Isabel Hahn 1

Do homeschoolers excel in more academic Subjects than public school kids?

Many people like to think that homeschoolers excel in more ways than kids who attend a public school. But is that true? As a matter of fact its pretty accurate. Most homeschoolers excel in more academic subjects and can get better grade point averages. However, that doesnt mean that public schoolers are unintelligent or are always behind. I was homeschooled till eighth grade then I went to public school half time in ninth grade, and then continued normal days after that, (what does normal days after that mean?) so Ive seen both sides of schooling. Being in the homeschool world was great, you wake up whenever you want, take your time on any subject, and can have more one on one time with the teacher (my mom), (who, in my case, was my mother) and where we were usually done by lunch time. But that was just how we did it, I know other families who woke up at 7, worked super hard on each subject and didnt finish till 3, or whenever they had the work done. Homeschooling was nice, but I think it is very beneficial in several areas to attend public school at some point. Since 1999 there has been a 75% increase in the number of homeschooled students. A large percentage of that is because parents are unsatisfied with the school systems and the way teachers are teaching. However, some other reasons mothers might decide to homeschool include religious and moral reasons; they want their kids to grow up with different morals and do not want their kids to be influenced by the other kids, especially at a young age and they want their kids to want their kids to grow up also having the same religious beliefs as they do. (run-on sentence?)

Isabel Hahn 2 Homeschooling has been around for quite some time, but its just now getting more and more popular.

Studies to prove it
There have been several studies to prove that homeschooling is outranking public school in a couple different areas. On this chart the green represents the homeschoolers test scores and the pink it public school score. (I like the clarification) On average homeschool kids are doing better in most academic subjects. All the scores for kids who learn at home are all in the 80s, where and the public schools are in the 50s all the way across. Homeschool kids dont just excel in elementary and high school, but they stay strong and keep going through college. One man by the name of Michael F. Cogan, studied a bunch of different demographic characteristics of homeschool students at the Midwestern College. He then found that homeschooled students generally have a better ACT scores and also have better GPAs. He found that after four years in college someone who was public schooled got an average of 3.16 as their GPA and homeschooled kids got as high as 3.46. Cogan also looked into their different ACT records and gathered information that shows homeschoolers also getting better ACT scores. The amount of undergraduates for high school is crazy although it is improving, only about 75% of public school kids graduate and only 63% went on to college.

The cost

Isabel Hahn 3 People may think that homeschooling is just as expensive as having a kid attend public school. Thats not completely true, it can in some instances cost the same, because all the textbooks and curriculum can cost a lot, but that is also if you are buying the more elite packages (the ones with the mini labs and all the instructions on how to teach.) (good clarification on elite packages) To homeschool your kids all you have to really pay for is the text books and the curriculum, and you can usually use the books time and time again when homeschooling, they dont go out of date. When you really think about it, attending a public school is very expensive. Although you do not have to buy text books you still have to pay for different class fees, pay for any harm done to your book, a parking pass, schedule changes, lunch...etc. it all adds up over the years. Vickie Bentley made a chart showing the how much the more advanced(what is advanced being used for in this sentence?) homeschoolers spend. Sample for three children in a satellite program (K, 2nd, and 8th):

Curriculum Annual testing Professional memberships Home library Annual convention (parents) School supplies Art lessons (1 mo, oldest) and softball Miscellaneous Total

$700 $75 (often included in program) $150 $65 $75 (commute; includes lunch) $150 $64 $50 $1,329

Are homeschoolers weirder?(more weird, or weirder?)

Being homeschooled doesnt automatically make you different, or any weirder than anyone else. People make homeschoolers out to be geeks, or kids who dress like it is still the 90s. (personal opinion or study?) This of course is also false. Homeschoolers arent any weirder than public school kids. Homeschooling is just like public school in the sense that you have

Isabel Hahn 4 variety of people. There are the people who are more conservative, or less social which could make them seem weirder, (maybe use the word different?) or and there are totally normal homeschoolers who, if you saw in public, you wouldnt even think them any different. There have also been studies to prove that homeschoolers are not any odder. (indentation?)This picture shows, the picture above shows homeschoolers in green being homeschoolers, and public schoolers in purple being public schoolers. It also shows how they are still advanced in those areas and arent any dont seem more bizarre. This of course is different for different families. Some families may be strange and that is where people get the idea from. (Is there a correct definition of strange? or opinion?) Homeschool kids can tend to be more mature because they arent being influenced by other kids who are immature live differently then they do. They are being taught by their parents, (most likely their mother) which makes it so they are usually more mature. Sure, there a handful of kids who are mature and go to public school, but those kids probably also have been taught good morals by their parents. Not only are their maturity levels higher, but according to this chart so is their communication, daily living and socialization. By being homeschooled your daily living is up because you can actaully do more things during the day. For instance, if you get all your work done by lunch you still have half

Isabel Hahn 5 your day to work, run errands, play and get other things done instead of getting out of school by 3, having 3 hours of homework and then going to sleep.

Do homeschoolers excel in areas other than academics?

According to Lesly Parra, Beginning in 1962, SAT scores plummeted. Teen pregnancies, teen sexual diseases, teen suicides, teen alcohol, drug abuse, pornography, and illiteracy rates abruptly increased 200 to 300 percent (Klicka 48). Violence is one of the main factors effecting are schools today. Rape is a growing problem among juveniles. A juvenile commits one out of every five rapes that occur in the United States. There is also a higher use of drugs and alcohol among kids in public schools. Over 80 percent of public high school students drink alcohol and 45.7 percent have used marijuana. In Parras full article she points out several good points about how the rates of violence, teen pregnancies and drugs in public school kids are a whole lot higher than those of kids who stay at home. It all comes back to morals once again (or maybe just the influence of not socializing with other kids their age?). Teaching your kid at home gives you a better opportunity to raise them with good morals. If kids have good morals they are less likely to get into drugs and make bad choices, like getting pregnant at a young age or drinking and driving.

How does all this help?

The main focus of this all is that homeschooling isnt as bad as people may think. Homeschooling can come across as something bad sometimes, like only poor, conservative, religious people do it. And that is not it at all. Homeschooling is a great thing for you and your kids. You get to have quality time raising your kids the way you want without the influence of

Isabel Hahn 6 other kids (not saying public school kids are all bad influences) worrying about the possible influence of classmates. Homeschooling your kids is an option, which a lot of people are going with more and more. However it is not for everyone. Parents still have to work during the day, or dont feel that they are smart enough or dont think they could handle the stress of teaching their kids at home. Being raised homeschooled and then going to public school was a great idea and I appreciate that that is what my parents chose to do. It helped you realize what is important and helps you, as a student, to really focus on your work without the distraction of other kids although there may be other distractions because you are in your own house. You still get the socialization and knowledge you need at home. (love the personal connection) Homeschoolers are still going through all the same problems of public school, like getting into drugs, drinking, teen pregnancy and other things, they are just at a lower percentage. Weather you homeschool or decide to put your kid child into public school, is up to you. just know that homeschooling is not as terrible as some people make it out to be.

Isabel Hahn 7

Works Cited

College at home. (n.d.). Some Fascinating Facts About Homeschool vs Public School. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from Homeschool World website: http://www.home-school.com/news/homeschool-vspublic-school.php

Cogan, M. F. (2010). Exploring Academic Outcomes of Homeschooled Students. Retrieved October 24,2013, from Intellectual TAKEOUT website: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/researchanalysis-reports/exploring-academic-outcomes-homeschooled-students

Public School Spending. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2013, from Intellectual TAKEOUT website: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/cost-public-school/public-school-spending

Thompson, V. (n.d.). What Percentage of High School Students Attend College After Graduation? Retrieved October 22, 2013, from Synonym website: http://classroom.synonym.com/percentagehigh-school-students-attend-college-after-graduation-1423.html

Bentely, V. (n.d.). What Does it Cost to Homeschool? Retrieved October 25, 2013, from HSLDA website:http://www.hslda.org/earlyyears/Costs.asp

Isabel Hahn 8
Parra, L. (2011, May). Homeschooling vs Public Schooling. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from Study Mode website: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Homeschooling-Vs-Public-Schooling687683.html

1.

To what opportunity for change is the writer responding? The perception society has on homeschooling verses public schooling. 2. Who might be the writer's intended audience? Does the report fit this audience? Parents who arent sure which decision might be the best for their children. 3. What portions of my introduction seem likely to engage the interest of the intended audience? Does the writer define the issue in terms that will make sense for the audience? What suggestions do you have for the writer regarding the introduction? The personal opinion statement at the very beginning seeing as I went to a public school intrigued me. I felt like the approach to the discussion wasnt as formal (I guess) as I thought it would be. Instead of researching opinions and studies and sharing the feelings of other people on the subject, the writer used personal opinion instead of gathering information form both sides to introduce the topic close to home. 4. Note the writer's thesis statement. If you cannot locate a thesis, what thesis statement might work for this paper? Different perspectives and feelings towards homeschooling verses. public schooling. 5. Note the assertions the writers makes to support the thesis of the report. Are the assertions presented in chronological or emphatic order? Does the writer use the order that seems the most effective? Would you reorder some of the assertions? The writer doesnt use much statistics or study in homeschooling excelling in academic. 6. What facts and details are given to explain how the issue affects different groups that might have an interest in or connection to the issue? The writer uses great personal connection to the subject and gives a perspective from someone who was homeschooled themselves, and what it was like to be in that position. 7. How does the writer establish ethos/credibility? How could the writer strengthen this appeal? I would say maybe now downplay the public schooling so much. It is a great argument but some people who read this, who may have gone to public school might be on the defense because there are just as many benefits of going to public school as there are homeschooling. 8. Is the conclusion of the report effective? What specific conclusion do you reach about the issue as a result of reading the report? What strategies might the writer use to make it more effective? Again, the writer does very well tying the ending with a personal opinion to help connect with the interest reader. 9. Does the visual design make the report informative and credible? Are there any points at which the writer needs to add more visual elements? If so, what should they be headings, pictures, bulleted lists? At what points does the writer need to add or revise captions for pictures or legends for charts, graphs, and maps? I felt as though the writer talked of the graph a little after the picture was posted in the paper. I felt there was reference to the graph above or placement of the graph wasnt correct when the writer spoke of it. 10. What section of the report did you most enjoy? Why? I have always given thought to homeschooling, and have been interested as I have seen from a very close family friend what both homeschool and public schooling has done for them. Im glad someone has written of this topic.