National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance

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Home School Socialization

Parents, educators and researchers all seem to be concerned about one aspect of homeschooling: socialization. Most people have overcome their apprehension about the educational aspect of homeschooling, but the socialization factor still looms high in the minds of homeschooling critics.

Today, while education at home is done primarily in the home, homeschooling families are by no means confined to their cozy abodes only. In fact, families utilize varied educational outlets to homeschool their children such as home school co-ops*, educational field trips, educational camps, community colleges, and varied community programs.

Now with over 1.1 million home schooled children in the United States, socialization is a bygone stigma for homeschooling families. Most large and even small and rural cities have homeschool support groups where families get together, socialize and plan educational field trips and activities for their children. It has also been found that homeschooling children are quite active socially in areas of interests such as community activism and politics. Home schooled students, like their traditionally schooled peers, also hold internships with area businesses, part-time jobs, and are active in community service.

It is safe to say, therefore, that while home schooled children are not educated in a big classroom full of other students, they do make the extra effort to enrich their lives socially.

Gone are the days when it was widely thought home schooled children are being educated in homes where they never come outside and learn in their bedrooms with the blinds completely shut. It wasn't true when homeschooling first began making prominence in the United States and it's certainly not true today.

* Weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly classes taught by home schooling parents to a group of home school children. Typically parents teach classes in areas they know beyond proficiency. For example, a parent who has a degree in biology would teach a class on the sciences. A parent who has a degree in English would teach writing and language arts. Most states allow some form of co-ops. Check your state's law or your state's homeschool organization to locate a co-op near you.

Socialization
is truly a
non-issue for homeschoolers today. Home schooled children are active in:

Support groups

Athletics

Home school
co-ops

Community programs

Field Trips

Community Colleges

Internships

and hold part-time and summer jobs

which thoroughly erase the stereotype that home schooled students are ill-socialized.

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Socialization