Home school vs public school?

sunnyday789

I do know several families that have home schooled and their children are doing well, in university etc.

However, although not all my kids' teachers have been great, I've been thankful that my children have had the opportunity to meet great teachers that are passionate about their field .For example, although I might have been able to muddle through grade 12 physics, I doubt that I could have inspired my daughter to love it the way her teacher did.

k8blujay2

Though this is a bit off topic... Though not too far off if what we are discussing.... But in this day and age where educational resources are in abundance and easily accessible, I don't believe that one must have a certification or degree in order to be qualified or to educate any more... Is it nice when one has the qualifications? Sure... But I don't believe it's absolutely required in this day and age.... Give me a textbook, a test bank and some time and I can be just as educated as anyone in just about any subject without being in a traditional teaching setting... In fact, I (and many others) do better in this type of setting.

Le_Joy

3. Is the parent willing to sit by their child, invest the time, and hold their children accountable for their school work? Many parents nowadays have to work, and trusting their young child to stay home and do their school work all on line is a recipe for disaster. My daughter's friend is now being homeschooled (due to bullying) and guess what? This girl only gets 5 hours of weekly school work, which is less than one full day's worth of schooling. In a WEEK.

I agree that not all homeschool is equal or does a good job of teaching students but as someone who went to public school their whole whole life & has had work experience in schools since graduating I firmly disagree that you get 5 hours of schooling in 1 day in public school.

billsica

public school. all the way. I want a team of professionals giving my children the best knowledge possible.

Ocarina

Public school.

The social experience... is HUGE. And I really feel that throwing them in college after being home schooled is absolutely traumatizing. I also have had to piece together my husband's education and writing skills because his parents pulled him out and did a half assed job home schooling him. If he had been in public school like his sister he would of been so much more successful with college. Now he has to go through it the hard way and figure it out all himself. Not fair at all.

Public school provides for extensive networking and involvement in the community. It also allows for a variety of world views, teachers, environments, friendships, and experiences. Its not just the class room. You have sports, clubs, an assortment of classes that you can't do in the home, and the whole thing about school pride.

Sorry... just my opinion.

CrazyTrackLady

3. Is the parent willing to sit by their child, invest the time, and hold their children accountable for their school work? Many parents nowadays have to work, and trusting their young child to stay home and do their school work all on line is a recipe for disaster. My daughter's friend is now being homeschooled (due to bullying) and guess what? This girl only gets 5 hours of weekly school work, which is less than one full day's worth of schooling. In a WEEK.

I agree that not all homeschool is equal or does a good job of teaching students but as someone who went to public school their whole whole life & has had work experience in schools since graduating I firmly disagree that you get 5 hours of schooling in 1 day in public school.

Well then, let's do the math, okay? My school starts at 8:00 am. Kids attend their first class at 8:15 until 9:00. Then the next period is 9:00 to 9:45, with 2 minutes for changing class (mine don't, because they are still with me). 90 minutes. Then at 9:45 to 10:30, they are STILL with me for the other subject I teach. Now we're up to 135 minutes. Then they go to their specials. 45 minutes. They come back for 10 minutes, go to lunch/recess for 40 minutes, come back to my class for 10 minutes, then go to their afternoon classes for another 90 minutes, until they come back to my class for 10 minutes, pack up and leave.

45
45
45
45
45
45

270 minutes divided by 60 minutes = 4.5 hours of instruction in one day.

Almost, but not quite 5 hours. From what I have heard about the homeschool programs, they require much less than that. My daughter's friend only spends 5 hours a WEEK in actual instruction..

CrazyTrackLady

public school. all the way. I want a team of professionals giving my children the best knowledge possible.

public or private for me. Unless that private school decides its own curriculum, and does not hire qualified teachers. Nobody should be allowed to formally "educate" a child without the appropriate license or extensive understanding of the content being taught. That's where the lines of education and indoctrination become blurred.

CrazyTrackLady

My mom is thinking about homeschooling my eight year old sister. My sister is smart and nice, but she is socially awkward and has really bad anxiety (has meds for it) and this causes her to not want to go to school. My parents are considering homeschool, but I am unsure that it is a good idea. Does anybody have any opinions or experience with this? Thank you!

I was taught at home from the 4th grade on up through graduation. There are MANY resources out there that help parents keep their children on track, from curriculum through the school to places that will keep records for you. And the teachers editions for homeschooling are very detailed. I liked it cause I could go at my own pace, as I always got bored in a regular classroom (they always went too slow for me). And as for social aspects, there are always co-ops and associations that a family can join to get the experiences of field trips, prom and graduation (among other things). I personally (nor my brothers) are socially awkward or stunted nor are we ignorant or behind. I hold my bachelor's in science and my youngest brother striving for medical school (he is transferring to a 4 year university this fall).

Edit: gee I wonder how I graduated high school or college at all... My mom isn't a certified teacher and only had her high school diploma, yet I still did well. By the way, the textbooks are very detailed as well... More so than in traditional schools, because they assume the student is working on their own at some degree, in addition to the very detailed teachers additions, instead of having a teacher fill in the blanks.

You are fortunate you had a mother who put in her time and effort to ensure you had a balanced education. But there are parents out there who can't answer or assist their children in upper grade math concepts, grammar rules, etc, I have had many parents contact me and say "I can't help junior with his grammar, because I haven't had to study this since I was 12 and I don't remember it". If a parent does not understand the content, they are doing a disservice to their child, period. They don't have to be certified teachers, but they do have to be informed enough to help their child.

This is my biggest concern with home schooling. I would be very leery of any child who is "homeschooled" by what I consider to be unqualified adults.. Giving birth to a child does not make you automatically qualified to teach. Being educated does.

My parents couldn't remember how to factor a polynomial. I don't think they even remembered if they ever learned it in the first place (and my dad went to college to become a chemist)... The thing is, we still figured it out with the plethora of resources that were out there.

And to think you spent all that extra time learning how to do it online, when a licensed math teacher could have explained it much better and in less time.

CrazyTrackLady

The children who have come to me after being home schooled in their primary grades have always been behind in their academics, but advanced in their obnoxiousness and feeling of self-entitlement. They tend to think they can speak to their teachers "on the same level" and do whatever they want because they were home schooled and therefore don't have to "follow the institutional rules" that children in school have learned since kindergarten. They expect to be catered to, or allowed to learn at their own pace (I encourage self directed learning, but only if all children are doing that).

For as much bashing as public schools and teachers are receiving on this thread, I can flip the script and say that many parents drop the ball in their responsibilities to provide the BEST learning environment for their child, or demand more than any teacher should have to provide, etc. What is MOST important is that parent, child and teacher all agree to work together to make that child successful.

Trust me, this past year has been nothing but a bunch of parents bad mouthing me and questioning my teaching skills because, gasp!, I have been instituting fair and equal discipline to their "do no wrong" children. If they think I'm that bad, they can come in and do my job - right? They can also get kicked out and take their obnoxious child somewhere else that does meet their standards "read: caters to their child's every whim".

PS: these parents are NOT home schooling parents, they're just really, really obnoxious parents.

creative1981

4. Schools provide the opportunity for children to learn HOW to get along with others, even if the children are being bullied. Instead of retreating into a "safe" world, it is better to learn how to handle the bullying and work on developing self esteem. Running away from it doesn't build self confidence, it only pushes the real issues aside.

This is my number one concern with home schooling.

impyimpyaj

4. Schools provide the opportunity for children to learn HOW to get along with others, even if the children are being bullied. Instead of retreating into a "safe" world, it is better to learn how to handle the bullying and work on developing self esteem. Running away from it doesn't build self confidence, it only pushes the real issues aside.

This is my number one concern with home schooling.

Think about your biggest fear. Maybe it's spiders. If you have a terrible fear of spiders, what would be the best way to get over it? Would it be to throw you into a tub of spiders every day, repeatedly? Or allow you to stay away from spiders, limiting your exposure somewhat, but gradually acclimating you to be around them? (Psychologists say it's the latter, in case you're wondering.)

Yet we throw kids with social anxiety, or kids who are being bullied, right into the spider pit day after day after day. A shy kid is not going to become less shy because you make him go to public school. He will, however, learn that he is weird, that he's defective, that there's something wrong with him because he doesn't feel that he's like everybody else. If you allow him to learn in a homeschooling environment, giving him one-on-one or small group social interactions, he's more likely to develop self-confidence, which will lead to the social skills he needs later in life. There's nothing wrong with introverts, yet our society likes to teach them that they're defective. Homeschooling can help prevent that.

In addition, statistics consistently show that homeschooled kids average higher test scores than their peers. They can learn at their own pace, so if something comes easily to them, they can race ahead, but if they get stuck on something like, say, fractions, they can take their time and work on it until they actually LEARN it. That way they're not failing because they're learning it too slowly, and it's not negatively impacting future skills which build on that one problematic one.

Bottom line, homeschooling isn't for everyone. But neither is public school. Homeschooling can be a wonderful thing, especially in this day and age when there are SO many resources available. OP, if your parents do decide to homeschool her, don't stress. It'll be fine. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work out, and she goes back to public school next year.

farm_mamaX9

I have nine children. Currently, I am home schooling seven of them. One is too young, and the other is graduated and will be a junior in college next fall. With eight children in the house, there is never a dull moment and always someone to play with. So, socialization is practically a moot point here. But we do still get together with many other families and all my children are well adapted to interacting with all age groups. Personally, I believe we have the best socialization network. My children frequently attend organized sports, outings, shared learning, and super fun contra-dances where the children actually learn dances such as "The Virginia Reel", "Applesauce", "Postie's Jig" and many more. They learn to graciously ask a partner for a dance, and to graciously accept being asked. No one is left out. We all love the dances and all ages are included, as well as the parents. We love it! My oldest child graduated a year early WITH a full semester's credit in college courses. He's well liked by his peers and has adjusted well to college and dorm life. Another of my high school age children is teaching himself chemistry. Yes, I said he is teaching himself. I administer and grade his tests and he is making straight A's. He was evaluated by my niece who just graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Chemistry degree (and a teacher's certificate) and she said that his knowledge in chemistry is far beyond the high school level. He is also teaching himself computer programming and has made several video games. My 14 year old daughter has written a book and had it published. We let our children focus on their talents, because in the end, that is what they will remember and where they will make their living. The real world consists of using your talents and mingling with people of all ages. Age segregating children to teach them is done for convenience, but is a poor example of the people they will encounter after high school. My children get along well with all age groups, they can be counted on to listen when an elderly person is speaking to them and to respond with genuine concern. They can be counted on to play with children younger than themselves without being annoyed. My children are not the least bit superficial. All they've ever known is real life. They don't worry about impressing their peers, they are confident and kind.

An eight year old child is very young and still needs her mother. If she is terrorized by going to school, I'd pull her out in a heartbeat.

Many of our founding fathers who wrote our constitution and who designed our government were home schooled.

Here are some of our Presidents who were home schooled some time in their lives:
John Adams
2nd President

John Quincy Adams
6th President

Grover Cleveland
22nd President

James Garfield
20th President

William Henry Harrison
9th President

Andrew Jackson
7th President

Thomas Jefferson
3rd President

Andrew Johnson
17th President

Abraham Lincoln
16th President

James Madison
4th President

James Monroe
5th President

James Polk
11th President

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
32nd President

Theodore Roosevelt
26th President

John Tyler
10th President

George Washington
1st President

Woodrow Wilson
28th President

And even Obama was home schooled for a time by his mother.

rileysowner

My mom is thinking about homeschooling my eight year old sister. My sister is smart and nice, but she is socially awkward and has really bad anxiety (has meds for it) and this causes her to not want to go to school. My parents are considering homeschool, but I am unsure that it is a good idea. Does anybody have any opinions or experience with this? Thank you!

I was taught at home from the 4th grade on up through graduation. There are MANY resources out there that help parents keep their children on track, from curriculum through the school to places that will keep records for you. And the teachers editions for homeschooling are very detailed. I liked it cause I could go at my own pace, as I always got bored in a regular classroom (they always went too slow for me). And as for social aspects, there are always co-ops and associations that a family can join to get the experiences of field trips, prom and graduation (among other things). I personally (nor my brothers) are socially awkward or stunted nor are we ignorant or behind. I hold my bachelor's in science and my youngest brother striving for medical school (he is transferring to a 4 year university this fall).

Edit: gee I wonder how I graduated high school or college at all... My mom isn't a certified teacher and only had her high school diploma, yet I still did well. By the way, the textbooks are very detailed as well... More so than in traditional schools, because they assume the student is working on their own at some degree, in addition to the very detailed teachers additions, instead of having a teacher fill in the blanks.

You are fortunate you had a mother who put in her time and effort to ensure you had a balanced education. But there are parents out there who can't answer or assist their children in upper grade math concepts, grammar rules, etc, I have had many parents contact me and say "I can't help junior with his grammar, because I haven't had to study this since I was 12 and I don't remember it". If a parent does not understand the content, they are doing a disservice to their child, period. They don't have to be certified teachers, but they do have to be informed enough to help their child.

This is my biggest concern with home schooling. I would be very leery of any child who is "homeschooled" by what I consider to be unqualified adults.. Giving birth to a child does not make you automatically qualified to teach. Being educated does.

My parents couldn't remember how to factor a polynomial. I don't think they even remembered if they ever learned it in the first place (and my dad went to college to become a chemist)... The thing is, we still figured it out with the plethora of resources that were out there.

And to think you spent all that extra time learning how to do it online, when a licensed math teacher could have explained it much better and in less time.

And because that person spent all that time working it out on their own, they likely have a much better understanding of it than they would with just an explanation. I remember stuff I had to work out on my own due to a horrible teacher, who by the way was licensed. The stuff I now need to look up is the stuff I learned without having to fight my way through it. Sure it was easier, but the long term retention was not as good. To say it is always better to learn it faster is simply wrong, and while it is not always better to learn slower because of having to wrestle through the concept there are advantages to it as well.

digitalbill

My mom is thinking about homeschooling my eight year old sister. My sister is smart and nice, but she is socially awkward and has really bad anxiety (has meds for it) and this causes her to not want to go to school. My parents are considering homeschool, but I am unsure that it is a good idea. Does anybody have any opinions or experience with this? Thank you!

My wife is a product of Home Schooling and she turned out just fine.
We talked about home schooling our own kids but she is not ready for that.
For now, both of our kids are starting an awsome charter school (Maritime Acadamy) next year but, by high school, we expect both to be home schooled.

pantsdailyon

^^ this. There are also certain programs/activities that you can't get involved with if you're home-schooled. I don't think learning a foreign language at home is ideal (unless there is a skype like program).

You don't believe Rosetta Stone works?

CrazyTrackLady

My mom is thinking about homeschooling my eight year old sister. My sister is smart and nice, but she is socially awkward and has really bad anxiety (has meds for it) and this causes her to not want to go to school. My parents are considering homeschool, but I am unsure that it is a good idea. Does anybody have any opinions or experience with this? Thank you!

I was taught at home from the 4th grade on up through graduation. There are MANY resources out there that help parents keep their children on track, from curriculum through the school to places that will keep records for you. And the teachers editions for homeschooling are very detailed. I liked it cause I could go at my own pace, as I always got bored in a regular classroom (they always went too slow for me). And as for social aspects, there are always co-ops and associations that a family can join to get the experiences of field trips, prom and graduation (among other things). I personally (nor my brothers) are socially awkward or stunted nor are we ignorant or behind. I hold my bachelor's in science and my youngest brother striving for medical school (he is transferring to a 4 year university this fall).

Edit: gee I wonder how I graduated high school or college at all... My mom isn't a certified teacher and only had her high school diploma, yet I still did well. By the way, the textbooks are very detailed as well... More so than in traditional schools, because they assume the student is working on their own at some degree, in addition to the very detailed teachers additions, instead of having a teacher fill in the blanks.

You are fortunate you had a mother who put in her time and effort to ensure you had a balanced education. But there are parents out there who can't answer or assist their children in upper grade math concepts, grammar rules, etc, I have had many parents contact me and say "I can't help junior with his grammar, because I haven't had to study this since I was 12 and I don't remember it". If a parent does not understand the content, they are doing a disservice to their child, period. They don't have to be certified teachers, but they do have to be informed enough to help their child.

This is my biggest concern with home schooling. I would be very leery of any child who is "homeschooled" by what I consider to be unqualified adults.. Giving birth to a child does not make you automatically qualified to teach. Being educated does.

My parents couldn't remember how to factor a polynomial. I don't think they even remembered if they ever learned it in the first place (and my dad went to college to become a chemist)... The thing is, we still figured it out with the plethora of resources that were out there.

And to think you spent all that extra time learning how to do it online, when a licensed math teacher could have explained it much better and in less time.

And because that person spent all that time working it out on their own, they likely have a much better understanding of it than they would with just an explanation. I remember stuff I had to work out on my own due to a horrible teacher, who by the way was licensed. The stuff I now need to look up is the stuff I learned without having to fight my way through it. Sure it was easier, but the long term retention was not as good. To say it is always better to learn it faster is simply wrong, and while it is not always better to learn slower because of having to wrestle through the concept there are advantages to it as well.

I guess you missed the "tongue in cheek" in that response. I love the internet, as long as the websites are legit. Lots of garbage out there. Also, I don't believe in "fast" learning, because assimilation is less likely to occur that way. Lots and lots of reinforcement and varied methods of instruction are the best ways to learn.

CrazyTrackLady

4. Schools provide the opportunity for children to learn HOW to get along with others, even if the children are being bullied. Instead of retreating into a "safe" world, it is better to learn how to handle the bullying and work on developing self esteem. Running away from it doesn't build self confidence, it only pushes the real issues aside.

This is my number one concern with home schooling.

Think about your biggest fear. Maybe it's spiders. If you have a terrible fear of spiders, what would be the best way to get over it? Would it be to throw you into a tub of spiders every day, repeatedly? Or allow you to stay away from spiders, limiting your exposure somewhat, but gradually acclimating you to be around them? (Psychologists say it's the latter, in case you're wondering.)

Yet we throw kids with social anxiety, or kids who are being bullied, right into the spider pit day after day after day. A shy kid is not going to become less shy because you make him go to public school. He will, however, learn that he is weird, that he's defective, that there's something wrong with him because he doesn't feel that he's like everybody else. If you allow him to learn in a homeschooling environment, giving him one-on-one or small group social interactions, he's more likely to develop self-confidence, which will lead to the social skills he needs later in life. There's nothing wrong with introverts, yet our society likes to teach them that they're defective. Homeschooling can help prevent that.

In addition, statistics consistently show that homeschooled kids average higher test scores than their peers. They can learn at their own pace, so if something comes easily to them, they can race ahead, but if they get stuck on something like, say, fractions, they can take their time and work on it until they actually LEARN it. That way they're not failing because they're learning it too slowly, and it's not negatively impacting future skills which build on that one problematic one.

Bottom line, homeschooling isn't for everyone. But neither is public school. Homeschooling can be a wonderful thing, especially in this day and age when there are SO many resources available. OP, if your parents do decide to homeschool her, don't stress. It'll be fine. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work out, and she goes back to public school next year.

Actually, cognitive behavioral therapists working with patients with extreme anxiety do exactly that - they expose the patient to his/her worst fear in very small doses, so that person becomes less and less anxious, upset by it. It is called "immersion therapy" and is quite well known and often practiced. Ignoring the issue, or avoiding it, never works. Tackling it head on, in minor exposures, is very effective.

vicki81868

Like the woman a couple posts above me, I have nine children as well and am currently homeschooling five of them. Three have already graduated and one is only three years old. Of the three who have graduated (all were exclusively homeschooled), one is married with children, one is a personal trainer and owns her own photography business, and the other is in college.

Homeschooling has been such a great experience for our family. While this thread contains some of the more common attacks against it, I think if you spend a little time with kids from both groups, you will be able to see through the hype and come to some basic conclusions. Frankly the "socialization" issue is one of the perks of homeschooling. Without the traditional classroom setting, my kids have had to interact with groups of people from various age groups their entire lives. Instead of being in a setting with a roomful of kids their own age day after day (a scenario not at all reflective of real life), they have had to learn to be mentors to those younger than them, be challenged by those older than them and respectful to authority. Are there "awkward" homeschoolers? You bet. But walk through a public school campus and tell me you don't see a large number of "awkward" kids! They are everywhere. It's part of growing up. What you won't see in my homeschooling setting, however, when you walk through are my kids being bullied, made fun of for what they believe, being groped in the bathrooms, introduced to all kinds of choice phrases and swear words, exposed to "adult" content, having their faith openly criticized and attacked from both teachers and peers, or being taught State mandated curriculum in areas we find personally offensive. It is interesting to me that homeschoolers are attacked for having the audacity to "indoctrinate" our children, but somehow it's perfectly okay and acceptable for the State to do it. Whose kids are these? I guess that's the question, isn't it?

Are all public schools as described above? No. Of course not. But the ones around here most certainly are. As pointed out above, women have been homeschooling their children for hundreds of years, and have produced not only socially functional contributors to our history and society, but have done so while maintaining their family unity and faith. In the end, it depends what you want for your child and what you want them to learn and be exposed to, and at what age. They are your children. You should be able to make that call.

_VoV

My mom is thinking about homeschooling my eight year old sister. My sister is smart and nice, but she is socially awkward and has really bad anxiety (has meds for it) and this causes her to not want to go to school. My parents are considering homeschool, but I am unsure that it is a good idea. Does anybody have any opinions or experience with this? Thank you!

I was taught at home from the 4th grade on up through graduation. There are MANY resources out there that help parents keep their children on track, from curriculum through the school to places that will keep records for you. And the teachers editions for homeschooling are very detailed. I liked it cause I could go at my own pace, as I always got bored in a regular classroom (they always went too slow for me). And as for social aspects, there are always co-ops and associations that a family can join to get the experiences of field trips, prom and graduation (among other things). I personally (nor my brothers) are socially awkward or stunted nor are we ignorant or behind. I hold my bachelor's in science and my youngest brother striving for medical school (he is transferring to a 4 year university this fall).

Edit: gee I wonder how I graduated high school or college at all... My mom isn't a certified teacher and only had her high school diploma, yet I still did well. By the way, the textbooks are very detailed as well... More so than in traditional schools, because they assume the student is working on their own at some degree, in addition to the very detailed teachers additions, instead of having a teacher fill in the blanks.

You are fortunate you had a mother who put in her time and effort to ensure you had a balanced education. But there are parents out there who can't answer or assist their children in upper grade math concepts, grammar rules, etc, I have had many parents contact me and say "I can't help junior with his grammar, because I haven't had to study this since I was 12 and I don't remember it". If a parent does not understand the content, they are doing a disservice to their child, period. They don't have to be certified teachers, but they do have to be informed enough to help their child.

This is my biggest concern with home schooling. I would be very leery of any child who is "homeschooled" by what I consider to be unqualified adults.. Giving birth to a child does not make you automatically qualified to teach. Being educated does.

My parents couldn't remember how to factor a polynomial. I don't think they even remembered if they ever learned it in the first place (and my dad went to college to become a chemist)... The thing is, we still figured it out with the plethora of resources that were out there.

And to think you spent all that extra time learning how to do it online, when a licensed math teacher could have explained it much better and in less time.

At the community college my children attended, over 50% of the students can't pass developmental math classes which translate to middle school arithmetic and high school level algebra 1. These are (mostly) public high school grads, who have had 12 years of access to "a licensed math teacher (who) could have explained it much better and in less time."

I actually took a few classes to kill time while waiting for my children to finish up their classes. One was intermediate algebra (roughly translating to high school algebra II). The girl in the seat next to me had a multiplication grid since she didn't know her math facts.

You say there is a lot of 'teacher bashing' on this thread, yet I see a variety of opinions and experiences which are mostly respectful. Some are critical of the education SYSTEM as a whole, and others are complimentary. Maybe I missed the comments you perceive as 'teacher bashing', or perhaps I am just reading them differently than you are. Saying a SYSTEM is failing students is different than 'teacher bashing.' I worked in healthcare all my life, and saw dedicated, competent practitioners administering top-notch patient care, but do I think the healthcare system as a whole is working well? No. Not even close.

impyimpyaj

4. Schools provide the opportunity for children to learn HOW to get along with others, even if the children are being bullied. Instead of retreating into a "safe" world, it is better to learn how to handle the bullying and work on developing self esteem. Running away from it doesn't build self confidence, it only pushes the real issues aside.

This is my number one concern with home schooling.

Think about your biggest fear. Maybe it's spiders. If you have a terrible fear of spiders, what would be the best way to get over it? Would it be to throw you into a tub of spiders every day, repeatedly? Or allow you to stay away from spiders, limiting your exposure somewhat, but gradually acclimating you to be around them? (Psychologists say it's the latter, in case you're wondering.)

Yet we throw kids with social anxiety, or kids who are being bullied, right into the spider pit day after day after day. A shy kid is not going to become less shy because you make him go to public school. He will, however, learn that he is weird, that he's defective, that there's something wrong with him because he doesn't feel that he's like everybody else. If you allow him to learn in a homeschooling environment, giving him one-on-one or small group social interactions, he's more likely to develop self-confidence, which will lead to the social skills he needs later in life. There's nothing wrong with introverts, yet our society likes to teach them that they're defective. Homeschooling can help prevent that.

In addition, statistics consistently show that homeschooled kids average higher test scores than their peers. They can learn at their own pace, so if something comes easily to them, they can race ahead, but if they get stuck on something like, say, fractions, they can take their time and work on it until they actually LEARN it. That way they're not failing because they're learning it too slowly, and it's not negatively impacting future skills which build on that one problematic one.

Bottom line, homeschooling isn't for everyone. But neither is public school. Homeschooling can be a wonderful thing, especially in this day and age when there are SO many resources available. OP, if your parents do decide to homeschool her, don't stress. It'll be fine. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work out, and she goes back to public school next year.

Actually, cognitive behavioral therapists working with patients with extreme anxiety do exactly that - they expose the patient to his/her worst fear in very small doses, so that person becomes less and less anxious, upset by it. It is called "immersion therapy" and is quite well known and often practiced. Ignoring the issue, or avoiding it, never works. Tackling it head on, in minor exposures, is very effective.

That's what I mean. SMALL doses. A group of 30 children for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, is NOT a small dose. It's quite a large one.