The Vast Majority of Homeschooled Students are NOT Unsocialized

By: Linda Popolano
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:59
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

Today's homeschooled student is not a child living somewhere in a remote place with no social interaction. Though that still seems to be the common perception among the majority of people not intimately familiar with homeschooled students, it is an erroneous assumption. As a homeschooling parent for the last six years, I've met dozens and dozens of other homeschooling families while living in two different states, and the vast majority of the children of all these families had social skills equal to or surpassing their public school peers. Some of the most articulate and courteous teenagers I've met have been raised in homeschooling families.

When you really stop and think about it, most parents who are willing to put in the effort to homeschool their own children care greatly about the future of those children. Those parents generally take a lot of time and thought in making the decision to homeschool and therefore research both academic and social opportunities for their children. In the 1970's and 1980's when homeschooling was beginning to grow but was far less common, it was often difficult for homeschooling families to find support and extracurriculars for their children. However, homeschooling is now far more common, and most geographical areas in the U.S. have several support groups and extra-curricular programs for homeschoolers, some secular and some religious-based. In addition, many school districts allow homeschoolers to participate in after-school and other programs. In my family's experience, there are far more activities and groups to choose from than we would actually have time to participate in and still give adequate attention to the academic side of homeschooling.

Additionally, even for children who attend public and private school, most socialization comes from family and not from peers and teachers. It would be frightening to think of a child growing up socialized only by his school experiences with no steadying influence from his family. The family represents the child's first social circle and, by the time he leaves the family circle to attend school at age 5 or 6, his basic way of relating to others has already been established. Yes, if from that point on the child is isolated from the world, he would not have the skills necessary to interact with others as an adult. But, again, the vast majority of homeschooling parents want to provide a strong academic and moral education so that their homeschooled child grows up to a force for good and positive things in a world where so often, even in schools, so much is negative. A child who is well treated by the society he grows up in, be it the society of family or the society of community or the society of a school, will be a well-socialized child who treats others well. The real issue for all children is to make our families, our communities, and our schools well-socialized places.

Linda Popolano is a homeschooling mom and an Independent Consultant for BRIGHT MINDS/The Critical Thinking Company at Home. Please visit her website at http://www.inspirethinking.com to learn about tools to help all children, both those who are homeschooled and those who attend school, become better thinkers and therefore stronger forces in creating positive families, positive communities, and positive schools for tomorrow's world.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Homeschooling category

  • Choosing to Home School - By: Veronica Scott
    There are many reasons that families opt to home school their children instead of sending them to school everyday. Home schooling has continued to become more popular over the past few years. When you know that it is an option you have a genuine interest in, it's wise to spend some time picking it apart. It isn't something that should be entered into lightly. Take some time to think about how it benefits you and what it is that appeals to you as opposed to traditional schooling.
  • Pros and Cons of Home Schooling Your Child - By: Veronica Scott
    So you are thinking of homeschooling your child? There are many reasons to choose homeschooling over public schools. To help you with your decision, here are some advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling:
  • Is Homeschooling the Right Decision for Your Family? - By: Rebecca Walker
    Home schooling requires a parent or caregiver to take full responsibility for the education that their child or children will receive outside of the traditional parameters of the classroom.
  • Tips for Successful home schooling - By: Rebecca Walker
    Are you interested in creating a great home schooling program? Home schooling has many benefits and is no longer a matter of debate. Here are some tips to make learning at home an even more beneficial for you and your child.
  • Some Homeschooling Home-What you need to know - By: Rebecca Walker
    Homeschooling has come a long way from relative obscurity two decades ago. It is now a leading education trend in America as well as around the world. Estimates put the growth in the sector to about 15 percent per year
  • 5 Things To Take Into Account When Moving Your Child From Public School And Into Home Schooling - By: Donald Saunders
    If you feel that your child is stressed in the public school and is becoming more and more downcast as the weeks roll by then home schooling might well be something that you should consider. But, prepare yourself for a transition period after removing your child from public school before diving into 'full-time' home schooling.
  • Homeschooling: How to Get Started - By: Heather Brunson
    Homeschooling is becoming a common alternative to traditional classroom teaching. Today, more parents and guardians are opting to teaching their children at home, with an estimated 750,000 to 1,000,000 students learning in a home environment. Many parents believe that homeschooling provides their children with a custom or more complete education than public or private schools.
  • Algebra: How To Start and Why You Really Need to Practice a Lot - By: Markella M.
    The most importand factor about algebra and mathematics is that you really need to practise in order to understand the concepts. There are a lot of algebra books, tutorials, interactive lessons, online tutors and courses that can help you a lot, but without some homework and practise you are bound to fail.You cannot remember the thousands of algebra concepts and equations without truly understand what each equation really means.
  • 3 Tips To Help You Reduce The Cost Of Homeschooling - By: Ricky Lim
    Homeschooling can be an expensive choice for parents. There are many expenditures that need to be taken into account and the financial burden can be heavy particularly if only one parent is working.However, many families have chosen homeschooling and found the homeschooling experience to be rewarding and fruitful.
  • Homeschooling Vs Public Schooling - By: Razvan Ionut Rovinaru
    The time has come for your child to begin his education, and you are faced with the ever present question: What should I choose? Homeschooling or Public Schooling? Both offer advantages and disadvantages and we will discuss some of them in this article as it is best to know all the facts before making the decision.