Why do most people think that people who home-school aren't as intelligent as people who attend public school?

Question

A lot of people assume that children that home-school aren't as intelligent as kids of go to public schools. How come?

A lot of people assume that children that home-school aren't as intelligent as kids of go to public schools. How come?

That's how I've been educated and many people have told me that people had told them that people who home-school learn slower.

A lot of people also ask me if I have any friends. Of course I do! I don't blame the source of education one bit for people's socializing skills. I think it all depends on whether you try to socialize or not.

I welcome all appropriate opinions! If you give your input on the situation then I appreciate it! :)

Answer 1

I've been homeschooled my entire life, but last year (7th grade) I decided to go to school. Everybody thought I was going to be really dumb and unsocial. I hate how people stereotype like that, I was actually smartest in all my classes, made gold honor roll, and was in two advanced classes.
And not only was I homeschooled, but a lot of it was unschooling (where you don't actually have things scheduled you just go "hey, let's go to the zoo today!" and learn things just by living)
But it really varies, some homeschooled kids aren't very smart, but it's not because they're homeschooled. Most homeschooled kids who aren't too bright I find were in the public school system and then pulled out because they weren't as smart or not very social, etc. But all the kids I know who have been homeschooled since the start, are very bright, creative individuals. And although they are mostly dorky kids, that doesn't matter. Does Bill Gates look cool? No. But he's got more money than anybody else!

Answer 2

Those who assume that homeschooled kids aren't as intelligent are taking the position that most homeschooling parents are not trained as teachers so can't teach their kids effectively.

There's also the part of who sticks out more: the 'smart' homeschooled kids or the ones with difficulties or poor educational environment?

Another thing is the definition of 'intelligent'. Most people use this word to refer to the knowledge a person has, not how well they think. So, if a grade 5 child in homeschooling doesn't know some history or science thing that local school kids are studying, then the heads get shaken, tsk tsk's are given, because "he's just not learning as much at home". Doesn't matter that he's spent his whole year studying ancient Rome or Egypt, has mummified a fish and can tell you all the parts of a fish. It never gets that far. The informal 'testing' adults do on homeschooled kids has a particular bias to what is being done in schools, as though there's some age requirement to have certain knowledge.

Answer 3

I personally didn't know people thought that way about homeschooled children. But I'd assume people who go to public schools see and have structure and everyone they know ( of course classmates) do the same things they do. I guess they wouldn't know better than to think like that about homeschooled children. Homeschooling is no more than what any parent does when they sit down with their kids and review homework, spelling words, timestables, etc, Well a little more, we as parents provide the formant for our children's education, we decide the lessons for the day,week, months,etc. Love and a natural setting is provided. Homeschooled children are football players, cheerleaders, soccer, etc. The biggest difference is that they're in a better environment. I taught my children for just 1 year, PROMISE-- both of my kids were 2 years ahead of their public school levels when I had to go back to work.

Answer 4

People tend to think that you've been home schooled for a reason...like you need extra help. Then there are some that think home schooling is just an exuse to not do any schooling what so ever. I am home schooled, and the same thing has happened to me.
As for the socialising...it is a little different because you are mostly on your own when you are working..unless you have home schooled friends/brothers and sisters. But what they don't realise is that you only have to work for a little over 4 hrs...so have plenty of time to go out with friends and things! (well thats what I've found)

Anyway thats my answer!!!

Answer 5

I don't know why, especially considering Reader's Digest just published an article that included a homeschooling example. It also stated a Columbia U. Study that showed that homeschoolers scored higher on college entrance exams than p.s. students.
The main thing they assume is that homeschoolers have very little social interaction when this is not the case. Yes, there are a few bad examples of parents who don't let their children socialize, but people fail to realize that these are the minority among homeschoolers. Most communities have homeschooling co-ops for socialization. There are millions of groups, many not directed exclusively towards homeschoolers.

Answer 6

People are just afraid of what they don't understand. Therefore they don't give it a chance. Don't be persuaded by the minority-its not most people, its people who are ignorant toward some methods of education. i was home-schooled for a little while and I'm in advanced progressive English, advanced maths and I'm now going to a public school. I know which method i prefer and am looking at going back on.

Answer 7

Socially, I don't think they're as intelligent. In a public school, you're in an environment where you're forced to be with people, whether you like them or not. When you're homeschooled, yes of course you can make friends, but you don't have to be around people you don't get along with everyday. For projects, you have to learn to work in a team to accomplish a goal, particularly in those problematic groups where some members decide not to work. In essence, I think children who are in public schools learn to deal with personality conflicts a lot better than homeschooled children. It's not that I have anything against homeschooling, but it's because they have less exposure to dealing with all types of people, and this is an essential skill throughout their careers.

Answer 8

I'd like to know where you got your statistics. I know some people who have been home-schooled, and a few people who have in the past or who are now home-schooling their children. I do not know anyone who assumes that these people or their children are not intelligent. I do know some people who worry that the children are not as well taught as those going to public or private schools, which is a different matter entirely.

Answer 9

Why? A complete lack of understanding concerning home education.
Prejudice, hostility, and downright anger is alive and well in this country toward homeschool families.
Part of the problem is the media. You cannot turn on the tv without homeschool families being portrayed as stupid, controlling, backwards, weird, even abusive families.
Part of the problem is the NEA. They actively speak out against the homeschool community. I have personally experienced extreme prejudice against my children from a number of sources just in the last couple of months. People do not understand because of these reasons, and many many more.
But the worst reason is they don't want to know.
There is plenty of education out there.
People just don't want to listen.

Answer 10

It is because of the homes schoolers we meet. Think about it. A family chooses to home school their children. If the parents are educated, responsible, and organized, the children will do very well in home school. In fact, they will probably excel. But for the most part they will be in their own world. They will be involved with other home schoolers in special classes, activities, and often church groups. Rarely will they meet children and adults that are in the “schooled” social circles. They will often go all the way through high school without interacting with people in the “schooled” areas and so we never see how educated, active, social and so on they are.

Who do we see? Two main groups. The parents who tried to home school, but couldn’t. Either they didn’t have enough education themselves and/or weren’t organized and disciplined enough to truly work with their children. These children enter the ‘schooled” world behind their peers either academically or socially, or both and are sadly become the baseline the “schooled” world uses to judge all home schoolers. In this day and age for public school, it can be even worse. Last year my school received a home schooled family of 6 three weeks before the standardized tests. The oldest was in 5th grade and not one even knew how to hold a pencil. Obviously, they all failed the test and my whole school was penalized for their abysmal scores. You can imagine how all the teachers at my school felt. Here we are constantly being bashed by the mass media and general public as "failing" and being told that parents who home school have children who exceed public school students, and yet it was these children who were home schooled who helped to cause our "failing" rating.

The other group is the “late in life” home schoolers. They are the parents who consistently find fault with every school, program and teacher that their children come in contact with. In the case of one of mine this year, I had a 7 year old child who had been through 5 schools and 11 teachers. (Think- that is in two years!) The child’s father, who can’t read, constantly stormed into my classroom screaming at the top of his lungs complaining about everything; the other children, the other teachers, the homework, the schoolwork, lunch… . When he didn’t get an answer he liked, he screamed at the other 19 children in my classroom , “Say good-bye to your teacher cuz she ain’t goin’ be your teacher no more, I’m goin’ put her in jail!”

Eventually, the child was removed from my classroom and after 3 weeks the father started to do the same thing to the new teacher. When he was informed that there weren’t any other options left for his daughter, he took her out to “home school” her. Do you really think this child will have any real social skills? Besides social skills, I worry greatly about her academic skills. How can a man who can barely read and write himself teach his own children?

Yes, I know you are thinking, “But these are aberrations, something out of the ordinary, extreme cases. I wish that was true, but in my school we have at least one situation like this a year. Sadly it is these children who are usually the only homeschooled children we have experience with.

A fair assessment of the average home schoolers? No. But sadly realistic examples of our only experiences.