Do you sometimes wonder why a significant number of homeschoolers are not experiencing traditional teen rebellion? Join us today as we hear from Dr. Robert Epstein, former Editor-in-Chief of Psychology Today magazine, on Home School Heartbeat with Mike Smith.
Mike Smith:
Dr. Epstein, in your book The Case against Adolescence: Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen, you point out that the average American teen is just as competent as the average American adult. How can homeschooling help teens demonstrate that competency?
Dr. Robert Epstein:
Well, the problem is, when we put them into a classroom we lose sight of their individual capabilities which can be really extraordinary. But in a classroom, we bury those individual capabilities because the slow students just don’t get enough attention. The really fast students get very bored. So one advantage I see of homeschooling is that you can create an education that is contoured to the individual. That’s the key, is contouring education to the individual, his or her needs. And of course, getting them out of that crazy social system with those crazy values that you see in the school system, so basically, that’s what I see as a major advantage of homeschooling. Being able to provide education that is self-paced, that is individualized, catered not just to the individual’s interest, but more important to the individual’s learning abilities to the particular kind of pace that that young person needs.
Mike:
Well, thank you Dr. Epstein, thank you so much for joining us again this week. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
