General Articles: The Benefits of Home-School for your High School Age Child
By Mimi Rothschild
Although there are persistent rumors that home-school is only good for children up to a certain age, research shows that high school kids can benefit just as much, if not more, from home-school than their younger counterparts. Indeed, there is a lot of research that says that home-school kids are better off socially as well as academically than their traditionally schooled counterparts. In fact, they do not suffer in terms of social skills or adeptness if they participate in home-school. Home-school in high school can be beneficial and rewarding for both parents and children.
From an academic standpoint, home-school kids do very well. Just last year, the winner of the National Spelling Bee was a home-school student. Home-school students place in state and regional science fairs, geography bees and compete for many academic accolades- often at a much higher rate than their traditionally schooled counterparts. Home-school students often outperform their peers on college admissions exams like the ACT and the SAT. Furthermore, top colleges actively recruit home-school students. Home-school students win spots in the freshman classes of such prestigious universities as Yale, Stanford, and Harvard, along with pretty much every other college and university out there. Furthermore, evidence suggests that home-school students tend to do very well both socially and academically at colleges and universities.
Some people think that home-school will stunt a high school student emotionally and psychologically, but again, this is an inaccurate portrayal of home-school. People who have been in home-school are well-adjusted members of society and their communities. Former home-school kids vote more often than their peers; 76% of former home-school students between 18 and 24 voted in the last 5 years versus just 29% of public school students in the same age bracket. People who were and are involved in home-school volunteer more time to their communities, both through their churches and volunteer organizations. A staggering 71% of former home-school kids volunteer regularly compared to just 37% of the general adult population. Former home-school students have a better understanding of the way government works. Perhaps most importantly, the vast majority, about 95% of former home-school students are glad their parents set up a home-school for them. Home-school isn't just as good as traditional school; it tends to be far better.
________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
