does home schooling undermine a child's ability to learn how to socialize? Write a long essay on it.
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Answer:
The term socialization refers to the process through which a child gains the social skills they need to effectively navigate the social norms and behaviors of the broader society. Children who are homeschooled (like all other children) need to build the “social fluency” that will enable them to negotiate a variety of different social situations, develop and maintain strong relationships, and work well with others in varying contexts.
Among homeschooling alumni in CRHE’s network, it is rare to meet a homeschool graduate who experienced no struggles with socialization, understood in this way. In some cases, homeschooled children have sufficient interaction with friends to meet their social needs, but are socialized primarily with other children who are also homeschooled; these individuals often go through a painful period of adjustment, learning unfamiliar social norms and cues, when they begin interacting with other peers, whether in college or in the workforce.
The term socialization can also refer to the process by which children learn to be tolerant and accepting of differences in a multicultural society by interacting with peers from diverse backgrounds. For all of these reasons, we advise home educators to ensure that their children make friends and interact with a variety of children, and not just with other children who are homeschooled or who are similar to them. When home educators socialize their children with different children in a variety of contexts, they can help ensure that their children will have the skills they need to succeed as adults.