I am going to start with a quote that was made by the superintendent of Child and Family Services which states, “The opportunity for social interactions with others is very important for the development of all children. Children learn important social behaviors while interacting with others” (Changhon, n.d.). So how is the home-schooled child, who has limited social interaction, able to gain the cognitive, emotional, and social skills needed in order to function in main stream society?

Being home-schooled for a short period of time as a child, I can attest to the feelings of social idolization and loneliness that came from not being able to interact with my peers on a daily basis. According to an article published by The Trauma Specialists Website, social interaction is vital to human health, both mentally and physically (Trauma Specialists, 2007).

Improper socialization is just one of the many negative consequences associated with home-school. A parent, who is not qualified to teach, may have a very difficult time teaching specialized subjects such as science and math, which may have devastating consequences on the child’s academic performance.

 Although many home-schooling parents have their children’s best interest at heart, how is a child who is socially isolated, with no government regulations on academic performance and achievements, expected to become successful and productive members of society?

Recent research has revealed the link between social behavior and academic achievement. A study by Gian Caprara found that higher levels of pro-social behavior predicted greater academic achievement (Bukatko, 2008). So it seems clear that a child’s social development must be nurtured in order for that child to develop normally in all other areas of development.

According to a study by Dr. Brian Ray, home learners have a tendency to be emotionally unstable, deprived of proper social development, and judgmental of the world around them (Haverluck, 2007). There may be cases where home-schooling may be effective, but it takes the right combination of parent/child, many of these children will fall victim to social and educational delays unless a tremendous amount of effort is put into socializing and educating these children properly.

Although many home-schooled children are involved in a variety of extra curricular activities and social groups, such as dance classes, church groups, and art or music lessons, I can say first hand that this is just not enough. Being involved in extra curricular activities are great learning experience, however, these types of social settings usually only deal with one particular social group and do not provide the proper amount of social interaction that children need on a daily basis.

 According to a recent report by CBS News, and estimated 850, 000 children are being home-schooled in the United States (Holguin, 2003). The CBS News investigation went on to report that since home-schooling is largely unregulated, many children have suffered abuse, and since these children do not attend school, these cases go unreported.

Although the cases of home-schooled children being abused are probably rare, without government regulations in place to ensure these children are receiving a proper education, where do the child’s rights to receive a standard and regulated education come in? Is the child’s constitutional right to receive a regulated education being overlooked to the parent’s right to home-school?

Many home-schooled children receive alternative educations, meaning the focus in aimed at religion, music, arts, and hands-on experimental learning. Although these areas can contribute to the learning experience, they do not adequately prepare a child for real-world experiences in real-life settings. Children need the competition of the classroom; they need to learn to work along side others despite their differences.

So much of learning takes place through real-life experiences, which can not be taught in the home, but must be experienced in order to fully grasp. Issues such as socialization can not be taught without daily social interaction being provided. Children learn from other children, so failure to allow a child adequate social interactions may delay the child’s cognitive and emotional development.

Sheltering a child from the outside world does not give them the skills needed to overcome and deal with negative influences, such as peer pressure. Nor does it prepare them for the structure and routine needed when entering into the workforce.

I’ve had many home-school friends who upon entering back into a tradition school setting, had absolutely no skills to deal with the pressures of life. Many of them fell victim to drugs, alcohol, and teenage pregnancy. It was like watching a prisoner being set free for the first time. Many of them were completely out of control, lacking all of the moral judgment that was once so heavily focused on throughout the home-schooling years. Many of them quit high school and never attended college. A child who is not given the opportunity for the social interactions that provide emotional, cognitive, and social growth, may not posses the skills necessary to overcome peer pressures, learn valuable life lessons, or be properly prepared for the challenges of adulthood.

References

Bukatko, D. (2008). Child and Adolescent Development. A Chronological Approach. Cengage Learning: Mason, Oh.

Changhon,T. (n.d). Importance of Social Interactions. Stanislaus County Office of Education. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from http://www.stancoe.org/cfs/handouts/SpecialNds/pdf/ImportanceofSocialInteracti ons.pdf

Haverluck, M. (2007). Socialization: Homeschooling vs. Schools. CBN News. Retrieved October 21, 2009 from http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/144135.aspx#

Holguin, J. (2003). A Dark Side to Home Schooling. CBS News.

Retrieved October19, 2009 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/13/eveningnews/main577817.shtml?tag =contentMain;contentBody

Trauma Specialists, (2007). Register of Trauma Specialists. The importance of social interaction to human health. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from http://www.traumaregister.co.uk/Articles/Human_Health_Contact.htm