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Homeschooling

In: English and Literature

Submitted By dozer1
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Have you ever sat back and thought of all the advantages homeschooling has to offer? Although homeschooling seems like it would not be a smart decision to make, it actually pays off. Children are able to wake up in the morning and go to class without having to rush or even ride a bus. How would children like to learn in diverse environments, not just in small classrooms? Being homeschooled, children are around better access to different types of knowledge and decisions rather than being in public school. Children who are homeschooled achieve many things, whereas students in the public school systems often do not. Most home-schooled children learn how to be independent by having to receive their education by themselves, unlike those in public school. Statistics prove that children being homeschooled are known to test better and are actually socially interactive. Homeschooling is a better alternative because children who are homeschooled have been shown to have better test scores and have awesome social skills.
People all over the United States have heard of homeschooling. Homeschooling is becoming increasingly popular with more students being enrolled every day. Most parents would rather teach their children instead of allowing them to attend public schools. Children who are homeschooled have the same success as would a public schooling. In 1997, thirteen year-old Rebecca Sealfon was the first home schooled student to win the National Spelling Bee. Moreover, in 2000, George Thampy, twelve, beat two other homeschooled students to win the National Spelling Bee, one week after coming in second place in the National Geographic Bee, and he was homeschooled. "Some feel that traditional public schools have a one-size-fits-all approach to education," Beattie-Moss explains. "They believe that homeschooling allows them to tailor the curriculum to their child's interests and abilities” (4). These parents feel as if the public school system is declining, which results in them withdrawing their kid/kids from the public school system. Most people think that people who are homeschooled, are not smart. Many different people believe that students who are home-schooled do not test as well as students who are in public school, but that is not accurate. According to the HSLDA, “Children who are home-schooled score about 72 points higher than the national average on the Scholastic Aptitude Test” (7). In South Carolina, the National Center for Home Education did a survey of 65 homeschool students and found that the average scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills were 30 percentile points higher than national public school averages. In math, 92 percent of the homeschool students scored above grade level, and 93 percent of the homeschool students were at or above grade level in reading (HSLDA 6). Children that are homeschooled make better on standardized tests rather than children at public schools. Children that are homeschooled are known to go into college with a better GPA than with public school GPA. Children who are being homeschooled have more one-on-one interactions, and fewer distractions, which result in higher grades. Students that are homeschooled have a more flexible schedule; therefore, learning key skills for success makes them independent students in college. Although, students who are being homeschooled have a more flexible schedule, they have to be more discipline than public school children about staying on task and getting all of their work finished which prepares them better for college life. Most people believe that if you are homeschooled, it is harder for you to get into college, but that is a myth. Children who are homeschooled often tend to earn more credits before they start college, rather than public schools do not earn as many credits. “Michael Cogan, a researcher at the University of St. Thomas, discovered that homeschool students typically earn more college credits before their freshman year than traditional students, with 14.7 credits for homeschoolers, and 6.0 for traditional students” (Site Administrator 1). Students that are homeschooled are more focused and less distracted than public school kids, which results in higher test grades.
Some people say that if a child is homeschooled they: depend on their parents too much for work, do not hang out with kids outside their family, and are naïve about “worldly” subjects. Most of the originals statements that have been made about homeschooling have been proven to be myths. The misconception that you depend on your parents to do your work, if you are homeschooled is not true. According to Heinrichs, “A 2009 Canadian Centre for Home Education survey of home-schooled adults, in fact, found that a greater proportion of home-schooled students obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees” (Heinrichs 5). People that say homeschooled children do not hang out with kids outside of their family is a false statement. When in reality, children whom are homeschooled get the same opportunity as kids who are in public school to make friends. “In fact, a Fraser Institute report states that Canadian home-schooled students are regularly involved in an average of eight social activities outside the home” (Heinrichs 3). Some people say that students whom are homeschooled are naïve and do not know what other kids who are in public school know. That is a myth, of course, because no matter if the parent is the teacher or not, most parents will still teach their kids right from wrong. Children are capable of having social skills, regardless, to where or how they go to school. People are now proven to think otherwise, rather than just to think that children who are homeschooled are socially awkward, because statistics now show different. Not only are the kids that are homeschooled better test takers, but they are also very sociable, despite the very old beliefs about being homeschooled.
Some of the downfalls of being homeschooled is the child/children are not exposed to certain social situations such as bullying, limited team sports, and missing out on extracurricular activities. Children get bullied every day, but most kids can handle it. Many students have gotten bullied before in public schools. Children have to learn to stand up for yourself. Children who get homeschooled do not learn that because they are not in school with anyone they do not really know or like. Children who are homeschooled are not subjected with different types of conflict that arise whenever you have different groups of individuals together. Therefore, when conflicts arise, children who are homeschooled may not be as equipped as children who have been in public schools and had to deal with issues like that. Children who are homeschooled are limited on the sports that they can play. Most of the time, counties just have school sports instead of recreational sports. Shaw stated, “While community sports activities fill the void for younger kids, teens often find limited opportunities to join sports teams, especially competitive ones. Depending on where you live, homeschoolers may or may not be welcome to participate on teams with their public-schooled peers” (Shaw 5). Kids that are homeschooled miss out on public school extracurricular activities. Children who are homeschooled do not have any dances to go to, pep rallies to attend, sports games to go to, or they cannot even show school spirit. They miss out on so much. One day whenever they get older, some will regret missing out on so much. Children who are homeschooled miss out on certain advantages that children who are in public schools get to attend.
Homeschooling is a great way for a student to exceed in academics. Although many people give negative comments on homeschooling, statistics show that homeschooling is better than the public school system. Students who are homeschooled test better and have higher GPAs on average, rather than the public school students. Many people feel as if kids who are homeschooled are socially awkward, but statistics show otherwise. Children who are homeschooled actually perform well in those areas also. I believe that being homeschooled is a wonderful way to learn and is very successful. “We want our children to become who they are--- and a developed person is, above all, free. But freedom as we define it doesn't mean doing what you want. Freedom means the ability to make choices that are good for you. It is the power to choose to become what you are capable of becoming, to develop your unique potential by making choices that turn possibility into reality. It is the ability to make choices that actualize you. As often as not, maybe more often than not, this kind of freedom means doing what you do not want, doing what is uncomfortable or tiring or boring or annoying” (Millman, Homeschooling: A Family’s Journey).

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