Essay # 8 - Effect Essay - Homeschooling

Essay # 8 - Effect Essay

Homeschooling

The homeschooling movement has taken our public schools by surprise.  Instead of quietly dying out or falling apart, with public schools picking up the pieces of broken educational dreams, it has steadily pushed forward, going against the tide of modern educational philosophy,  forcing public schools to adapt to this new trend in learning.  Having homeschooled all four of my children through high school, with two already graduated from college and two now attending college, I can see many advantages of homeschooling. But, before beginning, I want it in the records that I do not believe homeschooling is the ONLY way, nor is it the RIGHT way for everyone.  It is just ONE way, which has many beneficial results, among which are the positive effects it has on education, socialization, and family life.

Education is the most obvious reason many people choose to home school, and education is also the easiest effect to measure.  As more and more homeschooled children are entering into and succeeding in college, universities have become aware of the educational excellence of these children.  Many colleges are actively seeking homeschoolers for their student enrollment. This is a strange phenomenon, considering that many parents, including myself, have never finished college themselves.  I remember going to a home school conference when my oldest was perhaps a junior in high school.  One of the speakers was a university admissions counselor.  She explained that one reason why homeschoolers do so well in college is that in public school, 70% of the schooling is taught in the classroom and 30% is learned by the student at home, whereas in college, 30% is teaching and 70% is self-learning.  Home school moms are too busy to spend a large amount of time teaching, so home school kids learn at an early age to work on their own, which in this case has a positive outcome. 

Another benefit of homeschooling is socialization.  This may sound strange because those opposed to homeschooling often cite this as a negative attribute.  For me, this was my original reason for wanting to home school.  In fact, I wanted to home school before I even knew it had been invented.  I had my own memories of how mean kids can be to each other, and how attending school tends to divide kids by age, grade, ability, and sex.  Homeschooled kids, on the other hand, grow up without being bullied or being made fun of, and without negative peer pressure.  Instead, in general, they grow up with a healthy sense of self-esteem, and with the ability to relate to people of all ages, sexes, and aptitudes.  I remember going to a dog show with my oldest daughter.  We stopped to talk to one of the handlers who then asked if she was homeschooled.  This caught us by surprise, since dogs had been the topic of conversation, not schooling.  She commented that my daughter was comfortable talking to adults, which is common among homeschoolers, though unusual in the average traditionally-schooled children.  In fact, in any home school gathering, children can be seen participating in activities spanning the entire spectrum of social opportunities and having fun doing so, an ability that will be a benefit throughout life.

The final effect, a strong family life, is maybe the most important result of schooling at home.  Instead of children spending most of their waking hours away from the home, growing apart from the nuclear unit, they spend time within the family, forming strong bonds of work, play, and friendship. They learn valuable lessons on morality, work ethics, and faith.  Since the family is in control of the child’s education, parents can choose to allow time off from school for important holidays, such as birthdays, or they can choose to go on extended field trips to exotic countries like Australia, on shorter trips to other parts of the US like Washington DC, or on mini-field trips to see the hidden insides of the local bank or dentist’s office.  Schooling is in the hand of the parents, who usually try to instill a love of learning in their children, knowing that if they succeed, it will open endless doorways for the future.  In our family, homeschooling gave us the opportunity to take care of my mom in NY for 6 weeks while my dad was recovering from heart surgery, something that would have been more difficult if not impossible if my children had been going to traditional schools.  And I for one have thoroughly enjoyed the excuse of homeschooling as a reason for visiting innumerable historical and educational sights and museums with my kids.  We have worked together, played together, prayed together, and stayed together, something that has become rare in today’s society.

For our family, homeschooling was a good choice.  It provided my children with a good educational foundation, the ability to relate to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, and a strong sense of family.  It makes me glad to see how happy and well-adjusted they have become.  And I am pleased to know that at least some, if not all, of my children plan to continue this new tradition of homeschooling in their own families in the future.