Does Homeschooling Harm Social Development in Children?

Dear parents of young students and learners,

I know that most of you probably want your children to receive a quality education that will prepare them for the future. So naturally, you’re most likely concerned about the education your child is receiving as well as the development of your child socially. After all, being able to socialize with others is an invaluable skill that is used in everyday life. Growing up, I always heard and believed that homeschoolers lacked socialization and people skills, although I never found a real reason to support this. I’m sure many of you have heard this same statement, and it bears the question: does homeschooling actually hinder the social development of children?

As a product of public schooling, I always felt that I had time to socialize with others while at school. Whether it be in the classroom or on the playground, I was able to converse with fellow students and learn how to communicate with people. Living across the street from two boys that were homeschooled, I couldn’t help but wonder if these children were able to meet and talk with other kids their age. After many years of questioning this, I decided to conduct extensive research on the social development of homeschoolers for my English course. I became increasingly more intrigued the further I explored the topic and was able to find answers to most of my concerns with socialization in homeschooling. Ultimately, I was able to draw the conclusion that what I had heard was just a misconception and that homeschoolers were no worse socially than students who had been conventionally schooled.

Throughout my research process, I found that there have been many extensive studies and articles written concerning the social development of students both homeschooled and traditionally schooled. In one of the first journal articles I read, Richard G. Medlin, a professor of psychology at Stetson University, conducted a study that consisted of conventionally schooled and homeschooled students self-evaluating their social skills. Using the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) Student Form, children were asked questions relating to their social interactions and behaviors. Medlin was eventually able to conclude that not only were homeschoolers just as socially developed as publicly schooled kids, but probably even better. I found this article to be relatively easy to understand and highly suggest reading it as it is one of the most referenced studies pertaining to the topic.

Another article that I found extremely relevant was “A Comparison of Social Adjustment Between Home and Traditionally Schooled Students” by Larry E. Shyers. This study disproved the claim that homeschooling hurts socialization by observing students in a controlled classroom atmosphere. Using one scale measuring assertiveness and one scale measuring self-concept, Shyers concluded that the homeschoolers were more more quiet, nonaggressive, and noncompetitive than the conventionally schooled children. One proposed reasoning for these results is that children learn how to behave by observing and imitating others. Therefore, homeschoolers would most likely act and behave like their parents as they are around them much longer. On the other hand, publicly schooled students would act more like other students they associate themselves with. This theory seems to be a valid explanation, but the direct cause for this study’s results are not completely known. Personally, I do think the amount time spent around adults affects the development and maturity of a child, so in this case, the homeschoolers would score higher in terms of social adjustment.

“Social Skills for Homeschooling Students” by Sameer Abuzandah was a journal article I found to be especially intersting for parents, as the study conducted took both students and parents self-evaluations into account. As parents, I’m sure you value the moral development of your children. Morals and ethical principles do play a vital role in socializing after all. This study found that homeschoolers generally acquired better morals and values than those who attend conventional schools. Once again, this supports the idea that kids become more mature and socially developed the more they spend time around their parents and other adults. This would mean homeschoolers are probably more socially advanced compared to publicly schooled children, but definitely not any worse.

The last article I would like to touch on is an article by Kyle D. Pruett, a clinical professor at Yale. The article titled “The Last Word on Homeschooled Children and Their Social Skills” explains how schooling really isn’t as large of a factor in social development as we once thought. Pruett goes on to say that parents are responsible for the social development of their children, not schooling. Personally, I do believe that parents play the most vital role in the socialization of their children. Kids learn from observing others and while school might be another place for your children to practice their social skills, it isn’t where they should be learning them entirely. For parents of homeschoolers still concerned about their social development, there are many different ways for you to keep your kids socially active. Clubs, community groups, and sports are all great ways for your children to interact with kids their same age. Overall, homeschoolers still have plenty of opportunities to meet and interact with other children, as long as parents are involved.

In summary, it is clear that homeschoolers are no worse than publicly schooled students socially, and in some cases are even better. If this is true, then what other misconceptions may we have concerning homeschooling? My goal now as a supporter of homeschooling and self-directed learning is to inform parents and help them decide what form of schooling is best for their children. Not one system of schooling is perfect for all children. Some need the structure of traditional schools, while others need the freedom to lead their own learning and let their desire to learn drive them. I hope that this letter pushes you to reevaluate schooling methods like homeschooling and gives you the chance to recognize other misconceptions you may have.

Sincerely,

Cade Theile

References

1. Abuzandah, S. (2020). Social skills for homeschooling students. Creative Education, 11(7), 1064–1072. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2020.117078
2. Medlin, R. G. (2006). Homeschooled children’s social skills. ERIC Institute of Education Sciences, 17(1), 1–8. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED573486
3. Pruett, K. D. (2020, February). The last word on homeschooled children and their social skills. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/once-upon-child/202002/the-last-word-homeschooled-children-and-their-social-skills
4. Shyers, L. E. (1992). A comparison of social adjustment between home and traditionally schooled students. National Home Education Research Institute, 8(3). https://www.nheri.org/home-school-researcher-a-comparison-of-social-adjustment/