I am curious how many people here on Dev.to homeschool their children (all around the world, not just US), since I'm not part of many communities I...
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I think by going to school you are forced to socialize, adapt and learn how society works as a whole. I'm not sure if homeschooling can teach children all of that. I like the idea of homeschooling, I like to spend my time with my children as much as possible. At the same time, I'm afraid that it will not prepare them for the harsh world out there. And I'm not going to be around for them forever.
That is the #1 criticism of homeschooling by a long shot (seriously, "But what about socialization?" is a running joke and a meme in homeschooling communities) and it's patently false.
What "socialization" do you learn in public schools?
Any experienced homeschooler will tell you that:
The socialization opportunities afforded by homeschooling are not only more plentiful and diverse, but far more healthy.
It is for a reason, because in many cases its true. Yes if parents are very involved in the process, form local groups to meet up with other homeschoolers, put their kids in clubs, etc, its possible to increase socializing, however in many cases this is not the case and homeschooled children dont interact much with the outside world, other than a small family circle, and become quite awkward when interacting with others.
I totally agree with a lot of the benefits you mentioned, but socializing is not among them. Parents have to be very aware of that factory if they decide to homeschool their child.
Patently wrong. As a 12 year homeschooling parent very involved in the homeschool community, I can attest that most, if not all, homeschoolers are better socialized than their schooled counterparts.
Let’s let that tired myth die, please.
We are barely home. Classes, field trips, museums, park days, get togethers, competitions, volunteering, jobs...homeschoolers experience the world and learn from real life far more than schooled kids and are not just around children their own age.
When else in life are we cooped up all day, week, and year long with only people born within a year of our birthday? And then, told not to socialize or talk or we get in trouble?
Homeschoolers collaborate, travel, work in groups, have to figure out social niceties, and typically avoid bullies and ostracizing and cliques because there is more supervision and more parents around (it takes a village).
They also go to college, trade schools, and start businesses. There’s no epidemic of former homeschoolers on welfare last time I checked. My eldest just graduated in June and got an A in his first community college course over the summer.
And now? Now many more are getting to have this wonderful experience due to Covid. An education tailored to the child and their interests? More time in a day to get school done and move on to hobbies, projects, and interests? This is the way.
Literally everything I listed includes more (and more diverse) socialization than public schools can offer.
By definition, they are - unlike those pawning off their kids on the state's glorified free daycare.
Even among the stereotypical homeschoolers who withdraw their kids from schools for religious reasons (and I can assure you there are plenty of secular homeschoolers, I spent the last 5 years building an LMS for them), the parents are heavily involved and the children are socialized.
My main argument was to your point:
Its not a joke and its not patently false. What part dont you get I am trying to make? I am just saying that by definition, if you "home school" there will be less socialization. Can you make it up? Yes, but it requires additional effort.
Am I against homeschooling? Of course not. Did I say children get better education or healthier social relationships at public schools? No. I just am saying that by definition those children that spend a big part of their day around others will have more interactions with others and socialize more than those that are home-schooled and stay at home. Dont you agree? Being in a class with 20 plus students forces you to interact with those around you if you like it or not. At home, you dont have that kind of dynamic.
No they are not. To be "very" involved requires a lot of time, and that means having some good financial stability, having both parents involved and many other factors that many households do not have.
In the US homeschooling has a stronger community support, but what about other countries? In many countries you are an isolated homeschooler if you choose to take that path.
I will also address the only 2 positive points you brought that are relevant to the topic regarding homeschoolers.
This is the whole point I am making. If you can organize such local groups and often meet up then go for it. What I am saying is that often this is not the case and these local groups are not formed. I personally know a few homeschoolers that never had such local groups and if they did it was very seldom they would meet up.
How exactly? Other than close family.
We have homeschooled our daughter since third grade. We used a variety of curriculum early on, trying to find the best fit. I think our favorite was Time4Learning, which we used for a few years through eighth grade.
For ninth grade we used Indiana University's online program. It was very college preparatory focused. Not a bad thing, but a bit too rigid for us - for example, old-school classics like photography, or business were not a course options.
For tenth grade, through today (eleventh grade), we have been using Nebraska University's online program. They have a large number of course options, their counselors will cater to your child's learning/career goals, and they even work with other programs when you want something they do not offer (our daughter is taking sign language for her language credits through BYU). They even have an on-campus formal graduation if you do not want to miss out on that experience.
We focus on (augment?) socialization through involvement in standard extra-curricular types of activities. For example, our daughter is a fourth degree black belt in taekwondo where she has made many friends. Now in their teens, they get together for various activities just like any other people of the same age.
And she's encountered many of the same trials of human interaction as any other person - disagreements, falling apart as friends (for whatever reason), boys, etc.
Homeschool means you can learn anywhere, so we have also traveled extensively as a family. What better way to learn about other cultures, historical events, etc. than to actually spend time there?
The biggest tip I would have for a parent on the homeschool path is to be intentional. That is to say that you cannot just drop them off in front of the curriculum and be done with it. You have to be involved in the learning process at some depth. If they are learning basic maths for example, find ways to call out where/how it is useful to you as you go about your family business.
Early on we helped organize her days. We keep her assignments and let her put gold stars on them so she can see her progress. These days she mostly does not need our guidance, which is my favorite outcome of homeschooling. She has learned to learn, not just memorize and regurgitate facts. We will regularly find her on YouTube learning about things around her desired career path (doctor) for ... fun. For fun! What high school junior intentionally seeks out more learning?
It is not for every child/parent, but we have no regrets about taking charge of her education.
Thanks for your comment. We picked time4learning for now, and see how things go. I agree homeschooling gives you so much flexibility. Kids are excited, public school put so much stress that we are glad to get away from it.
@kodaman2 I speak as both a homeschooling parent (at least before my ex-fiancee and I split) and as someone who spent the better part of the last 5 years architecting an eLearning platform for PreK-12 (unfortunately, one of the bootstrapping cofounders had to step away for both personal and family health issues, still waiting to see what I can open source and/or release as a product on my own in lieu of an angel investor who won't change the vision swooping in), and I spent that time learning a great deal about homeschooling both for personal and business reasons.
One thing I can tell you is definitely worth looking into is the Big History Project. It's linear history starting at the Big Bang, but also multi-disciplinary (one example is algebra during the "Golden Age of Islam"). It's free and offers resources and support groups (on Yammer) for public, private, charter and homeschool teachers alike.
It's based on what Bill Gates has referred to as the best college course he took.
Thanks for your comment. I look forward to BHP. I am hoping after the first year I'd be able to develop a full time curriculum site.
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