[RKBA Democrat]

This is an old article, but the subject matter is relevant.

[RKBA Democrat]

Ping.

[brytlea]

I was always surprised that anyone thought this was an issue. It's not like homeschooled kids are locked in the attic and not allowed human contact. Human children spent the majority of history in small mixed age groups, not large same age groups like now.
susie

[kalee]

ping

[SteveMcKing]

"He said that those taught at home were more likely to invite others to play with them, they were not as competitive but more cooperative, and they kept their noise levels lower."

Oprah Nation is pleased.

[kalee]

ping

[Lizavetta]

The premises behind the "what about socialization" question are faulty anyway.

Those premises are that children must be with same age peers 6+ hours a day to be normal....

....and that homeschoolers are not in contact with other children....

.....and that contact with adults, older kids, younger kids, relatives, family, etc. simply doesn't count....it must be with same age peers to be valid.

[Onelifetogive]

The best response to the "socialization question" I've heard is:

"Sure, socialization is a great reason to homeschool, but you can't overlook that fact that you'll get a better education, too!"

[Ironclad]

Based on my personal experience with five nieces and nephews who are being home schooled, this article is dead wrong. I don't know what's going to become of them when they get out into the real world. I view home schooling as an insanely risky experiment on the kids. They might as well be growing-up by themselves on a space station.

[A. Pole]

"All the research shows children are doing well."

Of course. The XIX century factory style herding of children and brainwashing them in school is a very unnatural "socializing".

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Everybody should want their kids to be 'socialized' in the public schools. Being beat up on the playground by older kids and being introduced to drugs in junior high is only part of the experience. They also get encouraged to perform homosexual acts, to constantly complain when life gets a little tedious, and to learn to spend every spare moment with a cell phone stuck in their ear.

I realize that bad influences can happen everywhere, but the risks are a lot higher when they're immersed in it for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

[Clintonfatigued]

If anything, homeschooled children are far less likely to have psychological/emotional hang-ups than public school students.

All too often, kids dumped in the public schools get traumatized in the name of socializing and educating them.

[edsheppa]

Our older daughter is homeschooled and we were often asked this what-about-socialization question. My canned answer was "that's why we have two dogs."

[WOSG]

A simple idea that will solve America's Education problems:
School choice

Divide the amount of money spent on education, and provide
to each parent, to be used by those parents in the educational institution of their choice - public, charter or private. Homsechoolers could also get support for homseschooling, ie rebates for textbooks and learning aids.

The $7,000 per year spent per child on education (U.S. average) would be spent more wisely, and actual learning in student would advance considerably.

This idea was first proposed in 1955 by Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Freidman. Good ideas never go out of style.

[nmh]

"Socialization is no longer an “issue” for homeschoolers, according to some researchers on the long-running debate over public and independent schooling. "

It NEVER was an "issue".

It was only an attempt by the LEFT to nitpick the better education home schoolers get and the BETTER social skills they develop.

[don-o]

The socialization crap is a classic red herring. It is LCD - lowest common denominator. Screw that.

Good to see it beaten down every time.

[scripter]

Ping

[Paperdoll]

I think what Susan really meant was that the children could not be indoctrinated into Socialism unless they attended Public Schools.

[MonroeDNA]

I think that the national average government schools pay per student is around $10,000, plus or minus.

Take a class with 25 kids, and that is a quarter of a million dollars per year. Think about that. And they are turning out idiots.

I'll teach a class, any class, any subject, for $125 a year. And I guarantee they will all be a lot smarter after.

[Tired of Taxes]

Homeschool Ping!

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[pax_et_bonum]

Socialization never was an issue for homeschoolers.