By Nick R.
At the present time, there are more and more parents who choose to give their children an education that is taught at home instead of a traditional method of going to school. Home education is mostly focused on activities and is considered to be more engaging than school education. Naturally, there are many stereotypes and myths surrounding homeschooling but most of them are wrong. Below, five common myths about homeschooling are debunked.
1. Homeschooled children are antisocial.
This is one of the most common assumptions people make about homeschooled children. Everybody thinks that homeschooling involves sitting around the house all day in front of the computer or watching TV and spending time only with their parents, but this is not the case. Homeschooled children are almost always involved in activities such as music lessons, babysitting, church related activities, and, of course, camps. All of these activities involve interaction with other children. Being homeschooled is a great way to encourage your children to interact with people of all age groups; thus, their social skills will be greatly increased in comparison to children who go to public schools, in an environment where bullying is always a problem and children are encouraged not to express themselves but, instead, just listen.
2. Homeschooled children can’t join the army.
This is, again, not true. Currently, the U.S. Army is recruiting homeschooled children too. After checking out goarmy.com website, you will see that homeschooled children can even get cash bonuses or scholarships to go to college!
3. Not very many parents choose homeschooling for their kids.
According to the Census Bureau, there are more than two million children being homeschooled in America right now. Statistics tell us that the number of children being homeschooled is continually rising at approximately 20% per year. The Internet has made homeschooling much more engaging, attractive and even fun. Nowadays, lessons or even lesson programs can be downloaded online and your child will get the same education as in a public school but in a much more friendly and loving environment.
4. Homeschooled children are homebodies.
This is another myth that is far from the truth. Most homeschooled children are involved in homeschooling groups. Homeschooling groups often organize events for their children and they are always involved in doing something engaging. The great part is that they don’t always have to learn at home; learning can happen everywhere and some children even go to public schools for Arts class or P.E., for instance, if they can’t do it anywhere else.
5. Homeschooled children don’t have a normal adolescence.
It’s widely believed that homeschooled children miss out on important events in their teens because they can’t participate in proms, sporting events or go out with their friends. Obviously, this is again only a myth. Most high schools actually encourage and welcome any homeschooled child to participate in their events as a guest. Some homeschooling groups even organize their own proms or sporting events.
The learning at home lifestyle is sometimes frowned upon by society because people think that children can only get a good education at a traditional school. However, homeschooling is a great way for a child to get a good education.