Homeschooling, or being educated by a parent instead of attending a school, is becoming increasingly popular. Parents have different reasons for opting to homeschool their children, from protecting them from bullying and negative peer pressure to shielding their children from the influence of drugs and gangs.
Many people believe that homeschoolers lack social skills due to their lack of interaction with peers and public school attending children; however, this is not necessarily the case. In order to better understand why some homeschoolers lack social skills, it can be helpful to look at the sources of this lack of interaction and the ways in which it affects homeschoolers.
Reason 1: Limited Socialization Opportunities
One of the most significant ways in which homeschoolers can lack social skills is due to their limited opportunities for socialization. For homeschoolers, the majority of their socialization may take place within their home and with family members, making it difficult for them to engage with peers and learn how to interact in certain social situations.
Even when homeschoolers do get the chance to go out and socialize, it can be difficult for them to find or create opportunities to do so since they may lack the connections and resources that public school attending children have access to. To further complicate matters, many homeschool parents choose to homeschool their children for religious or moral reasons and may try to limit the exposure to other ideas and lifestyles. As a result, homeschoolers may lack the knowledge and skills needed to understand and properly interact in a wide range of social situations, such as understanding norms of different cultures, listening to and understanding different points of view, or participating in activities with peers.
To improve the social skills of homeschoolers, families must make an effort to provide or create socialization opportunities for their children. Parents may enlist the help of local homeschool groups, religious communities, or other homeschool parents in the area to arrange playdates, organize outings and activities, or even create virtual meetings for their children. It may also be useful for homeschool parents to participate in co-op learning, an educational approach where instructors are hired to teach small groups of students, allowing homeschoolers to interact with peers and be educated in a more “traditional” setting.
Reason 2: Lack of Eligibility for School Events
Another reason why homeschoolers may lack social skills is due to their lack of eligibility for participating in school-sponsored events and activities. Since homeschoolers do not attend the same school as the children who take part in these events, they do not have the same opportunities to practice their social skills as other children do.
For example, a homeschooled student may not be able to participate in team sports, join extracurricular clubs, or even compete in debate competitions, all of which may provide important social learning experiences. If homeschooled students do not have access to these activities and events, they may find it difficult to learn and improve their social skills with peers. In order to gain access to these events, homeschool parents must work with their local school district to determine what activities homeschoolers may be eligible for.
Parents should also seek out organizations and programs that provide opportunities for homeschoolers to interact with peers and participate in activities, such as homeschoolers sports leagues and educational learning centers. Additionally, homeschoolers can take part in field trips, volunteer activities, and other forms of enrichment to practice socializing with peers and develop their social skills.
Reason 3: Lack of Structure Some Schools Provide
Finally, homeschoolers may lack social skills due to the lack of structure that some homeschooling families may provide. Schools provide certain rules and regulations to ensure a safe, healthy, and respectful environment, and they also provide teachers and other professionals to help students learn, grow, and practice their communication and social skills.
In homeschool families, however, this structure may be lacking. For example, if the family does not have any set boundaries for behavior or expectations for communication, children may become used to speaking and interacting in any way they want without limits or restrictions. This can lead to an overall lack of socialization and interaction, as well as an inability to develop social skills with peers, as they will not have the opportunity to practice the behaviors and language needed to properly communicate.
Homeschool families must create structure and provide rules to ensure their children are learning the same communication and socialization skills that public school children learn during the school day. Parents should create an environment that encourages their children to practice communication and socialization, such as by creating boundaries, setting appropriate expectations, and providing opportunities for their children to interact with peers.
Additionally, parents should make an effort to help their children understand and appreciate different points of view, which can be accomplished through open conversations, reading books, watching documentaries, or even having visitors over that have different beliefs and perspectives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, some homeschoolers may lack social skills due to their limited opportunities for socialization, their lack of eligibility for school-sponsored events and activities, and their lack of structure at home. Parents must make an effort to provide or create socialization opportunities for their children, work with their local school district to determine what activities homeschoolers may be eligible for, and establish structure and rules at home in order to ensure their children learn the same communication and social skills that public school children do.
With the right environment and opportunities, homeschooled children can learn how to interact socially with peers and develop the social skills they need to succeed.