Educational Decisions : Homeschooling And Retail

Imagine what it would be like to not get to have your first day of school as a child. For a child that is home schooled, they never get to walk through the doors on their first day with a new backpack, new school supplies, and new clothes. As little as this issue may seem, is it important for people to understand the effects that homeschooling can have on the cognitive development of elementary age children because by not being exposed to the resources and relationships children can get out of public school, they lack the benefits that come along with the system. Children cannot develop their emotions and problem solving skills, which could result in them being less successful in the future. The next generation is meaningful to society because they are the ones that will help American progress, so people need to ensure that they are getting the best education for their children. Although many parents believe homeschooling can be beneficial to their children because of the convenience and closeness to home, thoroughly examining the negative effects it has including a lack in the cognitive development, limited exposure to problems associated with the public as well as not having the benefits of a relationship with teachers and other students can prove that homeschooling are harmful to the cognitive development of elementary aged children.

Not long ago, my parents received an endless amount of criticism, similar to the Walls’ family, for their decision to homeschool my siblings and me. Many “feared” for us, because according to them, there was no way we were going to learn effectively at home, what we could in a formal school. My mom tells me stories of how people she’d known expressed genuine concern over the idea of educating children in a different way than what is deemed “normal.” I do not blame these people for their concern, as they were raised in a society that emphasizes a single approach to learning. Although there were definitely times growing up when I wished to attend a brick and mortar school like “normal” people, after a certain age I genuinely appreciated my parent’s decision. Being home-schooled has taught me so much more than just the basic principles of education. I grew up being highly self-reliant due to my online school requiring students to be almost entirely responsible for keeping up with their work. Similar to college, I had a syllabus provided to me, and had no one other than myself to make sure I was on top of everything. This helped me to become a responsible and well-organized individual. I also gained a quality education, despite all of the fear and concern of those around me. I still have to answer the questions, “Why were you homeschooled?” and, “Didn’t you want to go to regular school?” more

One of the greatest effects of college to a homeschooler is the teacher specialization. This is something that the student might not have received during their homeschooling experience. The student no longer has one-on-one interaction to learn, but is in a classroom setting which is very different than what the student is used to. Every teacher is now a specialist and formally trained in every field that they teach. Whereas now, the homeschooler is subject to multiple teachers a semester, each wanting the student’s full attention on their class, each with a different teaching style and vision for the student to accomplish. The average homeschooler did not have to face this as they generally had only one teacher.

My early education has been shaped by a very difficult challenge, but also many positive circumstances have formed my way of learning. I was home schooled throughout my grade school years, but due to financial and family circumstances throughout that period; I was lacking in my education. Throughout, my school years I always felt dumb, and that I could not connect with all my friends who went to “normal” school. Also, I feared how my future would turn out. “Would I be able to go to college? Could I get a decent job? What would happen to me?” This trial of education has been one of the most formative events

As a homeschool student, I completed two lessons a day so that I could catch up to my older brothers’ grade levels (though this was partially fueled by my competitive nature). Once in high school, I took every Advanced Placement class offered to me so that I could be at the top of my class. Then, in college, I worked two jobs while earning my degree in three years so that I could graduate early and without debt. During each of these stages I tackled multiple personal issues and outside forces telling me that I could not handle the workload I had taken on. What those individuals did not understand is that once I have set my mind on something, I will work as hard as necessary to

B. Preview – Traditional homeschooling can be problematic to a student’s life skills and overall development. The social learning aspect of school, which is lacking in homeschool, directly transfers into college and the workplace. Most teenagers and kids need to be supervised at every moment or else they will not do their work and, while at home, it is hard to find the motivation to do schoolwork.

Eventually, I enrolled in THESA (Texas Home Educators Sports Association) Volleyball where my leadership proficiencies as captain were cultivated. Unpleasant workouts, long practices, and boring diets resulted in winning first place in the State Championship. I attended a Co-Op where I took a variety of different subjects, however, the majority of my studies remained at home. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course, which teaches money management skills and warns about the dangers of debt, equipped me to properly manage the money I earned when I began working at 16 years old: I saved 10%, gave 10%, saved the rest for college, prepared a budget, and invested my earnings. Two and a half years later, I graduated from homeschool with 27 credits, a 4.0 GPA, self-determination, perseverance, money management skills, and a strong sense of who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. I believe homeschooling has equipped me with all the disciplines necessary to do well as a Nurse in the medical field and I plan to succeed wherever I end

They get used to be themselves, and they do not worry about being different. Helmi Young, my English language professor’s son, is six years old. When I met him, I asked about his hopes and what he desires to be in the future. He answered, “I want to be myself.” This answer indicates that the six years old homeschooled child knows and realizes that he is an individual, and he is not like anybody else. In an article called Taking a Different Path: A Mother’s Reflections on Homeschooling, There is a parent expresses her opinion about homeschooling. He said, “Though homeschooling is not something I ever imagined myself doing, the benefits to independent, self-directed, highly capable learners are difficult to refute” (Staehle 1). This emphasizes the unexpected benefits of homeschooling on children’s personalities that encourage parents to follow its paths. Although some parents do not think about homeschooling, and others refuse it for some personal reasons, they will not deny its benefits if they try it.

Education is the cornerstone upon which modern civilization has been built. However, is the traditional model of education—one that relies on memorization and recitation—the most effective way to learn? Indeed, in order to get a full-time job and establish a fruitful career in almost any industry, one must have a robust and impressive educational background. This typically consists of holding degrees from prestigious universities, normally achieved by one’s ability to “test well.” However, an alternative method of education known as homeschooling has long existed as a viable way to teach today’s youth. While homeschooling is not necessarily “superior” to traditional institutions of learning, it promotes a crucial and revolutionary idea: that learning should not be limited to the confines of the classroom.

These two counterpart choices in education have been an ongoing controversy for such an extended amount time due to the concernment of what effects a child gaining his or her education in the comfort of their own home rather than a more engaged learning environment. Some argue that homeschooling is so controversial due to the issues of socialization or lack there of, time and financial constraints on the family and/or parents, and it simply being less effective and enforced than that of the alternative, public school, in terms of academic achievement and overall stature, (Martin-Chang, Gould, & Meuse, 2011). Additionally, traditional schooling is shown to provide more educational opportunities and important personal interactions between peers and teachers. (Korkmaz and Duman, 2014). On the contrary however, others argue that homeschooling raises greater academic achievement, creates strong familial and parent-child bonds, has the potential to build greater self-motivation and a sense of responsibility, while potentially keeping children out of harms way whether that be bad peer influences, bullying, drugs and alcohol.

Many concerns are expressed for homeschoolers. When it comes to homeschooling, the first point of emphasis that critics point towards homeschoolers is the lack of socialization. “Critics charge that home-schooled children will be socially handicapped and unable to adapt to real-life interaction when older” (Jeub 1994). Ultimately, critiques get their conclusions with many observations and interviews that show how they do not choose to, or are not incorporated in social events or activities. Critiques imagine that the children are stuck with their parents all day and only go out when their parents allow them or when they personally go out. With this environment, critiques envision that homeschoolers get little to no cultural experience from their world surroundings (Anderman and Anderman, p. 468) In essence, the assessment is a never-ending speech from the critics that the number one flaw in homeschool is socialization and the

Who homeschools? Although due to the private and largely unregulated nature of homeschooling, it is difficult to determine the actual number of homeschoolers in the United States many believe that there are 1-2 million homeschooled students.() Considering in _____ estimates were closer to __________ homeschooling proves to be a very popular option among today’s parents. Although Christian beliefs are still a reason some homeschool a greater number of today’s parents are choosing to homeschool for reasons far beyond this stereotype. The opinion that the public school system in this country is holding children back from reaching their full potential by going at the pace of the slowest learners in the classroom, is just one of the many reasons parents decide to homeschool. Others chose to homeschool because their family requires the convenience of a flexible school day. With public schools battling drugs, alcohol, and an increasing number of violent and sometimes deadly acts within our public schools it is no wonder parents today are searching for better alternatives. The question remains whether homeschooling is the answer to these concerns.

Traditional-school environments constrict students to specific learning paces that may not fit their individual needs. This lack of flexibility can negatively affect students’ academic careers. In fact, “homeschooled students achieved higher standardized test scores

If you were to overhear a conversation in a household with children, it isn’t uncommon that you would hear bickering and debating between child and parents about their future plans of education. One of the big discussions you would hear would be whether or not to attend a school or to stay home for education. Deciding where a child should further their education is not a decision that should be taken lightly. There is a reason that the decision to homeschool or to send a child to a public or private school is so controversial. Ultimately, it should be the child’s decision because they know their learning habits the best. With the guidance of their parents the child will be able to make the best decision for their needs. The environment that children learn in and the social interaction with other children are essential to the development of children.

Being a homeschooled student, one thing that people automatically presume about me is that I am an academic genius. Although I must say that I get above average grades, I, however, do not believe I am at that stage. Being homeschooled has opened up a lot of doors for me academically and has allowed me to identify my true academic strong points. I have discovered that through this ongoing experience, the subjects that are my favorite and that I’ve excelled in are English, Science and History.