I read a statement written by a fellow homeschooling mom which she had recently posted on her blog. I think it sums up the type of "socialization" that actually takes place in the public schools. I hope she doesn't mind that I quote her here on my own blog. Check out her blog for more enlightening tidbits.
"In public school I learned that being yourself could possibly be detrimental to your popularity. I learned that you had to be like everyone else in order to be liked by everyone else. I learned how to be fake. Why would I want my kids to learn that?" - Jessica http://moldingmindshomeschool.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label Socialization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Socialization. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Friday, December 21, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
"Can't wait..."
"Can't wait to meet the next person who tells me he's putting his kid back in public school. I'm going to ask, 'But, what about socialization?' " - Rick Boyer http://thelearningparent.blogspot.com
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Public School Attendance Not Needed for the Development of Social Skills...
My three year old grandson is proof of that! He has never attended a public or private school, and has never been taught by a "certified" teacher, yet he can (and will) carry on a conversation with anyone he meets - young or old, stranger or not. He is so friendly and out-going that he makes quite an impression on everyone he comes in contact with. Strangers, especially! In grocery stores, he will speak to any and everyone that he passes. If they pause to respond to him, my grandson will talk about whatever interests him at the moment, and then tell them that he will go to their house to visit them. If he sees other young children, he is quick to become friendly with them. An introvert he certainly is not!
Recently, some distant relatives (whom my grandson had never before met) came to visit his great-granny. My grandson was there, as well, and he did not hesitate to make himself known to these relatives. It is probably correct to say that he soon became the center of attention, and had them all enthralled. At one point, one of the visitors spoke up and said something to the effect of, "Boy! What a big personality in such a little body!" lol!
My grandson does have a socialization problem, though. He is TOO social!
On the flip side, I've seen kids who've attended public school and graduated from public school that are terribly shy and introverted. Going to public school certainly hadn't helped their social skills any.
Then there are the gangs, cliques, and bullies that are so prevalent in the public schools. Studies by the U.S. Justice Dept. and the Dept. of Education show that between 34% and 54% of children in our public schools are bullied in the classroom. (101 Reasons to Homeschool , reason #13, by: Mary Pride.) Do public school officials want to take credit for the "social skills" (or lack thereof) of those bullies? No? Why not? Aren't those bullies attending the public schools?
When I first began homeschooling my own 7th grade daughter in 1996, the only negative comment that school officials said to me was: "What about socialization?" They thought that my daughter would not be exposed to proper social skills if she was educated at home. What?!!!!!! I found their concerns laughable. After all, the very reason I was bringing my daughter home was because of the (negative) social "skills" she was learning from her friends at public school and then practicing at home! Needless to say, I have never regretted my decision to homeschool.
Recently, some distant relatives (whom my grandson had never before met) came to visit his great-granny. My grandson was there, as well, and he did not hesitate to make himself known to these relatives. It is probably correct to say that he soon became the center of attention, and had them all enthralled. At one point, one of the visitors spoke up and said something to the effect of, "Boy! What a big personality in such a little body!" lol!
My grandson does have a socialization problem, though. He is TOO social!
On the flip side, I've seen kids who've attended public school and graduated from public school that are terribly shy and introverted. Going to public school certainly hadn't helped their social skills any.
Then there are the gangs, cliques, and bullies that are so prevalent in the public schools. Studies by the U.S. Justice Dept. and the Dept. of Education show that between 34% and 54% of children in our public schools are bullied in the classroom. (101 Reasons to Homeschool , reason #13, by: Mary Pride.) Do public school officials want to take credit for the "social skills" (or lack thereof) of those bullies? No? Why not? Aren't those bullies attending the public schools?
When I first began homeschooling my own 7th grade daughter in 1996, the only negative comment that school officials said to me was: "What about socialization?" They thought that my daughter would not be exposed to proper social skills if she was educated at home. What?!!!!!! I found their concerns laughable. After all, the very reason I was bringing my daughter home was because of the (negative) social "skills" she was learning from her friends at public school and then practicing at home! Needless to say, I have never regretted my decision to homeschool.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
A Socialization Myth...
MYTH: Public (peer oriented) school is the best place for a child to learn proper social skills.
FACT: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child..." (Proverbs 22:15)
"If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)
FACT: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child..." (Proverbs 22:15)
"If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Blossoming Socialization Skills: First Evidence
Homeschoolers frequently hear the dreaded "s" word question from those who have little or no understanding of what homeschooling really is. "But, what about socialization? You must send your kids to (public) school to be properly socialized," we are told by well-meaning friends, relatives, and so-called 'experts' in the field of education. What these people don't realize is that proper behavior must be taught long before a child reaches school age. A child who is being raised in a loving home by attentive parents will frequently begin showing evidence of the understanding of proper social skills by age 2 1/2 to 3 years. If parents don't make an effort to teach proper social skills to their young children BEFORE they reach school age, then they have done their children a great disservice.
I was especially proud of my little 2 yr. 10 mo. old grandson today while at the park with members of our homeschool support group. We were having a playdate for preschoolers. The kids ranged in age from 12 months to 5 years old. I had taken a large, light-weight vinyl ball for the kids to play with. A little 17 month old boy excitedly tossed the ball to a 13 month old little girl. It hit her on the head, which did not injure her, but it did scare her a bit. My grandson saw the startled look on the little girl's face as she ran to her mother for comfort. A short while later, my grandson picked up the ball and went close to the little girl, and gently tossed the ball toward her, but closer to ground. The little girl did not startle this time, but gladly accepted the ball. My grandson turned to me and said, "I didn't throw...I didn't hit..." He paused to think about what he was trying to tell me. Then he continued, "I didn't hit her head, Mommaw!"
How thrilled I was to see proper social skills beginning to blossom in such a young child. Not only was he displaying proper behavior, but he was actually thinking ahead of time about the comfort and well-being of another person. He did not learn these skills in a classroom. He learned them from living and interacting with his family and from those whom his family associate with.
I was especially proud of my little 2 yr. 10 mo. old grandson today while at the park with members of our homeschool support group. We were having a playdate for preschoolers. The kids ranged in age from 12 months to 5 years old. I had taken a large, light-weight vinyl ball for the kids to play with. A little 17 month old boy excitedly tossed the ball to a 13 month old little girl. It hit her on the head, which did not injure her, but it did scare her a bit. My grandson saw the startled look on the little girl's face as she ran to her mother for comfort. A short while later, my grandson picked up the ball and went close to the little girl, and gently tossed the ball toward her, but closer to ground. The little girl did not startle this time, but gladly accepted the ball. My grandson turned to me and said, "I didn't throw...I didn't hit..." He paused to think about what he was trying to tell me. Then he continued, "I didn't hit her head, Mommaw!"
How thrilled I was to see proper social skills beginning to blossom in such a young child. Not only was he displaying proper behavior, but he was actually thinking ahead of time about the comfort and well-being of another person. He did not learn these skills in a classroom. He learned them from living and interacting with his family and from those whom his family associate with.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Homeschooled vs. Public Schooled Socialization Skills
There have been various studies done to determine the level of social skills obtained by students who are homeschooled vs. students who attend public school.
Below is a link to one such study. I found it interesting because the students being observed were from my own home region. This study confirmed what I had already been observing during the years I was homeschooling my children: that as a group, homeschooled kids have better social skills / better behavior than kids who attend the public schools.
I have obtained permission from the author to provide this link on my blog:
http://www.tomsmedley.com/SSS01.pdf
A link to the results of other studies which confirm these findings:
http://hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000068.asp
Below is a link to one such study. I found it interesting because the students being observed were from my own home region. This study confirmed what I had already been observing during the years I was homeschooling my children: that as a group, homeschooled kids have better social skills / better behavior than kids who attend the public schools.
I have obtained permission from the author to provide this link on my blog:
http://www.tomsmedley.com/SSS01.pdf
A link to the results of other studies which confirm these findings:
http://hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000068.asp
Saturday, June 18, 2011
"What about socialization? You must send your kids to public school so they will be properly socialized!"
Ummmmm...REALLY? Stop for a moment and think about what you just said. Think about how the majority of kids at public school behave. Do you REALLY want THESE kids to teach YOUR kids THEIR socialization "skills" (or lack thereof)? Hmmmm?
Children cannot learn proper social skills from another child. "If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch." - Jesus Christ , Matthew 15:14. "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." - Proverbs 22:15.
How can someone who is foolish and inexperienced teach your child anything of value? The "rod of correction" by many Christians is interpreted to mean "firm discipline". Proverbs 22:15 could be paraphrased to mean "Proper behavior is learned through firm discipline." Will other children provide your child with firm discipline? I think not.
Proper social skills are learned from caring adults who have the child's best interest in mind. These social skills are then practiced at home, at church, and in the community under the supervision of these caring adults. No public institution, no government-controlled school, regardless of how "degreed" or "credentialed" its teachers may be, can properly supervise or guide a child towards proper behavior as well as a loving parent or guardian can.
Children cannot learn proper social skills from another child. "If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch." - Jesus Christ , Matthew 15:14. "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." - Proverbs 22:15.
How can someone who is foolish and inexperienced teach your child anything of value? The "rod of correction" by many Christians is interpreted to mean "firm discipline". Proverbs 22:15 could be paraphrased to mean "Proper behavior is learned through firm discipline." Will other children provide your child with firm discipline? I think not.
Proper social skills are learned from caring adults who have the child's best interest in mind. These social skills are then practiced at home, at church, and in the community under the supervision of these caring adults. No public institution, no government-controlled school, regardless of how "degreed" or "credentialed" its teachers may be, can properly supervise or guide a child towards proper behavior as well as a loving parent or guardian can.
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