Home schooled kids socialize well
With Kindergarten registration fast approaching, I thought it would be a good
time to share this article...
Conventional wisdom and anecdotal evidence has always suggested that
home-schooled children are smart, but that they have trouble fitting in with
their peers. However, a new study by the Canadian Fraser Institute says
these children not only do well on standardized tests, but also have good social
skills.
The report found that home-schooled children are generally involved in more
than five outside activities per week. It suggests that these activities
often have a higher adult to child ratio than a school setting which provides
more opportunity for adults to model good social behaviour and assist children
in building problem solving skills. Home schooled children were found to
socialize well with their own age group. The study also found that adults
who were home-schooled as children behaved typically, in career and family life,
for their age category.
Of course, each family situation is different -- general studies do not
necessarily mean a particular solution is best for every situation.
Economic factors, school quality, parental skills and a child's personality all play a role in
deciding how to school your child. However, this study provides comfort to those who do choose to home school that their educational choices
will not contribute to delays in other areas of their child's development.
