My position paper required me to persuade others to my view about home schooling. I decided that home schooling is a strong alternative to traditional schooling, but I know that it is not for everyone. To come to this conclusion, I actively read numerous articles and studies, participated in group discussions, and performed an outside interview.
My House, My Home, My School
Imagine a classroom that went at your own pace, a classroom that incorporated your interests into the curriculum, a classroom that allowed you more free-time for extra activities, and a classroom that lets your family values be taught within the lessons. Home schooling is the type of environment that allows someone to have these options. Home schooling is a “learning situation where children have been taught, generally by their parents, in non-traditional environments” (Wichers, 2001, p. 145). Parents have chosen to home school their children for a variety of reasons relating anywhere from the failure of the public school system to their own personal beliefs. In the
Homeschooling allows children to be involved and socialize more than if they went to a traditional public school. The central argument against home schooling is a lack of socialization, but a great deal of research shows that home schoolers are the same, if not more, sociable than other students. On average, home schooled students are involved with 5.2 activities outside the home, such as sports, music, and scouting programs (Romanowski, 2001). One survey shows that ninety-eight percent of home schoolers are involved in two or more extracurricular activities (Hammons, 2001). These students accomplish their school work in less time than they would in a normal classroom setting, giving them more free time to participate in extra activities. Students are also exposed to more events in the outside world because of the flexibility within their curriculum. The instructor can incorporate the child’s community into the lessons by taking them to nearby places such as museums, musicals, or zoos. Often parents of home schoolers in an area will conduct group activities together, so their children can be with others of the same age during group field trips. Tanya Letham, a mother who has home schooled her six children for over fifteen years, explained how group events, such as museum tours or ice skating, allows parents to cut down on expenses because of the group discount rates available (Personal Communication). A traditional classroom only gives students exposure to about thirty children who are in the same socioeconomic class and of similar age. Home schooled children, on the other hand, have the opportunity to spend time with varying groups of children and get more of a chance to communicate with adults. Home schoolers are not forced to be around a distinctive group of peers, like in a traditional classroom, but are free to choose how they spend their time and with who they spend it. They get to know the parents of their fellow home schooled students because they might be taught certain subjects from those adults, or they spend quality time with them during group functions. These reasons show that home schoolers are not deprived of social involvement, but are actually involved in numerous extracurricular activities allowing them to develop relationships outside of the home.
Relationships form within the home when families choose to home school because they develop unity and can incorporate their values and beliefs into the curriculum. Four out of the top ten reasons parents decide to home school their children relate to families’ personal standards. A high reason is for religious purposes, another is family reasons, followed by helping children develop better character/morality, and a further one is parents objecting to what values schools are teaching their children (Cox, 2003). Many families feel that schools deprive their children the opportunity to become well-rounded. Religion is not allowed in public schools and many families feel it is essential for their children to be taught lessons involving their religious beliefs. For instance, a parent might be teaching parables and apply a story in the Bible, such as the parable of the wheat and tares, for an example. This not only becomes an English lesson, but encourages the child to read the scriptures and strengthen their beliefs (Hammons, 2001). Another reason families look down on public schools is because of the drug, gang, and other related problems that exist there. Parents feel that their children need to be removed from these types of environments, and they believe that taking on the role of the teacher will allow them to instill their children with strong values while at home (Cox, 2003). The family unit is strengthened by home schooling, primarily because parents become more actively involved in their child’s education. Parents can spend more time with their children and learn more about each child’s specific talents and skills. Some would argue that parents give their child too much freedom or that they are not prepared with the knowledge to teach their children. However, parents are given guidelines on what their child needs to learn, and the majority of parents who decide to home school already have come to the conclusion that they want what is best for their child, even though some parents do abuse the privilege. Most parents care about their child’s education and do not take the easy way out with the choice of home schooling, and they make sure to provide their child with the best possible help required. Parents make tutors available and often, as children get into the upper-level subjects, parents rely highly on resources, like internet programs or nearby colleges to teach their child (Koeppel, 2004). In the public school system, some teachers are ineffective and not knowledgeable about the subjects they are teaching, but parents, if they are not familiar with a specific subject, will do their best to make sure their child learns the material through another source. Parents will provide help outside the home for their child, showing the child how important their education does mean to them. Siblings also experience a closer bond through home schooling. By being schooled together and by participating in similar activities, siblings gain emotional ties to one another and learn how to get along well with each other. They often have alike experiences, helping them better relate to each other. Home schooling benefits the family because it increases unity and allows parents to integrate family principles into the lessons.
Another benefit of home schooling is the one-on-one attention available and the curriculum that can be decided based upon the student’s interests and needs. In traditional schools, the lessons are designed for a large number of students, so the teacher has a more difficult time tailoring the lessons to the children’s specific learning styles. In home schooling, the instructor can decide the best way to present the material, depending upon the child’s needs and abilities. Tanya Letham, a mother of six home schooled children, pointed out that it also allows children to work independently and learn at their own pace, giving them a chance to better understand the material (Personal Communication). Since there is a small teacher-to-student ratio in home schooling, the children being home schooled get more individualized attention. They can receive more time for tutoring, asking questions, and receiving praise than a traditional classroom would give. Furthermore, home schooling allows children more opportunities to get hands-on activities. They do not have to wait in line to use equipment or watch from the back of the classroom. This leads them to discover things on their own as they ponder more questions by themselves (Wichers, 2004, p. 145). Home schooling is also much more flexible than a traditional school. The instructor can easily adjust the schedule or “seize teachable moments” (Romanowski, 2001). Children will not be forced to stop the activity they are working on, pack up, and shift to a new project like they do in normal school environments (Romanowski, 2001). In addition, children’s interests can change what the content of the lessons are about. For example, if a child has a fascination with airplanes, perhaps the parent could take their child on a trip to a nearby air museum, allowing them to learn in that respect. Instead of always being stuck in a classroom, the child can experience “living curriculum” (Dobson, 2002, p. 118). Tanya Letham, who has home schooled her children for over fifteen years, stated, “[she] has cut out much of the fluff that doesn’t give much educational value, for the time or expense” (Personal Communication). There is flexibility within home schooling that gives the instructor an opportunity to choose what is taught to their child and how. This is very useful when a child is often ill, travels frequently, or has other circumstances that prevent them from a set schedule. The previous information illustrates that curriculum based upon a child’s interests and individualized attention are positive factors found in home schooling that is not often found in a traditional classroom.
Home schooling is a strong alternative to public education, as it allows children more involvement in social activities, extra emphasis placed upon family values, and more individualized attention and curriculum. Home schooling has been increasing at a fast rate, yet only a small percentage has chosen this option because it does not work for everyone. It is an alternative that parents can consider for their children, depending on their family’s personal beliefs and circumstances. Home schooling will expand a child’s learning opportunities and allow them to become more aware of the world outside the classroom. It can allow children to finish school earlier, travel more frequently, and learn about their own specific learning styles. However, some children work better in groups or some may benefit more from a set schedule. It takes effort on the child’s and the parent’s part for home schooling to work, but, as Tanya Letham explained, if there is a “mutual commitment,” then it can become a great alternative to the public education system (Personal Communication).
*Graphics
Home graphic from The Print Shop Premier Edition 5.0
Family graphics from ClickArt! CD
Field Trip graphic from the website: http://www.coffeecreekwc.org/pages/events/fieldtrips.htm
Circle of People graphic from the website: http://www.southtownscatholic.org/homeschool.htm
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