Book Review: The Well-Adjusted Child

The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling
by Rachel Gathercole
Denver: Mapletree Publishing Company, 2007


What about socialization? That is the question asked of every homeschooler. It may even be the reason some would-be homeschoolers decide to send their children to school. How will your children learn to function in society if they don't go to school? Rachel Gathercole offers a definitive answer to that question in The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling. The answer is that homeschooled children not only learn to function in society, but they may actually learn to do it better.

Gathercole delves into what it actually means to be “socialized” and offers a historical take on how society managed to function for thousands of years before the start of compulsory education. She counters the idea that homeschooled children are friendless loners, emphasizing that homeschooled children take part in many of the same extra-curricular activities that school children do, such as sports, dance classes, scouts, religious programs, etc, as well as homeschooling group activities. She uses the testimony of both homeschooled children and their parents to bolster her research.

While some may be willing to admit that it is possible, after all, for children to have friends outside of school, Gathercole pushes the argument one step farther. She maintains that homeschooling provides a better environment for children to grow up and learn how to be part of the adult world. Unlike children who spend the majority of their lives in a classroom with many other children the same age and one or two adult figures, homeschooled children live in the “real world.” They interact with both children of different ages and adults on a daily basis. They are involved in the daily role of running a house and perhaps a family business. They have the opportunity to get real world work experience (whether paid or volunteer) at a younger age because they have more time. They also have more time to simply be a kid. They have the time to daydream and play and figure out what they are good at. Homeschooled children also tend to have stronger family relationships. With that secure footing, they are better able to spread their wings and step out into the world as adults.

“The Well-Adjusted Child” is a must-read for anyone considering homeschooling. It can help alleviate the fear that comes from stepping off the usual schooling path. It is also a great resource for those interested in education in general because it forces one to consider what the true goal of education is and what it really means to be a functioning and productive member of society.