The Socialization Study

For years, I have been saying that a study needs to be done to debunk the myths that many homeschooling opponents have about "The Socialization Issue." To me, the solution is simple. Put a few dozen kids in a room from different educational backgrounds and see if the homeschooling opponents can tell them apart. This comment came as a response to my suggestion of just such a study after Mr. Dave Arnold shared his criticism of homeschooling via the NEA website and Natalie's blog. On the website Family Times - The Why of Homeschooling, there's a snippet of information about a study done where they placed a bunch of kids in a room and videotaped them; the videos were viewed by trained counselors. The results?

"In 1992, Larry Shyers of the University of Florida defended a doctoral dissertation in which he challenged the notion that youngsters at home 'lag' in social development. In his study, 8- to 10-year-old children were videotaped at play. Their behavior was observed by trained counselors who did not know which children attended conventional schools and which were homeschooled. The study found no significant difference between the two groups of children in self-concept or assertiveness, which was measured by social development tests. But the videotapes showed that youngsters taught at home by their parents had fewer behavior problems."

I think it's time for a bigger and better and, more importantly, WIDELY PUBLISHED study.

Anyone?