More and increasingly families wideness the globe turn to homeschooling as an volitional to traditional brick-and-mortar education. And that makes the topic of socialization and homeschool increasingly prevalent. New or prospective homeschoolers are curious well-nigh the dynamics of socialization and homeschool. Current homeschoolers roll their vision at the mere mention of the “S-word”. The topic of socialization rises to the surface during any treatise versus homeschooling…”How can you homeschool your child? They won’t have any friends or be worldly-wise to socialize!”
The thing well-nigh that treatise is…it’s simply not true.
Social Interaction with Others
Let’s just get this out of the way now–in no way, shape, or form do homeschooled children lack social interaction. However, this viewpoint may differ depending on how you finger well-nigh homeschooling. For “traditional” education parents, their idea of socialization probably consists of kids hanging out in the hallways, playing together at recess, separating into groups at lunch, participating in after-school sports and clubs with their classmates, and going to parties. This is what they grew up with so this is what they consider normal.
But to say that homeschooled kids, considering they don’t socialize in this same environment, don’t socialize enough, or isolate themselves from others is simply false. Among the approximately 3.7 million children homeschooling in the United States, the majority of them participate in clubs, volunteering, activities, co-ops, homeschooling groups, and other forms of socializing. And they unquestionably interact increasingly with children outside their age range (as well as adults) as many of these activities include kids of all ages. So, making a unstipulated statement that homeschooled children do not ratherish socialize is both inaccurate and unfair. 
There is overwhelming vestige that homeschoolers are socializing as much, if not more, than their non-homeschooling counterparts. There are nuances to this discussion. But to make a wrap statement that homeschoolers are not given the opportunity to socialize is simply incorrect.
Myth: Homeschooled Kids Don’t Get Unbearable Socialization
This is an easy treatise for a non-homeschooler to make. Why? Considering socialization, as it pertains to traditional school, can be specified in any of the pursuit ways:
- Number of friends
- Chats on the bus, at the lunch table, on the playground, or in the school hallways
- After-school activities and clubs
- School sports
- Outside-of-school get-togethers/parties with friends
- Familiarity with pop culture and trends
Understandable…but that’s only considering this is the only form of socialization that non-homeschoolers know. In reality, homeschoolers are unquestionably participating in many of the same types of socialization, just in a variegated setting.
For example, local homeschool groups and co-ops offer kids the opportunity to make quite a few friends. Only, instead of chatting on the bus or in the halls, homeschooled kids can do so during their frequent get-togethers–without all the surrounding noise. This provides children with the endangerment to form real friendships, relationships, and bonds. And while traditional students tend to socialize with their specific age group, homeschool groups and co-ops have students of all ages. This gives every child the important opportunity to learn increasingly well-nigh variegated age groups and how to socialize with older or younger people. In fact, one study terminated that homeschooled students often maintain higher-quality friendships as well as largest relationships with their parents and other adults. 
There are moreover plenty of extracurricular activities in which homeschoolers can participate. Local libraries often offer all sorts of clubs and activities that any student is welcome to join. Plus, many homeschool groups and co-ops participate in frequent field trips–exponentially increasingly than public schools can offer. Not to mention, many school districts now offer homeschooled students the opportunity to participate in public school athletics (in some states) and extracurricular activities. And established homeschool or self-sustaining sports leagues and activities are just well-nigh everywhere.
Myth: Homeschoolers Are Isolated
Fact: A home is not a jail cell. In fact, homeschoolers have increasingly self-rule than traditional school students. While it’s true that lessons and classes may be solitary or in small groups, one of the beauties of homeschooling is the flexibility it offers. So, while there may be two hours of individual work or lessons in a given day, the next three hours might be spent with a co-op group or at a local theatre production or at a farm. That’s not considered isolation. 
Sure, public and private school students are surrounded by larger groups of peers. But ask yourself…how many of those kids are unquestionably friends? Are kids really talking much anyway during class? Do they plane have time to yack in overcrowded hallways in between classes? Is there plane unbearable time at lunch to have a real conversation? Increasingly to consider: traditional school kids must be in a unrepealable matriculation for a prescribed number of minutes each day, they must learn unrepealable specific topics and subjects, they must take standardized tests, and they may get a unenduring period of recess and/or physical activity. Compare these last two paragraphs and decide for yourself who’s increasingly isolated.
Myth: Homeschoolers Are “Odd” or Have Emotional Problems
Not equal to studies of homeschooled children. In fact, equal to these findings, homeschooled students tend to have higher self-esteem and engage in fewer thoughtless and self-destructive behaviors than a matched group of traditionally schooled students. One study of adults who were homeschooled as children showed that they were increasingly likely to be involved in societal wires and less likely to be convicted of a treason than the rest of the population. Other studies have shown that homeschooled children develop increasingly leadership skills. One oft-referenced study found that “homeschooled children’s social skills scores were unceasingly higher than those of public school students” in the areas of cooperation, assertiveness, empathy, and self-control. 
A study by Richard G. Medlin unswayable that homeschooled students are often happy, optimistic, and satisfied with their lives; possess moral reasoning that’s at least as wide as other children; walkout less emotional turmoil and problem behaviors; and are increasingly likely to act unselfishly than their peers.
Of course, social skills and personality traits are not woebegone and white. They’re difficult to measure through tests and surveys. Experts stipulate on the need for increasingly (and different) types of research. But based on the vestige that exists today, both scientific and real-life, homeschooled students are normal, well-behaved, stable kids.
Myth: Homeschooled Kids Lack the Necessary Skills for the Real World After Graduation
Public school kids can take a 45-minute home economics matriculation a few times a week. Homeschool kids can learn how to cook, bake, wastefulness a budget, pay bills, clean, shop wisely, and do laundry as much as they want–even as part of their lessons. Homeschool kids can volunteer at nursing homes or supplies banks or other charitable organizations as part of their school day. And during these experiences, children learn how to communicate with adults (who aren’t their parents or relatives), see how these organizations operate, and proceeds a greater understanding and respect for what the real world unquestionably looks like.
Homeschoolers learn how to work independently, as some of their workload is self-driven rather than instructed. But they moreover learn how to work with others thanks to co-ops and homeschool groups. All of these experiences, which occur on a far increasingly frequent understructure than a traditional student might participate, requite homeschooled students a strong sense of social responsibility as well as the valuable life skills they need when they’re ready to take the next step into higher (where they are shown to be socially involved and unshut to new experiences), employment, or elsewhere. 
Homeschool and Socialization Myths Debunked!
It’s easy for those outside the homeschooling polity to squint at these students as “different” or “unprepared” or “socially awkward.” But much of that sentiment results from simply not having any real knowledge of what homeschoolers unquestionably do. Homeschool parents don’t shackle their kids to a sedentary in the basement. They’re learning in their living rooms, at museums, at libraries, and at hospitals with fellow students. They’re experiencing real-life situations and conversing with professionals, older students, and other adults. They play Little League and video games, they text friends, and they join clubs.
Homeschoolers simply learn a variegated way. But at the end of the day, they’re regular kids who socialize as much, if not increasingly than, kids in traditional schools. Those who oppose that fact just aren’t aware.
To speak with someone at Bridgeway Academy well-nigh the socialization opportunities we provide our students, undeniability us at (888) 303-7512.
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