A question – that may present itself in a variety of forms by curious people – is will homeschoolers learn everything they need to know? This is a difficult question to tackle, so I will simply offer my insight into what can seem a rather subjective concept – though I hope to prove my opinion with objective truths.
Usually, they hint at it with their questions, so-called concerns, and/or how they seem to think that it is their right to know every detail of your child’s homeschool day in order to make sure your child is learning everything. Often, it would be more simple if they just kindly asked the question directly!
Some people question whether home education is a valid choice. When someone asks “will homeschoolers learn everything that a public school student will?”, it indicates one or more of the following:
- They are truly concerned that home education is inferior to public education.
- They believe that a homeschool student is limited in academic resources.
- Home education is an entirely new concept to them and they simply do not understand how it works.
- They believe a parent cannot teach their child academics, social skills, or life skills.
- They believe that public school teachers care more about a child’s education than their own parents do.
- They believe that learning only takes place within the walls of a classroom, using state/government-issued textbooks, being told when to get a drink or go pee, where free-thinking is limited, and surrounded by 30 other children the same age.
Homeschool Mom Book List
The Unhurried Homeschooler: A Simple, Mercifully Short Book on Homeschooling
Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace
Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence
The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids
Home Education (The Home Education Series) (Volume 1)
Homeschooling 101: A Guide to Getting Started.
So, Will Homeschoolers Learn Everything …?
The quick answer is “no”. In reality, children who attend public school do not learn everything either and nobody expects them to!
From my experience, the majority of children who graduate from a home education feel like they received a quality education and – more importantly – a rich life experience! On the other hand (again, based on my own experience), children who feel that same way after receiving a public education are in the minority.
To reiterate: it is common for a child to come out of the public school system feeling like that system failed to teach them … it is a lot less common for a child to come out of homeschool feeling the same way – based on my own experience and knowing many children from both scenarios.
7 Biblical Word Studies For Homeschool Moms eBook
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A Personal Story
I have a story to tell you about a public schooled student who was not given the education he deserved but finally grew up to learn he is intelligent through homeschooling. I hope it makes you stop and think before automatically assuming that home education is inferior to public education.
When I married my husband, he claimed he couldn’t learn, read, or enjoy academics in any way. He did not look back at his (public) school years with fond memories and did not feel he learned much of anything that was useful in his adult life.
In fact, he had his desire to learn taken away from him in the confines of the classroom. For years he rarely tried to learn new things because he thought he wouldn’t be able to.
He always felt dumb when it came to academics because he didn’t fit into the type of box his public school teachers wanted to put him in. His public school teachers told him he was stupid and he had subconsciously believed them!
In the years since we had our first child and chose to home educate our children, my husband has watched with wonder as the love of learning has been ignited in our children … and himself!
By allowing freedom in their education styles and interests, we have children who do not hesitate to:
- ask questions
- use a dictionary
- read all they can about any given topic
- express their desire to study and learn about their interests
- discuss what they would like to add to their education
- explore what career they would like to plan for as an adult
- to learn!
This is not something we can really take credit for. Besides making that initial decision to home educate our children, we have done nothing but been in amazement at a child’s ability to learn – when given the right atmosphere.
My husband has watched our children enjoy and get excited about school time (most of the time), not dread it as he did. He has realized there are several types of learning styles … and that everyone is different … like him.
My husband learned that he is a visual and kinesthetic learner. He learns best by watching & doing.
That has encouraged my husband to embrace learning new things. He even changed his career after fifteen years and chose something that required studying and testing.
Homeschooled children may not know all of the things, but if we are honest, public school children don’t either.
Why is it that a public school student can often graduate without knowing how to spell, read, or write well – let alone name more than 3 USA Presidents – but a homeschooled student better know EVERYTHING or else they haven’t been taught well?
The reality is that nobody excels at everything! Every person has strengths and weaknesses (in academics and in all ways).
It is true that the quality of a child’s education matters in whether or not they feel educated! Homeschooling parents have thousands of resources available to them … most are simply a click away … others are available for free from the library, along with the many quality businesses that are focused on bringing the best in academics to homeschool families!
But, the quality of the teaching materials is not nearly as important as the quality of the atmosphere the child spends the majority of their time in.
Children thrive when surrounded by love, dedicated parents, and the grace of God! This truth has been proven time & again throughout history when we learn about financially poor families homeschooling/raising up the leaders of our country, other historically famous people, etc.!
Home educating our children has taught us that learning doesn’t start/end at a certain age or grade number (or time of day). Neither does it always blossom and grow when confined to a classroom or the textbook chosen by the “powers that be”.
One way public schools set children up for failure is that they are not capable of customizing each child’s education.
- You must fit into a certain mold, or you are labeled as a “special learner”. That mentality, after a few years, can cause you to dread any challenge or new thing and stop you from being all that God called you to be.
Home education can be customized and tailored for a child’s interests, needs, and abilities without limiting them to what will be on the next test! A homeschool parent knows their child(ren) much better than any teacher ever could!
Bottom line: we are humans, not robots. We learn best when we are free to learn in the way we need to!
This applies to both children and adults. I hope that helps those who wonder if homeschoolers learn everything they need to. 😉
MORE HOMESCHOOL MYTHS & TRUTHS
The BEST Way To Homeschool (it’s not what you think)
What If Your Child Is Sheltered? (what does that even mean?!)
I’m NOT Cut Out To Homeschool! (we’re on the same page)
Disappointing we can only enter the give away on facebook, instagram etc.
I understand your disappointment! Thankfully the Facebook entries only require you to click through to the FB page but do not require you to like the page so you are able to enter without having a FB account. Hope that helps!