January 17, 2006

  • Homeschooling

    I have always wondered about the quality of education given to a child that home schools.  It appears to me if a person was experiencing primarily one teacher, they would be limited at some level.  It would have an impact on their social development also.  Social development is helped by contact with others.


    Is the typical quality of a home school education inferior or superior to the typical quality of a public school education?


     

Comments (250)

  • home schooling is inferior

  • Inferior.

  • im homeschooled and the only complaint i have is that i dont get to see my friends everyday.but other than that, i can work at my own pace without distractions,which in my opinion is better.

  • If me and my sister are any indication, it is superior.

  • i actually did a speech in my speech class over it, and i said how you dont really get the social interactions from home schooling that you need and get from regular schooling

  • It would depend on the quality of the homeschooling, I think, just as public schools vary according to their curriculums and teaching staff.  This is a huge issue between my husband and me, as I am absolutely for homeschooling, and he is rather against it, having been a teacher at a public high school when he was younger.  We still have not reached an agreement on the matter, but if the day comes that we do have our own child together…  MY CHILD WILL BE HOMESCHOOLED.  hehe.

  • that would depend.  One on one education can do a lot for any student.  I do agree that a teacher may be inferior because of their limitations, but because we have so many resources in today’s world, like the internet, almost no information is unavailable.

  • why do people find it neccesary to come to this site so often? I mean I have a heart shaped potato on mine and know one gives a damn. A heart shaped potato is like way cool!

  • It really depends. In an inner city, homeschooling would probably be better. Also if the parent is a teacher of some sort.

    Many friends of mine used to be homeschooled and felt like it was better. And we live in a pretty great school district.

    It really depends.

  • Superior. A study once suggested that homeschoolers are five years more mature then a public schooler

  • As for social interactions, let me just say as eloquently and succinctly as I can… KIDS  ARE  MEAN. 

    That’s all.

  • superior

  • Also, a student can work at their own pace.  Social interaction isn’t impossible, nor is it challenging- simply have your children play with your neighbours, or have them do a sport ‘outside school.’

  • Seeing as when my sister went to a private school she was smarter than most of the other people in her class (though in homeschooling she was not as smart as her other homeschooling friends).

  • Me, and my sibling are all homeschooled. We are hardly constricted socially, and something i’ve noticed… Homeschoolers dont seperate themselves into classes of popular, and unpopular. I’ll hang out with a hot popular girl, and a nerdy girl if i damn well please! It seems much more healthy to be freinds with most people then only certain kinds

  • Oh ten times superior, that’s bogus about not getting the “social” skills I think the reason kids are so bratty these days is because they don’t get enough individual attention. and by attention I don’t mean doting or anything just focusing on the discipline and growth of one child as compared to a classroom full of kids…

  • Both. I was homeschooled for the first four years of my schooling and I was fine. My mother was a perfectly adequate teacher, and in areas she wasn’t quite distinguished in, I was given extra help from tutors or books. As far as social contact went, I lived in a neighborhood with lots of kids and never lacked friendship. As long as you do it right, homeschooling can definitely be superior to public schooling.

  • i dunno for sure, but i would think inferior. it’s too sheltered…

  • DEFINETELY inferior.

    even if you learn a ton which usually dosnt happen it greatly impairs social skills. i know i few people and i feel sorry them. being around a lot of different people is best.

  • Home schooling is ridiculous in my opinion. Public schools are not that bad that a parent should make their child miss out on life.

  • being home-schooled allows a child to focus and work at their own pace (with the parents’ knowledge of what they’re learning). however, public school education allows a child to explore more than just their home. their ‘playground’ of learning and education extends more than just the home.

  • AT this day in age, the academic education is about the same quality, but half of school is to teach social skills, which home schooling does not do well. In this way I see it as very inferior.

    -Jared

  • Oh, come on. All you hear these days is about socializing, and social skills. and yadda yadda yadda. Ya know what, I’ve been homeschooled my entire school-life, and I turned out fine! Even if that is a problem, which it’s not, then I would much rather have problems socializing then be around all that junk. Schools teach evolution… all that junk about not being able to pray and stuff… drugs… I don’t need to have friends at school. I have plenty of friends from other stuff. Besides, homeschooling is GREAT for your flexibility – such as jobs, going to lectureships, and alot of other things I could name. I love homeschooling, and my children will be homeschooled.

  • a lot of homeschoole people who transferred over to my public school aren’t necesarily “stupider”.. but they lack a lot of social skills.  Very gauche, if you know what I mean… socially  handicapped?
    -Ko

  • I think our public schools are so tied to corporate America, that the “education” sometimes suffers.  There are so many outside, artificial social pressures… many created by the elite at the top, just to increase their profits.  This culture of materialism invades every aspect of our lives, and that of the malleable minds of our children.  Our precious energy is waisted on these fruitless distractions, while we loose touch with… our souls. 

    Home schooling may be a solution to this, for some, but clearly not for the masses.  I’m attracted to many of the principles of the Waldorf program (though not a panacea).  The rural Waldorf school in my home town of Viroqua, WI, is particularly effective (though I attended public school).  It’s almost a hybrid of home schooling and public school….  socialization, with less influence by mass media… and a focus on principles and the joy of the human spirit.

  • superior

  • It depends on the reason for the homeschooling.  If they are homeschooled for religious reasons, the education is inferior because it is biased.

  • In most instances I’ve seen; superior by leaps and bounds.

  • Have you read Star Girl?
    It’s an amazing book, from what I can remember (which isn’t much because I read it 5 years ago).

    Anyway, I think it depends, because people in LA where I live who get home schooled are usually going through identity crisis and think they’re gangstaz who are too cool for school, so homeschooling is useless.

    But if they begin with homeschooling and don’t start as a last resort after being kicked out of 7 differeng high schools in a month alone, I think it has a lot of benefits because the person doesn’t experience peer pressure or corruption or anything like that.

    But it can be inferior because once that person grows up and does immerse themselves amongst other people, they’ll be really different and stick out like a sore thumb.

    Ok I don’t know.

  • Wow that up there is nonsense.

  • i heard a quote once that said something like, if people who homeschooled and sent their children to private schools spent as much time and money on public schools, public education would be greatly improved and the standards would be forced to be raised. Susan B Anthony? I have to agree with her. I would have loved to have been sent to a private school or have been homeschooled especially, but I went to terrible inner city schools, and I can’t help but think that the education I recieved was fabulous, but the surroundings (unlike homeschools) stunk. If a kid wants to learn, he or she will learn, no matter where he or she is. Opportunities exist everywhere, even in terrible inner city schools.

  • i say both… but the ppl i have known typically at school smarter… as far as any other traits (like social development or smarter in general), i dunno… but they seem to know their school material better…

  • I was homeschooled…so…I guess it depends on the temperament of the child, the curriculum used and the adult’s teaching style…it wasn’t good for me because…well, I’m different.  (hehe)  But I’ve known a bunch of other homeschoolers who are just…wow.

  • being home schooled never made any kid cooler, haha. idk, i go to a private school.
    peace max

  • It entirely depends. I know several parents who homeschool and shouldn’t.  They just don’t have enough knowledge to do it.  I also believe that at a certain point, children should learn their social skills, and how to act and react.  I think that homeschooling for 12 years, and then dumping them in college does a great disserve to the kids.

  • And I don’t think being homeschooled=being sheltered.  If you do it the right way, join a homeschooling group…

  • I did nothing when I homeschooled in tenth grade. Seriously. It’s amazing that my IQ is this high.

    But there IS something called “dual enrollment”, meaning that at the age of sixteen homeschoolers can attend community college instead of staying home.
    This, in my opinion, gives them a better education through tougher classes, and allows them to choose the classes they want.

  • I go to a Christian college, so there are a lot of kids that were home schooled that some here. They do alright with classes usually, but they lack what I like to call social skills sometimes – not always.

  • usually home-schooled children participate in other activities that enable them to interact with other children their age too

    i suppose the answer to the inferior/superior question would rely on the quality of the teacher

  • The thing about home schooling is everyone assumes that the only teacher is Mom.  This is not necessarily true.  A lot of homeschoolers have homeschooling associations or coops.  They hire tutors to teach their kids skills like math, science.  They also bring in instrucotrs for the elective credits such as art, music, home ed. and things of that nature.  Most of kids are not socially ostricized because they meet in these coops usually 3 days a week.  They may spend up to four during any given day there, so they do have time to socialize and make friendships. 

  • inferiour, first a mother is not a trained teacher, mother roles get screwed up (they don’t know when to act like a mother or teacher at times), poor social skills and development, but also i have very old cousins that were home schooled and went to high school and they’re fine socially and smart

  • I think it is superior but requires a truly committed (to home schooling) and patient parent. I could never do it!

  • I think that many home-schooled children are superiorly educated…If that is the right term

    I am not home-schooled

    I also believe that our public schools are severly inadequate in places

    -Chris

  • I did nothing in tenth grade when I homeschooled.

    Well, I wrote some amazing reasearch papers/short stories, but other than that… It’s amazing my IQ is as high as it is.

    Now there is something gaining popularity around here for homeschoolers called DUAL ENROLLMENT. Basically, after 16, kids can choose to attend community colleges insted of staying home. This, in my opinion, gives them tougher classes, helps them mature faster, and allows them to pick only classes they want to take.

    So dual enrollment homeschooling is better than public school in the education department. They also need a good social network.

  • instead*

  • I would like to say a few things in response to some of what I see on here. First homeschooling does not hurt a person’s social life. I was homeschooled till 11th grade, and I have no social problems. In fact I am one of the most outgoing persons that you might meet. Secondly though the public school system may not be all that bad, there are some things which they teach that might contradict someones beliefs. So therefore public schooling is not an option for them.

  • I was home schooled and never went to school at all. I entered into the college realm without any trouble. Education could have been better, but any area that I lack I am now making up for in college and I don’t blame my parents for anything.

  • and what is all this non-sense about children needing social skills?

    communicating with their parent and people in their neighborhood doesn’t develop these ‘social skills’

    if they are even needed

    why do you need to know how to socialize…why is that so important?

    -Chris

  • teenagers these days are so screwed up in their opinions of what is important

    Ipods and cellphones are not important…instant messenging is not important

    -Chris

  • i always believed in learning from interaction.. not everything can be taught in the classroom.. if a child is only homeschooled, he/she might run in to some social issue later in life.

    private school > public school > home school > no school

  • making friends is not what school is the purpose of

  • I think if you do home schooling in a “community” you are better off than going at it alone.  A community is usually a group of people who home school who can bring different levels of expertise and ideas to the table.  Offering different types of learning styles and a more expanded realm of just your normal basics.  The only drawl back and to me it’s a big one is the socialization factor…..experiencing the “real” world on some level everyday!! I love the fact  that home schooling allows parents to focus more on religion too.  However, I will send my kids to a public school but I do feel that if home schooling is done in a community then it can be equal.

  • depends…but…homeschool does not mean isolation though.

  • Superior…

    Take it from me, I was in public school all my life until 8th grade and then became homeschooled.  Homeschooling is much better.  I don’t have any teachers, I basically teach myself with the help of distant teachers if needed (with no help whatsoever from my parents).  The social development part, oh please!  I hate that stereotype that all homeschoolers are sheltered freaks who know nothing.  We have plenty of opportunities to take part in social settings (i.e. homeschooled sports, church, work, competetive debate and speech…)  There is no difference, social-wise, between a homeschooler and a public-schooler.  Homeschooling is better because it teaches self-discipline because you have no one pushing you, you have the chance to learn about God which is very beneficial (which you can’t in public school)…  I think homeschoolers get a better education because we don’t have all the distractions you get at a public school and I also think it better prepares us for college and life – we’re more mature… Overall, homeschooling is superior to public school in my opinion.

  • Superior. I am sixteen and have been homeschooled all my life, and I am far above my peers. I have plenty of friends and social interactions, a job, and I am dual enrolled in a college. At twenty I might have my nursing degree.

    And I am not an isolated case. Thousands of others are homeschooled and are also superior.

    SUPERIOR.

  • I think most of the time it is inferior. Of course, there are always exceptions! :)

  • i can’t help but wonder what homeschooled students miss out on in terms of class discussion? i know a lot of the things i think about and the way i learn is from the people around me, do you get this same experience when you’re homeschooled? i wouldn’t think so, at least not to the same extent. as for being in groups of people in everyday life, which is definitely important, i think homeschooling is inferior. in terms of flexibility, homeschooling is superior. i guess it all depends on the person, the teacher, the schools in question. and about these “homeschooling communities”…why homeschool? couldn’t you just send your kid to a small public or private school? i personally believe i’ll send my children to a public school, i think there are things you’ll get at a public school that just can’t be achieved by being homeschooled.

    <3

  • Homeschooling can actually be an advantage if the parent or tutor is a good teacher, and if the student/parent have strong work ethics. I know a lot of people who were homeschooled. One of them is 14 year old boy, homeschooled up until this year when he entered highschool for his freshman year, who could probably succeed in all of my classes(and im an 11th grader) He and his mom worked very hard to try to beat the stereotypical homeschooling crap.

  • Homeschooling can actually be an advantage if the parent or tutor is a good teacher, and if the student/parent have strong work ethics. I know a lot of people who were homeschooled. One of them is 14 year old boy, homeschooled up until this year when he entered highschool for his freshman year, who could probably succeed in all of my classes(and im an 11th grader) He and his mom worked very hard to try to beat the stereotypical homeschooling crap.

  • I think it depends on the student. Being a homeschooler since first grade, I can honestly say that it’s the best choice my parents could ever make for me. It does take a lot of patience and determination. I would definately suggest afterschool activities, but other than that, it’s great. Growing up in a Christian home, I’ve been grounded in my faith and experienced God on so many different levels. I honestly don’t know where I’d be at spiritually if I hadn’t started homeschooling. I’m a junior in highschool, and when I became a freshman, my parents and I thought it would be a good opportunity to go to a public highschool for electives. I jumped in and immediately started excelling. The direct attention and care that I’ve gotten from my parents while homeschooling has really shown me the importance of education. It takes some work, but I do believe that homeschooling can ready you for the “Real world” if you do it right. There’s my two cents.

  • double post, sorry!

  • Superior, you get to go at your own pace, instead of waiting for stragglers, or having to waste your time just trying to catch up. Nice schedule too, more personalized lesson plans.

  • What is the purpose of education?  Is it just to store up facts in a childs mind?  Public school can do that fine.  The real purpose of education is to cultivate in a child the willingness to learn, the desire to learn and to form a character that will live to serve others.  They don’t teach that stuff in public school as well as it can be taught at home.

    Tim

  • it depends on the teacher mostly.. i was going to a school at one point with VERY poor education (average score on the ACT: 16) and there was a kid that was being homeschooled that was a GENIUS.. he could probably succeed an ANY public school.. but, he didn’t have the best social skills, as i noticed the few times i talked to him. His mom was is teacher and that family had an oddly close relationship, when i say oddly, i mean, they were never apart and always did everything, EVERYTHING, together.

  • I’m homeschooling two of my kids, and have the other two enrolled in public school. It’s impossible to generalize one type of schooling as inferior, since quality of education depends on so many factors. Well educated, dedicated homeschoolers win hands-down over an over-crowded, substandard school, but some schools offer excellent resources. I’m homeschooling for the early elementary years because our neighborhood school is substandard, but from fifth grade on, my kids can go to excellent schools, so all will end up in the public school system eventually.

  • Dan, we have a mix of public, private and home schooled kids in the youth group that I work with.  I’d say that the home schoolers are getting an inferior program, even though they do have one day a week that they get together with all the other homeschoolers in the area.  It doesn’t take away from the fact that they seem to be as a whole developmentally behind their schooled counterparts.  PA where I live also allows home schooled students to take several approaches to schooling.  I had one student who did take a more superior level of academics, but suffered socially, while I’ve had students who take really basic or less than basic academics and actually do alright socially.

    Long answer, but for me (I only attended private schools) Public school will be my choice for my children.

  • I believe that nothing may replace a public school education, however, i seems that many children get better grades when they are at home. This may be that the parents are being too lenient, or that the child is truly responding better to the parent as being the disciplinarian as well as the teacher and coach, parent, what have you. But I believe that they miss out on the social development unless they are in an area where the home-schooling families get together and have sports, trips, etc. But still, I believe, for the whole, the social element makes public schooling a better choice. Besides, my home-schooled friends were weird. Very weird. I mean they were out there, and I’m out there, but they were really far out.

  • Well, it depends on the motivation for homeschooling.  My motivation is to give my daughter a superior education based on her time frame.  She is in a funky place as far as starting school.  Age-wise, she would be in first grade, but she’s not ready for first grade.  Ready-wise, she’d be in Kindergarten, but she’s too old and advanced in many aspects.  So keeping her home helps me to tailor her education for her.  She may not know things like reading and writing right now (she’s still learning), but she spends a lot of time learning about tons of things you just can’t learn in school.  How often can you take an entire class for a picnic at the zoo, take your time walking through, answer questions individually, and go home to draw pictures and make up stories about the animals?  How many times can you play make believe in your back yard in the middle of the day…for school!?  I think that she has a unique opportunity to learn differently than just out of a book.  Right now, she is young and learning should be through playing, reading, art, and crafts. 

    I hate that people write it off immediately as inferior.  It’s not correct and it’s unfair to the mom’s and dad’s who work their butts off to provide a creative and stimulating learning environment for their children.  I don’t tell my best friend that her sons are getting an inferior education in public school…even though I think she is an excellent teacher and would give her kids a far superior education at home.  I support her and encourage her.  So, why do public schoolers/or private/ jump all over homeschooling?  It seems mighty unfair.

    And as far as social stuff…um, don’t you think we are aware of the issue and work to resolve it?  I am not in this to shelter my child from social interaction.  She plays with her sister, me, our neighbors (when they get home from school), her cousins (who live two streets away and homeschool also!), and whoever else wants to play.  She takes classes like gymnastics and 4H.  She is very social and a beautiful, beautiful child.  I’m thankful that I am homeschooling because I don’t miss out on a moment in my beautiful child’s life.  She shares her learning with me and it is exciting to be her teacher.

  • I was home schooled for two years in the middle of high school, and I found it to be significantly superior in many way, and in some ways slightly inferior. For example, less social interaction and Math is hard to self-teach, but the types of Literature I experienced were excellent, and the standard I was being held to was much higher. I also had a vast amount of time to practice music.

  • i was homeschooled until 5th grade, it gave me freedom, exercise, a foundation, the desire to learn, and the ability to be myself without being squelched into the small box of the public school system

    i would complete all my lessons by 12:00 and have plenty of time to play and learn by experiencing…

    in the public schools, students are forced to have the outlook of the system and if it differs, their grade may suffer, and their personal life, public schooling is bad…

    i go to a public school right now and am in 12th grade and the top of my class…public schools diminish a child’s love for learning at a young age by forcing them to sit in hard wooden desks and do things of no interest to them…i know, it happened to my brother…

    but he even went to a private school, and they still ruined his zeal…his once bright eyes are know overcast with shadows of things that bore him out of his mind

    let the children be free!!!!

    as i said, i go to a public school, and let me tell you, homeschooling is NOT inferior…the education i am getting at this school is HALF of what i would learn at home, and my school it rated the best possible rating (excellent) for a public high school…

    why do i go to public school?  social life, and i have a mission.

    only downside of homeschooling…but sometimes i think even that part is a good thing…

  • Superior.  We homeschooled our kids.  Our oldest graduated with the Homeschool class of 2000.  There were over 200 students.  Our youngest returned to public school his Junior year so he could play football.  Both of my sons were very bright…but I noticed a change when my youngest went back to public school… He regressed, he was about a year and a half ahead of the others in his class….he became lazy in his school work, and had a different attitude.  The oldest, finished school, received and Academic Scholarship to Oral Roberts University, and got his MIS degree in 3 years.

    There were many homecshool groups and co-op classes,  we all joined together, the kids never missed out socially.  I was the Biology Lab instructor because all the other moms could not dissect frogs.  So, they were sent to my dissection class.  When the kids got older and the courses were above me, our local university would have special classes for homeschoolers.  like phsyics, and Trig.  (waaay above me)

    We would purchase expensive science equipment and then rent it out to other homeschoolers…the equipment paid for itself within a year.

    Nobody loves your kids more than you do…and I had to begin with the end in mind…get these kids to college and grow them the way I know the Lord wanted us to.  And it was NOT following a crowd of kids, or a teacher who did not hold our beliefs.

    I can proudly say they were the better for it…but not all kids are cut out for homeschooling.  I had to realize when it was time to let my youngest go back so he could play football.  It was his dream.  So he went to school and I went to work.

  • Education, probably superior;  socialization….inferior, but if they’re lucky enough to miss the torture that is high school, then I say thumbs up for homeschooling

  • in most cases, i think homeschooling is inferior. there are many situations where it does work well, however, overall i think regular schools are better.

  • I was homeschooled from third grade through highschool. I have a genius level IQ. I’m in the Honors Program at my University. I’m involved with Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society. I live on a dorm and have, not one, but two leadership positions on it; I’m well-respected and even loved. I have many friends in many places. I’m not an unusual exception. The vast majority of homeschoolers that I know have similar stories.

    If not done properly, yes, the social skills can be hurt by homeschooling. It takes committed parents to ensure a quality education in both social and academic realms. If a parent is not committed to putting in enough effort for his or her child, another form of schooling should be considered.

    However, if the parent(s) are capable and willing, homeschooling is a most excellent choice.

  • Depends on the teacher at both the homeschool level and the public school level. There are great teachers in both as well as bad ones.

  • superior, but i still wouldnt want to raise my kids with the social disadvantages.  besides, if i had kids, i imagine i would just play with them all day and not teach them anything if i home schooled them.  =P

  • To judge truthfully one must judge subjectively.  If  social development can be brought about in different avenues than that is not an issue.  The advantage of homeschooling is self-pacing and convenience.

  • I think the education they get and the amount of time it takes is far superior compared to most public schools…but as far as developing people skills and relationships, it’s inferior

  • Let me add…  There are different types of homeschools…  Those that are traditional and go by the book (like we were).  We used the ABeka Curriculum and had them take the Iowa Test every year.  (to see what we needed improving on and compared them nationally)  The homeschoolers that just pulled their kids out of public school because they got mad at a certain teacher one year and now their kids are at home with no direction.  (those are the embarrassment to real homeschoolers).  And then you have the homeschoolers who homeschool due to a mental challenge and for them they need that one on one.  I have no problem with this.

    But I knew homeschoolers that never cracked a book, they just learned by their environment or were taught by lazy parents. 

    Homeschooling is NOT for everyone.  A real homeschool day is rigorous, demanding, the teacher has a lesson plan for the week and the child is expected to learn.  We could get our homechool day done in 4 hours, and  then when the kids turned 14 they went to work after school or played sports or played in the youth band at church.  They were always busy and on the go, there was never time for foolishness. Our kids wanted it that way and they enjoyed being on the go.  LOL  Can you tell I have a passion for homeschooling???

  • first of all… socially handicapped my butt! its just that we have to talk down with you publically educated individuals… ( would you like me to use smaller words?)he-he :)

    Homeschooling, as a general rule, IS superior to the modern public education system. If the system were not hindered so much by government resolutions, if teachers weren’t made to dumb/slow down the curriculum for students who are just not comprehending the material because teachers before them had to slow down the material for the slowest student in the class. If you were to actually TEACH, giving them things to learn, instead of force feeding the poor souls, perhaps they would, as a majority, do better than they are in levels of higher education.

    Social skills? pha! What i saw when I did go to a public school was that kids would only talk with people who were their own age/grade, that everything revolved around looks, and not learning capacity. They are incapable ( as a generality) of speaking with propriety or respect due to individuals, because they are not taught thus.

    I have observed that the average ( mind you, this is the average) home educated student can clearly and effectively state their thoughts, defend their ideals, converse with people of all ages, etc…

    Please, maybe it is the publically educated individual who needs to learn to socialize…

  • well, superior in some ways, but inferior in that it doesn’t build social skills (like with other children) that well.

  • Academically, home schooling is superior. Socially, it is inferior. My mom home schools my brother. He is 9 years old with the social / emotional maturity of a 5 year old. He does not know how to interact with other people. He wants to constantly be the center of attention at inappropriate times, resorting to tantrums / abuse to get his way. I am sure he is not the only home schooler like this. Many (not all) home schoolers, in my opinion, are way too sheltered and they don’t even know it.

  • I’ve been in public, private, and now home schooling. With my experience from all three,
    I believe homeschooling is superior out of all of those types of schooling. Not only are you learning lessons, but you have to learn them on your own, and teach yourself. So that’s sort of a challenge when you’re used to visual learning. Also, I’m in Spanish I, and I asked my friend to help me on something, and I guess my homeschooling’s Spanish II is Spanish IV, which is at a college level if I’m not mistaken. –Shrugs-. I don’t… know.

  • I’ve experienced it all.  I was in public school until 4th grade, 5 – 10th in a Christian school, and the remainder home schooled (using the same curriculum that we’d used in the Christian school).  I had good experiences in all.

    My answer?  Home schooling can be superior, or it can be inferior.  It all depends on what the kids and the parents put into it.  I’ve seen both.  As to the argument that home schoolers are socially backwards.  Look at the parents.  Usually the parents are a little quirky, have rather odd reasons for taking their children out of public school, and make no efforts to socialize their child. No one fits into one box.  I have no regrets about being home schooled for those last years.  Well, just one.  Had I been in the public school in our town, I’d have been valedictorian, and received scholarships.  The people who were ”salutatorian” and “valedictorian” weren’t even on the honor roll the last few semesters, and I was a straight A student. :Þ  

  • Yes it is.  Having worked in admissions at my university for years there is an audible groan when you transfer a homeschooled student on to the associate director.  There are times when it is best for student to be out of a hostile school environment but so many cases I have heard is the parents “protecting” them from peer pressure and such.  Just causes more problems down the line.

    I once had a student who was a part of a homeschool “circle” thing that said it was a school.  However, it wasn’t accredited so the girl had to go and get her GRE anyway.  If the parents would do a little research they could save a lot of mistakes down the road.

  • Don’t know.

  • For those that say homeschooling is inferior have they experienced BOTH sides of the coin?

    I think the education a child recieves is only as good as the one teaching the material.  There are pros and cons to homeschooling and public schooling.

    Speaking as a PUBLIC school teacher I can honestly say that I would homeschool my own children until they were out of elementary maybe even middle school and then allow them to go to public school for the remainder of their education.

  • It depends… for those children who have a specfic thing they need to focus on … (example:  olympic figure skaters)… those with homeschooling are getting somethign good out of it… those who do not have a specific goal or talent or whatever are usually inferior socially, which is a very big deal.  I find the best is to have public schooling until about highschool and then you really focus on something… my friend did that because she plays violin and she now has time to practice 5 hours a day.

  • however, if a parent isn’t up to it, then by no means should they homeschool…  They must want to school their children. If they don’t, then of course it may be possible that they child’s education may suffer, and be inferior to a public school…

    Homeschooling is more than just a sitting in your living room, in your pj’s, reading a textbook. There are many different types, as well as curriculums available.

    I, in my high school level years, took latin, studied Italian opera, took private voice, choir, worked at various volunteer agencies, took concurrent art classes with a private university, studied art abroad, and re-found the love and respect for my family that I had lost when I went to public school…

    hmm… inferior? I think not!

  • It would depend on the instruction. I am in the process of possibly taking that route in the near future.

    A member of my family home schooled their child and they are one of the most brilliant children I have ever encountered. He is a genious.

    There are groups of children who meet for extra curricular activities that are home schooled. They are able to socialize and interact with others their age which is very important. So that being a “problem” isnt valid.

    I believe that there are so many people who believe that its sitting at the dinner table having mom or dad teach. It involves far more. We need to take control and give our children the best education there is. That isn’t necessarily in a classroom of 30 that is guided by a person who may not be able to handle that load.

    In homeschooling they would have a greater opportunity to thrive without all the chaos and distraction of that of a public school. The focus would be on her or a few, and molding their talents properly. The fight over who is cooler..better..stronger..prettier will be a lot less…and focus can be put on actual learning.

  • Superior in some cases, if the parents are constant in teaching and involve their kids in other activities as well. It worked for my brothers and me.

  • homeschooling i’d say is mostly inferior

  • homeschooling i’d say is mostly inferior

  • home schooled kids always turn out crazy. especially the crazy white sumpremacist mothers and/or father.

  • i go to a class b school in rural north dakota and my experience in the small public school that i go to greatly exceeds that of my cousin whom is home schooled

  • Mistake on my last post … the girl from the homeschool group had to get her GED.  Not take the GRE.   Too many letters!

  • I do have one question I would like to find out…..In the past couple of posts many of the comments were from readers who were not in tune with current events, didn’t know who MLK was, nor the content of his speech.  I wish I knew out of all those that answered…how many were homeschoolers?  It would just be interesting.  I say that because as I’m reading through some of this comments tonight….The grammatical errors are killing me.  I’m not referring to run on sentences, or ending sentences with prepositions.    I’m not talking about typos…as Im the typo and punctuation lazy queen.  But outright basic knowledge of sentence structure  :::grin:::  Homeschoolers…don’t let me down.  Go back and reread for yourself.

  • Very inferior. Though in rare cases it has it’s advantages, it lacks more than it can make up for. How can a child be expected to function in a social situation when their parents have been teaching them with a computer screen all their life?

  • I think homeschooling has its advantages, especially through the middle school ages buts its important to be around kids your age through the highschool time to prepare yourself for college or just the real world. I’ve found private schools to be the best option though.

  • I think I turned out alright… :)

     It’s not for everyone, it turns out it’s share of socially inept kids, but so does public school. I’ve never felt like it interrupted my social life too bad, I make friends easily and maintain friendships. Mom also credits homeschooling with my brothers and my ability to interact well with adults, but that could just be our personalities.

  • Inferior-my best friend was homeschooled. She is also socially retarded now because of the lack or human encounters, which i think is far worse.

  • As a successful homeschool graduate I wouldn’t say that
    it is either better OR worse, I wouldn’t have had it any other
    way though, because of homeschooling, I’ve been given MANY
    opportunitys that could not have happened otherwise.

    So, a big thumbs up to homeschooling imho

  • i think you miss out on the social experience if you are home schooled, but the quality of education may or may not be better depending on where you live. I, for one, can never learn from my parents, we will argue within a 10 second period. :P

  • I am a public school teacher and my children went to a public school.  But nowadays, many children are so ill-prepared for public school that they are distracting, disruptive and abusive to fellow students and staff.  The entire class suffers because one or two kids take up all of the teacher and staff’s time and energy.  My dad sub teaches and says every class he is in has at least two students who take so much time away from instructional time that he feels he spends more time babysitting than teaching.  Then you have the government interferring with classroom instruction by insisting higher standards when children are coming in with fewer skills.  It is a mess!  Believe me most of the time it is NOT the teachers that are the reason for the dismal class performance, it is the students and their families who don’t care about their child’s education or respect for authority.

  • i’m not against it but i wouldn’t want my child home-schooled. they just wouldn’t experience the fun and social things that other kids get to do.

  • Well, socialization is a big part of education, both for learning to deal with people and for learning from other people.  When you’re home-schooled, you may be learning what you need to learn, but you won’t be getting the fullest educational experience you can get.

  • I really don’t know, but my concerns would be how the student misses out on the social aspect of life as they grow and learn, which is a very important thing. They may not develop very good people skills and may not know how to act around people. And they can only learn as much as the parent can teach, so the parent has to stay up on their stuff too.

  • superior. definitely.

    H

  • A bit of both.

  • Superior.

  • wow, this is a tough subject. Well I am homeshcolled and I would like to think of myself as an intelligent induvidual (minus spelling) primarrily having one teacher does not really limit your learning, at least it is probaly better than not having any personal attention at all.

    All in all I think it has to be supeirior, being colleges all over resereve spaces for homeschoolers and the average SAT score for homeschoolers is generally higher and that studies coming out seem to prove that kids grow at different rates and in different ways. as for social development, just because you don’t go to school every day dosen’t mean that you have no social contact at all

  • It is a very common misconception that homeschoolers are “socially deprived.” I was homeschooled K-12 and that is definitely not a problem that myself, my siblings, or any of my other homeschool friends have.  :)   I’d have to say that homeschooling is far superior in the vast majority of cases (although there are exceptions to every rule). I’m homeschooling my future kids.  :)

  • I think homeschooling does have its advantages, especially for the kids–getting out early, staying in at home, sleeping in…
    But many parents aren’t qualified enough to teach their children what their kids oculd learn 10 times better at school.

    It also reduces social contact and makes the kid a bit of a loser when he/she actually gets to school…especially college, because the kid hasn’t ahd much social exposure and ould essentially ahve a hard time adapting to the diffreences.

  • Public school does not mimic life.  And quite frankly, I want my children to be better than that.  My dh went to public school and suffers socially.  Why?  Because his freaking parents held him back socially.  I went to a mix of private and public, but seriously would’ve thrived homeschooled…and I am socially ok (shy, but ok).  It wasn’t school that made me that way!  It was my parents gently encouraging me to talk to people, take care of my own problems, and get out there with church groups.  My dh’s parents did everything for him.  He is just now learning social skills at age 33!  So, public school-homeschool-social skills is a completely ridiculous argument.  It’s the parents who encourage their children in this way and no matter where you get your education from, it’s your parents who supply the social education.

    And, for the person who said something about the computer screen…my daughter spends maybe a couple hours per week on the computer…most weeks none at all.  It is a supplemental tool, not THE tool.  After learning her “AT” words, she went to Starfall.com and practiced them online with a game.  And when she doesn’t have someone to play with and I decide it’s a good time, she will play computer games on Disney or Noggin.  But, mostly she plays and does art…’cause she’s just in first grade and that’s her job.

  • well, i know a few kids who are homeschooled and still being in high school, i can give a fair estimate as to whether their education was better. sadly, i find that it isn’t the same, in fact it’s far below my education level. the biggest (well, most apparent) lack of learning is in grammar and spelling. i think most parents just don’t have all of the resources that public or private schools have, nor does the student have the full day set aside for learning. also, when you have classmates, you can help eachother out with problems or ask your teacher who has most likely been learning and teaching the subject for 10 years. i’m not saying all homeschooled children aren’t up to speed with the rest of us, because i’m sure there are parents out there who take homeschooling seriously and dedicate the entire day to educating their child. it’s just an overall observation of things.

  • my friend max, who has had both, says inferior. judging from his reasons i would agree.

  • I know 3 people who were homeschooled and all of them are very bad in social situatuations. One doesn’t like to be around people, one can’t function around strangers and one is the rudest person in the world and lacks all sorts of social skills. Plus they have all have had an incredibly hard time adjusting to college, and I think that’s because they didn’t have the strictness of a public school. They were able to work at their own pace and that does not transfer well to a college enviornment. Public school may not be perfect, but at least you learn how to be around others. So I say inferior.

  • I don’t think you can say it’s inferior or superior because it depends on the situation.  I think there are terrible public schools just like there are terrible homeschools.  I have seen an instance where a child was way behind and had emotional issues in public school, and instead of dealing with them the family pulled just that one child out to homeschool.  (I have my doubts about the amount of actual schooling going on in that house.)  In that case it’s a terrible idea.   However I’ve also seen some truly great, intelligent kids struggle with all kinds of things in public schools and then they didn’t reach their potential.  Having met many homeschooled teenagers I tend to think the lack of social skills some mention could be maturity.  Most I’ve met can hold an intelligent conversation with me without any discomfort, whereas many public school children I’ve met only want to be with other children the same age and can sometimes barely look an adult in the eye they’re so unused to speaking with anyone not in their class.  To me that’s not the greatest socialization either.  I will concede that I do know a couple of truly bizarre children who are being homeschooled, but I honestly think they’d be bizarre even in public school.  Only in public school they could be bullied or left out because of it.   Yes, I homeschool my children.  We are active in many different activities, and I won’t hesitate to utilize every resource available to me.  I wish people wouldn’t use the one ”odd homeschooler” they’ve met to decide it’s inferior.  (Although some who said homeschooling was inferior possibly didn’t know anyone at all personally who’d homeschooled.)  Just like not all public school kids are evil, not all homeschool kids are weird.  

  • The greatest education a person receives is in being consistently exposed to/surrounded by intelligent, Godly people who speak more than one language and love them  – this circumstance can be found in homes, schools, both or neither.imho

  • I speak many languages.  Most importantly I speak my daughter’s language.

  • I believe that homeschooling is much better than public schooling. One because you can move at your own pace (which is alot better for some people) because some move ALOT faster than other’s. Also the individual gets the full attention and if they do not understand something they can receive help instantly. But also being homeschooled will mostlikely cause you to lack in the social part of things.

  • Homeschooling is absolutely better than any other form of teaching. Children learn quite alot more. I know someone who homeschooled their daughter and I believe she graduated college at age 16. It’s fantastic, but the kids turn out a little creepy because they can’t interacte with other children due to their “separation”, if you will.  

  • education is as strong as the teacher who’s teaching the student(s)….

  • I think home schooling by an educated and dedicated parent would be superior to public education because there is a one on one environment, and it’s in the parents best interest to teach the child as much and as best as they possibly can. It also helps alot that the parent actually loves the child and the child’s best interests are kept in mind. Public school is very impersonal. I’m not saying the teachers don’t care about the kids, but they will never care as much as a parent would.

  • Hi Dan!  Yep I’m finally here.  Only a few days gone and it seems like so long…… anyway I think children need social skills and so I am for public school.

  • I would say it depends on the school system.  Because I live in Little Rock, AR, homeschooling seems a very reasonable alternative to public schools in the area due to the fact that the schools are not up to par.  However, I feel that if the system has a good reputation then it would be the better course of action.

  • i was homeschooled while the state required book requirements arent as met theres alot more interesting stuff i read that normally would be college level its less trivial and deals with the real world more

  • homeschooling is just that
    the parents dont want to learn about sex ed.
    or family life. I think that home-schooling is good, yetr awful.
    Good because Parents don’t have to slow down for anything.
    They know what their child knows and can speed up their
    education. Bad cuz there are no friends!!! That would make me sad
    How can you survive school, with no friends?!??!?!
    That needs skillz dat KILLZ

  • O.K. I’ve read all 120 comments, and one thing I noticed is that most of the people against home-schooling were kids who were in or went to public school. These tend to stick to the “socialization” issue. The other comments, for homeschooling, were made by people who were home-schooled themselves, or who were homeschooling their kids. Most of the people who seemed worried that homeschoolers were daft at life socially, weren’t old enough to know what a well-rounded life would be like. And the socially-inept issue is handy.

    As for me, I am all for homeschooling. The kids I’ve met who were homeschooled for their entire school career are very mature, and they also make their choices carefully. Public schools just don’t turn out kids like this. I know. I went to public school for 12 years. I graduated as one of the most socially enept persons you’d ever hope to meet. I didn’t learn that much either.

    I am 56 years old, a little older than most of the persons responding to this very vital question. When I was in school, drugs weren’t a problem. Chewing gum was. Students were without the social problems that are presented in public schools today, like:  sex before marraige, using profanity, which group to join in with, being bullied, sometimes to death…

    I would not have submitted my own kids to public school if I had had the money to teach them at home and give them a really usuable education. Unfortunately, my husband and I lacked the finances to home-school our kids. I have always regretted it. I did make myself readily available to them after school hours to discuss anything they wished. I was always there for them, and I felt that this was something if it wasn’t homeschooling.

    So I guess you could say that I firmly believe in home-schooling. If the only objection is the social one, then I think that it’s pitiful that these objectors believe that the only way to “socialize” kids is through a public school. What they are really saying is that homeschoolers don’t act as goofy as they do, so they are  not very social persons. Humbug. Show me one person who has received maturity and strength of character from a public school, and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t really exist!

  • O.K. I’ve read all 120 comments, and one thing I noticed is that most of the people against home-schooling were kids who were in or went to public school. These tend to stick to the “socialization” issue. The other comments, for homeschooling, were made by people who were home-schooled themselves, or who were homeschooling their kids. Most of the people who seemed worried that homeschoolers were daft at life socially, weren’t old enough to know what a well-rounded life would be like. And the socially-inept issue is handy.

    As for me, I am all for homeschooling. The kids I’ve met who were homeschooled for their entire school career are very mature, and they also make their choices carefully. Public schools just don’t turn out kids like this. I know. I went to public school for 12 years. I graduated as one of the most socially enept persons you’d ever hope to meet. I didn’t learn that much either.

    I am 56 years old, a little older than most of the persons responding to this very vital question. When I was in school, drugs weren’t a problem. Chewing gum was. Students were without the social problems that are presented in public schools today, like:  sex before marraige, using profanity, which group to join in with, being bullied, sometimes to death…

    I would not have submitted my own kids to public school if I had had the money to teach them at home and give them a really usuable education. Unfortunately, my husband and I lacked the finances to home-school our kids. I have always regretted it. I did make myself readily available to them after school hours to discuss anything they wished. I was always there for them, and I felt that this was something if it wasn’t homeschooling.

    So I guess you could say that I firmly believe in home-schooling. If the only objection is the social one, then I think that it’s pitiful that these objectors believe that the only way to “socialize” kids is through a public school. What they are really saying is that homeschoolers don’t act as goofy as they do, so they are  not very social persons. Humbug. Show me one person who has received maturity and strength of character from a public school, and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t really exist!

  • Homeschooling works very well for some people…great education, great social experiences. Sometimes both of these things are superior to public school…sometimes not. It depends on the person, on the parents, and if they live in a community where their social life can be well rounded. I think homeschoolers, if they can, should take some of their classes other places so they can have the benefit of multiple teachers and different styles of learning. The reason homeschoolers are viewed as unsocialized dummies is because of the many people that use homeschooling as a means of sheltering their children and therefore aren’t interested in the benefits.

  • Definitly superior.

  • Depends on the parent teaching.
    My second cousin was homeschooled and she had no idea of how to play with other children, at the age of 7 she could talk nicely with the grown ups, but just didn’t know how to play. I think it was a shame that she missed out.
    Of course, that was just her and the way she was brought up. I think that as long as the child gets social interaction as well as schooling at home then i think its fine.

    I dodn’t think you can judge inferior or superior when the teachers differ so much.

  • Depends on the parent teaching.
    My second cousin was homeschooled and she had no idea of how to play with other children, at the age of 7 she could talk nicely with the grown ups, but just didn’t know how to play. I think it was a shame that she missed out.
    Of course, that was just her and the way she was brought up. I think that as long as the child gets social interaction as well as schooling at home then i think its fine.

    I dodn’t think you can judge inferior or superior when the teachers differ so much.

  • I’m sort of home schooled. I do my schooling online. For most kids it’s inferior but for some of us it’s better, because we’re more likely to study things outside of school as well, while kids who are in public school are sleeping in class..

  • I recently made an entry on this.

    The URL is http://www.xanga.com/Nstacks/425398929/item.html
    The comments that I made to the people that commented about it will tell you my thoughts on it.

    I also made a few comments on others sites and didn’t put them on mine, so I’ll go retrieve them and stick them in.

    Nicholas

  • Homeschooling is by and large superior to the government schools. The whys are fairly simple — need-based curricula, one-on-one attention, flexibility of schedule, &c.

    Public Schools, as a matter of fact, were not intended to produce high quality students. The quality public school students are what they are despite the public schools, not because of them. The first government schools in the era of thenation-state were set up in Prussia, to train out cookie-cutter soldiers. They worked brilliantly, as the prowess of the Prussian military attests to. Around the turn of the century (1900)m top economists and factory owners in America — having seen the cookie-cutter success of the Prussian model — adapted it to produce instead of soldiers factory workers. This system is basically the same one we have today. The US government schools have been custom-tailored to produce grade-A factory workers.

    Now, the most common objections to homeschooling are easily fixed. Properly done, homeschooling is the best syste of education.

    1) Homeschoolers are socially inept.

    This is not true. While there are socially inept homeschoolers, there are also socially inept public schoolers. The causation is not there. School is not the only place where friends are to be found. Church, community events, extracurricular programs, and co-ops are among the many places homeschoolers interact with others.

    Homeschoolers do, however, have a less colorful vocabulary, virtually no problem with bullies, low chances of being pressured into illegal drugs or drinkiing, low chances of smoking, and a lower teen pregnancy rate. These are the “advantags” of public-school socialization.

    2) Homeschoolers are sheltered

    Again, untrue if the parents take time to teach their children. In fact, homeschoolers again have the advantage here because they learn about the worse things in life when the people who know them best — parents — deem it appropriate.

    3) Homeschoolers don’t learn

    This one is usually made up out of whole-cloth. Below are studies confirming the academic superiority of homeschoolers.

    http://www.hslda.org/docs/study/rudner1999/Rudner0.asp
    http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp

    An excerpt:

    In 1997, a study of 5,402 homeschool students from 1,657 families was released. It was entitled, “Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America.” The study demonstrated that homeschoolers, on the average, out-performed their counterparts in the public schools by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects. A significant finding when analyzing the data for 8th graders was the evidence that homeschoolers who are homeschooled two or more years score substantially higher than students who have been homeschooled one year or less. The new homeschoolers were scoring on the average in the 59th percentile compared to students homeschooled the last two or more years who scored between 86th and 92nd percentile.

    Testifies to the effectiveness of a homeschooled education.

    Lastly, an example of the best homeschoolers: Patrick Henry College, whose students body is primarily homeschooled, has in the years since its founding (in 2000), become a national debate and moot-court pwoer, including a moot-court victory over Oxford using English Common Law.

  • I asked my mom if she would home law school me.  She laughed and said no.

  • As to the public schools. We spend more money on education than any other nation and are not even in the top 10 in science and math in the world.

  • i have yet to meet a homeschool student who is not extremely intelligent. they have been given more responsibilities and move at a faster pace because they are not being held up by others. on the down side…socially deprived.

  • Depending on the parents commitment home schooling can be far superior because the child is getting one to one attention. I feel though my daughters went to public school I supplemented thier education by taking them and teaching them on trips and places around our community. Social contact can always be supplemented other than at school. Judi

  • I was homeschooled K-12. I had no problems with socialization, or any thing else that people claim are “problems” with homeschooling. However, just because homeschooling worked wonderfully for me and my siblings, I most definately do not recommend it for everybody. Not all parents are have what it takes to teach, and not all children can benefit from homeschooling. Some of the distinct advantages I recieved from homeschooling is that I never felt the pressure to engage in many of the harmful behaviors that many children are pressured with. (i.e. smoking, underage drinking, sex, drugs, etc.) I was able to study at my own pace, and the flexible schedule enabled me have a job and be able to pay for both of the cars I’ve owned. My education was in no way inferior, as I was able to recieve 3 very good scholarships that all but paid in full my first 2 years of college. I think homeschooling has enabled me to be a more driven, motivated person than most of my peers.

  • It all depends on the educator. Home schooling lacks the social aspects unless the parent works hard to make it happen. Most former home schoolers that I see return to public school have limited social skills, very little understanding of the outside world, and no concept of deadlines, structure, or responsibility.

    However, regular schooling takes the dedication of a team of professional educators, consellors, AND the parents.

    Like I said, it depends on the people involed, learner and teacher, but I think the odds of success are better in school. That doesn’t mean there aren’t successful home schoolers, but I just think the odds are better with the pros. There are things you can not get at the kitchen table, without peers, without pressure, without social interaction, without structure, and without learning the way our society (good or bad/fair or unfair) is structured.

  • It all depends on the educator. Home schooling lacks the social aspects unless the parent works hard to make it happen. Most former home schoolers that I see return to public school have limited social skills, very little understanding of the outside world, and no concept of deadlines, structure, or responsibility.

    However, regular schooling takes the dedication of a team of professional educators, consellors, AND the parents.

    Like I said, it depends on the people involed, learner and teacher, but I think the odds of success are better in school. That doesn’t mean there aren’t successful home schoolers, but I just think the odds are better with the pros. There are things you can not get at the kitchen table, without peers, without pressure, without social interaction, without structure, and without learning the way our society (good or bad/fair or unfair) is structured.

  • Homeschooling is what you make it.

    It’s also incredibly misunderstood, and people have a lot of preconcieved notions about it.

  • this is what my homeschooled friend gabrielle has to say on the subject
     
    Superior.  Children can work at their own pace, get one-on-one attention in the areas that they need.  Strong points can be developed, and weak points can be corrected.  A social life can be achieved through various co-op and other extra-cirricular activities.  In highschool, more time can be spent in the area that the child wants to continue (i.e. music, more time to practice, etc.)  There are fewer distractions, and no peer pressure.  It teaches responsibility, because children are prompted (after a certain point) to become more independent with their studies, creating their own schedules that need to be followed. Other positive character qualities can be encouraged, without competition coming from the child’s environment.  Parents can play a more active role in their childrens’ education.   I, for one, think homeschooling is the best thing that ever happened to me.

  • Superior. John Stossel just did a report on public schools in America…our kids scored the lowest around the globe…public schools are more concerned w/ teaching about 2 Moms and how to be tolerant of one another rather then actually teaching our children about economics, math, science, biology etc. …

  • I think it depends on the kid. I didn’t work well with tons of people and I was a completely different level then the other kids, my mom homeschooled me for a few years, I skipped a grade, and went into 5th grade knowing more then some 7th graders did. I think it would be tough to be homeschooled in high school though just because it is a major time to learn about yourself. I’m glad I was homeschooled. A lot of people join homeschooling groups where the will take P.E. classes and learn different social studies chapters with a group and different parents are there to help kids who learn differently.

    -Hil

  • And I remember for the older kids there were even dances and mixers and little parties, the younger ones like me had study groups, tutoring, girl scouts, get-togethers, sleepovers, shopping and iceskating…so it’s not like the kids don’t have friends.

    -Hil

  • too many variable to say overall.

  • I am a public school teacher and I’d rather have my kid homeschooled.

  • You are just ASKING for me to blog in your blog, aren’t you? ;)

    Statistically, homeschooled kids test in the 75 to 80th percentile.  So as a whole, they’re testing far above public school children. 

    But more importantly (for me and why I homeschool), you can help to preserve their natural sense of curiousity.  My kids are so much more interested in nature and science and the world around them in general, than I ever was as an elementary schooler.  Very young children really don’t NEED a lot of structure (don’t misunderstand, I don’t think this is the only way to do it) to learn, they need to have their questions answered and have a diversity of books read to them. 

    Now there’s also the issue of perspective.  I want for my kids to be taught from a Christian perspective (at least during these younger years).  I don’t believe that there is “objective” education, that is neutral.  Everyone is coming from A perspective.  And private school tuition for 5 isn’t going to happen for us. . .not any time soon anyway. :)

    Now socialization.  You’ve obviously never talked to a homeschooler on her soapbox before, have you?  When I’m bogged down, this is actually what keeps me going.  The way that my kids are being socialized is IDEAL to me.  First of all, I’m not their only teacher, they have 4 tutors, in their homeschool group one day a week.  [The Spanish tutor tells us that she moves approximately twice as fast with our group, as she does at a private school that she teaches at, by the way -- just because our kids are so enthusiastic and excited to learn.]  This is at 1st and 3rd grade, when most kids would be in a contained classroom at a regular school (with one teacher).

    But on to peer socialization.  First of all, with 5 kids I could never go anywhere, and my kids have a built in play group.  Not age-segregated, but you’d be amazed at how well they get along with kids of ALL ages, because they spend some intensive time with their siblings, and HAVE to learn to work things out.  I feel like they’ll be ions ahead of where I was relationally (compromise and all the other hard stuff of intimate relationships).

    But they don’t only see their siblings.  They go to Learning Grove one day a week, with 50 other kids, a rec.center P.E. class, T-ball in the spring, Sunday school on Sundays, and there are 5 families in our neighborhood that go to our church and have kids.  So we have a great community.  Best of all, the kids in all of these places (neighborhood, homeschool group, and Sunday school) are the kids any parent would hand pick for their kids to spend time with.  I’m not a control freak; I know that in a very little while, they’ll be picking the people that they want to hang out with themselves, but for now, I’m loving the environments that they’re in.

  • Superior.  You are under the misconception that the child is only in the home and never has any social contact.  I know a family who home schools their children and the mother takes them on field trips to different places around the state for educational purposes, they go to museums, furniture factories, bakeries, etc.  They also are members of a network of other home schooling families and they regularly meet and the children interact with each other and participate and attend events together.  Home schooled children on the average score much higher on tests and achievements then public school students also.     

    Just about any kind of alternate education is superior to public schools.   

  • Homeschooled kids are geniuses, but they lack any sort of social skill.
    In my humble opinion, the only thing I get from my schooling is the social interaction…

  • wow, some pretty strong opinions on this one. I went to Christian school, homeschool, and public school between all my 16 years of education. I don’t think it has much to do with the school. If parents are activelly participating in both their child’s education and social development, they will turn out to be stable individuals. I have met some WACKO homeschooled kids though, so I understand why many think it is inferior.

  • My wife and I homeschool. Our nine-year-old son has Asperger’s Syndrome, so he has special challenges when it comes to learning as well as socialization. His neurologist has told us that one-on-one instruction from his parents is the optimal experience for him. But he has several settings in which he interacts with his peers in group settings. He attends a homeschool co-op once a week. He has “gym-and-swim” at the local YMCA with other homeschoolers. He has a Sunday School class, and a mid-week bible club that he attends once a week. And, of course, there are the usual social events that fill up a young boy’s schedule.

    We also have a 20-year-old daughter whom we homeschooled for one year when she was in elementary school, and then again for her last three years of high school. SHe thinks those were some of her best years.

    Your concern about social development is tiresomely unfounded. One might as well ask why parents would risk allowing the children in a public school to be the ones who socialize their children?

    The label “homeschool” doesn’t mean a monastic seclusion from the world. It simply means that the child’s education is home-based and guided primarily by his or her parents instead of by the government. Whom do you think is better-qualified?

    Of course, as in any human endeavor there are variations in the quality of the education that children receive when they are homeschooled. But that is certainly also true in public schools (and, I would argue, the instances of scandalous neglect are more frequent and more widespread in public schools).

  • Inferior… There is no social interaction. I don’t care how good the “work” and “education” are. The lack of socialization makes it worse…

  • Strictly speaking quality…I’d say superior.  Face it, the ‘teacher’ truely does have your best interest at heart in that environment.

  • Alot of the comments this time are from people who favor as well as has had experience with homeschooling.  You should one day do a study on the answers you have gotten to your posts and from what type of people they came from.  I bet it would turn out very interesting. 

    I wonder if alot of people that  do homeschool also are the people who spend more time on the internet making friends.    I don’t have an opinion because I don’t have all the facts.  I  do wonder, however if for some it does affect them socially. 

    I know of parents that are social butterflies and I know of parents that are the complete opposite.  Children from them would get encouragement to socialize from where?  At least in school its something that takes care of itself.    If a school system in someone’s neighborhood is dreadful, then I would say homeschooling over everything esle provided that the family is familiar with the idea. 

  • all is good for me. I’m homeschooled. (almost done too)

    I see many friends, I debate. (with a homeschool group of over 200)

    have wonderful teachers (my mother, dad, and a  someone who helps me w/ math.

    I love it and would not change a thing.

  • Definitely superior! You forget that the father often teaches, as well, so there are TWO primary teachers, with lots of homeschoolers joining co-ops and the like to get diverse teaching. Homeschoolers are allowed to go at their own pace – they don’t have to wait for the rest of the class to catch up AND they don’t have to feel overwhelmed if they don’t fully understand a subject, they can just spend some quality time on it. As for the social “problem,” MOST homeschoolers I have met are more articulate and socially mature when talking to all ages than the typical public schooled child who has been around peers for most of their life. Homeschooling also gives the flexibility for a family to serve together during the day and not just all try to grap a meal together once in a while. If I have children, I will surely homeschool them. Cara :)

  • Well, I’ve been homeschooled my whole life. All my sibs are at least 7 years older, and I live in a fairly remote place. My social skills are equal to those of a public schooler, thankyou.

    It all depends on the person teaching. I’ve been reading the comments above mine, and I couldn’t help but notice they just throw every homeschooler into one big pot. All homeschoolers are not the same. My mother is a certified teacher, and has taught in public school. So, how is my education inferior anyways? I just do my schooling at home.
    I am a normal girl, who just happens to be schooled at home. I have friends like everyone else out there.

    I also noticed within public schools there are levels of popularity. Some get accepted, and most do not. If I want to be friends with what those of “elite” status consider a nerd, or a popular guy/girl I damn well should be able to.

    I apologize for the rant, but I’ve been dealing with this stuff all my life, and it gets really old. Just give us a chance.

  • Props to the girl above me

    Did I mention my dad has a PHD, and my mom was a scientest?

  • I just have to say one more thing…. Peer pressure is everywhere. Homeschool isn’t a immunity to it. I’ve dealt with peer pressure as have most, if not all homeschoolers.

    Homeschoolers don’t have this amazingly easy life, as opposed to public schoolers. We ( Homeschoolers) deal with the same issues too. I just ask for people to stop writing us off, and broaden their horizons.

    -Pauline

  • I was homeschooled from 2nd-5th grade.  In that time, I was able to go at my own pace and, in the end, skip an entire grade.  I enrolled in a private school in 6th grade–a grade higher than I should be for my age.  The homeschooling was the benefactor in my success in private school.  But yes, I agree that homeschool almost ruins your social life.  6th grade was the hardest year of my life so far, socially.  I wasn’t really able to fully recover from it until my 8th grade year. 

  • that’s difficult. i’ve never been home schooled so i can’t compare. i would imagine there are benefits to both. with home schooling, you’d get so much more attention and help with your schoolwork. but with public schooling, you get to learn how to interact with others and learn how to deal with difficult ppl or relationships later in life. i don’t know. i don’t wanna knock on how others were schooled, but i find home schooling kind of….isolating.

  • ok, Anothermadhousewife gave me a different perspective. sounds good.

  • Completely superior. I know this because of public schooling my entire life up until this year. I am currently being homeschooled. I have absolutely no issues with social developemt, and I learn more things at a much faster rate. I hate public school, to be frank.
    God bless,
    Shohna

  • hmmmm, this is cool…i never really knew what went on in homeschooling…

  • Homeschooled kids do miss out on the social interactions that you get in public or private schools.  However, they probably have a more attentive teacher, who is dedicated to them as a single student– whether they are exceptrionally bright and can go at a faster pace, or need more time.  Regular schooling too often doesn’t allow for the extra challenge or extra time needed by so many kids.

    The social iteractions part can be made up for if the parents are diligent about helping their child get into social activities and clubs so they can make friends and interact with other people their age very often. 

    Without knowing much about it, I’d guess that on average homeschooling is probably about average if noth slightly better than public schooling.  I say that b/c kids that are homeschooled already have the adavtage of a parent that obviously cares about their education enough to take it on themselves.  Too many public school kids don’t have that priviledge. 

  • I lean towards superior but it really does depend on the parents dedication.

    Not all kids get well socialized in public school.

  • I would say that homeschooling is, in and of itself, neither inferior nor superior to public schooling. It has the potential to be an excellent education, if the parents are committed, intelligent, and ready to make connections with other people to maximize the learning experience. I think that, fully maximized, it can be greater than public education ever can. On the other hand, if the parents neglect or abuse their child, it can be a horrible experience.

    For myself (a junior in high school who has been homeschooled all the way through), it has been an exceedingly positive experience. I think that’s the general trend. People who care enough to homeschool care enough to do a good job, and seek help in areas in which they do not excel.

  • I see both sides of the coin with homeschooling. I see a some student who are socially inept and unable to deal with peers or other people and I also see homeschoolers who have no problems with social interaction. The social interaction argument is just a smoke screen for people who have no other objection to a home education. I am in college and I know kids who have come out of public school  who still don’t have the social skills of most of my homeschooling peers. I didn’t have many friends until my 8th grade year. Much of this had to do with the fact that I am very independent.  Homeschooling is not for everybody. The parents must be dedicated to the education of the child and the child must be reasonably self motivated. Just like with public schools one will get both good and bad results with homeschooling. My opinion: when applied properly homeschooling is superior to public or private.

  • I have people in my life that are homeschooled, and they fit both ends of the spectrum. One set was so well homeschooled, they begin college at an earlier age, are well rounded, into the arts, and super intelligent and lovely to get along with. Their parents make sure they are well balanced and socialized, as well as actually educated.

    the others… bad deal. Recently, the 10 year old realized he was behind other kids and threw a fit for school…they started them both (10 and 9 years old) in the age appropriate grades…. they slowly bumped them down and now the 10 yr. old is in KINDERGARTEN and the 9 year old is in 2nd grade…. homeschooling gone bad, man.

    I think it takes a special person to do it right.

  • I teach at a Christian school that has been called a “glorified home school”. It’s got the best of both! Parents need to be involved whether a child is homeschooled or sent to a school. I have known of homeschooled kids that did not get an education at all, and kids who went to public school who graduated practically illiterate. I’ve also seen people excel in both situations. I couldn’t honestly say either was superior to the other.

  • I home school one daughter, the other choose to return to school in 8th grade. My husband and I wanted both girls to at least try high school — there are some things that are hard to offer in a home school situation, band, dances, football games etc. Oldest dd decided that she did not want to make the transition from home school to public school and home school to high school at the same time. I am a certified teacher. I have also worked with a charter school that had a home school program. My girls were actually too socially involved – they had co op classes, enrichment classes, art classes, gymnastics, PE, etc. etc. etc. We also followed a very rigid academic program that focused on language, logic, and literature. We were often busy right into the weekend. My oldest is doing excellent in school — is very popular, good social skills and advanced academically. Youngest is doing excellent at home, has neighborhood friends and participates actively at the local stable. She has time to work there 1 day a week to earn an extra lesson and spend extra time with the horses.  So I have to say that although I think home schooling provides an excellent education for some, so does public school. It depends on the who, what, when, where, how and why of each of situation.

  • inferior. All the home schooled kids I’ve met have been a bit odd in some sense or another, and never had all the skills the other kids had, even if they excelled in one area more. They were always socially retarded too, and most of the time didn’t notice.

  • I get so tired of ignorant assumptions that are not backed with research.

    Why do you suppose that national spelling bees and geography bees are almost always won by homeschoolers?

    Why do you suppose they typically outscore public schooled and even private schooled kids?

    Why do you suppose homeschooled children are better able to visit with people of all different age ranges, not just age mates?

    What social enrichment does the schoolyard bully provide?

    Who is better able to teach social skills, children who haven’t been around that long, or adults who have had a lifetime of social experiences, both good and bad?

    What happens to the child who just isn’t getting the material that the teacher has taught and reviewed with the rest of the class repeatedly in the classroom?

    What happens to the exceptionally intelligent child who is bored with so much extra review in the classroom?

    Do you really think it is healthy to force 5 year olds to sit still and be little men and women for seven hours a day? Or might it be healthier to get the basic education, without the distraction of all the other classmates more quickly so that he can continue being a child?

    I’ve taught in the classroom and watched students struggle because what worked for the rest of the class wasn’t working for them academically. It was also in the classroom that I saw the great deal of damage the negative social interaction can have on those children. It was my experience in the classroom as a teacher that convinced me I wanted to do this at home.

    I’ve taught my son for two and a half years and wouldn’t have it any other way. His education is far superior than what he’d be getting in the classroom. It is much better suited to the individual receiving the education. I look forward to the opportunity to teach my daughters as well. Homeschooling works!

  • judging by tests given to both home schooled and public schooled kids, it is far superior. but it must be done in the right way. kids still need lots of social interaction…. i did very well during the time i home schooled, i was able to learn much more than in public school.

  • I think http://www.xanga.com/homeschoolingthem has said it the best in her site.

  • My first wife was/is of very modest intelligence, with only a high school degree and no teaching credentials to speak of.  I was astounded when I learned that she was home-schooling the two daughters produced by her second marriage.  Yet the daughters have turned out fine – bright and personable.  Apparently there are no simple formulaic answers about home schooling vs. corporate education.  Go figure.

  • That would all depend on the ability of the parent who has decided to home school. As for social development, they can take their kid to the playground where he/she would be able to interact with other children and develop social skills.

    It’s a known fact that the curricullum in US schools is far inferior to the rest of the world.

  • I think it depends, but most often it is inferior.

  • My sister homeschools her kids and I often wonder about the quality of education they will receive when they get to advanced math & physics. My sister is smart, but with almost 6 kids, does she really have the time to give each child the individual attention they need?  As for social activities, they get plenty of that; they play sports, they have homeschool groups that they do things with, and they go to church 3 times a week. There are many ways around the social issue if parents utilize them.

    My sisters’ kids are sheltered from reality, but I think that is more because of their church and religious beliefs than simply from the fact that they are homeschooled.  

    mrs. s_l

  • I think it’s inferior, but sometimes superior. Public schools teach and show you how to interact with others and work within a society. So, if a child is home schooled they don’t learn that. When it comes to the teaching, homeschoolers may learn more because the “class” is made around their abilities and disabilities. Then again there are times when a home schooled child is below the level they are supposed to be at, but have nothing to compare themselves to. It all depends…

  • For the reasons you’ve stated I concur that home schooling is inferior. Those that homeschool will insist that their children are getting plenty of socialization; that they go on regular field trips and outings with others in their home schooling communities, but I tend to feel that they are still doing a disservice to their children by sheltering them from the “real” world.  Maybe I feel the way that I do because I am much to selfish to home school my children, though.  It’s be waaaaay to time consuming, and I’d have much less time on xanga!  *smiles*  I feel better prepared to deal with them, much happier to see them, and much more relaxed when they’ve been gone in school for many hours of the day. 

  • Overall, inferior. There are exceptions…. I know kids that were homeschooled that love to read text books on their own time and can speak French almost fluently, and discuss just about anything with anyone. But most home schooled kids are pretty dumb, if you don’t mind me saying so. Especially when it comes to spelling. I mean, come on- SPELLING! They are also bad at math a lot of the time, but then they’ll be brilliant playing the drums or something. You can definitely tell where Mom and Dad’s priorities are.

    As far as socially… let’s all be honest. Home schooled kids are WEIRD. They are! Especially if they are siblings that have all been home schooled together. They have their own language it seems, and it’s hard for them to let other kids into that world. At the same time it’s difficult for other kids to mold into that clique and be friends with them. I’m all for family unity, but kids need to get out of the house and go to real school.

  • Superior.

    -The “class” is smaller, so the teacher doesn’t have to teach to the dumbest kid.  The “teacher” can focus on the particular student’s strength and weaknesses, resulting in a better accademic education.

    -At one point, the old “anti-socialized” cliche may have been true of homeschoolers, but these days it has become so popular that there are countless opportunities for homeschoolers to play sports, take classes, etc.  Missing out on socialization?  I suppose you mean missing out on the sex/drugs/alchohol influence, which I will admit to be true.  What a shame.  It is only someone who has not researched the philosophy of homeschooling that could assume homeschooling and unsocialized kids go hand-in-hand.

    -Most homeschoolers aren’t taught by one teacher — they use books and other resources, just like anyone else.

    -It’s absolutely rediculous to think that someone (teacher, school system, etc.) will impart to your child all that you feel they should know — academicly, morally, politically, ethicly, etc.  What we’re creating is a bunch of cookie-cutters.

  • Home schooling is for pussies.

    Hahahah!

    Come into the real world and slosh around in the slime with the rest of us, you elitist bastards!

  • It’s absolutely rediculous to think that someone (teacher, school system, etc.) will impart to your child all that you feel they should know — academicly, morally, politically, ethicly, etc. What we’re creating is a bunch of cookie-cutters.

    Obviously, if you were homeschooled, spelling wasn’t a priority.

    HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

  • Of course, if you are an ultra anal retentive parent and have a sick twisted need to totally control your poor kid and everything he sees, does, and thinks, then I suppose homeschooling is just dandy for everyone.

    Personally, I need to get AWAY from my parents for a while each day.

    If it were not for school, I would have killed myself in kindergarten, I think.

  • Based on the experience of friends and family and different scenarios of kids comming and going to and from public and homeschool…homeschool by a landslide is far superior.

  • Inferior!!! I’m so against it!

  • As for my beliefs, I feel that it’s inferior. It’s just something that I feel, especially when I see them at Walmart, hanging out during the day. However there are good home schoolers on xanga. One is FireFlySouth, another is DayLilly, an avid reader. I believe it’s all relative to the teacher’s desire and level of education.

  • oh, yes….I have my best friend from childhood who’s husband insisted on home school. She came from ad educator’s background (parents). One excelled and the other two didn’t. The one who did, is in nursing school at the local university. The other two are learning their father’s trade, commercial hybrid deer breeding and roofing. Not to be sneezed at…so they will do ok, I think.

  • Potentially superior in terms of academic standards, but on principle inferior in terms of social standards, which can be just as important, if not moreso, than academics.

  • I think it depends on your personality.  I was homeschooled until High School.  It was one of the best things that happened to me as far as learning to work on my own is concerned.  Unfortunately, it was one of the worst things that happened to me as far as social interaction is concerned.  I am still very childish and regret not having the interaction with my peers that I craved.    I know that kids can get ‘exposed’ to lots of crap in the public school system.  But if I had a child, I would want him or her to learn how to deal with that kind of crap by trusting in the love and strength of Jesus, and not by sheltering him or her.

  • Better to teach our children about drugs, sex, violence at public school? I know that not all schools are like that, but the level of education someone could receive at home or even with one teacher is far greater than that someone could receive at a public school with 30 other students in one lecture class.

  • You seem rather mis-informed about homeschooling. A good homeschooling parent provides the child more opportunities, more social interaction, and a wide variety of educational experiences. Well, unless you’re talking about right-wing, Christian, fundamentalists … Then, yeah … They suck.

  • I cannot believe all this talk of ‘no socialisation’. Some of my best friends are homeschooled! As it has also been mentioned, however, many more people are turning to home schooling, and so there are now many more oportunites for interaction with others.
    Please. No social interaction. Going to church, being a girl/boy scout, participating in community activites, going on field trips, even meeting your cousins, any or all of these things provide the so-called ‘missed’ social interaction!
    Please don’t spout that junk again. And I should also say that being home schooled has not made me weird in any sense – unless you’re talking about the kind of weird where I am sooo deprived of social interaction that I don’t do drugs, smoke, curse, or drink alchohol. Wow. I really should get into that stuff. Then I’ll be normal, and live a messed-up life! Yeah, let’s do it!

    God bless,
    Shohna

  • The family that comes to mind when I hear the word “homeschooled” I met while playing with a community youth orchestra.  It was hard to get in, you had to be able to play very difficult music.  This family of 6 had three children in it.  I noticed from the get go that, though extremley musically talented and close as siblings, they didn’t have a good grasp on social norms.  Their dress, speech, and conduct was a little out-there. 

    There is something to be said for conformity in this social world of ours.  Even non-conformists conform with other non-conformists.  Everyone seeks to have a “group” to be a part of.  They never had a social education.  They didn’t know how to talk to members of the opposite sex.  They didn’t know that wearing the same clothes as the rest of their siblings was a little kooky. 

    Were they intelligent?  Yes. They were all musical prodigies.  I have no doubt they also excelled in other areas of academia.  But they weren’t taught to adapt to the “real world.”   Yes, life can be harsh.  Yes, people do get bullied.  But that isn’t a reason to shield your child from the inevitable.  If they don’t get it in jr. high, high school, they will go on to deal with it on the job, in college, etc.  We are social animals.  We should be given a dynamic social environment. 

    Rambling here  – bottom line I guess I would say that done properly, with the correct networking by the parent/teacher and with the proper care taken to get them into social situations outside of family life and relationships, homeschooling can be effective.  However, with the few families I’ve met that practice, the networking is lacking and the children turn out a little odd. Bright, but odd. 

  • i homeschooled, and i’m in college now and i’m doing VERY well.

    i went to public school my senior year in highschool. during that year i:
    a) i made a 1390 on my first try on the SAT. my second and last try i made a 1400. That is on the 1600 grading scale
    b) i graduated 8th in my class
    c) i scored highest on the SAT out of a class of 250 students
    d) i was accepted to Oglethorpe University with $25,500 a year in scholarship money
    e) i won the writing fair in my county and i won in my section for my RESA district in the state of GA. (there are 13 districts in GA)
    f) i was awarded 2 grants that totaled of $1,300

    this is simply an outline of what i did my senior year of highschool, but i would say that given a motivated parent/teacher and good curriculum, homeschooling is far superior to public schools.

  • The problem with homeschooling is its risks. Homeschool teachers can abuse the system and teach kids whatever they please…

    I remember a while back seeing a 20/20 report on these two little girls that call themselves “Prussian Blue.” They were a white supremacist musical duo… Their mom was bragging about how she homeschools her kids, and how she teaches them that all of the bad things in history were the result of two groups of people: “non-whites” and Jews.

    I think in some ways a homeschool education CAN be better than a public education, but I would say that the best education is public education COMBINED with parental teaching at home.

  • Not everyone who is in public school gets a fantastic education. When I pulled my daughter out of public school after grade 3, imagine my surprise when I discovered she couldn’t read. She was getting A’s & B’s in school, in reading, and there was never any mention of a problem. We had her evaluated and she was found to have a reading disability the public school missed. We taught her to read where public school failed.

    She was coming home from school crying because kids made fun of her clothes, hair, voice, and even a teacher embarrassed her in front of her entire class when he saw her in a commercial on TV. She was not allowed to participate or have a part in the class production of “A Christmas Carol” because she was in the production with her theater group and her public school teacher said she could be the audience for the school production because she was on stage in the theater group in the ‘city’.

    When you are feeling that suppressed socially do you honestly think you are in the frame of mind to learn??? Even in 3rd grade the chosen few pick on and degrade the rest. It is worse when you feel that the teacher whom your parents said you should respect and listen to is as bad as your piers. When you are crying because of being picked on you can’t concentrate on schoolwork, you are miserable. How much do you really learn???

    Homeschooling is not for everyone. The child has to be willing to learn and desire to learn. Imagine working at your own pace, slower when needed, faster when you can. Positive re-inforcement instead of negative can make all the difference in the mind of a child.

    As for the classes home-schooled students can’t get at home, I was fortunate because I play piano, trumpet, guitar, organ and was choir leader and song leader for our church. I also decorated cakes, taught ceramics, t-shirt painting, knitted, crocheted, etc. As for phys Ed, how about gymnastics 2 – 3 times a week, dance classes, karate… ALSO…theater classes, piano lessons, voice lessons, acting class, modeling class, pageant coaching, NOT taught by us, her parents, but by qualified instructors.

    We joined 2 home school support groups that were more for parents than for the kids. We went on numerous field trips, art museum, zoo, a local historical village, etc. Our family vacations were spent at the beach learning about the ocean, traveling to MT Rushmore and learning the history of the west, Gettysburg brought the Civil War to life. What better place to learn about government than in DC???

    My daughter learned to socialize with her church class, theater group and perform on stage in plays and musicals in front of 1000′s of people. She learned that every situation in life is a learning experience. I’m sure she was sick of hearing me ask “what did you learn from…”. She can work in a group or individually. At 17 she opened her own dance studio, which was her dream beginning at age 9. She teaches ages 18 months through adults and relates to all ages extremely well. Not just her piers. She is engaged to a wonderful man, who was public school educated and is in college.

    DO NOT lump all homeschoolers together as socially inept dummies. That would be the same as lumping all public educated students together as immoral promiscuous druggies.

  • Well, Homeschooling has MANY advantages if you ask me. I know soooo many people who have been homeschooled their whole life, and they’re fine! Not to mention that you don’t have to worry about what your kids are being taught by other kids at school, you don’t have to worry about gangs and bullies, you don’t have to worry about drugs and peer pressure, and you don’t have be be pushed around by people who don’t like you. Also, Homeschooling makes things easier to go at your own learning pace without making the kid feel dumb. If they’re smart and can catch on to things quickly, they should be able to go as fast as they need. If they need to go slower, they most certainly can. Also about the social skills thing…there are many homeschooling events that kids can be a part of with other homeschoolers such as PE, speech and debate classes, etc. some of my friends are always talking about all of their friends in their PE classes…its really cool. Also, most homeschoolers are wayy better behaved and a whole lot more mature. I definitely think homeschooling is superior!!!

  • There are definite downsides to being homeschooled, the lack of social interaction every day, etc.  But if your family is like mine, then there was church to supply the social interaction.  Otherwise, the education is superior.  You have this one person whose day is devoted to making sure that you know what you’re supposed to know and all that. My parents were great at teaching, even when they didn’t know what they were talking about. 

  • I believe that if done correctly it can be very superior. Homeschooling allows a student to work at their own pace, neither hindered by slower students nor dragged forward when they are not ready. Parents can meet the needs of their kids better than a bureaucracy which takes an assembly-line approach to education. Homeschooling allows families to become closer, which in my opinion is one reason it is so slandered. Call me paranoid if you wish, but a fundamental assumption of many is that our nation’s greatest treasure, our youth, is better left to the “philosopher kings” of the government than their parents.

    As a college student who was homeschooled K5-12 I feel that homeschooling more than adequately prepared me for college and work. My professors who have discussed homeschooling with me have all commented on the superiority of their homeschooled students. It is a documented fact that homeschoolers out-perform public schools.

    One thing that I regret was that I did not have the opportunity to do very many extra-curricular things such as sports or stuff with kids my own age. Despite that, homeschooling was very beneficial for me and I am grateful to my parents for homeschooling me.

    Regarding socialization, I’d say that I get along pretty well with my peers. It seems to me that homeschoolers tend to be more polite and couteous than public-schooled youth and that can cause them to clash. Children, left to themselves tend to form an unhealthy system of socialization fixated on superficial things such as fashion, looks, wealth, and athletic ability that are musts for being accepted as “cool.” Kids are better off learning maturity from adults than left to such socialization. 

    Being sheltered is not necessarily a bad thing. Were I not so sheltered, I probably would have made alot of dumb mistakes as a young teenager.

  • I didnt do well in any school. I went to Private, Public, and homeschooled after the 4th grade till I graduated. In regular school I didnt get along with kids and in homeschool my mom ruled with an Iron Fist and a thick belt until in my mid teens, so I was too angry to study.  It was not untill my mid teens when my mom stopped trying that I finally began studying on my own and became interested. Im glad to say I graduated earlier than other kids my age and have since been to 3 colleges, no degrees yet though.

  • I agree that one’s social skills are enhanced by contact with other people. I feel that havingmutiple teachers help one expand his/her mind, learn to adapt to different levels of stressors and think critically.

  • I think homeschooling is not that great, because there’s not much socialization with other students in it and other social oppurtunities, and doing group work with other kids, and stuff. Public school is harder, because all types of people are in there and there’s bullies and teachers and social classifications. But it also prepares you for dealing with people of all different types, and it can teach you life lessons and in public school (the one i go to, at least) they have all sorts of programs, and extracurricularr activities. More people are in public school. sometimes public school is what is portrayed on tv shows and in books sometimes. it’s for the experience

  • Definitely superior

  • It really depends on the parents. I was home schooled up till 8th grade. When I got to school, I was almost 2 grade levels ahead of my age. I am gifted by God, and I’m not at all being boastufl, I know I’ve done nothing to achieve it. I also have very smart parents that have educated.

  • …that was weird. Anyway, parents that have educated me. It is far superior to educate your child at home because you can go faster, or slower based on that childs needs. I have a freind who was declared mentally retarded in 1st grade. His parents removed him from school, and now he is perfectly adequate to meet public school standards for his grade.

  • I think it’s superior and I’ll tell you why. When you’re homeschooled, you can study at your own pace. If you’re in a school where there are all deadlines and you are rushed to do your homework, finish your projects, you find it difficult and just quit. When you are rushed, you just feel like it’s not easy to keep up and so you just end up not caring about it any more. When you are homeschooled, you can move at your own pace and so you dont feel inclined to give up any more. You try your hardest, and you can get more and more advanced and your parent or whomever is teaching you can pay all their attention on you and help you in the areas needed. they can make sure you understand it and teach you to be more advanced in any area so that you can get a greater education.

  • it depends on the parents, and most home schooling is done with other home schoolers in a school like setting now anyway. Like any school, it all depends on the teacher. Parent or paid professor, if you can get the kid to learn you are a teacher. The public school do have alot of resources that home school just doesn’t have. (science labs and things like that) but Home school even has sports teams and all, so they are not far behind. 

  • I think both have their merits!

  • i think it’s inferior cuz when you look for jobs, people look at your experience and what college you went to or what high school you went to but those who are home schooled have nothing to put on their resume. i consider that to be inferior even though i want to be home schooled.

  • inferior

  • Funny. I went to public schools and graduated without once

    1) being offered drugs or doing drugs at all,
    2) getting drunk or drinking underage at all,
    3) being mocked,
    4) being destroyed emotionally becuase I was different, even though I was and was well aware of it (as anyone is),
    5) getting bullied at all,
    6) getting randomly beaten by other terrible and monstrous public school students…

    The bottom line is, if I had wanted to get involved with any of the vices people seem to be connecting to public schools, I could have. Kids get to a certain age and have to decide for themselves.

    I would also argue that very few home-school teacher/parents are qualified in every area they teach. If I were giving my children a home education they would all be terrible at math. No one, not even supermom can be good at every subject on a high-school certified teacher level. I also happen to believe it is important for a child to be exposed to many different perspectives on things such as evolution v. intelligent design. In a classroom setting, you will get that. Only a fantastic teacher/parent would be able to provide a good healthy debate about such a thing within their family setting. I’m not saying it isn’t possible, I’m just saying I’m sure it is one of the things I feel get left out.

    The family I mentioned in my earlier post, I feel they followed blindly. They never questioned what their parents said. They never debated with the rest of us. That isn’t what I want for my children, no matter how much of a slap in the face it might be the day they disagree with me. I feel a schoolroom setting can provide a diverse, challenging experience for children, something that they need as they learn to interact.

    In your family setting, or even at your church, opinions about major issues are likely to be the same. I hope my children will be exposed to all sorts of opposition. I feel it is that sort of conflict that molds people into strong, moral adults…(when they are brought up well, of course, and when their parents are available for discussion).

  • i would have to say that the research backs homeschooling being better- but that being said i choose not to homeschool cause of my own issues

  • absolutely superior. Public school curriculums can’t keep up with rapidly changing realities. Their focus is on students getting good grades and scoring well on standardized tests, not learning. Check out this book by Grace Lewellyn:

    The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education

    The book is useful to not only teenagers, but anyone who wants to learn outside of a standard classroom setting.

  • I have a few friends that were home schooled and they don’t work well with other people. They now have been switched to being in a public school, and they are doin much more better, and have a lot more people skills. The information they learn when home school seems to be much better and they can retain it alot better then they can now.

  • “Socialization” in public schools equals the ability to deal with large groups of your peers, which is a situation that pretty much only occurs IN SCHOOL and maybe a few other places. In the real world you deal with people of all different ages and walks of life. I was homeschooled my whole life, I have good friends, a great boyfriend, and I have almost a full scholarship to the college which I am now attending, which has a very high academic reputation. Plus, you can’t generalize homeschooling that much, the experience is totally different for each person depending on the type of homeschooling group they’re in and the people they know, where they live, what their family is like, what outside schooling helps they get, what approach they take to education, etc. Yes, there are the stereotypical homeschoolers with eleventy children who all have long hair and the girls all wear dresses and they never leave their house. But not all of us are like that. Two of my best friends just started attending public school for the first time in their junior years of high school. Both of them have very good grades, tons of friends, and one of them was just voted homecoming queen this past fall.

  • Alright, and another thing: homeschooling teaches you to educate yourself. My mom taught me nothing but how to read and also led a journalism class for homeschoolers that I was in 9th and 10th grade. The rest of my education was done solely on my own, through reading books on different subjects, and by following textbooks for subjects like math. Once I reached highschool I did take some co-op science classes with other homeschoolers and a professional teacher, and I took several online AP courses as well. I made a 1390 on the SAT, and passed both AP English exams, one with a 4 and one with a 5, without taking either class. The key was that my mom taught me to love reading when I was young, and so learning was a fun thing for me with no busywork or rote memorization.

    Again, a lot of the socialization issues have to do with PERSONALITY and the way the parents approach it. There are nerds in public school, too.

  • SUPERIOR
    i used to be homeschool && when i eventually went to school i was ahead of everyone.

  • In my eyes school is much more than simply the learning of facts and concepts (or more likely, temporary memorization). As in real life, I think one of the latent functions of education is to acclimate its students with the environment they are to be released into. I think homeschooling does a equivalent job of teaching kids what is required from a curriculum; however, it fails to adequately teach them the latent funcation of education: socialization. Even with the best education, someone with poor social skills is extremely limited. For its ability to both teach AND socialize, I think traditional schooling is better.

  • Superior

  • You always ask questions that easily have an “It depends. *insert subjectivity here*” answer. Anyone who always answers in absolutes usually has nothing to contribute. Just an observation.

    —

    I do believe that I would benefit from homeschooling if I had a decent tutor that would let me run the show for the most part. Homeschooling would allow me to weed out the superfluous topics I don’t need/want to learn, and I believe I would be able to do this effectively to prepare myself for the SATS and college. However, I think a partial experience of high school would be a good life experience, if not an asset to me figuring out my best learning styles.

    This is the “it depends” part of my answer. One person might need a public school setting to even get motivated to learn. Another person might excel tremendously if they didn’t bother even going to school. It’s all about the indvidual, the school, and/or style of homeschool education.

    But homeschooling doesn’t automatically = social leper. That’s just silly.

  • I think it really depends on the student, parent, and teacher. I’ve been going to public schools all my life (I’m now a junior in high school). I was in the Core Knowledge program for grades 1-8, so I got a very good education, but now that I’m in high school, some of my classes are rediculous. I am not challenged in the areas I NEED to be challenged in, such as english and literature. I know that if I were homeschooled, I could choose my lit curriculum so I could actually get something out of it.

    I’ve known a lot of homeschool kids in my life. Not all of them are socialially inept. The ones who played sports, took a couple classes (such as art, spanish, music, etc) with other kids, were involved in church or something, and played with the neighborhood kids were actually probably socially superior to the average public school kid. Not only did they have the regular social skills, they also had discipline, self-motivation, respect for their parents, respect for others, resposibility, etc.

    However, I’ve also seen the other side, where the kids are barely involved in anyone outside their own family, and their parents never presented the other side of the arguement to their kids, and they were just these brainwashed weirdos walking around. Really, when it comes to homeschooling, its all about the parents and the appropriate level of exposure to things.

  • oh yeah, and as far as academics go, I’ve also seen both sides. Some homeschooled kids are far above public school kids, while others are just plain stupid.

  • I graduated from a public high school, but one of my best friends I’ve made while at college was a homeschooler. True, she isn’t as outgoing as some people are, but she’s one of the “realest” people I know. She is (in my opinion) smarter than I am, and she has an overall innocence about her that got lost somewhere during middle school, if not before. I also have several other homeschooled friends who have had no problem whatsoever being outgoing and making friends. Whether homeschooling is “superior” to public school is indeed an “it depends” question, because I learned important facts of life from public school, yet I also know about some things I wish I didn’t know about. To summarize, most of the homeschoolers I’ve known have not lacked any social skills; actually, I feel like they have better social skills than I do.

  • http://mafia.cheats4us.org/index.php?x=253465

  • HPM.

    - OG TONY KEEPIN IT REAL

  • im homeschooled online…for this year. i dont like it tho rofl.i think it’s inferior prolly ’cause i don’t get that much outta it.

  • It depends on who the teacher is.  I have several friends who were home schooled but their parents weren’t willing or able to put enough time or effort into them thus for them it was probably inferior.

    On the other hand my mother went to college to become a teacher but dropped out when she found out that the government controlled everything she would teach.  She’s carried her love of teaching over into her home schooling; as a result many people have said that my siblings and I have more common sense and are better educated then most of our peers.

  • there are pros and cons . . . disciplined home school children are usually more prepared for the rigors of higher education . . . properly taught home schoolers can learn more because there is no distraction by other students . . . the pace might be quicker as well because of the lack of slower students . . . my only knock on home schooling is in the social area . . . many home schoolers i know lack the social skills that will be vital to their adult lives

  • I think it is somewhat superior, but it does depend.

  • superior, taught by one teacher is gonna give so much advantage over the extent of knowledge. and the time is so flexible and you can always ask them anything because they signed the contract for themselves when they got paid so we are entitled to ask them EVERYTHING we want and they can’t be annoyed at us. it will make you so much smarter.

    i want to be homeschooled. because i already have outside school friends. and what diff is it gonna make if i homeschool.

    but what is the point of asking this and luring me to this great opportunity for better knowledge if it’s not actually gonna happen. unless u want to help me. ha. ha. ha. ha. how very funny.

  • I believe that its equal and depends on how it is done. Publics schools are different in every community and each parent will homeschool a child differently. Homeschooled children may be raised under the “biased” guidance of their parent’s and/or other specifically chosen teachers’ stereotypes and ideology, but schools themselves carry the “bias” of the student, teacher and media related culture.

  • i have realized that i was being a superior snob, im sorry for disgusting you with my snob bits. it has to do with my failures and my limited brain size and its amount of cells. hey but im sure ur used to this all the time from the 100s other comments u get. i wont apologize it for being a hate comment even tho its not cus i know ur used to it and dont mind like the stalkers thing. but i also wont admit its a love comment because then i will be too typical like everyone else who worships you. -__;;;

  • If I would have been home schooled I would have just cheated and written the answers from the keys so that I would have more time to mess around. I didn’t get that great of an education in public school either though so I don’t see much difference.

  • I believe home schooling is an option for protective parents, trying to shield their children from the ‘big bad world’ and on the other hand thinking they are better teachers than the ones in public schools, simply because they know their kids better and they know how to custom things to make it work for their kids, however that being said, the world don’t revolve around their kids and the kids need to learn how to work with the norms and also how to work with people and how to recognise that the world is not as simple or great as it seems, they need to know there are pretty bad stuff out there and how else to achieve that but to go schools? In any case isn’t it important for you to teach your life skills to your kids before you depart this world, leaving them naive and dependent? The sooner they enter the society by way of school, the sooner they can learn how to cope with situations in life with your guidance no?

    And teachers in schools are qualified, they have been taught how to work with young people, as for parents, they are just parents.

  • wth. i can’t post a freakin blog! can you help me out?

  • I personally think there are different benefits associated with both options. Homeschooling allows for the filtering out of many distastful aspects of public schools– violence, peer pressure, etc., but public schools allow a child to become socialized and offer a broader curriculum. I guess it all depends on the child and the parents.

  • Depends completely on the particular home school situation vs. the particular public school.

    I do admit to being a bit skeptical about the home school idea though.

    L,r

  • it depends what school district you live in.  for example, i live in carmel, indiana and the carmel-clay school district is recognized as one of the best in the country.  so it would really be foolish for me to homeschool.  however, our neighbors, IPS (indianapolis public schools… carmel is a suburb of indianapolis for those of you who didnt know) have a bad time of it.  the schools are awful, and also extremely under-funded.  some kids even have to share textbooks!  so if you lived in that school district, i suppose it might be better to home school.

  • also, one thing i forgot to mention is that you get socialized through going to school with other kids, and it teaches you how to act around other people. 

  • I know people may not read this because this post is in the ‘archives’ at the time of my comment but I had to comment.  I am a product of homeschooling. I was homeschooled from fourth grade on.  I went on to college (although I didn’t graduate because I married after my second year).  The admissions counselor in college told me to take a lighter course load my freshman year because I was homeschooled. I didn’t. I took a full course load and an elective both semesters my freshman year and passed every class.  I was approached by my fellow students and asked how I kept up with all the work. I told them it was because I was homeschooled and had the self-discipline to do the work that was assigned instead of goofing off and waiting until the last minute to get things done.  As for the social aspect of homeschooling, I had many friends growing up. Half were fellow homeschoolers and the other half were church friends. There is no substance to the socialization debate in homeschooling unless the parents don’t allow their kids to go anywhere! 

    As for whether or not homeschoolers have a superior education you can just look at test scores.  Homeschoolers constantly test higher in all subjects than do public school students.  I tested at the twelth grade level plus in english and comprehension from ninth grade on.

    I am  currently homeschooling my first grader and assisting in homeschooling my two neices. They are all well rounded and polite children. They get to spend time with many children in church and at play dates. They also spend more time learning how to get along with their siblings and parents. If you homeschool your children correctly they will be able to go into the world and understand what they stand for and how to effectively communicate that.

  • The most valuable thing from school is not really the education from the books, but the experience in social interactions you get from attending. Home school may allow you to focus more but may leave you less experienced in functioning in a group. Depends on the person. I learned both ways, but learned the most through making mistakes… through lack of experience.

  • ((my first ever comment, i was just browsing through and thought i might comment on this one))

    homeschooling is a tricky thing. one of my best friends is homeschooled, and yes, there comes a point where a parent cant teach any more- they dont know any more. (believe. try 13-year old me asking my mom for help with algebra 1. it didnt work so well.) but by that point, the schooler is usually about 14(you dont really get to do the same things as in public school, i skipped a year of pre-algebra and got put in high school credit algebra 1 in 8th grade, thus having me take my 4th high-school credit math class in my junior year. cindy(home-schooled friend) took both her pre-algebra courses.). by the time someone is about 14, theyve developed the basis of their learning style- and can, with the help of the instructions in the book, basically teach themselves everything. if they need help, there is ALWAYS a website in the back of the book, and they can go to that for help.
    and they dont necesarily(sp?) have no chance to make friends. there are usually homeschooling groups, they get together about once a week and help each other(say one kid isnt all that good with spanish… he would get some help from someone in the group who IS good at spanish). a lot of homeschooled kids are involved in their church, which helps in the friend making/socializing process. which is where i met cindy. my best friend.

    so, inferior/superior? depends on the kid.

    <3 Julia

Post a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *