Shandra Gentle
October 23, 2014
English 120/628 Homeschool Verses Public School
The great philosopher, Plato, once said, “Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” This statement is so powerful. It is important to consider the individual educational needs of children when determining whether public school or home school is the best academic choice. We live in a country where we are blessed to take a step back and find the fit that suits our children the best.
Public school and home school offer very different learning environments. When assessing a child, one should consider what kind of environment the child learns best in. Public schools offer a structured environment that involves anywhere from 25 to 45 children to one teacher. In a home school environment, the child has more one on one attention. Many children do not pull the teacher or instructor in many directions. The time and flexibility of home school allows a child to take more time on a subject that they need to or less time if the subject is mastered. Public school does not allow for this flexibility and the time is quite structured with very little room for delay or acceleration. The environment created in a home school is based on what the parent/guardian wants the environment to be. Morals, religious beliefs, virtues and other life lessons can be taught at the disclosure of the parent/guardian. In a public school setting, morals and values are chosen by a stranger and either taught, or not, to a child.
When talking about home schooling a child, socialization is brought up almost 100% of the time. Many people wonder if the child will end up “socially backward” or unable to appropriately react in social situations. The stereotype of home schooling has changed over the decades. Many years ago, home schoolchildren were known and the “weird kids” and were unable to socially get involved with children their age. Although home school parents have worked hard to keep their children academically and socially involved, the stereotype is still there. If a child is to be socially able to deal with situations, a child and parent must be involved in social situations. Most home school parents have their children involved in more social encounters and opportunities than the typical public schooled child. Home schoolchildren usually have home school learning groups that they attend and do other things within the community. Home schoolchildren have more time to volunteer and work on talents and abilities that they want to pursue. Public schools tend to not be academically ahead of home schoolchildren. Because of this, home schooled children are able to attend college sooner and move quickly through their education since the child sets the pace and they do not have to slow down for children that are not up to their speed in the classroom setting.
Choosing the best academic option for your child can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many resources available to parents to help educate and inspire. One of the first steps to take when finding the best option for your child is to have them tested. Some children learn well in a large classroom setting. Other children experiences learning delays because of the distractions. It could be as simple as finding a program that offers smaller classroom sizes. Other problems may require an extreme change. Knowing where your child learns the best is important for their academic development. Some children get lost in the public school system because they do not grow and learn as fast as other children learn. Some children have a hard time taking in information and need a change or different direction in how they are able to have the information presented to them. There are many ways that children learn and if