Homeschooling
Cassie Jian
Davis
Honors English – 7th
30 April 2010
The Pros and…Well, More Pros of Homeschooling The pros and cons of homeschooling a child have long been debated by the leading experts and specialists. In the eyes of many, growing up and learning in a private, secluded environment is socially and academically unfavorable for children. Since the practice first started, questions have always been asked: does it really help at all? The answer to that question is yes. With the number of homeschooled children increasing every year, it’s obvious that being raised in and exposed to the homeschooled environment gives children many advantages over those that are public schooled. Making friends and meeting new people has always been a necessity in life; interacting with others is vital to being able to survive. Homeschooled children are stereotyped to be secluded from other children; critics argue that a homeschooled child will not be able to function properly in society if they are not exposed to other children early on (Jenkins). They are assumed to be socially awkward, and therefore deemed not able to function as well as children that have been public-schooled. Linda Dobson, author of many books centered on the topic of homeschooling, says that many confuse “socializing [-] talking and playing with other kids,” and “socialization [-] learning the proper rules of behavior for a culture” (Dobson 79). Neither of these matters are required to take place at a school environment, despite the beliefs of the masses. In reality, many families that practice homeschooling “do not even separate academic work from other aspects of life at all” (Gathercole 53). Moreover, homeschooled children participate in many of the same extracurriculars offered to public schooled children. In fact, a study conducted by Brian D. Ray, president of the NHERI (National Home Education Research Institute), shows that the average homeschooled kid is involved in at least five
Davis
Honors English – 7th
30 April 2010
The Pros and…Well, More Pros of Homeschooling The pros and cons of homeschooling a child have long been debated by the leading experts and specialists. In the eyes of many, growing up and learning in a private, secluded environment is socially and academically unfavorable for children. Since the practice first started, questions have always been asked: does it really help at all? The answer to that question is yes. With the number of homeschooled children increasing every year, it’s obvious that being raised in and exposed to the homeschooled environment gives children many advantages over those that are public schooled. Making friends and meeting new people has always been a necessity in life; interacting with others is vital to being able to survive. Homeschooled children are stereotyped to be secluded from other children; critics argue that a homeschooled child will not be able to function properly in society if they are not exposed to other children early on (Jenkins). They are assumed to be socially awkward, and therefore deemed not able to function as well as children that have been public-schooled. Linda Dobson, author of many books centered on the topic of homeschooling, says that many confuse “socializing [-] talking and playing with other kids,” and “socialization [-] learning the proper rules of behavior for a culture” (Dobson 79). Neither of these matters are required to take place at a school environment, despite the beliefs of the masses. In reality, many families that practice homeschooling “do not even separate academic work from other aspects of life at all” (Gathercole 53). Moreover, homeschooled children participate in many of the same extracurriculars offered to public schooled children. In fact, a study conducted by Brian D. Ray, president of the NHERI (National Home Education Research Institute), shows that the average homeschooled kid is involved in at least five
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