| Homeschooling
This material looks at
homeschooling from the perspective of psychological development and in
particular, the dynamics of attachment, maturation and socialization.
Dr. Neufeld has been invited to keynote and present at a number of
homeschooling conferences and conventions. His primary contribution is
to shed light on the socialization controversy concerning home-schooled
children and to elucidate the developmental factors that should be taken
into consideration when considering the option. Another area of
contribution is to educate parents about the factors that govern a
child’s teachability and the need to take this into consideration in
developing an approach to their child’s education.
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Homeschooling and the Peer Problem
The prevailing assumption is
that the greatest drawback to homeschooling is the loss of social
interaction with peers. Times have changed however, making peer
interaction more of a problem than an asset. Instead of peer interaction
facilitating the process of socialization, it is now more likely to
lead to the premature replacement of adults by peers in the life of a
child. Such children become peer-oriented rather than adult-oriented and
are more difficult to parent and teach. Furthermore, peer-oriented
children fail to mature psychologically and their integration into adult
society is compromised.
Because of escalating peer
orientation, it is now the school that has become risky business. What
was once the most powerful argument against home-schooling is now its
most persuasive defense. Contrary to prevailing concerns, home-schooled
children are showing evidence of being more mature psychologically, more
socially adept and more academically prepared for university. They have
become the favoured applicants of a number of major universities.
If current trends in society
continue, homeschooling may very well become a necessary antidote to
escalating peer-orientation. We may need to reclaim our children not
only to preserve or recover the context in which to teach and parent
them but also for the sake of society at large and the transmission of
culture.
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The Argument for Homeschooling
The developmental needs of
children were never paramount in the arguments that led to the inception
of compulsory education. Indeed, there was little that was even
understood or known about child development at that time. It should not
be surprising therefore to find that developmental science does not
support school as the best context for children to learn, to mature or
to become socialized. Although the school has become a central
institution in our society, it is not without risks to emotional health
and development.
In his presentations on this
topic, Dr. Neufeld presents five factors that, when all things are
considered, tend to favour homeschooling over traditional schooling,
given the home is suitable of course, the parent capable, the child
receptive and the option exists. These factors include the enabling of
parents, the emotional health of the child, interest and curiousity, the
socialization of the child and the teachability of the child. Given
sufficient time, these arguments are developed accordingly.
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