Home Schooling
The debate over home schooling has been a hot topic for many over the past few years. Home schooling can be defined as, “to teach school subjects to one’s children at home” (Merriam-Webster Online, 2003). However, the main debate is not over whether or not children should be taught at home; rather, the question debated is if home-schooled children are as prepared socially as those children who are traditionally schooled.
Although opponents of home schooling claim that children who are educated at home do not develop their social skills at the same rate as their peers who attend traditional schools, research findings indicate that students who are home-schooled develop socially at the same rate as those who are traditionally schooled.
Home schooling originated in a time when there were a small number of schools. Even when more public and community schools became available, traditional groups like the Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons, chose to school their young children at home. The Amish society kept their older children out of the public schools and chose to educate them through life in the community. The movement for home schooling has become more prevalent in modern day education. Many parents opt to educate at home, whether it be for religious purposes or because they are pursuing the philosophy of child-led learning. Whatever the reason for home schooling, it has become a predominant form of education in society today (Lines, 1995).
Society inflicts many stereotypes upon those who “go against the norm.” Children who are home-schooled are seen as shy, passive, introverted people who do not get along well in society. It is believed that parents of home-schooled children are protecting their chil...
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Bibliography
Aiex, N. (1994). Home Schooling and Socialization of Children. ERIC Digest. Retrieved April 23, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed372460.html
Jaycox, R. (2001). Rural Home Schooling and Place-Based Education. ERIC Digest. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed459971.html
Lines, P. (1995). Home Schooling. ERIC Digest, Number 95. Retrieved April 23, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed381849.html
Merriam-Webster Online. (2003). Home School. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=homeschooled
National Home Education Research Institute. (2002). Home Education Research Fact Sheet. National Home Education Research Institute. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.nheri.org/content.php?menu=1002&page_id=24
Just as a caterpillar changes into a complex and beautiful butterfly over time, education too is evolving and changing into something completely different than the “3 R’s” of the past. How education should evolve is a highly disputed topic. Although there appear to be many solutions these solutions often have many flaws. There has yet to be a single solution to solve this dilemma. Even though their perspectives on education differ, Brian D. Ray and Rachel S. Cox seek to tackle this issue in their respective articles, “Does Home Schooling Promote the Public Good?” and “The Home School Debate.” Ray is biased toward home-schooling being the solution to the ails of public education and believes that education issues can be resolved by encouraging
One main doubt that many people believe is that home schooling makes a negative approach to one’s child social skills. This is based on the supposition that children who are home schooled are trapped at home all the time. People who still suppose that children are home 365 days a year are mistaken, because home school children have several opportunities to interact with other kids their own age. According to Dr. Brian D. Ray, his studies substantiate that, homeschooled students are engaged in outside activities. They are frequently caught up in activities such as field trips, sports, etc. Homeschooled children do not only hang out with people their own age, but they learn how to socialize with people of all ages. This is a great benefit because they learn to communicate and become amiable (Ray 1).
When it comes to education, many have various opinions on how children should and should not be educated. A common debate is over the efficiency of homeschooling, and whether or not homeschooling is better than public schooling. In ways, homeschoolers and school-going children are quite similar. On the other hand, there are also several differences in these children, and the ways in which they are taught. Often, homeschoolers and public schooled children are stereotyped. Most people will automatically label these children in their mind from what they have heard about the type of education that the children are receiving. It is imperative to compare and contrast these education methods to get a better understanding of them.
Moreover, some families choose to Homeschool in order to screen their child’s curriculum to remove secularist views found in modern day public school curriculum (2002). Others have children with special needs or learning disabilities, so they choose to homeschool (Maaja, 1997). Ultimately, families are looking for what they believe is best for their children. And these families want to be actively involved in the education of their children. Homeschooling parents do not want strangers raising their children. They want to raise their children with freedom from government systems and institutions (Ray, 2000a).
Parents decide to homeschool their children for multiple reasons. The most commonly given reason for homeschooling is religious and/or moral values. These reasons make up roughly seventy-five percent of parents. Some of these parents want more spiritual lessons taught that would not be provided in other schools. Others do not want their children to learn about evolution theories or sex education. The second most popular reason for hom...
Lyman(2006) writes about the definition, history, and current social importance of homeschooling in the United States. The author defines the education which is provided at home instead of school as homeschooling. She sates thatearlier homeschooling was confined mostly to the handicapped children who were not fit along with the regular students, who need extra care and the wealthier classes who wanted their children to be prepared for university studies. She continues to give an information that the number of families considering their children to have their schooling at home is increasing every year with the awareness of the positive traits of homeschooling followed bythe research work by the educational specialists, even while other education
Ray, Brian D. “Home Schooling: The Ameliorator of Negative Influences on Learning?” PJE: Peabody Journal of Education. 2000 Academic search premier. EBSCOhost. Middlesex County College Library, Edison. 15 Apr. 2003
An estimated 4 million children are currently home schooled with a 15-20% yearly growth rate. According to a California study by researcher Dr. Brian [D.] Ray, 92 percent of school superintendents believe that home learners are emotionally unstable, deprived of proper social development and too judgmental of the world around them. The latest claim against home schooling suggests that home schoolers are potential child abusers. Mr. Ron Barnard, a Holly High School teacher says that he would prefer public schooling for his children because of the peer socialization, extra curricular, and mandated curriculum. Public schooling is more efficient in educating our youth than traditional home schooling.
Olsen, Glenn W., and Mary Lou Fuller. Home and school relations: teachers and parents working together. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.
One might ask why some parents decide to home school their children rather than send them to public school to receive a traditional public education. In his article, “What Have We Learned About Homeschooling,” Eric Isenberg offers data which says, “Families choose to homeschool their children for both academic and religious reasons” (407). Even so, most people claim that public school offers the perfect environment for learning and developing. They argue
All children in America have the right to a quality education. Most students receive that education through conventional means, going to a public or private school. There is another option for today's children, home schooling. Home schooling is a controversial issue. While it does have its benefits, some people believe it has too many downfalls to be an effective method of education. In this paper, topics such as academic impact, social impact, and parental opinions of home schooling will be discussed.
Studies have shown year after year that homeschooled students consistently perform just as well as (or in many cases better than) traditionally schooled students on standardized academic exams. But very rarely does anyone ask why this is, or what caused the student to do so well, because they are usually too concerned with questions about the student’s social life or if they would be able to handle the transition into college. Therefore, my thesis statement is: Homeschooled students often achieve higher academic success and are more active in their communities than traditionally schooled students, due to a personalized approach to learning that emphasizes individuality. My research paper will debunk some popular myths about homeschooling, and give the real reasons why homeschoolers are so successful.
Today, many parents are homeschooling their children. A U.S. Department of Education’s report shows that approximately 1.5 million children were being homeschooled in 2007 (Lips & Feinberg, 2008). This is almost 3 percent of all school age children (Lips & Feinberg, 2008). A private researcher, the National Home Education Research Institute, estimates 2.5 million children were being homeschooled in the 2007 – 2008 academic years (Lips & Feinberg, 2008). By either count, homeschooling is growing exponentially.
School was designed to equally teach all children not only book knowledge but also offer practice in cooperation with others on a social scale. The home was designed to teach children right from wrong, to respect and obey authority, and how to socially function properly with others. Sadly, the parents ...
In the recent times, home schooling has been the most sought mode of learning by the American parents. In fact, it estimated that over 1 million children in America are now undergoing home schooling (Cooper, 2005). Although this form of learning is legally acceptable, parents are entrusted with teaching and coaching their children in all subjects. In addition, parents can also hire private tutors for their children as part of home schooling. This form of learning is aimed at ensuring that parents commit themselves in ensuring their children are able to learn like other kids in public schools.