Top Five Myths About Homeschooling Debunked

With schools worldwide now closed because of a pandemic that has no end in sight, more and more parents are joining the homeschooling bandwagon in their numbers. However, you might be among those who have held to common homeschooling myths and you are not about to let your guard down even in a pandemic.

From “homeschoolers don’t have any friends” to “kids under the homeschooling program are unsocialized”, myths have been thrown right left and centre to discourage anyone considering electing it as their choice of curricula. But are they true? In this article, we will consider five common homeschooling myths and debunk them.

Myth 1: Homeschooling parents are unqualified

It is widely assumed that because most parents of homeschoolers might lack a degree, they can’t in any way instruct their children as far as education matters are concerned. The fact, however, is that a parent with a high school diploma and with passion and determination can homeschool and do a better job. Out there a lot of support is available for the homeschooling parent. Talk of the wide range of curricula, lesson plans, tests, answer keys, etc. Also parents who have elected homeschooling support one another by sharing the skills they have with each other.

Myth 2: Homeschoolers outperform their peers in traditional education.

The myth might seem plausible. After all, parents spend time with their children and focus their attention on their weak areas in learning. And with a somehow flexible study routine, children enjoy the freedoms which eventually reflect in their performance. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If children rely on the traditional education for stability, either because they eat at school or just love the routine, homeschooling would of course affect their performance in the long run. And if the parents are poor, they wouldn’t be able to spend the needed time to instruct their children.

Myth 3: Homeschoolers are overprotected

This myth wants everyone to believe that parents under a homeschooling program are shielding their children from certain ideas prevalent in public schools. The truth however might surprise you. Each parent that chooses homeschooling over traditional schooling does so for a variety of reasons. It is true that some do so for religious reasons, but for others it might be because of the special nature of their children not to mention that it’s academically superior to the traditional schooling.

Myth 4: A rigid daily schedule is what’s important

It’s often said that children thrive on routine and if you were to veer off it, then their lives would come tumbling down. After all, they are used to such routines in the traditional school program. That said, a closer look at a homeschooling program paints a different picture. The individualized instruction a child needs means that more often than not, a parent will need to spend more time drumming into the child a concept that he/she is having problems with. In addition, more breaks might help a child concentrate better especially if the child has short attention span.

Myth 5: Homeschoolers are very anti-social

It’s largely assumed that because these children spend their time inside the house and away from the public, they become withdrawn as a result. Granted, nothing suggests that to be true. In fact, parents with homeschooling children take steps to ensure that their children have a social life by coming together with other homeschooling parents and doing activities together. It’s a known fact that these children excel academically and either enter college or the workplace well-adjusted to face the challenges of life.