Homeschool vs normal school?

Question

I've been in homeschool from 5th grade till 12th grade. I would say that homeschool has many advantages. I can study more, there isn't peer pressure, and I can spend more time with my family. But there are disadvantages. 1 is I find it hard to socialize with people.

Are there any homeschoolers out there, who have the same problem?

For people who heard about homeschool, do you think it is better than normal schools?

I meant regular school, btw, not normal school.

for weston_young- You seem a bit pessimistic. Have you tried homeschool before?

for vadnj0- Good answer. I couldn't agree more.

for pcpy- yes, parents should set the schedule and make sure that their son/daughter follows the schedule. I'm thankful that my mother took care of the schedule and made sure that I follow the schedule.

for UP- what I meant for peer pressure is-not only for people picking on you, but also drugs, sex, etc.

for JeNe- i would reccomend this curriculum for homeschoolers. I used this during highschool, and I find it very helpful.

http://www.abeka.com

For Duinlas C-

" Whether it is better or not depends on the child and the parents. If the parents aren't able to be involved in most of the day, it is very difficult for children to learn."

Thank you for your informative answer. I agree on what you said.

Answer 1

Your questions are excellent because they are both problems that many parents AND children face when they are homeschooling.

The last is the first I will answer.

It is very difficult to call anything in life "better" than something else. For me, homeschooling was just what I needed. Times have changed and the resources and support availible for homeschooling keeps increasing and improving every year. Twenty years ago, you were very much on your own as well as against many people. Many attitudes have changed and school officials are more understanding and even many of the general public understand that homeschooling is a valid alternative for many people.

Whether it is better or not depends on the child and the parents. If the parents aren't able to be involved in most of the day, it is very difficult for children to learn. But, while keeping that in mind, even parents who don't remember or don't know all the basics they learned in school can still guide their children into learning it. Homeschooling can create very motivated children who actively seek out knowledge. This is a great advantage that often is not present in traditional public or private schooling. (Caveat: Obviously there are exceptional schools out there in the world that do not fall into the average.)

Aside from testing, it's very important to observe the child. Often times you can tell if the child is learning properly by their behavior. They may need some help shoring up certain subjects, but if they can passionately talk about something they read on a subject, then it is a good bet that homeschooling is working effectively for them. If, however, they seem very disinterested in everything, and it is a struggle to get them to do ANY subject at all, then perhaps homeschooling is not working out.

There are certain subjects that you MUST make sure your child knows. Math is perhaps the most important. A lot of parents don't remember math the way that's required for many grades in school. I suggest hiring a college-level math major to come in an tutor. Generally speaking the college student will really work well with the student since, if they are a math major, they have a great knowledge of all levels of math and also are an older "kid" still in the eyes of the homeschooled student and so will have a bit of a 'cool' aura.

As for socialization there are homeschool groups in local areas all around the country. A little local research often will turn up groups the parents and children can join and interact with. One warning note: Many of these groups can have strong religious bases and much of their interaction will be based around that. If you are not of their religion or fervour it might be an uncomfortable situation. Do your homework before showing up! Nothing would be worse than showing up expecting support and getting a sermon.

I see homeschoolers as having an advantage in the realm of socialization.

It is up to the parents to make sure their children can find themselves in situations where socialization will prepare them for the real world. As many public-school graduates can attest, highschool is not often a real reflection of the "real world." Often cited by homeschool-activists is that socialization is not the real question, but rather "Prom" and things of that sort. While important rites-of-passage they are by no means critical to development of a healthy adult. Many people skip prom and are no worse for wear. In fact, it could be argued that as many people who enjoy prom also dread it and dislike it.

I would suggest the following types of activities and ideas that will ensure homeschooled children have a healthy interaction with their peers as well as non-peers!

Get connected with homeschooling support groups, both state and local organizations - As I said earlier, these support groups are great for both new homeschoolers and long-time homeschoolers. You will learn new ideas and get inspired as well as be made aware of the problems and dangers other parents and children have faced.

Find pen pals or e-pals (email) - In this day and age there is more and more opportunatey to have great friends that you never have met. What once took weeks to mail across the world can now happen in seconds. Consider the types of experiences that can be shared with friends in China, India, Europe, or Africa.

Get involved in community resources and opportunities - sports, scouting, dance/theater, etc. Contact your local parks and recreation departments -- This is something most people overlook. Every community has many things that parents can do, students can do and that parents and children can do together. Athletic activities are by no means limited to the public school system. Consider Martial Arts seriously. As a 14 year martial artist I've gained so much as a human and gained confidence and fitness far above what the average person can. Also think about music lessons in an instrument. Many teachers or independent music schools also put on concerts for family and friends. This is both a great chance for your child to gain a skill that they will cherish for life and show off to all your family and friends. (Let's face it, parents also want to be able to show off how great their kid is, too.)

Check out your community college, which is a good source for older students and allows them to interact with a lot of different people of different ages -- I can't stress this enough. Most people think that college is after highschool but there is great benefit for teenagers to take a class or two and the subjects that are offered at community colleges are often very exciting to a teenager.

Volunteering -- Volunteering is a great way to socialize but be aware there may be age restrictions, but some organizations will allow a child to accompany a parent volunteer.

Look into Camps. Camp is a wonderful chance for socialization and most camps have multi-age groups and counselors who act as role models.

I hope this has helped with your questions.

Answer 2

There is a way to home school and a way not to homeschool.

First off not all parents are prepared to homeschol such, as the woman who says her children can not keep a schedule. If you are a homeschool parent you have to be prepared to follow through and set a schedule. You can not be your childs friend you have to be the teacher.

My kids do great and are much better able to handle a schedule than when they were in public school and they were so burnt out at the end of the day it would be a fight to get homework done. Not so now as we make the lessons real, interactive and fun. But my children know that school starts at 11:00 each day. We choose to have a 7 day week and shorter days. And since we home school even if we go on a trip on the weekend we take our work with us.
I never learned ANY social skills in school. I only learned ANTI social skills. How to cuss, How to follow the croud, how to be pressured into doing the wrong thing. I work with other homeschooling parent to have cooperative learning. And I enroll my children in classes and take them to parks to play with other kids. I work hard to put my children into settings where the other children there have parents who keep an active interest in their children. Because those Children generally have better manners and Pro active social skills.

The fact is I was not home schooled I went to public school and I have a hard time socializing with people and my daughter is homeschooled has excellant social skills and can make friends just about anywhere. All too often I will go shopping in a small store only to find my my daugher has talked to clerk into letteing her bag the groceries. She can and will start a converstation with anyone. Your social skills may not be related to homeschooling. It just may be that you are naturaly shy.

Answer 3

I know where your coming from I was homeschooled thur high school as well as my 2 younger sisters. now my mother is homeschooling my little brothers and baby sister from Pre-k thur High the oldest is in 5th grade and the youngest started pre-k this year... ( as you can tell we have a large family I'm the oldest at 23) I'm not sure that I will be homeshcooling my children( I have a son age 3) mainly because I'm not confident enough.
After spending my high school years as a homeschooler I feel like I'm missed out on so many social activities, I was a little shy around people and new siutations anthought I've since learnt to do better in these ordeals.
My mother has found a local homeschooling support group that's called P.E.A.C.H it stands for Parents and Educators of Augusta County Homeschoolers( augusta county virginia). They have a directory of all the homeschooler families ... they have "workshops" andparents nights as well as a monthly activity day for the children which I've been lucky enough to help teach at... they have classes for the differnt ages /grades and some genders( older groups) they do crafts and have a fun lesson, also we met monthly for a field trip or two and a trip to the local skating rink.
my mother has involved my brothers in PEACH and they seem to be up to par with the public school kids when it comes to social and living skills. all except they do have more time with their family and for hobbies they like tp pursue... maybe there is a similar program in your area? ask around ..start at the local library that's how we found out about local support group. If your search is uneventful maybe you could start your own homeschooling suport group? we live in a small town yet there are alot of homeschoolers ( some travel 30+ miles to the meetings) but I'd feel safe to say there are at least 300 chilrdren enrolled in our group... go ahead check it out and the best of luck to you ..don't let anyone make you feel bad because you are /where homeschooled they are just uneducated on the subject!

Answer 4

I think something needs to be understood:

Coming out of high school, a lot of people are not necessarily finding it easy to socialize. I remember my first year of university--there were the super social people who were able to approach everyone and those like me, who were more introverted and shy, who did not socialize quite so much.

It's taken me years to develop social skills that I'm fairly comfortable with, but I'm still an introvert and don't like certain social situations. I will always be an introvert, I have always been an introvert. I spent all 13 years (k-12) of public school being an introvert.

Finding it hard to socialize with people does not have to have anything to do with homeschooling, as you can see. Both my kids are far more social than I was with 'new' kids, yet they've only ever been homeschooled. There are certain personality traits that will remain regardless of where go to school.

Answer 5

I went to public school from k-12 and the whole time i had 3 friends, and only 1 of them was a close friend. I was not very social. To quote glurpy, i was an introvert. I now home school my children, 1 who went to public school until recently and is a complete introvert, and another who has only known home school but is an absolute social butterfly, i also have 2 others who aren't at school age yet but who are learning a lot of the basic kindergarten stuff just from being around their brothers when they are learning. My point is that you can not generalize and say that home school causes kids to be "antisocial" because in our experience its been the exact opposite.
Every child id different and as parents it is our job to find out what suits them best as individuals and follow that path.

Answer 6

I am in "homeschool", well it is actually Connections Academy, like Mamma M's siblings. I just started this year so I still hang out with my friends from last and we do hang out all the time. But I find it difficult to make new friends. I love all the things you love about being schooled at home. I guess it depends on what your personality is, because I know homeschoolers who are in tons of clubs and activities and dont have all that many friends.

Answer 7

Good for you! Homeschoolers are often regarded as "social retards" however, you have a great advantage over many students. You listed most of them. Having an academic advantage is crucial in this day and age. You will go to college or university(where socializing is more important) meet someone nice and easily obtain your degree. Homeschoolers are safer, nicer kids(personal experience) and have more creativity than their peers. Normal schools lean towards a "factory" education. That is, they teach you stuff and you spew it back. Homeschooling offers more in the way of critical thinking, conceptualizing and, generally speaking, allowing you to actually think. Take care in your future studies. Bye for now.

Answer 8

Homeschool, Public/Private schools are all fine to me. My culture doesn't really have home schooling but i think the problem most parents make when home school (especially in the US) is that they lock there kids away from the outside world. I have no problems with it cuz if u choose to do it u must know why and it must work out better for you (by lock i mean keeping them away from there peer groups)

They must remember that humans are social beings, we have a natural need for interaction among others. I think that they should occasionally have them go out and interact with others. It is while growing up we learn how to interact with persons and then inturn learn how to deal with situations that arise.

I understand that there is no peer pressure but for me i think that peer pressure is essential for developing skills in dealing with people and situations when you grow older, you learn to make the right choice or the consequenses from the worng ones.

Answer 9

Home Schooling is T3h Pwnz0r! Home school power! Sticking it to the man!

I homeschoed for K and 1st. then I went to public school until 5th grade because we moved. I continued homeschooling until 7th grade, when I switched to cyberschooling. I am now in tenth grade attending Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, where I have arts instruction in the morning and in the afternoon take cyber classes.

Home school is better than public school because your parent/tutor tends to care that you are actually learning something, rather than just getting you to pass the tests. Plus, I always felt held back by others in Public school. I also think that It is better than cyber school, because I tend to get apathetic on my work. (like right now when i'm supposed to be doing my geometry). I am, however of the firm mind that there needs to be more competition in the public education system.

For years, you were forced to either use the crappy public schools or pick up the bill for your own education, in addition to the school taxes, which are generally outrageous. Now with states allowing charter schools to take school taxes from familys willing to send their child to that school, not are there better schools emerging, but Public schools are being forced to evaluate their program (and possibly divert some funds from their football program.)
^Capitalism... It's t3h pwnz0r.^

Edit: I do find that I have a hard time socially, especially coming directly into high school, but there are co-ops that allow home schoolers to socialize.

Answer 10

I am way to old to approach this question from the student but I have known many parents that have tried homeschooling their children. It has not worked very well as neither they nor the child has the ability to set a schedule and stick with it. There is no penalty for failure and no peer pressure to succeed. Giving the present situation in our schools now, what with all of the "no child left behind cra*" and them being flooded with children who can't speak English and think school is a place to go to learn the finer art of stealing from Americans, it is a tough choice for parents.

Glad your experience was good.