Homeschool Myths: Myth-Busting - Home-School Realities Exposed
By Mimi Rothschild
Home-school has a bad rap in many public forums: a reputation it does not deserve. Too many parents and educators still view home-school parents and students as “a bunch of paranoid religious fundamentalist nut-jobs.” Not only is this wild classification undeserved, it is untrue. Though some parents do cite religion as a reason to walk the home-school path, it is rarely the only reason. In fact, it is reported that a mere 33 percent of home-school children are engaged in this method of education under the primary auspices of religion. The remainder of home-school parents has a number of reasons influencing their decision to home-school, yet all hold one thing in common: the desire for a better education for their children.
For parents, home-school is both a challenge and a blessing. In a world of increasing distractions and shortening attention spans, home-school allows parents to connect with their children on levels those in the public education system are denied. Most experts agree that a lack of parental involvement is an overwhelming factor in the declining quality of public education. Home-school allows for the ultimate parental involvement. Parents who home-school their children are active in every facet of their education. They know what their children are learning, and how they are learning it. The parent-child relationship is allowed to flourish in a home-school environment.
The popular view of home-school puts children in an unflattering light as well. Home-school students are often seen as an isolated, dependent and a socially flawed bunch unable to cope with real-world pressures. Again, the opposite is true here: home-school students often have a more realistic world view than those in the public education system because they tend to spend more time involved with their communities and interacting with adults. Do home-school children feel sheltered or suppressed by the constant parental presence? Some do, but often this attitude amounts to no more than the typical high school student who feels slighted when his parents enforce curfews or homework regimens. Most home-school students develop into intelligent, responsible adults who are capable of making logical and informed choices in a variety of life situations.
Direct involvement in the education of children is an undeniable requirement for any parent, whether they choose home-school or public education. The more active parents can be in their children's lives, the less likely there will be communication barriers and misunderstandings that can often lead to tragedy. Home-school parents have a distinct advantage when it comes to educational involvement, and many parents are cutting through the myths of home-school to arrive at a natural conclusion: home-school is a valuable and excellent alternative to public education.
________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, children's rights activist, author, and Founder and C.E.O. of online education company Learning by Grace, Inc. Rothschild and her husband of twenty-eight years reside in suburban Philadelphia with their eight children.
Feeling that “our current system of education has broken its promise,” Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. to provide families with Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children all over the world.
In addition to her twenty years of experience as a homeschool mother, Rothschild has written a number of books dealing with education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Home Education Websites Blog consists of helpful online content and activities for Christian homeschooling families.
Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
