Many parents are facing the decision on where to put their children for school. Whether it is a young kindergartener entering school for the first time, or a middle schooler facing the high school world, many parents are wondering what the home school vs. public schools debate is all about. Are there pros and cons on each side of the issue? How are concerned parents supposed to decide what the best education option for their children is?
Perhaps you have heard people talking about home school vs. public schools, and saying that children who are home schooled lack socialization, and because of this, you are better off putting your children in public school. Before you buy into this argument, stop and think about what socialization really is. Socialization is teaching your children how to interact with people. In a public school, your children will learn how to interact with children their own age. Interactions with adults are limited to authority figures, and children rarely socialize with children of other age groups. Also, when your children are in the public school, you have little to no control over the type of interaction that occurs. In a homeschool environment, you can teach your children how to interact with children through extra curricular sports, 4H programs, boy and girl scouts, and other community programs. Also, when you take your children into the community for field trips and other activities, you teach them how to interact properly with adults. This point in the home school vs. public schools debate is simply invalid.
Another point of the home school vs. public schools debate centers on education. Many parents feel that all of the extras that a public school offers mean that a public school offers students a better education. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are multitudes of excellent homeschooling resources for a family to use. In the elementary levels, homeschooling curriculums are easy enough to understand that parents have no trouble educating their children. The internet is full of resources for the homeschooling family when they come across a difficult topic. Not only that, but most communities also have homeschooling support groups that are excellent resources for extra help. High schoolers can take advantage of taking a class or two at a local school, whether it be private or public, or online education courses. Many kids who are homeschooled graduate early, and are able to complete their college or vocational training ahead of others in their same age level.
One thing often overlooked in the home school vs. public schools debate is the one-on-one instruction that the homeschooled child receives. Ask any public school teacher what they wish they could have in their classroom, and they would likely tell you that one thing they wish they had was more time to spend working with kids one-on-one. When a child is taught as an individual, instead of as a member of a large class, instruction can be tailored to his or her individual learning styles, interests, and abilities. Homeschooling families can often accomplish more with their children in a shorter amount of time when they are not held down by the constraints that arise when teaching a group of fifteen to thirty students.
Many people look at the home school vs. public schools debate when they are considering the worldview they want their children to be taught. Many do not feel comfortable with the worldview perpetuated by a majority of the public schools in our nation. Not only that, but with the rise in school shootings, drugs, and teenage promiscuity, many parents also feel that their children would simply be safer at home. While we cannot protect our children from everything in this world, as parents we have a responsibility to protect them whenever we can. Some feel that homeschooling gives them the opportunity to provide that level of protection in the world of education. When considering this debate, keep in mind that you do not have to sacrifice education or socialization to home school your children. If you feel that the benefits of home schooling are worth the effort you will need to do so, then home schooling is the right answer for you!
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