Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Dr Laura blogging on homeschooling

homeschooling and socialization

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I am a huge Dr Laura fan. I thought this blog was timely, considering the discussions about homeschooling.

Very interesting!

I have to admit that until not so far in time I was totally against HS, thinking that it was completely insane ....

And now, here I am, HS, even though only for a few months and wishing it was legal in this country.

I don't often agree with Dr. Laura, but I do on this.

OMG, I seriously think that article just pushed me over the edge. She is seemingly describing MY DD5 in that last paragraph. I bookmarked it and will be e-mailing it to DH and DG.

Well, in some cases and some places, I think kids *are* homeschooled to shield them from "a certain element" as they will say, and I don't think this is necessarily a good thing. When this shielding has at its root racism or classism, the so-called "white flight" in action, I think it is not healthy. Monolithic homeschooling of that sort is incredibly distasteful to me, though I recognize the rights of the parents to practice it.

But in our case, coming from a white-bread-and-mayo suburb of middle-to-upper class families, we see a lot more racial and economic diversity in our homeschool group than DS6 saw in public school. So luckily for me, this is one liberal dilemma I don't have to guilt myself with.

I do think parents who take it upon themselves to educate their kids *should* make an effort to expose the kids to a wide variety of people and opportunities (just as I think schools should do the same for kids within their walls), but I recognize their right to stick to monolithic views if that's what they prefer. Unfortunately, I do not rule the world.

Obviously I agree with Dr. Laura's main point that homeschooled kids are not all maladjusted serial killers waiting to happen. Overall, HSed kids are at least as socially capable as their traditionally schooled peers. She's clearly right about that!

Thanks for sharing, OH-Oma.

I thought it was particularly interesting that the research used Christian homeschooled kids compared to Christian traditionally schooled kids. It seems Christian homeschoolers have the biggest stigma attached as being narrow minded, bigoted people. Research shows that just isn't true.

I certainly agree with you that this assumption is unfair! There are bigoted Christian HSers and there are open-minded Christian HSers, just like there are bigoted and open-minded segements of any population. Such assumptions about Christian HSers are unfair.

Still, as Spock ( ), I feel I must say that it doesn't seem to me that this research from the website necessarily shows what you're claiming there.


Even if the study evaluated narrow-mindedness and bigotry as part of that adjustment to college (it might not have--the website doesn't say, and I can imagine that a bigot might still adjust well to college), we could draw no conclusions about relative levels of bigotry compared to non-Christians from this study because non-Christians weren't included in it.

*All* the Christians (HSed and not) might have been more narrow-minded than *all* non-Christians, but we can't know that because no non-Christians were part of the study. It is equally possible that *all* non-Christians were more bigoted than *all* Christians. It's just not knowable from this info.

I don't mean to be argumentative. As I say, I think your point is 100% right and I think stereotypes are dangerous. I just don't think this study is the one to point to to prove your point.

Sorry to slip into my annoying argumentative writing teacher shoes there for a minute. I promise to stop now!

We're discussing, not arguing!

I think I should have stayed with the argument that one of the negative comments about homeschooling is the lack of socialization; and Christian homeschoolers seem to take the brunt of that accusation also. By having a narrow focus on only Christian public shooled and Christian homeschooled college students they were able to compare social skills between the two groups. Maybe a wider variety of home & public schooled students would have been a better sample, but then there would be other factors to be considered.

I agree with you completely! I know I get tired of the doggone "socialization" question. Christian homeschoolers are probably ready to scream when they hear it!

That's why when I'm asked "But what about socialization?" I often respond with a broad grin and my standard answer: "Oh we lock DS6 in the basement and throw books down the stairs to him. Is that wrong?" <blink, blink>

It gets a laugh, and then I explain about our highly active HS group, his many playdates, his busy social schedule.

I detest stereotyping, so I just want to say again that I think what you're saying is right on the money.

The socialization of homeschooling isn't as concerning to me as having a dialogue with such a limited number of folks (e.g. a tired mom, a whiny brother, etc.). Instead of socialization, my concern would be peer group (same as my concern in normal school setting).

I'll explain. I always have taken my kids to museums and they've loved it. I've talked to them about the various topics and followed up with library books about those topics afterwards.

When my oldest DS went to 1st grade in a class for highly gifted, the class visited a museum we had frequented as a family. The kids were so animated, intensely discussing and demonstrating ideas, extrapolations--it was a whole new level beyond anything we'd ever done as a family. I think that was when I decided that the peer interaction was the #1 best thing, independent of the teachers or anything else. I still believe this. Unfortunately some classes don't have that synergy, but when you find one it's amazing.