Despite homeschooling's rapid rise in popularity in the United States, many parents and public school districts still harbor a negative view of homeschooling. One big reason for this criticism lies in the common misconception that homeschooling is an ineffective, rigidly anti-social and religion-based tactic used by parents who want to shelter their children from the “evils” of public education. Therefore they do not allow their children sufficient learning opportunities. The reality of homeschooling, however, is far from this public caricature, and it's time to dispel the myths behind the homeschooling environment.
Social isolation is a major issue cited by opponents of homeschooling. However, the truth is that homeschooled students often enjoy a greater degree of social interaction than their publicly educated peers. Since students in a homeschool situation are not held to traditional schedules and bound by classroom walls, they enjoy more opportunities to get involved in their communities. Homeschooling families typically belong to a number of community activist groups—and not just their churches. Homeless shelters, food pantries, senior citizen centers and other volunteer community organizations often welcome homeschooled students' participation, and everyone benefits from the arrangement. Additionally, many homeschooled children enroll in public extracurricular activities or form learning groups with other homeschooling families to facilitate greater peer interaction.
Another commonly held homeschooling myth is that parents who homeschool lack the resources necessary to educate their children. Though in the early stages of the homeschool movement, many parents did find themselves scouring secondhand stores or procuring textbook castoffs from families with children in public education, today there are a multitude of affordable educational resources available for homeschooling parents. These resources are not limited to textbooks and lesson plans, either; several hundred school districts and specialty organizations offer distance learning courses on the Internet, and many homeschooled students are enrolled in such classes to supplement their education.
The real world boundaries for homeschooled students are disappearing as well. For a time, the myths surrounding homeschooling limited the available opportunities for homeschool students who completed their education. However, as the positive results of homeschooling become apparent, more institutions and companies are willing, if not eager, to accept students from a homeschool environment. Prestigious universities allow homeschoolers to apply for admittance and often accept them at a higher rate than those from the public education. Even the United States Armed Forces solicits homeschooled students because of their enhanced capabilities for independent reasoning. Homeschooling is no longer a poor substitute for public education; it is now an advantage for many.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.
Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.