Let me begin by defining socialization. The dictionary defines socialization as: a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identityand learns the norms, values, behavior, and socialskills appropriate to his or her socialposition. Another definition that I found is this: to make fit for companionship with others; make sociable, to take part in social activities, to mix socially with others, and to train for a social environment.
As I was researching socialization and the homeschooled child, I googled it (of course). I was shocked and pleasantly surprised at how many articles I found that stated that homeschooled children were and are socialized. I expected the opposite. I expected to see things like this quote from a West Virginia judge in the State v. Riddle, 1981 Home school parents are keepint their children in "Medieval ignorance and quarter them in Dickension squalor beyond the reach of the ameliorating influence of social welfare agencies, and separate their children from organized society in an environment of indoctrination and deprivation so that the children become mindless automatons incapable of coping with life outside their own families".
So, let's take a look at his first statement, that home schooled children are in "medieval ignorance". Gary Knowles, a University of Michigan Associate Professor of Education surveyed 53 adults who had been home schooled. Two-thirds of them were married. None were unemployed. None were on welfare. Three-quarters of them felt that Home schooling had helped them in societal interaction. Forty percent of them attended college. Fifteen percent of them completed a graduate degree. Two-thirds of them were self-employed. Ninety-six percent of them said that given the choice, they would be home schooled again. As I've been homeschooling my children for the past 9 years, I've seen time and time again where the winners of the national spelling bee and national geography bee were homeschoolers. Dave Thomas, Colonel Sanders, Alan Alda, Louis Armstrong, Whoopi Goldberg, The Wright Brothers, Ansel Adams, Albert Einstein, Pierre Curie, Winston Churchill, and Sandra Day O'Connor are all successful homeschoolers. For a list of more, please go to.... http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/famous-homeschoolers.html
Have a great day!!!!!