For some people homeschooling holds a negative connotation. A lot of times I have heard people say that homeschooled kids are stupid or they are sheltered and have no friends. It used to bother me because I was homeschooled and I would wonder if these people really believed that I was stupid just because I learned at home.
I remember talking to a woman on a discussion board who told me that I was going to make my children just as ignorant as me if I homeschooled them. What could be more of an insult than to tell someone they are ignorant, I was shocked that someone would say that. Now that I am in the process of homeschooling my children I am sure that I will hear more of that sort of thing. I would like to think that in this time people would be more open minded to the idea of homeschooling and not look down on families who choose it.
The opponents of homeschooling would say that homeschooled children aren’t as smart as other children. They want more laws put on homeschooling or outlaw it all together. They don’t think that parents should be trusted to teach their own children. I think that is ridiculous. Who is better able to teach children then their own parents? A parent knows exactly what their child needs. A parent knows the best way to get their children to learn. Opponents will use the argument that if parents aren’t certified teachers and there is not control on what the children are learning then those children are at a disadvantage and may not be learning on the same level as children at public school.
Research shows that homeschooled children perform as well or better on standardized tests. A study was done in 1999 involving 20,000 homeschooled students. It showed that those students scored in the 70th or 80th percentile, depending on their grade, on standardized tests (Homeschooling, 2000) (See graph). The study also showed that the median income among homeschooled families was $52,000. Lawrence Rudner, who authored the study, said that the income level and the level of education of the parents may be the reason for the high test scores (Homeschooling, 2000). This may be the case, but it could also be that a family whose income is higher has a better opportunity for one parent to stay at home and teach their children.
Another study done by Paul Jones and Gene Gloeckner evaluated first year college performance of homeschoolers and traditional public school students. They found that there was no real difference in the performance of the two groups. It led to the conclusion that homeschooled students are just as prepared for college as traditional high school graduates (Lips, 2009) (See graph).
I am lucky, I have the ability to stay at home and teach my children. I understand that there are families that don’t have that option or just don’t want to do it. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone. I believe that it is necessary to have public school in a free country. We need to educate our children because without that we won’t truly be free. I would like to see the same respect for families who choose to homeschool. I understand both sides of the argument but the research shows that homeschooling is just as good, if not better, than public school if done in the right way.
The first article I used “Homeschooling” talks about homeschooling in general. It gives some good information on the statistics of homeschooled students and that is why I chose to use it. It does give some viewpoints from both sides but ultimately doesn’t choose a side.
Homeschooling. (2000, September 1). Issues and Controversies on File. Retrieved October 3, 2010 from the Issues and Controversies Database.
Lips, D & Feinberg, E. (2009). Homeschooling: The sleeping giant of American education. USA Today Magazine, 138(2772), 22-24. Retrieved October 3, 2010 from Academic Search Complete Database.
