[OT] Nerds

[General Woundwort]

Originally posted by Loser:
If a person is homeschooled, from what I've seen, they are screwed, socially held back in what might be a permanent fashion.

Substitute "public schooled" for "homeschooled" and you describe my experience to a tee.

[Puke]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
It's not quite the stereotype of the parents hiding their kids in the basement. It's like anything else. You get out of it what you put into it.

I'd really like to agree with you, but experience teaches that most stereotypes exist for a reason. More often than not, its parents trying to hide their kids in the basement, or save them from whatever. Often shrowded by the excuse that they want to give them some opportunity that they wouldn't otherwise have, but the underlying motivation tends to be one of fear.

Im not for or against any of the options of public, private, or homeschooling. Im for diversity and strife, as it tends to build a stronger culture. That might sound like im for public schooling but im actually for having them all, and having upset people ***** about it all the time.

[Loser]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Most people that homeschool their kids are aware of the need for social interaction and make allowances for that. But the interaction is more structured and has a purpose other than just sticking the kids in a lunch room or on the playground so the teachers can get a smoke break.

Many home school parents join into "support Groups" where they get together for field trips with other homeshool families. There are many organizations that assist in curiculum and even help parents make contact with one another. Some even cooperate in teaching responsibilities so that the kids get the benefit of teachers with complimenting skill sets.

It's not quite the stereotype of the parents hiding their kids in the basement. It's like anything else. You get out of it what you put into it.

I've seen the product of this approach as well. They are no better. I couldn't tell you why.

This isn't a view defined by a few kids. I see a lot of young people from a wide variety of backgrounds. I'm not the butterfly myself, but you make your house open to a few young friends and see what happens. The kids come in droves.

I get to know people, and their friends, and even their families (everybody's parents love me). I am slow to judge and give ample chances to everyone who comes my way. Certain things surface every time, and the social ineptitude of the homeschooled is one of them.

While I haven't met all of the homeschooled, I have met enough to form an opinion. In my opinion, in my experience, it is bad for children.

[geoschmo]

Well, I can't speak to your experience. It's unfortunate that some that homeschool don't do a good job of it. But studies show that home schooled students are as well adjusted, or better then their conventionaly schooled peers. So your experience just isn't typical. I guess the few you have met are just not up to par. Not everybody is cut out for homeschooling their kids.

As far as fear being a motivation, well yeah. A lot of things we do are motivated out of fear. That's not a bad thing all the time. Most people that homeschool though do it because the public schools just can't do it as well.

Here's a good document put out by the US department of Education. Doesn't speak to the issue of social aptitude of students, but shows the type of people that homeschool (basically people from every group in society) and their reasons for doing so.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2001/2001033.pdf