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Brooke Carr

Mrs. Mahood

CTP Communications II

6 May 2013

Homeschooling
Because without home-schooling I know I would never have picked up a pen. I love to
write, but in my school my whole class hated it. The room would fill with groans when it was
time to pull out our writing folders. I would suppress a smile and fake a groan with everyone
else (Karen). Public education limits students to perform at their fullest potential because of
many factors. When students are homeschooled however, those limitations are no longer there
for the students. Home schooling grants the students to be creative, free, and themselves. Home
schooling is a viable source of education for all students.
To begin, children who are home schooled are able to become independent rather than
dependent. Homeschooling provides an environment that allows children to develop their own
opinion rather than allowing their opinions to be formed for them. Students that attend public
schools have an impact on each others opinions every day. For example, a child really enjoys
learning about Japans culture but, everyone in the childs history class hates learning about the
culture. The child goes along with the rest of the class so they can fit in. The child then becomes
dependent on the other students ideas because they are afraid to express their own thoughts and
ideas. Additionally, students that are home schooled are also able to seek knowledge without
depending on teachers. Students in public schools depend on teachers to tell them what to read,
to study, and to write. When a child is homeschooled they do not get the guidance that they
would from a teacher. They are taught on how to take notes the proper way and use their
resources (like the library). Because home schoolers become adept at using the library from an
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early age, they are more likely to be independent seekers of knowledge and lifelong learners
(Wagner). Lastly, children that are homeschooled have their own specific goals rather than a
broad set of goals that is made for the whole class. Teachers in public school set goals for their
class as a whole to meet but, those goals do not cater to all students. When children are home
schooled they set their academic goals that fit their needs rather that a set of goals that are for all
the students. Children are able to move at their own pace and achieve specific academic goals
before moving forward through their curriculum (Newton). Therefore, children that home school
are generally more independent then children who participate in public school education.
In addition, children that are home schooled have more time on their hands compared to a
student that attends a public school. Children who are home schooled spend the majority of their
time volunteering in the community. Instead of wasting hours among hours sitting in
uncomfortable desks that only causes kids bodies to become achy, home schooled children are
moving around and getting involved. Home schooled children can volunteer at local food banks,
animal shelters, and much more. Next, when families home school their children they now are
able to take extended trips over the school year. When students are homeschooled they no longer
have to worry about missing days of school and not being able to catch up. Many families take
advantage of this and visit national parks, historical sites, and much more. Each travel experience
offers educational opportunities that are not available to students who attend public schools.
Parents that home school often cite that they home school because they want the ability to spend
more time together as a family. Also, children who are involved in sports or extracurricular
activities have more time to practice and train because of home schooling. With home schooling
having a flexible schedule allows children to fit in more time to train or practice. To excel at any
sport one must practice because practice makes perfect. Sports and extracurricular activities
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require families to travel or participate in lengthy practices not allowing these to fit into a public
school education. Obviously, families and children that participate in home schooling have more
time in a day to fit in whatever is necessary.
Furthermore, homeschooling provides a safe and comforting environment for children.
Many parents fear the thought of gun violence due to many tragic school shootings in the past.
On December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut twenty
innocent children and six staff members were brutally murdered by gunman Adam Lanza. Adam
shot his way into the school wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying assault rifles. As the
children listened mercifully to the gunshots over the schools intercom they could barely make
out words but they hear, Dont shoot! Adam entered a first grade classroom and as the little
children cowered down to him, he ruthlessly shoots them all except one six year old girl who
managed to survive by playing dead. Many parents are afraid to have to feel the loss of a child or
children like how the parents whose children died the morning of December 14 had to feel. For
many the tragedy reconfirmed at least a partial factor in wanting to home school in the first place
(Shelton). Also, parents are worried that their child may be bullied and cause emotional abuse.
The gunman from the Sandy Hook shooting (Adam Lanza) was bullied in elementary school so
bad it caused him server emotional abuse. It is said that Adam was scared for life from his
elementary years at Sandy Hook he wanted to get back at them for never taking care of the
bullying problem (Daily News). The majority of public schools have programs for bullying but
the programs are never enforced, so children who are getting bullied will just have to deal with
it. Additionally, parents are afraid of the peer pressure that comes face to face with kids in
public schools. Parents spend every day preaching to their children about right and wrong. When
children attend public schools other kids tell them the opposite of what their parents have been
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preaching to them. For example, a child starts hanging out with this new group of friends. The
friends tell the child that if they smoke this cigarette they will be considered cool. The child
knows that their parents would never approve of that behavior so they hesitantly say no. The
group of friends then began to beg and persuade the child and eventually the child gives in. No
parents want their child to begin hanging out with the wrong crowd. Finally, parents believe
they can provide a safer and more comforting environment than public schools.
Moreover, the curriculum for homeschooling is customized and not standardized. Home
schooled childrens curriculum is tailored to fit the Childs interests and abilities. Some children
are advanced for their grade level and are stuck in the one size fits all education level offered
at the public school. So the children that are advanced do not excel and keeping advancing into
harder things due to the public school curriculum. Every child learns in different ways for
example, one child may be a visual learner (learns by looking at pictures) but the child sitting
beside them is an auditory learner (learns by listening). With home schooling the parent is able to
revolve the curriculum around what type of learning method they are that way the child can pick
up on ideas or concepts faster.