One of the common criticisms about homeschooling is that the homeschooled child isn’t ready to face real world. After all, they haven’t been in a school setting dealing with peer pressure, difficult classmates, and lots of distractions. But I would argue that many homeschooled students are actually MORE prepared for life after school. Here’s why:
1. Homeschooled children receive more one-on-one instruction when they need it the most. As the parent of a struggling reader, I’m certain my son would have fallen through the cracks in a traditional classroom. This wouldn’t be the teacher’s fault at all; there are just so many students and so little time to teach. By homeschooling, I can address my son’s challenges with as many teaching methods as necessary until we find what helps him excel. Instead of watching him struggle through every school year, we can take the time to create a great foundation to build upon later on.
2. Homeschooled students have more opportunities to pursue their interests. Both traditional and homeschooled students can take part in extracurricular activities. But because homeschooling schedules are much more flexible, they can take part in these activities during times that are the most convenient for their families. They aren’t limited to an hour or two after school; they can participate not only in sports and music programs, but also community service activities and apprenticeships. With our flexible schedule, my son could take calligraphy, piano, and karate classes as well as join a basketball team – all at the same time!
3. Homeschooled students have more time to mature and learn to deal with negative peer pressure. Many kids are faced with situations in school that they are just not ready to confront. Homeschool students have more time to figure out how to handle these various challenges. Since we homeschool, my children haven’t had to deal much with bullying, cruel teasing, or trying to keep up with the Joneses. They’ll have to face it sometime, but not until they’re ready.
4. Many homeschooled students spend a lot of time in the real world interacting with people of all ages and situations, not just others who are the same age. They know how to communicate well with both adults and younger children. Through the years, we’ve been frequent visitors to a local nursing home. Because we have gone so often, my kids aren’t fearful about approaching and talking to the residents, even when the residents are unable to reply.
How is your homeschooled student ready for the real world?