But WHAT About Socialisation???
Same Old
Question About Homeschooling!
Compiled by
I can’t
count the number of times that I have been asked this same, same, same, same
question. Do I sound like a stuck record? Well, I certainly feel like one!
Isn’t it amazing how people like to stick to what they know, they even think it
is normal and don’t bother to challenge what they believe or think outside that
box? Does everyone really think that
being indoors with twenty to thirty other children the same age as you for
twelve years is normal??! That by
doing this, you will come out a normal, well socialised individual. That the
bullying, the teasing, the peer pressure, the violence, the competition, the
favouritism, will all contribute to being well-socialised? People actually ask
me this!? They ask how my children will cope in the real world one day when
they go to a real job and are bullied!
Home is where we learn all our skills for life, including relationship
skills. We learn how to be polite, have
manners, respect others, compromise, show love, be caring, sort out disputes
amicably and in general how to relate to others by living and learning together. When in a loving and secure environment,
children develop a strong sense of self-worth that is a very important part of
good social skills. Learning to respect
and relate to people of all ages and from all walks of life is very important. There are plenty of ways for homeschooled
children to socialise. Most
homeschoolers belong to a local support group that meets at least once a month
and organises outings and social events with larger groups of children. Then there are extramural activities and
sports, the local swimming pool, the library, the shops and your family and
friends. Just about every life situation
is a wonderful opportunity to socialise with other people! What did people do … years ago before state
schools? Was there a world wide
socialisation crisis? Homeschooled children
have the opportunity to, like the whole world long ago; develop meaningful
friendships with a wide variety of people of their choice.
On a personal note ~ I was convinced of homeschooling at my first
meeting years ago. I watched in awe as about 25 children, ages 2 -16, all ran
off and played wonderfully together for the entire meeting (several hours), not
interrupting the adults once! The 18 year olds joined in with the adults and
had much to contribute to the conversation. One was even selling us some
environmentally friendly products! My children, as are all homeschooled
children, are a testimony on there own. They confidently do theatre, speech and
drama, ballet, gymnastics, yoga, art and philosophy. When my eldest was six,
she asked to enter the speech and drama festival, requesting to go first and
then proudly receiving an A+ for her poem. My daughters are anything but shy;
they make friends wherever they go. Age, size, colour is irrelevant to them.
They even call my friends, their
friends, and I have to keep trying to claim back my own friends! I can only
vouch for the hundred or so homeschooled children I know, but they vouch for
themselves. There is no issue with
homeschooling and socialising. The only thing I’ve seen is that homeschooled
children seem to be better off socially!
Read Some More
Articles on Socialisation and Homeschooling -
No Thank You, We
Don’t Believe in Socialization by Lisa Russel
Dispelling
The Myths About Homeschooling by Christine Webb
The
World's Most Unselfish Act
Homeschooled Kids:
But What About Socialization?
Homeschoolers are in the
real world on a daily basis. Interactions within the community while shopping,
studying, volunteering, working, or performing are legitimate agents of
socialization. Yes, both traditionally schooled and homeschooled children
receive “socialization”. Both forums are valid. The only difference, as born
out by the research and evidence, seems to be the quality of that experience.
Can they learn everything at home?
Studies have shown that homeschoolers fare as well or
better socially than their non-homeschooled peers. In 1992,
Social Misfits? The Truth About Home Education and
Socialization
Kitchen discovered
that home schooled students outscored their peers in every category but peer
popularity. Home schooled children ranked higher in personal security, academic
competence and familial acceptance, thus a higher overall rating in the Self
Esteem Quotient.
Socialization:
A Great Reason Not to Go to School
Larry Edward
Shyers obtained a Ph.D. degree at the
Children
Educated at Home Don't Become Social Misfits
The detailed study of
53 adults who were taught at home by their parents is one of the first to
examine the long-term effects of homeschooling.
Research
on the Socialization of Homeschoolers
Research Study on
Adults who were homeschooled conducted by Dr Ray.
THIS PAGE WAS
LAST UPDATED JAN 2014
