VISUAL RHETORIC

After typing ‘Homeschooling’ into Google I was greeted by many pictures of smiling families sitting around the table doing schoolwork. The picture below stood out to me. It is from a website called Exploring Homeschooling, which is a faith-based ministry supporting homeschooling.

The first thing that strikes me when looking at the picture is the verse in the top corner. It is in a dark, bold print, so it stands out against the white sky. The verse is Proverbs 22:6, which says: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This verse implies that the skills a person learns early on will carry on throughout his or her life. Schooling is a huge part of a childhood, and this verse reiterates the importance of quality education.

The picture depicts a father and son sitting together on a rock, which appears to be in the middle of a large forest, looking at the screen of a laptop together. Both father and son are enthralled with what is on the screen. The setting seems to be hinting at the freedom homeschoolers have to explore the world without the regulations of school. The father and son sitting together displays the personal, loving relationship that homeschoolers establish with their teachers, which happen to be their parents. The vivid colors of the photograph evoke memories of fun outdoor adventures and leave the reader with a feeling of nostalgia.

The piece is directed toward internet users who go to the Exploring Homeschooling website for help or support. The website contains many Bible verses and religious rationale as to why homeschooling is the superior educational experience.

SOURCES

I began my search for sources at the TAMU library online database. My topic relates the effect of homeschooling on students, so I simply typed “homeschooling” into the search bar. Hundreds of results came up, so I began by looking for titles that sounded more scholarly. I found a paper entitled “Revisiting the Common Myths About Homeschooling” by Michael Romanowski and decided to look into it. The first clue that this source was scholarly was that it was on EBSCOhost, which is known for having reliable sources. Next, I saw that the author cited numerous sources and wrote in a very professional tone.  At the bottom of the pages it said that the author is a professor at Ohio Northern University, which gives him credibility.

In the article, Romanowski looks at the most common myths of homeschooling.  

Myth #1 is that homeschooling produces social misfits. Romanowski says that this is due to a big misunderstanding by the general public and that most parents are aware of this and are diligent in making sure their kids are exposed to various social situations.

Myth #2 is that homeschooling fails to prepare good citizens.  In reality, recent studies have shown that homeschoolers are able to become successful contributions to society in both home and the workplace.

Myth #3 is that students who are homeschooled have difficulty entering college. In reality, colleges are often recruiting high achieving homeschoolers to add diversity to their campus. Homeschoolers also score at or above the national average on the SAT and ACT tests.

 Myth #4 is that most people homeschool only for religious reasons. It has been found that homeschoolers are a very diverse group of race, religion and socioeconomic status.

 Romanowski concludes that there is not one method of education that will work for every child, so as a “democratic society” we should be respectful of each parent’s decision on what type of schooling they select. The article successfully delivers the message that homeschooling is not something to be looked down upon.

HOMESCHOOLING

I have always been puzzled by homeschooling. I mean, I love my family and all, but being around them 24/7 would be a nightmare! And although the “school” aspect of school can be a chore, there are so many fun social activities and sports that come along with it that make it much easier to bear. I just feel that there are so many things that happen while in school that kids being homeschooled miss. Here are a few of the main ones.

1)      RECESS

Recess in elementary school holds so many memories! I think that recess serves as a major bonding and social time that kids get to spend together. It was the perfect combination of running around and drama.

2)      LUNCH

There was never a dull moment at lunch! So many friendships were formed around food. We collectively complained about the quality of the school lunches and I feel as though nothing can bond a group of people better than having to survive on terrible food together.

3)      EXTRACURRICULARS

Sports are what made school worthwhile for me. Training and competing alongside friends from class brought us really close.

4)      BULLIES

I realize that this may be one of the biggest reasons that people chose to homeschool their kids in the first place, but I think that they are so necessary. Not everyone is going to treat you and love you like your mother does. I think the earlier you learn to take some hits, forgive, and forget, life will be much easier.

 

What do you think? Can you think of any major pros to homeschooling?