home schooling has become more prevalent in modern day education. Many parents opt to educate at home, whether it be for religious purposes or because they are pursuing the philosophy of child-led learning. Whatever the reason for home schooling, it has become a predominant form of education in society today (Lines, 1995).
Mar. 2007). Rpt. in Homeschooling. Ed. Myra Immell. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
Rivero, Lisa. The Homeschooling Option: How to Decide When It's Right for Your Family. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.
West, Robin L. "The Harms of Homeschooling. " Philosophy and Public Policy Quarterly 29 (2009): 7-12. George Mason University Library, Inc. 18 Mar. 2014 http://journals.gmu.edu/PPPQ/article/viewFile/104/75>.
In today’s American society, quality education is important for one to succeed. Without proper education, a person will find it extremely difficult to apply for college, a job, or to pursue his or her dream. Typically when Americans think of education, public education is the first to come to mind. Public education has been around for centuries and is provided to most children throughout the United States. Due to this fact, public education has been the go to education source for years. Though, this trend is slowly changing with many parents deciding to home school their children instead. Many factors are the cause for this issue, but the common arguments arise from a certain few. For students, public school provides many opportunities ranging from social connections, school sports, and the exposure to teachers who are experts in their fields. But homeschooling is often superior because it offers additional time for students to participate in various extracurricular activities and community service, allows for more individual attention, personal character development, and it offers less exposure to discrimination that is received in the public school environment.
Homeschooling is receiving instruction of education in a place other than an established school. Some parents feel if they keep their children at home, they can minimize the chance that harm can happen. Other parents feel that they know their child best and can utilize personal strengths to work on educational needs. In the past, religion was the leading cause of parents who chose home schooling, now days this does not necessarily hold true.
All children in America have the right to a quality education. Most students receive that education through conventional means, going to a public or private school. There is another option for today's children, home schooling. Home schooling is a controversial issue. While it does have its benefits, some people believe it has too many downfalls to be an effective method of education. In this paper, topics such as academic impact, social impact, and parental opinions of home schooling will be discussed.
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.
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.
Home schooling offers a child with personalized attention (Hassel & Hassel. 2004). This is an alternative that ensures that a child is able to get proper attention and eventually is able to learn difficult subjects like science and ...