In years past, when homeschooling was just beginning to gain ground as an alternative to public school education, people expressed concern about the quality of academics taught at home. There was concern that students schooled at home would not receive a sufficient education to prepare them for adulthood. These concerns have been decisively laid to rest, and the focus now is on whether or not children can receive proper socialization when they are educated at home.

Homeschoolers do not exist in a vacuum. Almost every community in the United States has a local support group for home schoolers. Local homeschool associations sponsor a wide range of activities for students, including physical education classes, sports, camping trips, and trips to museums and other places of interest. Focused contests such as spelling bees and science fairs are also sponsored by homeschool organizations. Homeschoolers in many localities have formed their own choirs, sports teams, bands, and educational and activity clubs.

In addition to the local organizations, every state in America has an active homeschool association. Among the services offered by state homeschool associations are conferences where homeschooling families can gather and participate in many activities. The state associations are complimented by national homeschool organizations.

Dr. Susan McDowell, who holds a PhD in educational leadership, says that the question of whether homeschooled students are properly socialized is, “…a non-issue today. All research shows children are doing well.” Homeschooled children are often given more opportunities to socialize than their public school counterparts. Public school children are confined to a classroom for 180 days each year and provided very little interaction with anyone outside of their own age group except for a few adults. Actual interaction between students is limited in public schools. Most classroom time is devoted to listening and working silently at one’s desks. Field trips and chances to interact with the world outside the classroom are almost non-existent in today’s public school schedules. Homeschooled students are not restricted by such rigid environments. One on one instruction and innovative approaches to learning allow homeschooled students more free time to participate in activities beyond their academic lessons.

C.R., a homeschooling parent in Indiana, writes:

Homeschool parents realize that opportunities to learn can be found everywhere. Children can, and do, learn anywhere and anytime. More and more people are reaching the conclusion that hours spent confined to a desk, with all communication regulated and controlled, is not the ideal way for children to learn or receive optimum socialization. My two children and I have been part of a homeschool co-op for many years. Our current group is made up of 10 families, all close friends. My children are studying economics and WWII history in this semester's co-op classes. Our junior high and high school co-op students are participating in their second Junior Achievement program this year. My son is a member of a FIRST robotics team along with quite a few other homeschoolers and public schoolers in our city. Andrew has learned a lot of computer programming and made good friends in this program. Andrew also plays tennis twice a week at the YMCA. My daughter Veronica studies French with a native speaker from a local high school for gifted students. Veronica also takes dance and art classes in the community. As a family we participate in a twice-monthly outreach to local nursing homes where the children play piano, sing, and visit with the residents.

L.C., a homeschooling parent in Pennsylvania, writes:

One of the goals of our home education program is to help our two boys become productive citizens in their community, which starts with simple involvement. Our children are active in our church through altar serving, religious education, and youth choir. The whole family participates in our local Cub Scout pack; we enjoy many field trips and outings which develop skills and foster friendships. Community sports programs such as baseball and soccer help fulfill the boys’ physical education requirements, as does twice weekly swims in our high school pool during off seasons. Our community is blessed with a modern library and a restored theater which hosts a thriving arts and cultural program, through which the boys enjoy art classes and museum trips. We belong to a homeschool support group and annually participate in experiences such as arts/crafts days, field days, and symphony orchestra performances. We make family activities a priority, and each summer we take our boys on camping trips to places near and far, which provides ample opportunities for learning and simple fun. In our minds, socialization is achieved through being part of community, and making connections and friendships in the context of community involvement and shared goals.

Studies show that adults who were homeschooled are more likely than their public school counterparts to be involved in community affairs, show a greater interest and understanding of politics and government, and overall report a more positive outlook on life.

Research conducted at the University of Michigan by J. Gary Knowles, Assistant Professor of Education, found that teaching children at home did not create socialization problems. Knowles, along with other researchers, has written several books on education including Home Schooling: Parents as Educators. In a survey of 53 adults who were taught at home, he found: two thirds were married, which is the norm for adults their age, none were unemployed or on welfare, more than 40 percent attended college and 15 percent of those had completed a graduate degree. A resounding 96 percent of those surveyed said they would want to be taught at home again. Another interesting aspect of Knowles’ research was that a very high percentage of these adults were self-employed, leading Knowles to conclude that children who were home schooled were more self-reliant and independent than their public school counterparts.

Larry Shyers’ dissertation, “Comparison of Social Adjustment Between Home and Traditionally Schooled Children,” won an award from the Educational Research Clearinghouse is 1992. His research showed that homeschooled children are not lacking in socialization. He asserted that homeschooled children were more likely to be cooperative rather than competitive. He further stated that they were more likely to invite other children to play with them, and they also played with peers of both genders instead of sticking to the usual-gender oriented play of children in public schools.

Dr. Thomas Smedley of Radford University used the Vineyard Adaptive Behavior Scales, a test that evaluates communication skills, socialization, and daily living skills, to evaluate both homeschooled and publicly schooled children. Smedley’s results showed that homeschooled children demonstrated a significantly higher maturity rate according to the test. Homeschoolers scored in the 84th percentile while public school children scored much lower, in only the 23rd to 27th percentile.

Dr. Raymond Moore, who has written more than 60 books and articles on human development, has done extensive research on the subject of homeschooling and socialization. Dr. Moore analyzed over 8,000 early childhood studies and came to the conclusion that children are best socialized by parents instead of other children. According to Dr. Moore, the idea that children need to be around large groups of youngsters to be socialized is a “dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing…” His view is that children do not do well with large groups, and that in large groups children become nervous, which decreases learning.

In 2003, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) commissioned the largest research survey to date of adults who were homeschooled. The study was done by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute. The survey used information gathered from 7,300 adults who were homeschooled. Over two-thirds of the people surveyed were homeschooled for at least seven years. You can read the very interesting results of this study at http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/HomeschoolingGrowsUp.pdf.

The facts are simple, and the research is available. Homeschooled children have been tested for every aspect of social development and have passed these tests with flying colors. Students who have been homeschooled consistently score higher on standardized tests than their public school peers. The intense scrutiny that homeschooling has been subjected to has shown that homeschooled children’s social development is not just equal to that of public school children but in most cases superior.