Dan Beasley of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) says homeschooling continues to grow, even in the face of the numerous myths about it. One such tale is that homeschoolers lack socialization.
"I'm a homeschool graduate myself, and growing up, I had many opportunities for socialization through 4H, through church, through support group, just getting together with other homeschooling families, participating in sports, etc.," Beasley accounts.
Another myth that Beasley addresses is that parents are not qualified to teach their children.
"That's less-commonly held, but it still exists out there -- the idea that a parent who doesn't have a teacher certificate may not be able to teach," he tells American Family News. "One of the reasons that is a myth is because there are many resources available to homeschooling parents."
HSLDA, for example, has education consultants who can help equip parents to provide the very best education for their child or children.
"The reality is no one knows a child better than their parents," Beasley asserts. "We're seeing an increasing number of parents making a decision to homeschool because they're committed to providing the best education possible."
So the idea that parents should leave it to the experts in the schools is, according to Beasley, "a myth" and a stereotype.
"The evidence has been exactly the opposite," he adds. "Homeschoolers have done very well."
Beasley also rejects that myth that homeschoolers want or need government assistance and government help in order to teach their children.
