What do you think? Read on.?

Question

Do you think homeschoolers are ussualy smarter or more stupid than the kids who go to public school?

Answer 1

I don't think there's a difference in their intelligence (how "smart" they are), but I do think there's a distinct difference in their test scores and in the methods with which they are taught.

Homeschooled kids are (generally) allowed to develop at their own rate, which varies greatly, especially in early childhood and elementary school.  Our kids are not pushed to read by 7, multiply by 8, and write full paragraphs by 9; if they're able to reach those benchmarks by those ages, great!  If they're not, we keep working with them where they are until they are ready to learn those skills.

Each child has a specific developmental time when they are most able to learn a skill, and if the skill is taught at that time, they are able to learn it very quickly and retain it permanently.  (There are times when a child has a developmental or learning disability that may make it extremely difficult to learn a skill; obviously, that is handled on an individual basis.)

My son, for example, was doing pre-algebra in his head at age 6.5, but didn't start to read fluently until 9.  I let him go as quickly as he was able to (and still show mastery) with math and science, and he's currently 3 years ahead in both.  I worked with him at his pace with reading and other language arts, and though he developed slower in those areas, he is now at grade level in everything (he'll be 10 in a few months).  He is now at the place, developmentally, where he is able to make sense of the linguistic concepts involved in reading, spelling, grammar, and writing, and he sees the point in mastering and using them.  Now that he's ready, he's learning them very quickly.  In some areas, he's gone up close to three grade levels inside of a year.  His skills are starting to even out, and his physical (writing) abilities are catching up with his mental abilities.

In a classroom, it's necessary (by definition of a classroom) to teach all the kids at the same pace.  It is possible to have pull-out classes, small groups, that sort of thing, but basically, everyone is taught at the same level.  The really great teachers are able to challenge most of the kids at their level, but it's pretty much impossible to tailor a curriculum for each child.  Therefore, some concepts are going to be taught either when a child isn't ready to learn them, or well after they were ready and gave up.

So I don't think that ps or hs kids are brighter or dumber than the other, but statistically, the adherence to developmental rate and the tailored curriculum are greatly beneficial to homeschool kids...and it shows by their test scores.

Answer 2

Socialably no....

im not shure other wise... i ofnt know home schooled kids...

but i think that tehy would probably be smarter... they odnt have as many distractions... so they can focus on learning.

Answer 3

The same.  There are smart ones in both public school and home school.  When I use the word 'smart', I'm not only talking about their potential to learn, but their desire to learn.  You can be smart but unmotivated.  There are students in home school and public school who fit this category.

I think home school has the better advantage of motivating because the parent will not 'give up'.   It would be easier as a teacher with concern for 75 plus kids in a high school to give up on the ones who don't care. (My figures for 75 plus is 25 kids in class and teaching 3 classes a day.)

Answer 4

Our children are normal youngsters who have the freedom to develop at their own pace.

This gives them and advantage in the later years over those who were forced to be at "grade level".

Children who are ready to learn catch up very quickly, and those who were forced, or did not make "the grade" often have difficulties for the rest of their school years.

Therefore home schooled youngsters often perform better than their schooled peers on assessments taken during the high school years, henceforth the assumption they are "smarter", when in all reality they simply had the privilege of being able to wait until they were emotionally, and physically ready to handle the academics.

Answer 5

i think there about even, homeschoolers still have to pass the same test public students do.

Answer 6

No. I think they are the same.

I was homeschooled for 14 years, and did normal is school.

(A's and B's)

I wasn't super smart or anything,

but my sister really is.

So I think it just depends.

When your homeschooled your have a more comfortable environment (most of the time) and you feel at ease. You don't have to worry about what you look like, or asking a dumb questions, because your mom wont laugh at you.

So sometimes you ending learning more.

But I think, like I said, it just depends on your wanting to learn.

I hate how people judge homeschooled kids.

So a couple kids still have their mom dress them, it doesn't mean we're all like that!

Answer 7

I have seen both ends of the spectrum.

The reason for the intellegence? One of two things.

1. The Child's Mental Capacity

2. The Parent's effort in the Child's education.

I grew up in a church where almost all the families were homeschooling families and most of the children faired way above average in IQ but there were others that went totally opposite. One family just let their children slide with an E for effort and another family was "claiming to homeschool" while actually forcing their children to work at their family business.

It's the effort that you put into your child that makes the different. Public schooled children can have the same result as long as their parents are motivating them and keeping in tune with their academic needs. I think that is where homeschool proves its weight in gold: the parents know exactly where the child is at and is able to do whatever they need to that will specifically help their child out and help them suceed.

Answer 8

One university study showed they are on the average 2-3 grades ahead of public schoolers and more than 1 grade above private and parochial schoolers.

Answer 9

Statistics say that homeschoolers usually do better on standardized tests. But that doesn't mean they're smarter. Smarter has to do with how you think and how quickly you learn more than how much academics you know. Thinking about the homeschooled kids I know, yeah, they probably tend to be on the 'smarter' side, but part of that is because the kids were already on the smarter side and it was one of the reasons the parents had chosen to not put them in school.

I do have to admit to know a growing number of unschoolers whose kids CAN'T read or are reading well below grade level. However, all of the 15 and up unschooled kids I know can read, so the early judgement of homeschoolers based on a different timeline is rather unfair. Abraham Lincoln didn't read until he was 14, so it's not like not reading at 9 means the kid is stupid.

Answer 10

i believe they are smarter because they have less distractions and more one on oone time with their instructor

Answer 11

My point of view.

What is considered "smarter" to you?

Everyone is "smart" at something, different things then others.

Maybe it's math, english, foreign language, art, problem solving, computers, wildlife, leading, etc.

Smart to one person may be stupid to another, you see my point.

Answer 12

Maybe a little bit smarter because they might pay close action to you.

Answer 13

I'm 16 I've been on homestudies for one year.  When I was in highschool I was getting pure F's and D's I was capable of the work because my SATS were proficient and advanced, and I passed both my Exit Exams my first try.  I'm not able to graduate from highschool beacuse of my low credits and I don't have enough time to earn more in so little time.  Now on homestudies I actually do understand the work, its helped out my depression and social anxiety.  I understand the work I'm not distracted in class and my low self-esteem wouldn't get in the way.  I'm not afraid to ask my teacher for help and I actually strive to do more work, I love the subjects I'm learning.

we do everything the state requires us to do, CAHSEE Highschool exit exams in order to get a diploma, STAR/SAT/ACT testing is the same, and I've actually scored higher and all my grades are really good.

my mum is finally proud of me and she is very much excited and pending my walk across stage.

which I know I will and can acheive.

Answer 14

I think we're different. As someone from public school said in one of the threads here the reason they think we're so weird is because we are more mature than them. And that came straight from the mouth of a public school kid! LOL! If that's true, then what can I say? I'm proud to be weird!

Personally, I cringe at how many teenagers, who do go to school, post here without seeming to know the difference between writing and speaking...or even that there IS a difference!

BTW The reason not all homeschooled kids can read when other people think they should is because not all parents believe in pushing their children to read before they are ready. It isn't because they're stupid. Schools in some Scandinavian countries don't start to teach reading before kids are 11 or 12 years old and yet, by the age of 15, they have much better academic results than those English speaking countries that (wrongly) believe a child is stupid or failing if they're not reading fluently by the time they're 7.