Today, many parents are making the decision to homeschool their children. Perhaps they want to have more control of the teaching material or they want more control over their child's learning environment. Either way, homeschooling has become a popular form of education in the 21st century. If you're thinking about homeschooling, you'll likely encounter some common myths.
- Homeschooled Children Are Socially Underdeveloped
This myth falsely assumes that a homeschooled child spends most of his or her time at home. Many parents who homeschool their children encourage them to join sports teams, take piano lessons, sign up for dance lessons, or participate in other extracurricular activities. They make sure their children get plenty of opportunities to make friends and socialize with other kids their age. In short, just because a child takes classes at home doesn't mean he or she has no friends.
- Homeschooled Children Aren't Accepted into College
This is another myth that continues to survive despite the fact that a growing number of homeschooled students are accepted into colleges each year. Just like a student who attends public or private school, a homeschooled student must present his or her grades and various other academic qualifications to a college. A homeschooled student may have to take an entrance exam to get into a college, but this is also true with students who earn a diploma from a traditional high school.
- Homeschooled Students Don't Work as Hard as Students in a Traditional School
Homeschooled children must study and complete homework just as traditional students do. A homeschool curriculum requires students to take quizzes, tests and exams. Students also write reports and do experiments in science class. They have to achieve certain scores in order to move on to the next grade level. They are challenged with difficult assignments and tasks. Most homeschooled students are focused and work very hard for their academic accomplishments.
- Homeschooled Students Aren't Prepared to Go to College
Homeschooled students study each subject thoroughly, including science, history, math, and English. They read novels in English class, learn about scientific theories, read history books, conduct research on the Internet, and study advanced math. All of these tasks, along with others, prepare them for the work they will encounter in college courses. Some of them may be better prepared than students who attend a traditional high school.
- Homeschooled Students Use Substandard Learning Materials
Some parents who homeschool subscribe to an online educational program that includes much of the same material kids use in public or private schools. Other parents may choose to go with a program offered by a company that provides homeschool lessons, textbooks, workbooks, and other materials. Homeschool materials must conform to specific standards of quality. In today's world, parents can easily find high quality homeschool materials that benefit their children. They can even have a complete homeschool curriculum delivered to their door.
