by Christi DuPre

Created on: May 20, 2008

There are countless exaggerated claims about home education. Most of this hype is not based on solid research or even observation of a reasonable sample of home school families. Despite this, a growing number of families across America are embracing the home school lifestyle each year. Parents are making an educated decision to home school based on observed facts rather than negative hype.

1ST FACT: HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN HAVE GREAT SOCIAL SKILLS
If you've had limited contact with home-educated kids, you might be surprised to learn this. They are comfortable with tots, adults, and everything in between. The first training comes from home, gaining confidence from loving parents and interaction with siblings. These kids know how to make eye contact and speak comfortably with adults. Our children are involved in an orchestra, choir, boy scouts, dance, youth group, and other less organized outings that give them experience with others in authority and kids of all ages. They are in the community on a daily basis, even during "school hours".

The world is full of diverse social environments, and school classrooms are not models of the real world. Home education takes learning beyond the classroom. When kids mature and enter the working world, they will not work with a group of peers. Their success will be based on their effective association with people of different ages, abilities, and experience levels. In many cases, they will work with the public in our own communities.

2nd FACT: IT'S LEGAL TO HOME SCHOOL AND YOU DON'T NEED A COLLEGE DEGREE
Although laws vary by state and sometimes locality, parents across America have the right to educate their children at home. It's completely within the law, and there is a high success rate among parents without a college diploma. As parents, the education of our children is ultimately our responsibility whether home schooled or traditionally schooled.

3rd FACT: ALL HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN ARE NOT OVER ACHIEVERS OR ACADEMICALLY SUPERIOR
Although statistics indicate home educated children score high on standardized tests and are being pursued by universities, this is not true of all children. However, it stands to reason that students having individualized, self-paced instruction would achieve more than their counterparts in traditional classroom setting with a high student to instructor ratio. Since home school students have time to explore their talents, some choose vocational education rather than the university. Parents may choose home education not because their child is gifted but because they need one-on-one attention.

4th FACT: HOME SCHOOLED FAMILIES ARE NOT RECLUSIVE OR ECCENTRIC
If anything, most families that educate at home have very full schedules, and they interact within networks and the community at large. From personal experience, I can testify that the friendships between mothers, dads, and children are richer and greater in number than many families that don't home school. Home educators are very intentional in their planning to ensure that their children have healthy friendships and spend more time at home having "play time". Children also mingle and develop friendships outside the home school network through church and outside activities.

As more families turn on to the benefits of home education, the hype will be quelled, and the facts will become more apparent. If you choose this path, expect questions from your family, friends, and even complete strangers. Answer them frankly from your point of view. Not all home school families are alike, but most are convicted and see the hype as the least of their challenges!

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