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I was homeschooled from 2nd grade up all the way through high school. I've seen kids destroyed by home schooling and I've seen kids saved by home schooling. Yo

by zaphar 12y ago

I was homeschooled from 2nd grade up all the way through high school. I've seen kids destroyed by home schooling and I've seen kids saved by home schooling. You are absolutely correct that the potential is there but not always realized. Homeschooling shines when the parents play to it's strengths. * Individually tailored education at the elementary level provides a huge boost to many kids. * An environment that stresses and promotes self directed learning at the high school level also does wonders for a teenagers future. Done right home schooling encourages, rather than discourages, thinking for themselves through debate and conversation with adults. * Lack of social grace while it exists for some kids is far from the norm. So far from the norm that I consider it a myth. It gets trotted out in almost every discussion I encounter around home schooling. And yet for the overwhelming majority of Home Schooled kids it couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact I think that in many ways Social Skills can be one of the biggest advantages a Home Schooled child can have. Most kids learn to socialize from their friends. Those friends have no more idea than they do though. When they get their first job and/or attend college they have to learn all over again how to interact with adults. A home schooled child tends to learn to socialize from other adults. The number 1 thing most people noticed about me and other Home Schooled people I've known was how well we could hold a conversation with an adult. I've seen kids end up far too sheltered and harmed as a result but this is much less of a danger than most people think in my experience. The #1 thing to keep consider though if you are thinking about homeschooling is the time commitment. You will probably need one parent to commit to it full time because it's a lot of work.

aidenn0 12y ago
I went to a magnet high-school, and there were enough homeschooled kids who first went to public school there in 9th grade (or first since early elementary anyway) that I could make some observations: For a few weeks, there was a definite gap in social grace as the homeschooled kids adjusted to cultural norms. After that, a significant fraction were fitting in just fine. It is true that a larger fraction of the homeschooled kids were awkard than the non-homeschooled kids after this adjustment period, but there is significant selection bias here; I know for a fact that a few of those kids were pulled from early elementary school because they were awkward and getting bullied, so the cause/effect is potentially reversed there.
- mercer 12y ago
  This awkwardness might actually be a good thing, to a degree. As a homeschooled kid I never quite lost this 'awkwardness' upon entering the 'normal' school system. A big part of this awkwardness, for me, comes from an inability or lack of desire to conform to social behavior that seems pointless or downright negative. While I'm happy that I did go to a normal school eventually, and that I did learn how to fit in, I'm very happy with the fact that I seem to never lose a sense of (healthy?) skepticism, detachment, and dislike for many social behaviors around me. And while this is anecdotal, if I look at my younger siblings (who spent more time in the public school systems), there does seem to be a strong correlation between how much time they spent in public school, and how creative, inventive, eager to learn, and 'subversive' they are. And that in turn seems to correlate with how close their actual lifestyle fits their desired lifestyle. A number of my friends were also homeschooled, had to go through 'special' schools, or dropped out early. They all seem to have a similar 'awkwardness' in society, and they all seem to benefit from in similar ways. The biggest downside I've noticed is that those who spent too much time outside 'normal society' find it so hard to conform even a little that it causes problems in their life. But a healthy mix of homeschooling and social life (sports, etc.) might solve much of that.
- zaphar 12y ago
  Oh absolutely a home schooled kid thrust into a regular school environment will seem awkward at first before they adjusted. This is more due to the fact that the social norms of a high school are most definitely not the social norms of most of society. I think home school kids learn the latter first and the former only if they get placed into an environment where they need to. One set of social norms will serve them throughout life. The other is only useful for surviving till graduation.

by zaphar 12y ago

aidenn0 12y ago

I went to a magnet high-school, and there were enough homeschooled kids who first went to public school there in 9th grade (or first since early elementary anyway) that I could make some observations: For a few weeks, there was a definite gap in social grace as the homeschooled kids adjusted to cultural norms. After that, a significant fraction were fitting in just fine. It is true that a larger fraction of the homeschooled kids were awkard than the non-homeschooled kids after this adjustment period, but there is significant selection bias here; I know for a fact that a few of those kids were pulled from early elementary school because they were awkward and getting bullied, so the cause/effect is potentially reversed there.

mercer 12y ago
This awkwardness might actually be a good thing, to a degree. As a homeschooled kid I never quite lost this 'awkwardness' upon entering the 'normal' school system. A big part of this awkwardness, for me, comes from an inability or lack of desire to conform to social behavior that seems pointless or downright negative. While I'm happy that I did go to a normal school eventually, and that I did learn how to fit in, I'm very happy with the fact that I seem to never lose a sense of (healthy?) skepticism, detachment, and dislike for many social behaviors around me. And while this is anecdotal, if I look at my younger siblings (who spent more time in the public school systems), there does seem to be a strong correlation between how much time they spent in public school, and how creative, inventive, eager to learn, and 'subversive' they are. And that in turn seems to correlate with how close their actual lifestyle fits their desired lifestyle. A number of my friends were also homeschooled, had to go through 'special' schools, or dropped out early. They all seem to have a similar 'awkwardness' in society, and they all seem to benefit from in similar ways. The biggest downside I've noticed is that those who spent too much time outside 'normal society' find it so hard to conform even a little that it causes problems in their life. But a healthy mix of homeschooling and social life (sports, etc.) might solve much of that.
zaphar 12y ago
Oh absolutely a home schooled kid thrust into a regular school environment will seem awkward at first before they adjusted. This is more due to the fact that the social norms of a high school are most definitely not the social norms of most of society. I think home school kids learn the latter first and the former only if they get placed into an environment where they need to. One set of social norms will serve them throughout life. The other is only useful for surviving till graduation.