Homeschool socialization can be challenging and is a common concern for homeschooling families. Homeschooled kids do not have the same daily social interactions as traditionally schooled peers.
Parents must sustain them with the same socialization setup as that of a traditional school to develop interpersonal skills. This blog talks about six strategies parents can use to effectively tackle the problem.
Why is socialization important in homeschooling?
Socializing is essential for homeschoolers for their social, emotional, and psychological development. Regular interactions help develop interpersonal skills, such as communication, and empathy in the child.
According to the National Home Education Research Institute, 87% of peer-reviewed studies [on social, emotional, and psychological development] show homeschooled students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools.
Interacting with peers would help homeschooling kids develop essential social skills, discover their strengths, and rise to meet new challenges.
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Homeschool socialization: how to socialize homeschoolers?
Spending time with friends can provide a break from academic pressures and help reduce stress. Positive peer influence can motivate the child to engage in both academic and extracurricular activities.
Here we have curated a comprehensive list of the ways through which you can socialize your homeschooler:
#1 Join a homeschool group
Joining a network of homeschooling groups will help kids meet their peers, plan activities they can do together, and share mutual interests.
A homeschooled child is likely to form a stronger emotional connection with another homeschooled child. Connecting with like-minded homeschooling families who face similar challenges will help you exchange ideas, resources, and strategies.
Interacting with fellow homeschooled kids will help children express their thoughts clearly. You can collaborate with other parents to organize study sessions and group projects which will deepen the understanding and retention of the study topic.
Socializing with diverse families will open up your homeschooler to different viewpoints and cultures. Your child will learn to adapt to different social settings preparing them for real-world scenarios.
#2 Encourage your child to participate in sports, clubs, or other extracurricular activities.
“Art is the meeting ground of the world.” — Leo Tolstoy
Art brings people together. Enrolling kids in a painting, music, or sports club would help them bond through their favorite sports, players, musicians, and instruments. Discovering shared interests with friends can lead to new hobbies and passions.
Physical Activities keep a child’s brain active. If you are enrolled in a sports club, take your child along with you; this would help the kid develop an interest in physical activity.
You can also encourage them to explore their musical talents in singing or playing the piano. To learn more about getting started with piano lessons, check out this guide on how to learn piano.
Or, if your child is interested in singing, explore this comprehensive guide on how to learn singing.
Involve kids in your interests and hobbies as well. Seeing your commitment to it would help ignite the same passion in them.
Homeschoolers will learn teamwork, conflict resolution, and discipline through group activities.
#3 Involve your child in Community Service
Start with involving your child in local library programs, and park clean-ups. Through community service, children have the opportunity to interact with individuals from all walks of life.
Working with mentors and seniors inspires children to strive for their level of commitment and dedication. As parents, show enthusiasm for community involvement by participating in events, the excitement will inspire the kids to join in.
Organizations all over the US provide children with the opportunity to contribute to their communities. Some of the US-based organizations that welcome child volunteers for community service are:
Habitat for Humanity: Children can help by getting involved in fundraising for building and renovating homes for families in need.
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America: Children help create social awareness, set up environmental clean-ups, and initiate campaigns on sensitive issues to educate the masses.
The Humane Society: The Humane Society provides children with opportunities to help animals. Children help in adoption events, fundraising, and assisting with educational programs.
Feeding America: At Feeding America, children help with packing food, organizing food drives, and raising awareness about hunger issues.
Children from all backgrounds and abilities are a part of these organizations, providing your child the platform to meet people from their neighborhood, community, and nearby schools. They may even meet local leaders during service projects.
#4Field trips to parks, the pool, or the library
Make a habit of visiting the nearby playground, public pool, and library for an hour each day with your kid. Time spent in nature has been linked to improved focus and attention in children. This can be especially beneficial for children with attention difficulties.
Some of the activities through which you can make your homeschooler’s outdoor experience enriching and memorable are:
Nature Art and Crafts: Encourage the kids to collect materials present in the park like twigs, flowers, and rocks, and leave and build nature collages or small sculptures.
Wildlife Observation: Equip your children and their peers with binoculars to observe birds, insects, and other animals. Turn it into a fun challenge by seeing who can spot the most animals. This activity will foster creativity and enhance observation skills.
Weather Station: Encourage your child and their peers to set up a mini weather station to measure the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation of the park.
Teach children how to record data and understand weather patterns. Turn it into a fun activity by having them create weather journals, make predictions, and compare their forecasts with each other’s report and later with the actual weather reports.
You can also organize weather-themed games and challenges to see who can make the most accurate prediction.
Science Experiments: Encourage the kids to set up a science experiment with their friends.
Dedicate each day to a specific branch of science, such as physics one day and biology the next.
This collaborative effort will make learning fun and engaging, while also developing their problem-solving abilities.
Storytelling: Encourage the kids to develop stories of their own and share them with the group.
Assign particular days to each kid to ensure everyone gets a chance to present their story. This will boost their creativity, confidence, and public speaking skills.
You don’t have to be the only one responsible for taking the children out.
You can coordinate with other parents and their schedules to share field trip duties. By shuffling duties, parents can create a dynamic and responsive homeschooling environment.
#5 Make time for your child’s new friends
Organise play dates at your home for your homeschooler and the friends he makes along the way.
Take them for outings, to malls, museums, zoos, or cultural events to foster friendship. The child might not necessarily have a pool of friends but can still benefit immensely from deep, meaningful relationships with a few close friends.
Forming and maintaining friendships in the early stages of growing up is crucial for emotional support and a sense of belonging. Friends provide children with a network of emotional support, helping them cope with challenges.
Use technology to keep children connected with their friends. Encourage them to collaborate for study sessions online and group projects.
Create groups over social networking sites so that the child keeps in touch with their peers when physical meetings are not possible. As your child gets older encourage them to initiate a get-together with their friends.
#6 Tutoring for Socialization
While tutoring is often associated with academic support, it can also play a significant role in promoting socialization among homeschooling children.
Homeschooled children lack the typical teacher-student dynamic. Tutoring helps provide children with mentors and positive role models offering guidance.
For example, enrolling your child in music lessons, such as singing lessons, not only helps them develop musical skills but also connects them with a supportive community.
If you are considering singing lessons for your kid but need any query solved, parent’s guide to singing lessons for kids can provide useful insights on how to get started.
At Wiingythrough 1-on-1 interactions we help children build conversational skills and confidence. Wiingy Tutors encourage shy or introverted children to participate more actively in discussions pertaining to crucial concepts and homework.
We help homeschoolers interact with highly qualified tutors through sessions starting at $15/hr.
Wiingy understands your child’s individual needs and interests and makes them feel valued and supported.
Moreover, CoTutor – Wiingy’s AI-powered learning companion converts live lessons into podcasts, summaries, and quizzes, enabling deeper understanding and better retention.
Wiingy offers a perfect match guarantee, so you can make sure that your child receives quality education. It is one of the most affordable options for you to provide mentorship to your homeschooler.
Investing in a Wiingy tutor will be a valuable addition to the child’s personal and professional development, boosting their communication and elevating their interpersonal skills.
Looking for private tutors for homeschooling? Find a tutor of your choice, and book a Free Trial Lesson with them today to achieve your academic goals!
FAQs on homeschool socialization
Are homeschooled children socially awkward?
Social skills vary among all children, regardless of their schooling method. Homeschooled children can develop strong social skills through diverse interactions and activities. It’s important to provide opportunities for them to engage with peers and adults in different settings. For more guidance on how to provide socialization opportunities for your homeschooled child, refer to the article above.
Are there structured programs to help with homeschool socialization?
Yes, many structured programs and organizations offer socialization opportunities for homeschoolers, including: 1. Homeschool co-ops, where families collaborate on educational activities. You can find these homeschooling groups on Facebook. 2. Community centers offer classes and sports leagues. 3. Youth organizations such as Scouts, 4-H, and religious youth groups. 4. Online Homeschools like K12, Oak Meadow, and Connections Academy provide many opportunities for students to socialize with their peers and make lifelong friends. Students will participate in class discussions and group work in live virtual classes and can even join in-person field trips.
Can homeschooled children participate in public school activities?
In many areas, homeschooled children can participate in public school activities, such as sports teams, bands, and extracurricular clubs. The availability of these opportunities varies by location and school district policies, so it’s important for parents to check with their local schools.
Are Homeschooled kids behind compared with public school kids?
The home-educated students score 15 to 25 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. 78% of homeschooled children are believed to score significantly better than those enrolled in institutions. The National Home Education Research Institute found that homeschooled students score above average on the SAT and ACTs which are considered for college admissions. The level of education imparted in homeschooling is unrelated to whether the parents were certified teachers.
Why is socialization important in homeschooling?
