One of the stigmas against homeschooling is that students who receive this form of education will not be properly socialized. However, research has shown this is not necessarily the case. Socialization is how individuals learn how to communicate with others in a variety of situations. Learning conflict resolutions and how to handle various situations in public are not often natural skills. These are things learned over time. If you are a parent thinking about homeschooling your children but have some reservations due to how they will learn social skills, we have some practical ways families can ensure their children are prepared for entering the world post-homeschooling.
Communication is Key
Parents are the primary educators. This is true regardless of what form of educational model you select for your students. It is even more true if you decide to homeschool your children. Communication is a skill that must be learned. You can teach this using formal lessons or you can impact this wisdom in ordinary interactions.
Meet your children where they are at. Don’t overcomplicate it. Often less is more. First/then statements are great ways to set expectations. For example, if your child is wanting a snack or to play but they haven’t finished their math lesson, use first/then to guide them towards the goal. “First you complete your math lesson, and then you can have a snack.”
Use visual charts for daily routines and for directions on lessons. Students often need to get information both visually and auditorily to make it stick in their mind. You as the parent can strongly influence your child’s success in how they receive directions and interact with their peers and adults.
Another way you can develop good communication skills in your teaching is through the “Show-Tell-Do-Review Framework.” This model is often used in vocational education, skills training, and teaching practical subjects like science experiments, cooking, or technical operations. It can even be used in teaching more basic skills. It follows the principles of modeling, explaining, practicing, and reinforcing, which are effective strategies for teaching procedural knowledge and skills.
In the end, you as a parent will set the tone for socialization by having good communication skills yourself. Remember, modeling proper social interaction, then communicating with your children about what they saw and what they learned, can help them develop these skills most effectively.
Join a Homeschooling Co-op
Along with setting a foundation of good communication skills, being part of a local homeschooling co-op is a great way to help your children socialize. Homeschool co-ops are a group of families who meet regularly and cooperatively toward common academic goals. Your kids will get the opportunity to play and learn with peers from a like-minded community, and as a parent, you will also find other parents to share the joys and challenges of homeschooling. This co-op environment can be another place where you can model proper social interactions to your children, continuing the conversation about various situations and how to handle them.
We invite you to check out this resource to help you find a local Homeschool Group in your area.
Consider Extracurricular Activities
If you don’t have a homeschool group in your area or are looking for social opportunities beyond a co-op, consider having your kids join sports or fine arts activities. Participating in these types of activities helps develop teamwork and communication skills for your children. As noted in a recent article from Seton Magazine, some benefits of sports include building focus and attention, learning to play by the rules, and handling unexpected situations (like emergencies/injuries). These are all key aspects of socialization, too. Students who participate in extracurriculars will learn to focus and attend to others when they are speaking and carrying conversations forward. Learning about the value of following rules in a game serves as practice for navigating the rules of society as adults. Sports also provide a great arena for children to learn to deal with the unexpected, which is another important skill to take into adulthood.
For children who aren’t athletically inclined consider having them play an instrument, participate in theater, or even join a local scouting group. These activities, like sports, take discipline and teach many of these same skills, and will allow your kids opportunities to form friendships outside of your homeschool network.
Volunteering and Socialization
All Catholics are called to practice the corporal works of mercy. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2447,
“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.”
Volunteering at a local charity or church is a simple way for you and your family to live out the works of mercy. And a bonus benefit is that it is an excellent way for your children to interact with an array of people and improve their socialization skills! Volunteering will help your kids see other people’s perspective and instill a servant leadership mindset in them. Remember, you are raising them not only to be successful academically, but also a good citizen (and more importantly a saint!). So take your children to the local soup kitchen or have them write letters to the elderly in the nursing home. Volunteerism is one of the best ways to also teach socialization.
Let’s Go Out!
Homeschooling is not for every family; it takes discernment to see if it’s a good fit for your children (and you). However, if you decide to homeschool, you shouldn’t worry about socialization, despite what others might say. Homeschooling students have plenty of opportunities to socialize if you make the effort as a parent to provide them. Homeschool co-ops, extracurricular activities, and volunteering at a local church or non-profit are great environments for your children to learn and improve their socialization skills. But most importantly, communication starts at home, so remember to be concise, direct, and understanding in how you teach your kids, as this will form the foundation for socialization.
At Our Lady of Victory School, we look forward to walking alongside homeschooling families to help their children become saints! We hope you found this article helpful and we encourage you to check out our other informative homeschool resources on our website at olvs.org.