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One Homeschooling Con

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What happens when home schooled children share time only with others of a similar background?

One Homeschooling Con

While you might be protecting your child from the dangers of a public school education by providing him or her with homeschooling, you are also depriving them of the education they receive by belonging to a civic community.

In any town, the feeling of community is often built around its schools, so learning in a public school promotes, in a way, the values of citizenship. Home schooled children do not encounter the diverse perspectives in a community needed so risk both not fitting in with their peer group as well as not being able to easily understand other points of view. Moreover, when home schooled children do participate in group situations it is most likely in select group who often are also home schooled and share similar values, background, and social class.

Before committing your child to homeschooling, think not only about what he or she would be gaining by that unique experience, but also what might be lost by eschewing the more traditional route.

   

Comments

9/21/2006 12:40:22 AM
Ponderosa said:

I don't totally agree with the comments here. Public schooling is gearing more each day toward socialism and thinking as a whole. Homeschooled children are taught to believe firmly in their values and to think like an individual. They have plenty of opportunities to learn how to cope in a community because they are in a real community every day, not in a school house which is not the "real world" as so many like to call it. And as far as "fitting-in" with a peer group, I'd say that the majority of homeschoolers learn to fit in with everyone, not just their peer group. They are more likely to interact with adults, teenagers, younger and older children in their everyday life. They are not subjected only to a room full of 25 eight year olds. You will find that most homeschoolers can associate with people of all ages. As with a lot of public school children they tend to shy away from adults and stick with the peer group they know. It's a two sided coin and there is no right answer. But I'm speaking from both sides because I know both sides.


5/11/2008 7:18:29 PM
Melinda said:

I have also found that my daughters (now adults) can speak with any age group. I do agree they have very little in common with most people of their age group despite spending middle school and high school in public school. On the other hand, my daughters have no problem working with people in their forties and fifties and communicating effectively in an office environment far above the normal high school student.

Both public schools and homeschooling have their advantages and disadvantages. In public schools, the kids may feel more normal, feel like they stand out less than when they are homeschooled. However, they pay for that in not being able to effectively communicate with all people - they will be able to only communicate with the people they know well and where they have previous experience speaking and writing. Homeschoolers follow their parents everywhere during the early years. They learn to communicate with everyone in all environments. They are not limited to their age group or certain economic areas as most schools are limited to. Both my daughters are electing to homeschool their children as far as they choose to go. I think that says which way they felt was best for them.


7/8/2009 10:48:59 PM
Crazyem said:

As a home schooler myself, I have no problem fitting in with the crowd, though sometimes I feel sort of "left out" among other kids my age who do go to school, and am thinking about attending school(grade eight). I get along great with adults, and teens older then me.




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