Andrew McCullough, a thirteen-year-old homeschooled student in Powhatan, tackled some big myths about homeschooling last month and was given space in the local newspaper, Powhatan Today. Andrew, whose family are members of The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers, aspires to be a journalist or an engineer. This article was his fourth for Powhatan Today.
Chances are, you’ve met a homeschooler. You may even be good friends with one. But it’s kind of rare to actually be one – only about 3 percent of the kids in the U.S. get their schooling at home. However, just because they’re unique doesn’t mean there are as many differences between homeschoolers and public-schoolers as one might expect. There are a quite a few misconceptions surrounding homeschooling, and some could not be further from the truth – for example, have you ever heard that all homeschoolers are devoutly religious, socially isolated, or are geeks? In reality, they’re just like “normal kids,” and they and their families come in just as many shapes and sizes as public-schoolers. Here are some more answers to the myths that are most widely believed but just aren’t true…
Myth 1: Homeschoolers don’t have a rigorous school day or academic life.
It can be easy to jump to a conclusion like this when you see kids out-and-about during the day. However, the majority of homeschoolers have a very intense academic life, though perhaps not in accordance with a traditional schedule. They often school on weekends, evenings and even vacations – whenever opportunity and education best align. Homeschoolers also can be taught with a different educational style than a public-schooled student; a little looser, and very personalized to a student’s strengths and weaknesses, which can make for a more efficient school day. In general, homeschooled students work hard and learn a lot, just like their public-schooled friends. Remember, it’s not always the amount of time spent or the level of structure at a school, but the results reaped from it.
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