Homeschooling of Early Childhood Learners

Introduction

Early childhood learning is perceivably one of the most crucial learning stages; specifically, because it is the foundational phase in a person’s life. As such, homeschooling is irrefutably a controversial topic in early childhood learning, as it is purported to be beneficial and at the same time detrimental. One, homeschooling describes the process where parents opt to educate their children at home as opposed to taking them to the public school setting (Aram, Meidan, & Deitcher, 2016). Therefore, since early childhood learning is presented as one that requires high-quality educational practices, homeschooling is perceived as one that offers the children with these attributes, while an alternative approach views it as being incapable of offering high-quality learning. Both the supporters and challengers of homeschooling base their argument on the idea that early childhood learning is a transitional phase that prepares a person for other educational levels. A critical analysis of these concepts, therefore, shows that early childhood learning needs to be approached and in a way that the embraced learning process guarantees effective advancement in life. Arguing from this perspective, homeschooling is considerably the most effective learning platform for early childhood learners. Reasonably, homeschooling gives the children learners the needed attention for their advancement; something they cannot get if they are formally schooled.

Articles Supporting Homeschooling of Early Childhood Learners

Despite homeschooling being quite controversial, the articles supporting it purport that it helps the children a lot in terms of personalized attention. In addressing this, Gathercole in the article “The well-adjusted child: The social benefits of homeschooling,” she approaches homeschooling from the point of asking whether homeschooled children are capable of working and playing with others (Gathercole, 2007). Apparently, Gathercole’s (2007) focus in her approach is on the issue of socialization skills in homeschooling. Drawing from her experience of homeschooling her children, this author supposes that homeschooling is the best for early childhood learners as it offers them endless opportunities. For example, the article pinpoints that homeschooling offers the children the chance to socialize. The outcome of this socialization is that it allows the children to have a stronger self-concept compared to those in conventional schools. Romanowski (2006) further advances this concept of homeschooling as being the most appropriate by suggesting that it offers the children with a variety of motivations. As a result, early childhood learners have the chance to focus on more crucial issues such as advancement in education, religious belief, as well as family traditions. According to Romanowski (2006), parents who homeschool their children do so since they hold onto the belief that this mode of learning is child-driven. That is, the parents because of the attention given to the children will make sure that the learning programs are orchestrated such that they address a child’s curiosity and interests. The impact of such education mode is that the children’s behaviors and actions are molded and in ways that increase their early literacy. Another reason why homeschooled is perceivably the best learning mode for children is that homeschooled individuals perform at par and even better compared to those in conventional schools. Evidence for this is that examined test scores of homeschooled learners have shown that these individuals outperform traditionally schooled children, and in all areas including math, social studies, and sciences (Aram, Meidan, & Deitcher, 2016). Hence, according to these articles, the held myths about homeschooling being ineffective are foundationless; since homeschooling offers children a whole lot of benefits.

Articles Disagreeing With Homeschooling of Early Childhood Learners

Alternatively, homeschooling is viewed as an ineffective learning mode for children as it makes them socially and educationally handicapped. According to Turner (2016), this supposition is evident in that homeschooled students have a lot of problems, including being socially awkward, conservative, and sheltered. The reason behind such an occurrence is that homeschooled individuals have limited exposure that affects them later in life. For example, students who were homeschooled have difficulties in making college applications, as they are unaware of what is expected of them. In fact, if homeschooled individuals are to fit into conventional schools, they are subjected to general equivalency diploma (GED) in addition to SAT tests as a way of gauging their familiarity with the schooling system (Turner, 2016). It is on this ground that homeschooling is viewed as being disadvantageous as the lack of familiarity with conventional learning contradicts with the idea of early childhood learning being crucial in preparing individuals for other stages of learning.   According to Wichers (2001), the main reason why homeschooling is not the best learning mode is that it gives the children too much freedom. That is, with homeschooling, the learners are characterized with declined morals and respect, which is a ripple effect associated with the freedom of homeschooling. That is, in most cases, homeschooled individuals lack control, respect, and are undisciplined. There is also the issue of customized learning in homeschooling, which happens to be detrimental in that it only focuses on the needs and interests of one individual and not the general learning situation that equips them with necessary facets to help in their interaction with others (Reich, 2002). As a result, homeschooled children have the possibility of being insulated from exposure to diverse ideas. In overall, articles against homeschooling purport that this learning mode among early childhood learner is disadvantageous in that it limits the children’s socialization, and this leads to other problems such as declined morals. 

Personal Stand On Homeschooling of Early Childhood Learners

Having analyzed both the supporting and opposing ideas of homeschooling, it is evidently clear that it is perceivably a better learning platform compared to conventional schooling. The argument herein attributes to the fact that early childhood learning is the most crucial stage in a child’s learning process as it acts as the foundational platform that equips them with tools necessary for later life. Therefore, other than focusing on academic performance, early childhood learning needs to be more focused on enhancing the children’s socialization skills. According to Aram, Meidan, and Deitcher (2016), the one fact about homeschooling is that the children are exposed to a variety of experiences, which are more effective in enhancing their social skills compared to when they are formally schooled. Typically, this is so because homeschooling involves interacting with different people and situations, unlike in school where interactions are limited to peers (Gathercole, 2007). Also, homeschooling, unlike formal schooling, offers early childhood learners with uncultured socialization, which helps them perform in ways that they are not just focused on academic performance.

References

Aram, D., Meidan, I. C., & Deitcher, D. B. (2016). A Comparison between homeschooled and formally schooled kindergartners: Children's early literacy, mothers’ beliefs, and writing mediation. Reading Psychology, 37(7), 995-1024. Gathercole, R. (2007). The well-adjusted child: The social benefits of homeschooling. Mapletree Publishing Company. Reich, R. (2002). The Civic Perils of Homeschooling. Educational Leadership, 59(7), 56-59. Romanowski, M. H. (2006). Revisiting the common myths about homeschooling. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 79(3), 125-129. Turner, M. L. (2016). Getting to know homeschoolers. The Journal of College Admission, 233, 40-43. Wichers, M. (2001). Homeschooling: Adventitious Or Detrimental For Proficiency In Higher Education. Education, 122(1).