It May Be The Best Thing for Your Child Home schooling… will it be beneficial
or harmful to the student? Can the child fit in or perform normal social
functions in the real world? Do the parents have certified credibility to
educate? How well will the child adjust to everyday life? Do they interact
normally with others of the same age? Can they function in an uncontrolled
environment? All of these questions are quite legitimate and realistic. However,
the real question to be answered is-- What is in the best interest of the
children? Since they are the leaders of tomorrow, we must secure a strong
education in our children for their own personal welfare as well as the welfare
of our future. A perfect way to educate our future is through the individual
attention, closely regulated environment, and strict supervision of home
schooling. Home schooling is an effective way of ensuring that a student can
learn at his or her own pace, receive special attention concerning learning
handicaps, and gain the confidence needed to advance in the educated world. Home
schooling gives parents confidence that their child will be educated in a drug
free setting, a non-violent atmosphere, and without peer pressure. Those who
oppose home schooling claim that home schooling is a nonrealistic sheltered
environment, excludes the child from normal activities, and allows students no
possible chance to be a normal kid. They state that a home-schooled child has no
way of interacting with others of the same age. Without this interaction, there
is no way for the child to develop crucial social skills, learn ways to
cooperate in solving problems, or be exposed to everyday life without the
protection of a parent. When a child does not develop around others, problems in
development can arise. They claim that to avoid all of these casualties is to
avoid home schooling. (Reader's Digest) Home school allies James P. Comer and
Robert Slavin conducted surveys of all fifty states and they found that the
estimated number of students that are home schooled range from one to two
million, which is 4 percent of the entire American student population.
Approximately 16,300 home schooled students surveyed tested in the 77th
percentile of standardized tests. Their public school counterparts only tested
in the 50th percentile. The data supports the fact that home schooled children
are advancing at a perfectly normal (if not advanced) rate. This evidence states
that home schooling would presumably be in the best interest of the child.
(Reader's Digest) Home school students receive many of the same opportunities
that public school students are exposed to. Because their parents pay local
taxes, home school students are allowed to participate in the sporting, musical,
and extra-curricular activities provided by the public school district in which
they reside. This involvement is an excellent opportunity for home school
students to interact with others of the same age and learn needed social skills.
There are also special home school advising packets that can be purchased from
the school district. These packets provide ways of involving home school
students with other home school students in the school district. Over forty
states have home school regulation laws. These laws state strict guidelines for
parent credibility. Most states require a teaching certification. If a
certification is not required, the state demands that the children be tested
annually by the use of standardized tests in the areas of English, mathematics,
social studies, and science. If a child fails to meet a specific percentile on
these tests, the child can be removed from the home schooling and placed in
public school. This ensures the proper administration of education in the home.
Home schooling is definitely a valid substitute to public education. The data
can not be ignored. Home schooled students excel at a rate comparable to that of
public school students. Strict state guidelines confirm the credibility level of
education given to the students. Involvement in public school extra-curricular
activities ensures the normal growth and maturation of social and emotional
skills. When considering the best interests of a child, consider home schooling.
A controlled environment, individual attention, setting of the academic pace
best suitable for the child, and opportunities to interact with others by
involvement in public school activities make home schooling a qualified and
suitable alternative to public school education.