The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling by Rachel Gathercole

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The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling by Rachel Gathercole

Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: Mapletree Publishing Company (July 30, 2007)

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.

Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Gathercole, who has spent 10 years homeschooling her three children, says what most people wonder about is whether homeschooled children can work and play with others, in other words, their socialization skills. She begins by noting that "once upon a time, all children were homeschooled" before more formal schooling and the development of "school culture." She notes that conventional schools offer "socialization" through peer pressure, the stress of choosing between popularity and academic performance, and excessive attention to appearance. Drawing on her own experiences as a homeschooler, she details the networks of other homeschoolers who provide opportunities for their children—and themselves—to socialize. Gathercole also points to research showing that homeschooled children have stronger self-concepts than children attending conventional schools. Focusing on how homeschoolers address misperceptions, she explores concepts of socialization, the importance of friendships with other children, strong relationships with parents, and how homeschoolers eventually integrate into the "real world." Great encouragement for parents who are homeschooling and those who are considering it. Bush, Vanessa

From Library Journal
In his sociological study Kingdom of Children: Culture and Controversy in the Homeschooling Movement , Mitchell L. Stevens divides homeschoolers into two groups: those from the Christian day-school movement and those from the alternative school movement. First-time author Gathercole seems to be one of the latter and has here assembled the most common questions regarding the social aspects of homeschooling (e.g., "Don't the kids miss out on socialization?") and answers based in opinion, fact, and personal accounts from homeschoolers and their children. This formula works. Gathercole persuasively argues that homeschooling is not isolating but can be a sophisticated approach to socializing and educating children. The personal accounts especially challenge our cultural construct that school life is synonymous with childhood. While considering the social benefits of homeschooling, Gathercole also illuminates contemporary problems with public education. With a short list of web and print resources, this is not a how-to book, however. It is a successful albeit repetitious and elementary consideration of the topic intended for families in the initial stages of investigating homeschooling. Suitable for public libraries with large collections on the subject. Fran Mentch, Cleveland State Univ. Lib.