4 Myths About Homeschooling that Parents Should Figtht to Dispel

Guest post courtesy of Aniya Wells 

Homeschooling is, and likely will always be, the practice of a minority of families. While it would be my personal dream for more children to experience the wonderful academic and personal growth that I had living and learning alongside my parents and my siblings, I acknowledge that homeschooling is a choice, one that not all parents are willing—or able—to make. Still, it saddens me deeply to see that so many otherwise reasonable people hold so many misconceptions about homeschooling. Even as an adult, whenever I tell acquaintances that I was homeschooled as a child, I get this “you-must-be-weird” look. The following myths about homeschool I believe the entire home education should fight to dispel:

1.      Homeschooled children turn out to be socially stunted adults.

If parents are considering homeschooling their children, and this is one of their main concerns, then rest assured. You have nothing to worry about. Personally, I believe that homeschooled children tend to be much more socially mature than their traditionally schooled counterparts, simply because they spend time with children of different ages (their siblings) and spend lots of time with adults (their parents who double as teachers). In a traditional school setting, children mostly only spend their social time with kids of their own age. They become socialized in a social vacuum in which peer pressure and bullying are increasingly becoming the norm. Children in traditional schools also spend very little one-on-one time with teachers, so these children simply don’t know how to communicate to and relate with adults. In some ways, homeschooled children are exposed to more—not less—opportunities for social engagement. 

2.      Homeschool families are all the same—ideologically extreme.

While it may be true that many homeschool families do decide to teach their children at home for religious reasons, it’s definitely a myth that all families are ideologically extreme. I constantly hear the idea bandied about that homeschool families “brainwash” their children into thinking just like them. For what it’s worth, my mother came from a Muslim family, while my father came from a Protestant Christian family. Both were moderately religious, and religious teachings at home were never forced on us. We were raised in both traditions with the most important priority being respect for others and their beliefs. We often got together with other homeschool families in my area. While some were more conservative and some were more liberal, there was one basic idea that tied us all together—we believed that education could flourish outside the traditional classroom. 

3.      Homeschooled children cannot compete academically with kids who’ve been traditionally schooled.

This is one of the silliest myths of all, simply because the opposite is often true. A recent Huffington Post article noted the several studies that indicate homeschool children not only thrive in college, but the often outperform their peers academically. 

4.      Homeschooled children aren’t exposed to a standardized curriculum.

Personally, I see no reason for a standardized curriculum as long as it prepares children adequately for college. However, many critics of homeschooling feel uncomfortable with the fact that children aren’t being exposed to a standardized curriculum. The truth of the matter is that regulations vary widely by state. I was taught in Texas, where standards are very lax. However, my parents still used a homeschool curriculum offered through Calvert in Baltimore, just to give our instruction some structure. Otherwise, they adjusted this curriculum to meet our needs and expand our academic horizons. 

The most important thing that homeschool families should remember is that, in the end, it doesn’t really matter what the rest of society thinks of us. At the same time, the homeschool community should fight myths and misconceptions so more families will join the ranks of home education. 

Aniya Wells is one of the most passionate writers you'll ever meet. Though her writing interests run the gamut—from personal finance to health to current events and more—her primary interest is education. Find more of her writing on her blog at OnlineDegreePrograms.com. Aniya welcomes questions and comments at aniyawells at gmail dot com.

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