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.