The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling

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.

Endorsements:

"The definitive book regarding the socialization question....

"This resource is invaluable for those who are thinking about homeschooling, but are afraid that their children will somehow be 'missing out' if not traditionally schooled; for those who are already homeschooling, but need a resource to help explain it to those who do not understand homeschooling; for the public at large to dispel their own misconceptions; and especially for the 'education experts' of the traditional schooling philosophy who no longer can ignore the fact that homeschoolers not only prosper by learning in myriad ways in myriad places, but flourish socially as well."

—Foreword Magazine July-August 2007

"Great encouragement for parents who are homeschooling and those who are considering it."

—Booklist September 2007

"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."

—Library Journal May 1, 2007

"Since my family began home schooling in 1983, the most asked question relating to our home schooling has been 'what about socialization?' Home schoolers need to be able to respond with a well thought out response to this question. Rachel Gathercole has provided the most complete answer to this question that I have seen. She brings out points that I had never thought of (I thought I had heard them all) and I will use in the future. This is a must read for home schoolers. It will give you the ammunition you need to intelligently rebuff anyone's concern about the socialization of your child. It will be a very valuable resource to give to those that are still skeptical after you have provided your response. This book is one of the most needed resources that heretofore been missing in the home school literary community. Thank you Rachel."

—Mike Smith

President, Home School Legal Defense Association

"In this valuable addition to the homeschooling literature, Gathercole has wisely consulted the real 'experts' – homeschooling parents and young people – in order to paint an accurate and compelling picture of the authentic socialization experiences of children who learn from real life. And in doing so, she confirms that this revolutionary educational philosophy is our best hope for helping young people develop the tools necessary to solve the problems that earlier generations of schooled people have created for the world."

—Wendy Priesnitz, Editor

Life Learning magazine

"Socialization - the 'S' word - is one of the most commonly heard
questions and concerns about homeschooling. Parents interested in homeschooling ask how their children will ever learn to get along with others, even while the poor socialization situation in many schools is often given as a significant reason to homeschool. Education professionals ask how homeschooled children can possibly learn to 'fit in' if they're not subjected to 35 or 40 similar children day in and day out, even as they're touting the benefits of children maintaining their own identities and not being 'lost in the crowd.' Media people seize on the 'socialization issue' every time an article about homeschooling appears in the mainstream press, even as school shootings make increasingly frequent headlines. The truth is, homeschooling offers incredible opportunities for true and meaningful socialization to take place, and, understanding this, Rachel Gathercole explains how it works. Her book is an important contribution to homeschooling - and to recognizing the real educational needs of children."

—Helen Hegener, Publisher

Home Education Magazine

http://www.homeedmag.com

"The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling shows case histories and research about not only how homeschooling is a successful choice for more and more families, but also why having children be nurtured by families and learn from people in their local communities during their compulsory school years can be far more valuable than having them run through the paces of the latest and greatest school curriculum."

—Patrick Farenga, co-author Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling

Rachel Gathercole is a free-lance writer who has written for many homeschooling and parenting publications. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of North Carolina and is a former co-leader in the Home Education Association of North Carolina. She has been homeschooling her own three children for over ten years and is an instructor for independent writing courses for homeschoolers. See Rachel's web site at www.rachelgathercole.com.