by Joseph Grayhaim
A 2010 research study by Michael F. Cogan, published in the Summer, 2010 Journal of College Admission, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ893891.pdf found that adults who had been homeschooled at least seven years were more involved and engaged in their communities and participated more in the life around them than their non-homeschooled counterparts.
Cogan’s findings also demonstrated that homeschooled students could dream large and set high goals due to a lack of peer pressure or negative feedback from society at large. These homeschoolers also performed above average on the SAT and in college itself – if they felt it suited their needs. Homeschooled students tend to be more aware of what they need to achieve their goals and college is not always the right path. This is one of the strongest aspects of the homeschooling world: Parents and children do not adhere to the “life in a can” approach that institutionally schooled children often take as gospel . . . go to a good college, get good grades, get a good job, marry a “right” person, have a good house in the suburbs, have good kids, etc., etc. The failure of this ant-trail approach is often not felt until middle-age burnout occurs – often too late to do anything over.
Even though Cogan’s findings are 10 years old, homeschooling is still the better choice for raising children who actually have knowledge – not just great test scores. And the wise saying is “Knowledge Is Power” not “Test Scores Are Power”.
