| Homeschooling: What About Socializing? |
By: Debra Dragon, Homeschooling Columnist
On 11/19/05
The most common question about homeschooling is about socializing, and whether or not it's possible for children who are homeschooled to be well socialized. It’s clear that a homeschooled child does better academically when the attention is one on one, but does a homeschooled child miss out on social education?
| "Social development is very important for children. It provides the foundation for much of who they are and what they can be as they grow up…" |
Socialization is defined by The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition) as “…to make fit for companionship with others; make sociable”. It’s extremely important to the development of children, as it is the ability to relate well to other people of all ages and walks of life. Learning how to be social individuals is how we learn the appropriate way to greet others, engage in a conversation, handle and resolve conflicts, recognize and react to social cues- both verbal and nonverbal, and how to listen effectively.
How are children taught social skills? In most instances, children attend public school with other children their age where the majority of social skills are learned and developed, though not all social lessons can be considered positive.
An effective way for a children to learn positive, healthy socialization skills, is through a mature role model who can help them learn to clearly express their thoughts, resolve conflicts and communicate ideas confidently.
The common misconception of homeschooling is the image of children spending all of their time at home with their parents, studying out of workbooks and becoming isolated from the “real” world. The opportunities for homeschooled children to learn social skills are endless. In fact, many homeschool families have to limit the number of activities their children participate in during school time.
If your family regularly attends church services, or your children go to Sunday school, your children are provided with a weekly opportunity for positive socializing. Parents that homeschool their children can set up weekly or monthly events with other families who homeschool in order to conduct group study lessons, or to go on field trips together. These activities provide time for children to interact with others and practice the social skills you’ve been teaching them.
If you happen to live in an area where you can’t find other homeschool families, you can always make arrangements for your children to join the local community center, or sports teams offered through the YMCA to encourage consistent socializing opportunities. Some public schools allow homeschooled children to join the after-school sports and clubs, and in communities that do not allow this, homeschooled families often organize their own activities, such as bands and choirs, sports leagues and special interest clubs.
If your child has a strong interest in science, for example, you and your child could organize a “science club” and meet once a week. You could invite other homeschooled children to join you as your explore science topics in greater depth. Hands-on group activities teach children how to become “thinkers” and how to work together to become effective problem solvers.
In school systems that allow homeschooled children to join the school sports teams, children learn how to play as a member of a team, and receive the discipline of regular practice. Since sports teams are not made up of children who are in the same class, children on teams are often meeting each other for the first time. Typically everyone is a member of the team regardless of whether or not the child attends school or is homeschooled.
As Dr. Scott Turansky discusses in his article for the Homeschoolers Support Network “Social Development and the Homeschooled Child”, homeschooled children are often considered more socially skilled than traditionally schooled children. The one on one environment of home instruction fosters growth of a child’s sense of security, identity, and builds strong self-confidence. He also states:
Social development is very important for children. It provides the foundation for much of who they are and what they can be as they grow up…. Home-school families choose to provide their children with social development training. Many even choose to homeschool because of the social advantages their children will experience over that found in the school
environment. Socialization is no more an obstacle for homeschooling parents
than it is for other parents.
In a homeschool setting, children have an abundance of opportunities for learning healthy socialization and positive peer interaction. Parents as home educators provide the foundation of appropriate social behaviors, and the homeschooled child applies them in their daily interactions with people of all ages, both within the home and out in the “real world”.
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