Home school, Public School, what is the difference?

Question

Homeschoolers tend to do better on average, than recipients of the public educational system. as this study points out.

http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp

Why is that?

Answer 1

In homeschool:

More individual attention.

The teachers (parents) usually cares more about the student than about themselves.

The education can be tailored to the child.  The child doesn't spend weeks going over what they already know, and is not rushed through what they struggle with.  Therefore they can spend their time actually learning.

Much of the homeschool material is academically advanced, many homeschool High School courses cover material at a depth that most people won't encounter until college.

Many homeschoolers do not move forward until they completely know the material, if they get a "D" they don't just say, "Well I passed."  Instead, they do it again until they can earn a respectable grade, in the process they actually learn what they are supposed to.

In Public School:

The teacher is dealing with 30+ kids she or he doesn't really know very well.

While the teacher may care, and may even love the students, it will never be as much as a child's own parent does.

The education had to be aimed toward the average student.  The advanced students are bored (and also not learning anything new), and the struggling students are falling further behind.

The American Public School curriculum focuses more on political correctness than academics.  Classic literature is banned for the use of words and ideas that don't fit today's culture.  Rather than using the presence of these things as a springboard for discussing the positive changes in society, the schools want to throw out the entire book, in effect, throwing the baby out with bathwater.  All of the benefits of such classics are lost. The advanced vocabulary, masterful language, historical context, all thrown out because people want to pretend that unpleasant events and attitudes of the past never really existed.  Math facts are considered obsolete, and 3rd graders are instead being taught how to use a calculator.  Music and Art is not on the state test, so why teach it?  (Watch the video on this site, if it wasn't so true, it would be hilarious:  http://www.notonthetest.com/index.html )

If you fall behind in Public School, you're SOL, very few teachers have the time to help you catch up, if your parents can't help you, too bad.

EDIT---EDIT---EDIT

Apparently Lila's friend was virtually schooled, not traditionally homeschooled.  Every homeschool family I know (including mine and all of the families in our co-op) has a parent supervising the education to make sure the time is not spent chatting.  My kids also do NOT have access to their books during a test.  Lastly, the standardized tests that are usually compared for studies like the one you linked to are most often done with a proctor who supervises the testing and makes sure that the kid has no help.  Homeschoolers also do better on the SAT and the ACT test, and for those they have to go to the same testing centers as the Public School students do.

I guess Lila's public education didn't teach her that you can judge an entire group of people based on the actions of one.

Answer 2

I don't know where Robert K gets his information on home schooled children having no social contact with people.  Home schooled children have far better socialization than their public school peers.  Public school does not offer real socialization, it is forced socialization.  In real life do you only socialize with 25 other people your own age that live in your neighborhood?  Maybe Robert does, and if so he is the one with socialization problems.  Home schooled children get to interact with all types of people from all walks of life.  There are home school sports teams, learning co-ops, scouting, and youth groups.  We go to libraries, parks, grocery stores, and other public places just like real people.  I find it so funny when people ask about my son's social adjustment and tell them to spend any given evening at my house,  You will find anywhere from 5 to 20 kids in my house; playing games, playing music, and well, being social.  Home schooled children do better academically also because they are actually taught to think instead of memorizing standard answers.  They are taught problem solving skills and not ridiculed or bullied when they make mistakes.  After having my son in the public school system and being home schooled I would have to say I would not recommend the public schools in our area to my worst enemy.

Answer 3

The difference is that homeschoolers don't have to waste their time waiting for other kids and they get to go at their own pace. Plus, they tend to be more motivated and get into better colleges.

And whoever says that homeschoolers doesn't have any social life, they need to get their facts straight.

Answer 4

Idk how that could be possible. My friend was homeschooled and she spent so much time chatting with her online friends that she never did her homework/any of her tests. I took one night to go help her catch up on like 3 months of work that she didn't do because we was goofing off rather than working. But then i guess i could see how they do better because they can use their books on all of their tests and no one will ever know, and also when she did all of her tests all she had to do was type the question into google and it gave her the answer. Really great education huh?  

Answer 5

Maybe because you arent distracted by other people your age around you all the time

Answer 6

Home schooled kids have less peer pressure and distraction.

Answer 7

Because in public school you also have to manage a social life, sports, clubs, etc. Not as many distractions.

Answer 8

less distractions at home.More time to do the work.No clicks to make them feel inferior.They can wear what they want.They don't have to sit in one spot all day.They can take breaks when needed.

Or maybe it's because they are not required to take vaccines.

Answer 9

I think it is because it is a smaller class or 101 with the student and teacher. But there is a lot of disadvantages of it. You have no friends from school, so there is pretty much no fun involved

Hope I helped :]  

Answer 10

TO ME the difference is Private School is more expensive to go to. and of course it is private.

Public school is where students don't pay as much and and it is not private

Answer 11

Usually it's because the person doing the teaching is the parent of the child being taught and they have a vested interest in their child doing well.  

When I was teaching our children, I didn't consider they had understood the material we were covering in any given subject if they didn't get 85 percent or higher on the test or quiz.  Also, I could teach them when they were ready to learn the material - multiplication tables to 12 in March of grade 4 instead of January.  Also, I could move at their pace of learning and teach in a way that was best for each child.  Try that in a class of 15 or more.

Answer 12

Home-schooled kids have pretty much one on one attention and can learn at their own pace.  They aren't drilled for the entire school year on how to take the state test.  There are fewer distractions all around.  

Answer 13

Because people who are home schooled have a teacher all for themselves with no other kids around to take up the teachers time or to distract them.  Public schools have one teacher to about 30 students.  If one student needs extra help the teacher only has a certain amount of time to help.

Answer 14

More one on one time, they can go at their own pace, I'm sure there are a lot of reasons. I know that I personally did much better when I was younger and home schooled.  

Answer 15

lessons and activities are more hands on.. less distractions coming from noisy school mates.. discipline is more implemented...

Answer 16

Home schoolers may do well . May be. But they have no social contact or any thing  etc. It is not better and at home you can brainwash them even more to believe what ever you want. Better than the state system can. But being socialised is the most important.

Answer 17

homeschooled children get more attention and your teacher tries to solve all your needs and weaknesses and knows & helps with your education all the time whereas in public school you have to ask your teacher if you need extra help and you get disracted by other pupils.

xoxo

Answer 18

HOME- SCHOOL- one is at home and one is at school

Answer 19

You see public schools are with people you do no don't know. Most of the time where you make more friend's then you do at home school. A home school is at home with no distraction's and other kids. most of the time  at a public you have several calsses in diffrent classes but at home you stayin the same room. You only have one teacher to teach you. in a public school you  usally have diffrent teachers for diffrent subjects

Answer 20

home school or public well the way the world is right now it is hard to make up ones mind. but you can do at home school. you can meet up with the teacher and get all the subjects and then do it at home tell the principal at the school that is what you plan on doing. or buy books on the grade level you are in and do it that way. public schools are great also but a child has to get along with peers and it is nicee if you want to be social either way is good. so thats all for now

Answer 21

There is a vast difference between homeschool and public school!

Homeschoolers can work at their own speed, choose their own curriculum based on their learning style, implement that curriculum in a way that makes sense to them (write reports, take tests, do projects, test orally, whatever), get individual attention from a teacher who is personally interested in the student, function without pressure or distraction from other students who aren't serious about their learning, set up their own daily schedule, and not have to worry about who's planning to meet them at the flagpole at 4pm.  Homeschoolers can move ahead in areas they're good at, and take more time in subjects they're not so good at.  They can approach learning with confidence.  They also usually do a lesson completely, rather than be forced to move along at somebody else's pace.  Or, they can dig into a subject that interests them in more depth as they want to.  Homeschoolers are free to do community classes like at the Y, do more field trips, and take art and music (for exampe) that their school may not have.  Their parents are usually more tuned in to making the most of every vacation and weekend picnic as a learning experience, so that homeschoolers are more tuned in to looking for the learning experience in everything they do.  Homeschoolers generally have a broader social life because they can be friends with people of all ages, instead of primarily only their own age-segregated classes.

Yes, there are homeschoolers who mostly stay at home, in the house, learning a narrow curriculum and world view.  But there are public schoolers who do pretty much the same thing, too.