Posted on 08/06/2006 3:22:26 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat
Socialization is no longer an “issue” for homeschoolers, according to some researchers on the long-running debate over public and independent schooling.
Susan McDowell, author of "But What About Socialization? Answering the Perpetual Home Schooling Question: A Review of the Literature,” has researched 24 studies on the socialization of homeschoolers, according to Bristol Herald Courier.
"It’s a non-issue today," said McDowell, who earned Ph.D. in educational leadership from Vanderbilt University. "All the research shows children are doing well."
On one occasion, she was challenged by one of her publishers to find evidence that homeschoolers were socially deficient compared to their publically educated counterparts.
However, she claims finding no one in the academic field with such view supported by research.
Other researchers, such as Larry Shyers, who holds Ph.D. in counseling, support McDowell’s findings. Shyers’ dissertation, "Comparison of Social Adjustment Between Home and Traditionally Schooled Children," won a national award in excellence in research from the Educational Research Information Clearinghouse in 1992.
His studies found that homeschooled children are not disadvantaged when it comes to socialization. He said that those taught at home were more likely to invite others to play with them, they were not as competitive but more cooperative, and they kept their noise levels lower. Homeschooled children also played with peers of both genders rather than with those of the same gender, he added.
Fourteen-year-old Kayla Freeman from Bristol, Tenn. says she knows more people than she did while in traditional school, and she has discovered better friends in the homeschool community.
“Most homeschooled kids I know are outgoing and friendly," Kayla said. "They are the truest friends I have."
Whether it is for religious, social, or educational reason, American parents are, albeit small in number, increasingly withdrawing their children out of public schools and instructing them at home, despite the criticisms laid out by homeschool critics.
The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) estimated that 1.1 Million students were homeschooled in the United States in 2003, an increase from 850,000 from the 1999 NHES data.
"they were not as competitive but more cooperative"
Why would anyone consider that good.
I've never entered into anything in my life that I didn't intend to win or think that I had the ability or equipment to win.
I wouldn't consider entering into anything to be an alsoran!
".....and that contact with adults, older kids, younger kids, relatives, family, etc. simply doesn't count....it must be with same age peers to be valid"
Thats cause its hard to indoctrinate the kids if they are outside the system.
It's true that homeschooing isn't for every family or even every child. Our older daughter is homeschooled and has flourished. We tried with our younger in kindergarten and it was a fiasco. She now attends the parochial school around the corner and loves it.
We know many homeschooing families. I assure you that the outcomes are generally very positive and I don't personally know of any negative ones.
>"Why would anyone consider that good."
Only if you wanted to steal their income and diminish their liberty. Then, it's a very good thing.
A simple idea that will solve America's Education problems:
School choice
Divide the amount of money spent on education, and provide
to each parent, to be used by those parents in the educational institution of their choice - public, charter or private. Homsechoolers could also get support for homseschooling, ie rebates for textbooks and learning aids.
The $7,000 per year spent per child on education (U.S. average) would be spent more wisely, and actual learning in student would advance considerably.
This idea was first proposed in 1955 by Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Freidman. Good ideas never go out of style.
The score is how long you have been at FR :)
I wasn't supposed to do that?
Shalom.
"....and that contact with adults, older kids, younger kids, relatives, family, etc. simply doesn't count....it must be with same age peers to be valid."
That's ironic, isn't it? It's actually *MORE* healthy for children to be in varied social environments than in a group of 1 adult and 22 others who happen to be born within 12 months of eachother.
As parents of schoolage children, we are well aware of the 'bad influences' that other children can sometimes be. Just as communicable diseases can spead via the classroom, so can bad behavior.
They are encouraged to turn in their parents if disciplined at home.
yitbos
I don't know about your particular relatives-- they may be overly sheltered, but sending your kids to many public schools, even some of the supposedly great ones, can be a risky experiment, too.
As far as not being competitive, we have definite experience: Our 5 children were homeschooled. The last 16 of the 21 years were in Maryland. All 5 competed on swim teams. One was in the Jr. Olympics 5 times shooting Air Pistol (the first female State Jr. Champion for Maryland,) one twice, and one once. Three have competed nationally in BB gun. The youngest (age 15 and still homeschooled) recently returned from the BB gun nationals. Her team represented the state of Maryland. All 5 of the team members were homeschooled girls. The alternate was a public schooled boy. The team won 3rd of 39 teams, the best in the country. They joked that they would make a shirt for the boy saying, "we let him on the team because he shoots like a girl."
They all know how to cooperate, having delivered newspapers for 18 years as a team. They also know how to compete in a friendly way. They have friends old and young, male and female, Protestant, Catholic and part Muslim. One is married, two are getting masters degrees, one is in college, and one in the military overseas. The youngest is still homeschooled.
It is good or bad as the family is willing to work at it. Those who are not willing to put in the time and effort are better off with public or private schools. Those who are can get great results.
Good to see it beaten down every time.
"Based on my personal experience with five nieces and nephews who are being home schooled, this article is dead wrong. I don't know what's going to become of them when they get out into the real world. I view home schooling as an insanely risky experiment on the kids. They might as well be growing-up by themselves on a space station."
Please explain how a public school corresponds to the Real World. Let's see - they worship the God of Diversity, so yes, in some ways it prepares you for the wierdness of the 'real world'. Other than that, its an environment no better nor more mature than the kids there. For some unfortunate kids in bad schools (eg infected by gangs and drugs) it can be downright dangerous. Is that what you mean by 'real world'? Getting the other kids to introduce them to drugs and JD behavior in middle school?
Based on my experience with friends who have homeschooled their children, I see nothing deterimental in socialization and much positive in education from the experience. One friends kids went from homeschooling, then to public high school and to college, to careers in teaching and Government ... it served them well.
times 2 kids x times 6 and 8 years?
I need some major reparataions over here!!
For the ONE home schooled family that for whatever reason you don't like or agree with I can EASILY point to OODLES of kids in a PUBLIC SCHOOL that are already ALL SCREWED UP! They make the headlines for ALL the WRONG REASONS EVERY DAY.
"I see an analogy with TV, I do not have one and couple of my friends were worried about me. They said that without TV, I do not have contact with the reality. Poor guys think that their TV is a window into the real world."
You could try to get them to read 'Farenheit 451' to help them understand ... but I suspect they may have forgotten what reading is.(*) The "post-literate nation" lives. :-/
(*) ANd I have to admit - saw the movie, never read the book.
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