Myth about Homeschoolers
By: Blaeke Mitchell
Society has created a few common myths about American-homeschoolers. Some people in society might believe these myths without any proof or evidence to support their knowledge (other than hearsay). They might believe that all homeschoolers are socially awkward, severely undereducated compared to traditionally schooled children, and only homeschooled for religious reasons.
One of the most common myths about homeschoolers portrays that all homeschoolers are socially awkward and weird. That myth might share some truth regarding a small number of homeschoolers, but not the majority of homeschoolers. Every person has a different definition of proper socialization. Rachel Coleman, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education; instructor at Indiana University; and former homeschooler, shared that she spoke with homeschool alumni whose parents kept them fairly isolated in their homes for years, which caused them to develop social phobias that followed them into adulthood (Coleman). In an article, David Ferrer shared “Homeschooling, it is thought, alienates students from their peer groups, condemning them to a life of social awkwardness complete with religious fundamentalism, goofy shoes, and bad hair cuts.” (Ferrer). In defense towards his statement, he shared that homeschooling parents claim that they make sure that their children have proper socialization. The parents also argued that the social statistics regarding to sex, drugs, drinking, and children controlled by social media, peer pressure, and the fashion industry presented much larger problems (Ferrer). Studies do show that homeschoolers participate in a wide variety of social, sporting, educational, and service activities with peers outside of the home. “Nearly every study conducted to date finds that these youngsters are not socially isolated.” (Murphy). Homeschool parents might see proper socialization as their child learning religious moral, proper etiquette, and how to become a working adult while growing with other like-minded families (Ferrer). Ultimately, a homeschool student’s socialization has direct correlation with the parent’s intentions and actions to engage their child in social interaction with other peers in a good environment on a regular basis.
M. J. McKinley PhD, DSc of the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine at the University of Melbourne administered three tests to examine if homeschooled children had standard attitudes regarding social relationships and rates of loneliness. On one of the tests, called the Friendship Qualities Scale, the homeschool students scored lower than the public school students on conflict and higher on feeling of closeness with their peers. Teacher rating scales showed that homeschooled students rater higher in social skills compared to traditionally schooled students who rated higher for hyperactivity, depression, and atypical behavior. Richard G. Medlin of Stetson University shared that the overall emotional health and amount of proper socialization between public and homeschool students remained very similar in his studies (Medlin). According to these studies, homeschool students are properly socialized. Ultimately, a homeschool student’s socialization has direct correlation with their parent’s intentions and actions to engage their child in social interaction with other children in a good environment.
The most widespread myth abut homeschoolers states that every homeschooler is severely undereducated. As a requirement to acquire the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Northern Michigan University, Kathi Moreau wrote a research essay about the educational outcomes of homeschool students verses public school students. Moreau stated “One of the primary arguments in support of homeschooling is that homeschooled students receive a better education than public schooled students, which leads to higher student achievement levels.” (Moreau). The research claimed that homeschoolers’ ACT scores surpassed public schoolers’ ACT scores. Seventy percent of homeschooled students attend college, compared to the fifty percent average drop-out rate of high school students. In academic statistics, homeschoolers, in either their junior or senior years, scored in the eighty-sixth to ninety-second percentile (Moreau).
Though statistics show that a majority of homeschoolers receive a strong education, not every single homeschooler has that opportunity. Most states do not have strict laws in place to hold parents accountable. They do not force parents to prove that they are giving their child or children a proper education. The government does not force homeschooled students to take to take standardized testing annually (Moreau). Parents can also alter their childs GPA. A homeschooled child’s education heavily relies on the motives and actions of their parents. Other factors related to the myth about homeschoolers being undereducated include a student’s disabilities, parents’ education, parents’ attitude, resources, and family background.
Another myth depicts that parents only homeschooled their children for religious reasons. Though not every parent homeschools their child for religious reasons, seventy-five percent of homeschool students live in a home where religion has a large influence on their education and lives (Moreau). Albert Cheng and Michael Donnelly of the Homeschool Defense Association at the University of Arkansas shared that the two most common reasons parents homeschool their children include for religious reasons or for lack of faith that the public school system will provide a proper education for their child. Parents also homeschool their children for other reasons (Cheng and Donnelly).Parents might homeschool their children because they have to travel for work weekly if a parent works for a large company or if they have to move states frequently if a parent works for the military. Students also might homeschool if they need more time to study due to having a disability or if they need more time flexibly to play sports.
Society has created are a few myths about American-homeschoolers. Studies proved that most homeschoolers have substantial social skills that follow them into adulthood. ACT scores and Academic statistics prove that most homeschoolers are not severely undereducated. Our country does need to create some laws to force parents to prove that they are properly schooling their children. Parents homeschool their children for a number reasons other than for religion. Ultimately, a homeschool student’s socialization and quality of education is directly correlated with their parent’s intentions and actions to engage their child in social interaction with other children in a good environment and to give their child a proper education. The myths regarding all homeschoolers collectively were ultimately proven false by studies. The myths did share some truth about a small percentage of homeschoolers. The only way to end inaccurate myths about homeschoolers is for people to educate themselves about the factual truth about the topic rather than believing the myths.
Works Cited
Cheng, Albert and Donnelly, Michael. “New Frontiers in Research and Practice on Homeschooling", Peabody Journal of Education,
Taylor & Francis Online, 2019, 94:3, 259-262, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0161956X.2019.1617576. Accessed 7 Nov. 2019.
Coleman, Rachel. “The ‘Unsocialized Homeschooler” and ‘Uneducated Homeschooler’ Narratives.” Coalition For Responsible Home
Education, 22 Sept 2016. www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/the-unsocialized-homeschooler-and-uneducated-homeschooler-narratives/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2019.
Ferrer, David. “Is Homeschooling Anti-Social?” The Quad,
www.thebestschools.org/magazine/homeschooling-anti-social/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2019.
Medlin, Richard. “Homeschooling and the Question of Socialization.”
www.stetson.edu/artsci/psychology/media/medlin-socialization-2013.pdf.
Accessed 7 Nov. 2019.
Moreau, Kathi. “Specific Differences in the Educational Outcome of Those Students Who are Homeschooled Vs. Students in a
Traditional School Setting.” Home School Vs. Public Schooled, 27 Nov. 2019. www.nmu.edu/education/sites/DrupalEducation/files/UserFiles/Moreau_Kathi_MP.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct. 2019.
Murphy, Joseph. “The Social and Educational Outcomes of Homeschooling.” Research Gate,
2014. www.researchgate.net/publication/261885035_The_Social_and_Educational_Outcomes_of_Homeschooling. Accessed 7 Nov. 2019.
