Do you think home school children are smart?
August 24th, 2009 | by |We home school our 12 year old son and 9 year old daughter through a very good christian program, people are constantly judging my children and I. They think my children are going to be slower than public school children. Whats your thoughts.
By ketchupklf on Aug 24, 2009
My thoughts? ‘People’ need to mind their own buisness and you need to stay confident in your decision! You said for yourself… it is a *good* program. Who cares what ‘people’ think?
I think what you need is a dose of ‘how to deal with unsolicited parenting advice’. <giggle> Um… the irony in that is of course I’m gonna give it to you even though you haven’t solicited it *either*… but I really think you need the ‘ammo’ of more than just facts on how well homeschool kids do in their lives.
Anyway… my favorite webpage on the subject is actually a breastfeeding website, but you can adapt the main points to any parenting decision. I’d suggest you go to the page below and read it all… but here are a few things from it with a homeschooling spin:
Techniques for responding to criticism:
Educate/Quote an authority… you put time into this decision, did research. If this person is open to learning… share that.
Respond to specific concerns… if they feel homeschooled kids are behind, find the facts and figures. (HSLDA has some on their website) This seems to be what you were wanting here… but so often dealing with ‘people’ who already won’t let up… this one goes nowhere. So get the facts on that page for yourself…but know that won’t shut up most doubters.
Let them know how their comments make you feel… don’t let them put your kids and your well thought out decision down without letting them know it *hurts* you and your child to be talked about this way.
Laugh it off/Avoid the issue/Make the subject completely off-bounds… If these aren’t people who you can talk to… or that you don’t care to take the time to educate… or if they aren’t people who will *not* back down… Skip discussing it. Make a joke… They call your kids slow tell them you never really dreamed of raising an Olympic sprinter anyway. Change the subject… jump to the weather or offer them some bean dip.
If they really will not let it drop… have a ‘prepared statement’ such as: "We appreachiate your concern for our children but we have made our decision and are confident it is best for them. I’ll not be discussing this with you again." Then repeat this everytime the subject comes up. Don’t let them ‘wear you down’… if they aren’t listening to your reasons for homeschooling don’t listen to their complaints about homeschooling.
Hope that helps!
By Tariq H on Aug 24, 2009
if your going to home school them, make sure they still get plenty of socialization.
im not a parent or anything im only 18, but i know a couple of people who were home schooled.
homeschool =
pros
smart kids
turn out good (no drugs because no peer pressure)
cons
i know 2 guys who were homeshcooled and they were weird.
By Jadeeee =) on Aug 24, 2009
i think home school will give a good head start to kids with their career because academically they’re expected to do really well
but i guess your children will lack in social skills, but i think these things can be quite easily learnt and shouldnt be a too big a problem assuming that they have friends their own age and are ‘let out into the outside world’
like i think you should really make an effort to encourage them to have fun with other kids, go to the movies, the beach, sleep over at a friend’s place so that they can gain more independence
By Emily F on Aug 24, 2009
Absolutely! I attend a cyber school, and the main focus is the kids and there grades. We are definitely smarter because we don’t have the peer pressure and the overall school environment to distract us, and we can focus more on the work.
By Tracey Q on Aug 24, 2009
If the kids are given a thorough education, not skipping any areas that are covered in public schools then they should be intelligent. But without going through the social process of learning how to interact on a daily basis with other children they will likely be socially awkward. When they get older and get jobs they will have to face the same clics, bullies, nerds and jocks that kids have to face in school but without the social education to help them know how to deal with the groups. The groups don’t go away. They just get older and adapt their personalities to adulthood. The hurts they would have received as children that everyone seems to fear are lessons to help them not receive the even bigger hurts that adults can inflict on the uninitiated.
I am not saying your kids will be like this. But I have seen adults who were home schooled that were. They are usually brilliant intellectuals with little to no common sense. I have seen exceptions too that seemed to have little trouble understanding social norms. But they are rarer.
By socalmal on Aug 24, 2009
Yikes no, not in my homeschool, they are so far ahead of their public school friends. Does your 3rd grader use Algebra?
By Moy on Aug 24, 2009
they will probably be a little smarter but they won’t know how to behave and interact with other people when they go out into the world, which will prevent them from doing several things in life.
By Faeli H on Aug 24, 2009
I don’t think home schooling is about ’smart children’. I’d say it’s more of a decision to well educate your child irregardless of their intelligence level.
Don’t worry about what other people think! Teach your children well and they will be a testimony in themselves. That’s the best you can do! And if people continue to bug you about the "slowness" of your children, point them to some well-founded statistics:
"The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests.
Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions.
The home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development. Research measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.
Homeschool students are regularly engaged in social and educational activities outside their homes and with people other than their nuclear-family members. They are commonly involved in activities such as field trips, scouting, 4-H, political drives, church ministry, sports teams, and community volunteer work."
Educate yourself and stay focused on you and your families goals!
By NayJD on Aug 24, 2009
I’m home schooled. I’m no the smartest person in the world, but I’m not stupid. I have certainly been through the "Shouldn’t you be in school?" comments from people, but it’s okay.
As far as the home schooler’s social skills stuff goes, it could go either way. You can deffinately isolate yourslef being a home school family, but you can also be very busy socially.
For example, I played on a home school volleyball league two years ago. We played other home school groups and Christian schools I think and we were very busy.
They also had soccer and a ton of other sports you could join. There are tons of home school things you can get involved in. I still have friends from that VB team.
In my experiance I have met a lot of very inteligent (and very ungeeky) home schooler.
Then there are some stranger ones, but I think it is purely based on how much outside influnce they get.
In our case we got with our county’s home school group. I’m not quite sure how we got in contact with them, but almost every home school activity ran through them, so you could get info. on anything from them. It was a nice set up.
I don’t think I can think of any home school friends who were below average thinkers.
That was a lot, but being a home schooler (who likes it) I thought I should share my mind.
(I just read some of the posts on here and I’m a little upset here. Many people really think that Home schoolers never leave there houses? Ma’am if you keep your kids busy in programs and things that they enjoy with there friends they should be fine. Bullies and clics aren’t going to cause them to have a nervous breakdown latter in life, honest. If I had gone to public school I honestly think I wouldn’t have studied or read or learned as much as I have. I’m proud to be home schoole, smart and not a social basketcase thank you Ma’am )
By Shiori_hime on Aug 24, 2009
I think there’s a difference between being smart (however you define that) and going at a fast/slow/average pace. Homeschooled kids are just like all other kids — some are geniuses, some are academically challenged, most are somewhere in between. Personally, I think you should be worrying more about whether or not your children are learning at a pace appropriate for them than whether or not they’re meeting some arbitrary standard total strangers think they should be meeting.
By lyahroxX on Aug 24, 2009
how smart a child is does not depend on where or how they are schooled the truth of the matter is a child is only as smart as they are willing to be. They can be educated in a normal school or at home it all depends on the student and whether or not they are willing to learn.
By cathrl69 on Aug 24, 2009
I think they are children. How your kids are taught has no impact whatsoever on how smart they are.
They may be less well taught than public school children. They may be behind in terms of achievement. Or they may be better taught, and ahead. But these are completely independent of how smart they are.
One thing they may well be is ignorant of a wide range of topics. How much science do your kids learn, and do they know the difference between science and faith? Do they know anything about other religions than their own? I hope the answer is yes – but sadly for a lot of "Christian educated" children it isn’t.
By godsnarnialover on Aug 24, 2009
I am judged because I am homeschooled but honestly I believe it depends on the child. people have said that i’m incredibly smart. homeschoolers are just put down in general. but we’re not slower than them, we are about just as smart as them, maybe smarter. it just depends.
By Twilight. on Aug 24, 2009
Smarter then the kids taught public schools by teachers that have no idea what the hell they’re doing.
By rosie_0801 on Aug 24, 2009
My thoughts are that you needn’t listen to these people. Smile, thank them for their concern, and move onto another topic.
By Ms. Phyllis on Aug 24, 2009
Your children will be fine, and please don’t doubt your decision to homeschool. What other people think should not be an issue for you as they don’t have your children’t best interests at heart, but you, as their mom certainly do.
I have homeschooled my 9 year old son since he was 6. For the first two months of this school year, when he was 8, I, unfortunately, had to enroll him in public school; he was way ahead of his peers.
Thank God, we have resumed homeschooling. I used to have doubts about what I was doing–but not since his brief stint in public school. He was bored most of the time, and could not believe that his fellow 3rd graders could only read "baby words." Most of them had not been taught the phonetic approach to reading.
It’s not so important that your children excel academically as it is that they reach their full potential–whatever that may be.
By K S on Aug 24, 2009
How smart they are has nothing to do with how educated they are.
I have seen home schooled children do very well on placement tests and succeed in Ivy League Colleges and in the business world. I have also seen the opposite. I know a parent that home schools her 8 children and for about 1 hour a day. The rest of the day is spent working around the house, and on "PE time", which consists of staying away from the house playing so Mom can get a break. None of the children can read above 5th grade level, and the oldest ones cannot even pass the GED.
It all depends on the parents and their commitment to their children. Even certified high school teachers are not qualified to teach out of their field of expertise. This is where a good parent would hire a tutor.
So I guess the answer to your question is: it depends on how smart the parents are and how well prepared.
By i_come_from_under_the_hill on Aug 24, 2009
I’ve met some really smart homeschoolers and some slower homeschoolers and some average homeschoolers. It’s as variable as it is in public school. It all depends on the curriculum, the learning environment, and how much effort the parents and students put into it, just like public school. Statistics show that home schoolers typically perform 1 to 2 grade levels ahead of public schoolers of the same age on standardized tests, but not all homeschoolers submit to these studies. It just depends.
By kennedy on Oct 12, 2009
Hello,my name is kennedy, and i am homeschooled.I am 12 years old, and I think that homeschooling is the best thing you can do for you children.I have friends that are my age and are public schooled and I have better english skills.I am not very good at math but I can still beat them at all the contests we have.Oh and did I mention I am a born again christian……..;):):):):):);):):);0:0:););)