What do you think of homeschooled kids?

Question

What do you think of homeschooled kids?

Answer 1

I think they're kids, just like any other kid.

They have the same emotions, trials, and triumphs.  They go through many of the same things as any other kid.

However, they also tend to be individuals.  Because they do not battle the constant peer pressure and are not in an environment that tells them to "fit in", they are often more comfortable being different than others.  They honestly don't care, much of the time, if their peers share their interests - they are happy to be themselves, and they are happy to be around others who are fine being themselves.  (They do tend to be confused, at least at first, when they enter a situation in which everyone tries to be "just like" everyone else in order to fit in.  However, I don't see this as a disadvantage - I see it as a sign of maturity, that they can pick that out and choose not to be a part of it.)

They tend to be pretty resourceful, because they have more time to follow their interests.

They tend to score well, as they have more "on-task" time during the day.

They also tend to be pretty respectful, as they know their parents will nail them for being rude :-)

Some are shy, while others are outgoing; some are "bright", while others may face difficult challenges.  Some are ambitious while others are laid back.

Basically, hs kids are just kids - but they're allowed to be who they are, from the start.  This often translates into some pretty amazing results.

Answer 2

I was homeschooled during my high school years (9-12th).. Had been going to public school, but wasn't too good-only there 6 months..  A couple of the kids tried to hit me over the head with one of the metal chairs (one day in gym class)

Answer 3

Well, there is one watching the Grammies with me. I'm very fond of her. She's been running with her friends all weekend and it is good to have her home. She's a bright and funny kid. I know other homeschoolers and they tend to be inquisitive and polite. But, all the other answers saying that HS kids are all different are correct. Some can talk your ear off about sports, music etc., others are more reserved. Some are child prodigies, some struggle with their studies. It just depends. That's how it is with people though, isn't it?

Answer 4

Well I was homeschool for a long time with different forms of homeschooling.

so never look at the statistic look at the child.

Never allow a quiet person be homeschool, i mean other than the siblings, there will really be no social life because of the isolation from the rest of the world.

Like I was homeschool for the 2nd grade then from 7th-through-10th

and honestly Homeschooling was really the worst thing that ever happened to me

Answer 5

They are kids like any other kids.  Some do well, and some don't.  Some behave well and some don't.  Some are successful and some are not.

Answer 6

I think homeschooled kids are individuals. Which means that you can't really lump them all together and say, "All homeschooled kids are..." anymore than you can say, "All private school kids are... All public school kids are..."

In general, I have found homeschooled kids to be more open to things, less peer-focused and just having a little something you can't quite put your finger on compared to public schooled kids. It's most noticeable with the teens I've met who have homeschooled for a while or all their lives. There is a truly noticeable difference when observing the homeschooled teens where I live compared to a similar size group of public school teens. But that is not to say that every homeschooled child I've met is like this.

The biggest stereotype of homeschooled kids is based on the belief that they don't leave their houses and have no social interaction. That would mean that not only do the never get out to go to the library, store, doctor's appointments or anything else, they don't even interact with their own family! Most would admit that even this would be extreme. Studies have been done showing that homeschooled kids tend to be invovled in more activities than their public schooled peers. I know that most homeschooling families I know not only have activities on the side, but often participate in homeschooling get-togethers and have families they do things with. How active they are depends on the family.

Answer 7

From my experience and my homeschool support group, they are some of the brightest, most well-behaved children that I ever met.  My experience is very limited as I just joined the group in January 2008.  However, I know they are just kids, and just like any other kids, they have their ups and downs, growing pains, etc.

Zeena said that isolation is a bad thing; however, keeping one's child safe is a good thing.  There are some things children don't need to be exposed to; I don't know where Zeena lives, but I live in the city of Chicago, and our neighborhood school is not a good one.  I have observed the behavior of the children firsthand, as my son goes there every week for one-on-one speech therapy.  "Evil communication corrupts good manners"; I choose for my son to retain his good manners, home training, godly values, etc., and I will continue to homeschool him, period.

Answer 8

This question is very broad and assumes (or implies) that homeschool kids are a homogeneous group.  What about homeschooled kids?  Their educations?  Their viewpoints?  Their experiences?  Their social networks?  Do they eat cereal or waffles for breakfast?  How many put their socks on before their pants?

You get the picture . . .

Homeschooled children are just as varied and unique as children all around the world.  They are interested in the same things other children are interested in, they bleed when they fall and scrape their knees, and the main difference between the kids that are homeschooled and those who are educated in public schools, since most children in the US are public school kids, is where they go to school.

Answer 9

There are over a couple of hundred kids in just our homeschool support group (and there's a few more big ones in the county)... there are about 100 kids in our co-op that meets on Thursdays. I teach classes at this co-op as do many parents, professionals and educators.

I've also taught and worked in public schools, and by comparison, I prefer working with and being involved with homeschoolers.

On the whole, I enjoy the kids in the homeschool community. There is less peer pressure, the kids are generally interested in learning and enthusiastically involved in their education. When I teach in my homeschool classes, the kids eagerly participate, they cheer and get excited over new projects rather than groan and gripe. They look forward to being there, frequently they complain when they took a sick day that their mom "made" them stay home.

When we go on big group field trips or camp outs or have activities, the kids can get a little rambunctious like any kids of course, but moreso in a good, youthful enthusiasm kind of way. There's not a lot of bullying and teasing and fighting and name calling going on. The little kids and big kids play together, no one gets left out unless they want to go off to their own activity.

The homeschooled kids also seem to retain a childhood innocence much longer. As they get older, most of the teens are pretty responsible and well rounded and treat the younger kids very nicely. They don't seem to have problems interacting with adults, either, they tend to be respectful and you don't see a lot of eye rolling and teeth sucking and glares of annoyance or hanging heads when adults talk to them.

Answer 10

I think Zenna79 makes some pretty bold and uneducated assumptions about home school and kids who are home schooled. She obviously doesn't know what goes on in home school.



As for home school kids in general I think they are just like most other kids. We have our very shy ones and our very outgoing ones. We have kids that excel in sports and others that excel in acting. There are many more opportunities for home schoolers to be involved in the community than any one knows. So they are more involved than the average public schooled kid. Of course they have shorter school days so they also have more time to be active in the community.

Answer 11

Not my idea of teaching my children, as it isn't all about what they're learning. We humans learn from each other and we need human interaction, in school, work, the streets. Isolation is a bad thing, and the proof is everywhere.