Home-schooling in the modern world: Success of home-schooled children

Seattle Times ^ | November 29, 2005 | Shaunti Feldhahn

[Lorianne]

Like many critics, I used to feel vaguely sorry for home-schooled kids. What a shame, I thought, that they might be deprived of the well-rounded education and social skills to become integrated, productive members of society. I never thought to question why cafeteria food fights or the predatory pack habits of teenage girls would be better for molding productive members of society.

This uninformed, critical opinion lasted precisely until I met my first home-schooled children several years ago. Within one month I met five home-schooling families, and their 13 children were among the most polite, well-adjusted, socially adept and academically advanced kids I'd ever seen. Being home-educated seemed to have given them a confidence and maturity — and yes, social skill — far beyond their years. They had many friends, but didn't seem dependent on their peers for approval — a far cry from what I remember as a kid.

I've since learned that these kids were not the home-schooling exception but the rule, which makes me wonder how anyone could look at the data and say it deprives kids of anything. In a landmark study by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, among 7,000 young adults who had been home-schooled, 74 percent had attained some college courses, compared with just 46 percent of other young adults — and 82 percent said they would home-school their own kids. On the social front, almost twice as many home-schooled adults as those in the general population were active in their community (71 percent to 37 percent) and "very happy" with life (59 percent to 28 percent).

In 1998, a Home School Legal Defense Association's study of 20,760 home-school students found that: "In every subject and at every grade level (on standardized tests), home-school students scored significantly higher than their public and private school counterparts." Younger home-schoolers performed one grade level higher than their public and private school counterparts, and by eighth grade, "the average home-school student performs four grade levels above the national average."

Obviously, home education doesn't fit every family. But the evidence makes me think it's the kids who aren't home-schooled who may be missing out, not the other way around.

[metmom]

Exactly!

[metmom]

You're missing one of the key ingredients. Public schools have taken to teaching singular methods - even in subjects like math, where any number of techniques can correctly derive the correct answer. The teacher gives a single methodology, and proceeds to mark wrong anyone who uses a different methodology, even when the disparate method is correct.

You got that right!!!! We sent my son to public school for the first time as a trial cause he wanted to do the sports thing and we moved to an exceptional school district, in general. However, he has encountered this very problem in his geometry class. His teacher has told him that if he doesn't do the problems exactly the way she says, even though he knows a easier, faster way, she will mark it wrong. It supports my contention that the schools aren't interested in really teaching the kids to think. But he knows this because we've discussed it and we're, at the moment, discussing options to this class.

[wintertime]

"By the way,,,,,I have never met a fat homeschooler who has been homeschooled from the beginning.

Also,,,,,I have never met a homeschooler with ADD or ADHD who has been in the home from the beginning."

RFengineer,

This is my personal observation of the few hundred homeschoolers I have known.

Scientific discovery does begin with anecdotal personal observation. Perhaps this phenomena will catch the interest of those qualified to study the matter.

I suspect that the reason homeschoolers are not fat and do not have ADD or ADHD is due to the large amounts of highly physical playtime that is available to them. Also,since they have an opportunity to fully concentrate on a play activity for many uninterrupted hours, they learn how to concentrate and stay on task. Honestly, how can a child learn sustained concentration skills if he is interrupted every 30 minutes?

When children's lives are run by the clock, the message taught is that the bell or clock of the adult master is more important than the project they are working on.

[metmom]

But then you say: "By the way,,,,,I have never met a fat homeschooler who has been homeschooled from the beginning. Also,,,,,I have never met a homeschooler with ADD or ADHD who has been in the home from the beginning." Come off it.....So now public schoolers are fat, lazy, unfocused, as well as stupid?

Saying that one has never met a fat, ADD, or ADAH homeschooler does not also say the converse, that all public school kids are. I'm trying to think of any homeschoolers I know that fall into that category and so far, no. And we've homeschooled for 12 years and been part of 3 different support groups. Not exactly a valid study but I can't disagree with it in my experience.

[wintertime]

GrannyX4,

My daughter gave birth to a little girl. She is 4 weeks early so they are going to keep her in the NICU for observation for a few days. She is 5 lbs., 13 ounces.

[metmom]

Congratulations. I will be praying that all goes well, but it sounds like she's got a good start. Nice birthweight for a premie.

[Vor Lady]

Congrats to you and your daughter and family!

[wintertime]

"Saying that one has never met a fat, ADD, or ADAH homeschooler does not also say the converse, that all public school kids are. I'm trying to think of any homeschoolers I know that fall into that category and so far, no." ( metmom)

Metmom,

I am glad to hear that someone else has noticed this too.

Those children who have been homeschooled from the beginning have not been overweight or had ADD or ADHD.

Hopefully, this will get the attention of a researcher with the training needed to study this.

Personally, I think it is due to the large amount of time that homeschoolers spend in highly physical large muscle play and also in the fine motor play that they engage in.

Also....since mom runs the kitchen the homeschool child is less likely to exposed to non-nutritious foods that drive hunger and cause the development of life-long unhealthy cravings.

But,,,hey,,,,this is merely my personal observation.

Homeschooling produces children with healthy slim bodies and strong bones and muscles.

[SandRat]

His toughest part of making Eagle is ahead of him and that id the Eagle Project. Work with his Scoutmaster, the troop committe, and the Scout District Advancement Chair to make sure that he follows the rules. When he starts he needs to track all the time that he spends, making phone calls (even just leaving a voice mail), time you spend driving him to, waiting for him, driving him back from any coordination, etc. Have him track and acount for every single minute for every person that helps.

[MarMema]

Thank you! We will. But why is all the tracking so important, if you don't mind telling me....

[Aquinasfan]

My kids rarely spent more than 2 hours a day in formal homeschooling. The rest of the time they PLAYED. They built forts, dug holes, biked, skated, skateboarded, organized plays, choreographed dances, pasted, glued, and painted.

It is PLAY that made ALL the difference. They could play for hour upon hour on one project, and sometimes these projects lasted weeks, months, and in a few cases years.

The mystery of play. God seems to do pretty well on His own sometimes, doesn't He?

[ozarkgirl]

bookmark

[Waryone]

I don't get it either.

You reminded me of something. The boys who wear their pants below their underpants probably don't realize that fad came from the prisons. Men who wanted to advertise that they were available for other prisoners' sexual advances would wear their pants half way down their rear ends.

These boys today just think it is a cool style. The teachers and school administrators think it is freedom of expression. I wonder what parolees think when they see these young boys dressed like that.

[SandRat]

As a part of the Eagle packet the candidate has to show how many hours it to to come up with the plan, get it approved, plan the project, execute the project, and then write it up with a sum at the end to prove the idea behind Eagle of understanding and being able to carry out management/leadership responsibilities.

This is one of the reasons why Eagle rank is recognized as a proper award to cite on Resumes, College Applications, and why when a Candidates packet is opened at one of the service Academies it is an automatic 500 pts towards the nomination and appointment. For the Academies if everything else is equal between candidates and one is an Eagle Scout the Eagle gets the slot.

[MarMema]

Thank you very much for your explanation. You are a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate your sharing it.

[SandRat]

Don't hesitate to ask any other questions as your son works towards his Eagle.

[MarMema]

OK well, since you asked.....do you have any recommendations for prepping for the SM conference and BOR for Star?
It's a new thing this time around, after all. No knots or
first aid demos.

[SandRat]

He'll ask about the leadership responsibilities, about examples of how your son showed Scout Spirit, maybe about what was his most favorite MB, the hardest MB, the easiest MB, his least favorite MB. This starts the preparation for the questions that will be asked at the Eagle BOR. Those are some of the stock questions that I asked. Every SM is a little bit different but it's reasonable that he should be ready for at least those.

[RFEngineer]

"This is my personal observation of the few hundred homeschoolers I have known.

Scientific discovery does begin with anecdotal personal observation. Perhaps this phenomena will catch the interest of those qualified to study the matter."

Peer review is the lynchpin of building on scientific discovery - challenging assumptions

To wit: I submit to you that kids with true ADHD/ADD (I believe it's overdiagnosed in a big way - but I'm not a doctor or a psychologist) aren't homeschooled as much because the parents can't teach them (or find it very difficult) so they enroll them in public school (not all - but a high proportion) where it becomes societies problem (that's not a criticism, by the way) and the resources of society, through public schools can be deployed to address the need.

Same thing is true with kids with autism, and many other special needs and handicaps. They go disproportionately to public school.

Yes, I'm sure there are exceptions, but I have a little experience in this area - not my own child, but family (to add my own anectdote).

So, once again we have a self-selecting statistic involving homeschooling.

I am all for homeschooling (gotta keep saying that so people don't think I'm hostile towards it!) but the utopian characteristics of the population of homeschooled kids described by many posters on this and other threads is only possible because those poor performing parent teachers, or poor performing homeschool kids, or kids with special needs default back to public school more often than not. This "culling" of the statistical pool would also be a factor in improving the apparent performance of homeschoolers as a group, compared to the public school population - taken collectively.

As to fat kids.....I know a fat homeschooler so my anecdote is just as valid as anyone elses on this.

[RFEngineer]

"Not exactly a valid study"

We agree!