Not so Fiendish Friday

A few weeks ago someone from my son’s coop posted a link to this article and I loved it. I sent it to my husband with my commentary and he immediately suggested I should blog about it. LOL. (Yes, my husband is ridiculously supportive of my blogging/writing. And yes I am aware of how flipping lucky I am.) I had to consider that for a while though. Did it really have a place in my canon? I am a writer. I blog about reading and writing and teaching writing. But then I figured, if I devote an entire post each week to making fun of myself, why not this?

So the first line that caught my attention: “There’s something kids are assumed to receive from the process of group schooling — especially from large, government-funded schools — that helps them fit in better with society at large.” Yes. I am constantly railing about this. Schools want my child to fit into their little box of acceptable so that he will grow up to be the citizen they want him to be. The socialization question is one I hear all to often. From well meaning family members to the clerk at the grocery story who says, “It must be so lonely to be at home all day.” Um….Kiddo immediately caught the logic flaw in that one. “Why is she saying that? I’m not at home.”

The article talks considerably about the socialization opportunities home schooled children have, if you define socialization as learning to interact with the world at large in a positive manner. Which I do.

The article goes on to talk about the changes in government provided educational goals over the years. Schools now emphasize group work and group think more than individual achievement. This directly contradicts studies in expertise and mastery that suggested working alone on things help you to identify that which is just out of your reach so you can grow/stretch/make the effort to reach that understanding/knowledge.

The article finishes with questioning what I always do. Are critics really afraid that home schooled children will grow up to think for themselves? Because studies show that they do. Home schooled children tend to be more independent, more likely to handle things themselves, to be self employed when they grow up. In other words, they grow up thinking it’s ok to challenge authority and authority never likes that.

Here’s the link if you like to read the article.