Home Schooling

Are home-schooled kids able to get along with other children and adults? Developing the ability to "play well with others" is called socialization, and it is often the number one concern of anyone considering or evaluating the benefits of home schooling. Although most are willing to admit that there are many proven benefits of home schooling--for example, most home-schooled children perform at a higher academic level than their privately or publicly educated peers--concern about social skills always seems to bubble to the top of any discussion about home schooling outcomes. What is the truth about home schooling and socialization? Will home schooling stifle your child's ability to get along?

You can't really blame people for coming to the conclusion that effective socialization is not a benefit of home schooling. Most home schooling situations consist of one teacher working with one or a few learners in a controlled situation. With such a small number of students, it only makes sense that there will be fewer interactions among students. There are simply not enough students in one place to provide the level of interaction you might expect in a public school classroom.

Dedicated home schooling practitioners have another view. Proponents of the many benefits of home schooling actually believe that educating learners in a smaller setting actually helps to develop and improve their social skills. On the lists of many, improved socialization is included as yet another benefit of home schooling.

How can this be possible? How can smaller groups and lower levels of peer-to-peer interaction lead to improved socialization? First, you have to consider the quality of interaction. Home-schooled learners often benefit by having their own parents as their primary influence. Instead of having their perspectives and values questioned and distorted by uncontrolled sources, one the benefits of home schooling is that home schooled learners spend more time socializing with mature adults instead of less-mature students. If one goal of schooling is to produce well-balanced adults able to control themselves and deal productively with others, then home schooling is a clear winner.

Wouldn't you prefer that you children learn real world priorities and time-tested values? Or do you want to subject them to the latest concept of what's "cool." Instead of being locked into interaction with a single age group (like students are in a traditional school setting), one of the benefits of home schooling is that learners have the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of different age groups. They learn to adapt to, fit in with, and contribute to the group dynamics.

Another point to remember is that interaction doesn't only happen during school hours. There are plenty of chances to spend time with others when classes are complete and the lessons are finished (which, by the way, almost always happens sooner in the day with home schooling).

Socialization concerns are most often expressed by individuals who have never experienced the benefits of home schooling. If you're considering home schooling for your own children, then rest assured that their socialization skills will be greatly improved as a natural benefit of home schooling.