The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling |  | Author: Rachel Gathercole
Publisher: Mapletree Publishing Company
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Seller: casinoprincess
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 117,120
Media: Paperback
Pages: 262
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 1600651070
Dewey Decimal Number: 371.042
EAN: 9781600651076
ASIN: 1600651070
Publication Date: July 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Socialization may well be the single most important aspect of education today. With high and rising rates of divorce, drug abuse, youth violence, alcoholism, teen promiscuity, and so forth, we cannot afford to let this issue go unexamined. To cling to the idea that what we, as a culture, are doing now is the right and best way for all children simply because it is what we are used to is to shut our eyes and minds to other possibilities--possibilities that may well afford greater happiness, success, peace, and safety to our own children. At a time when people feel more disconnected than ever before, we cannot afford to overlook or allow ourselves to be blinded to an option which offers great benefits, including a rich, fulfilling, and healthy social life, that our children may well need for the future. Homeschooling offers great social benefits to kids and parents. And when we understand them, our children are the ones who will win.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
 Bravo! September 5, 2008
Lorel Shea (New England)
35 out of 36 found this review helpful
Rachel Gathercole's book, "The Well Adjusted Child-The Social Benefits of Homeschooling" sorely needed to be written. As a long time homeschooler, I have talked to countless parents who say that they would like to homeschool their children, but don't due to fear of social isolation. My anecdotes and assurances sometimes tip the scale, but not always. If you or your spouse or extended family are on the fence about homeschooling, please do yourself a favor and buy this book. The author builds a brilliant case for the positive social aspects of homeschooling, in a clear and logical manner. I also appreciate the fact that she does not actively bash schools, and appears sensitive to the tough demands that today's institutional teachers face.
Home education is an incredible opportunity for children to learn at their own pace and in their own way. It is well known that homeschooled kids are often winners and finalists in national level competitions, such as the geo bee and spelling bee. Individualized education is quite simply a better fit for many children, and gifted children especially, who may be several different "sizes" at once. Would anyone care to argue that a tailor made suit would not fit better than one purchased off the rack? Sure, there are good schools out there, just as there are some people (both parents and children) who simply would not do well as homeschoolers. But for the great majority, homeschooling can be whatever it needs to be to fit the individual child. I believe that it is well documented that kids can benefit academically from homeschooling. The question then, is how do these home educated kids do with peers, and will they be able to interact well with people as adults?
Ms. Gathercole answers this and puts to rest the image of the awkward and isolated homeschooler. She explains in detail how homeschooling socialization is not merely an adequate replacement for the social lessons of institutional schooling. It may be surprising to many, but homeschooling is often a superior lifestyle for learning positive social interaction. Homeschooling actually allows kids to have more time with friends, less time with bullies and those who don't play nicely with others, and the chance to really get to know people of all ages and from all walks of life. Homeschooled kids are more apt to follow their own hearts and consciences, and less likely to be swayed by negative peer pressure.
Here's an excerpt from page 168, "A great deal of evidence supports the claim that homeschoolers end up very well prepared for the 'real world'. One study of adults who had been homeschooled as children found that none were unemployed, none were on welfare, and the vast majority believed homeschooling had helped them to become independent individuals and to interact with people from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds." Gathercole interviewed homeschooled kids and parents from all over the country and included many of their comments as well. One college student and former homeschooler shares her opinion on the "real world" question, " It was a really comfortable situation and that led to me being really comfortable with who I am and my choices. And I don't see that necessarily in most other people my age. I think that a lot of that has to do with how our public school system takes personal choice out of most of it. You do things because you have to do them..."
I can vouch for the positive aspects of homeschool socialization with two examples from my own family. One of my sons is an extreme introvert. He had few friends in his years of school attendance, despite all of the extracurricular activities he tried. He simply didn't find it easy to expend the energy to socialize, when it took so much from him just to sit hour after hour in a crowded classroom. When he came home to learn, he appeared to blossom. From a comfortable home base, he was able to venture forth and make social connections that ran deeper and lasted longer than any he'd made in school. My second son and social butterfly was a different kind of kid. My husband and I worried that we wouldn't be able to meet his high need for social contact. That fear was short lived though, as we soon found that he let us know when he needed a play date. Too much time away from others and he'd get cranky. He's eleven now, and gets more phone calls than any other family member.
This book is organized into chapters that each tackle a specific question or concern.
1.The Socialization Question
2.What Do Homeschoolers Do?
3.What Is Good Socialization, Anyway?
4.Friends and Peer Contact
5.Independence and Strong Family Relationships
6.Safety, Adversity, and Bullying
7.Freedom and Time to Be a Kid
8.Being Cool
9.Relationships with Other Adults
10.Diversity and Minority Socialization
11.Preparation for the "Real World"
12.Citizenship and Democracy
13.Teenagers, Identity, and Sense of Self
14.The Homeschooling Parent's Social Life
15.Socialization and Success
Appendix A covers practical matters such as recommended resources and tips. It also has a list of state homeschool organizations and other helpful web sites. Appendix B has an impressive list of famous homeschoolers, including such diverse talents as Frankie Muniz and Yehudi Menuhin, Fred Terman and Sandra Day O'Connor.
What more can I say about this book? If it doesn't ease your fears about the "s" word, I don't know what will. Rachel Gathercole has done an amazing job pulling together studies, real life stories, and heartfelt advice and inspiration that make a most convincing argument for homeschooling.
Finally a book about the S word!! July 31, 2007
Jenny (North Carolina, US)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
It seemed like you could find a book about every other topic related to homeschooling, except the dreaded socialization issue. Not any more! This book was so helpful to me in dealing with the one subject that I didn't have great answers for when all those well-meaning friends and relatives asked bunches of questions about homeschooling. Rachel Gathercole has helped me to dig deeply into the notion that public school is the ideal model of socialization for our children. She has also helped me to really see all of the positive socialization that my kids get every day because we homeschool. If you're concerned about homeschooling because of socialization or you need bigger ammunition to fend off those relatives, get this book!
Great gift for skeptics August 6, 2007
P. S. Klever
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
If you homeschool, this book is the perfect gift for relatives, neighbors and friends who are skeptical about homeschooling. It is very readable and is full of well-documented arguments why homeschooling's version of "socialization" is so much healthier for kids than traditional school. Amazingly, the author does this in a way that does not offend people who have made the choice to send their kids to school.
I think this book would be very helpful, as well, to people who are considering homeschooling or for those who have recently made the choice to homeschool. Fears are laid to rest and confidence is gained by reading this wonderful book.
OH WOW!!! November 12, 2007
Rick Bennett (Redlands, CA United States)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
This is a FANTASTIC book about squealching your fears of homeschooling. This book backs itself up with studies and statistics to make the public school crowd choke!
I was VERY excited about homeschooling our children after reading a few books. But this one put me WELL over the top!!! It just talks about homeschooling kids not only being well-adjusted and out-going, but being MORE so than their public school peers.
It breaks apart the myths and ill feelings about people who are thinking about home schooling. We're NOT freaks and we are doing it the way it's ALWAYS been done BEFORE the mega corporations needed cogs to fill holes with in order to get product out so that people can buy and consume and buy more and need to go to work to do their cog working in order to pay for consuming!
This is the kind of book that I wish there were more and more of so that I could finish this one and KNOW there is another one JUST as good waiting for me to read... and hey, who knows... maybe there is!!!!
The last chapter is GREAT! It sums the whole thing up and you can take it around and have people read it to calm them down when you tell them your "crazy" idea.
Bigger than Homeschooling August 3, 2007
Homeschool Dad (NC)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
This book made me not only think about socialization in the context of homeschooling but made me rethink what socialization is and what it really does mean to be "well adjusted".
For the potential homeschooler this is a book that should help put some fears and misconceptions to rest. For those that already homeschool its a welcomed chance to think more about what we want for our kids beyond academics.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
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