I was homeschooled. I was in public for kindergarten through second grade. Then I was homeschooled until 11th grade when I went back to public school. I have issues with people who think homeschooling is horrible or just not likely to be done well. Or creates these socially inept people. False, false, false, false, false.
Myth 1: One person can’t possibly teach everything because they can’t know everything.
And you think teachers know everything? No. They have manuals. They read the textbook. That is what my mother did when she taught me. She didn’t have to know everything about everything. Do you think they used to have a different teacher for every topic? No. That is more about the need for more teachers due to bigger schools. Since high school is now required, they have to have more teachers. Much easier if each teacher has a specialization instead of having to teach everything. A little more consistent.
Myth 2: Children don’t get socialization when home taught.
For some kids, this may be true. I have met some myself. But school isn’t for socialization anyway. It is for learning. I got socialization when homeschooled. I had dance class, gymnastics, youth group, even a traveling youth choir. I was also a part of a few different homeschool groups that got together anywhere from once a week to once a month. I had friends. I had friends of many different ages.
Myth 3: Parents don’t make good teachers. They don’t know how to teach.
This is one of the ones that bugs me the most. Who do you think teaches children to tie their shoes? Who do you think teaches children to brush their teeth, comb their hair, use a toilet, etc? In most cases, it is (or at least should be) the parents. My mom taught me how to read before I was even in kindergarten. Of course she knows how to teach me. She knows my learning style better than anyone else. A school teacher wouldn’t have had the time to figure out what I needed and provide it.
Parents should be able to choose what their children learn. Yes, they need to meet basic state requirements but beyond that, it should be up to the parents. And it should be up to the parents how that learning takes place.
Myth 4: Free learning is a bad idea. There is no learning.
False. If this was true, why are Montessori schools so popular? Children learn in different ways. Different things appeal to different children. Homeschooling is perfect to help encourage this. When we were studying history and different cultures, I became interested in the Amish. We spend an entire summer learning about them. I know not only know a lot about the Amish but have a great appreciation for most cultures. I can understand that just because they are different, they are not wrong ( take that you people who think homeschooling creates intolerant people).
The flexibility of homeschooling is also much better than public schooling. When my grandmother was going through some medical issues, I packed up a couple of backpacks and took my school with me. I did most my 7th grade year in hospital waiting rooms. And I still did very well.
Do not try to tell me that homeschooling is bad for the child. Homeschooling is as much a viable option as public or private schools. And it really gets to me when people (usually teachers honestly. sorry, teachers aren’t God so get off that high horse. mighty lonely up there) think that homeschooling is horrible for children.
Anonymous says
Way to go, girl!