Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Homeschoolers would be rich if a $1 dollar fee was collected from every person who asked, "What about socialization?" Mike Smith tells you how homeschoolers meet this challenge on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Smith:


All parents want their children to concentrate on their studies. Somehow they seem surprised when children have trouble concentrating in a room of thirty other kids committed to partying on a moment's notice.


Children do need opportunities to interact with a variety of different people. But it isn't desirable or efficient to mix socialization activities with academic instruction.


Socialization opportunities for homeschoolers will be most effective when mixed with traditional extracurricular activities. Sports teams just for homeschoolers that compete in regular school leagues are becoming more and more common, especially in states where homschoolers are denied access to public school athletics.


Choirs and bands run by homeschool support groups will begin to spring up in even less populated regions of the country. Speech clubs can provide not only rhetorical training for children, but wholesome interaction.


Service clubs will also become more important. New tutoring clubs could take older students and have them help the younger ones in the elementary school. These students could also be involved in other volunteer activities outside the homeschool movement, such as helping an inner-city church or volunteering in their community.


Socialization doesn't always have to be fun and games. Homeschool support groups can use socialization opportunities to make a productive contribution to society. Until next time, I'm Mike Smith.