A Sense of Self : Listening to Homeschooled Adolescent Girls

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful perspective shift!
Review: After reading the Ophelia books and the studies on the many and varied problems teenage girls face, this was a wonderful and refreshing perspective. Teenage girls who are self-confidant, not worried about pleasing others with who they are, eloquent, etc. How encouraging! I'm looking forward to reaping some of these benefits of homeschooling...

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful perspective shift!
Review: After reading the Ophelia books and the studies on the many and varied problems teenage girls face, this was a wonderful and refreshing perspective. Teenage girls who are self-confidant, not worried about pleasing others with who they are, eloquent, etc. How encouraging! I'm looking forward to reaping some of these benefits of homeschooling...

Rating:
Summary: Explores issues about lost of self esteem in young women
Review: There has been a lot of news and research recently about some of the negative changes in girls as they become young women. The author of "A Sense of Self" Susannah Sheffer was reading some of the literature and noticed a comment about how all of the girls in these studies were in the public school system. Susannah Sheffer has long been involved in homeschooling and wondered if the same types of problems were happening with girls who were being homeschooled. She was thinking outside of the box. So Susannah interviewed fifty-five homeschooled girls. She used many of the same questions in the original studies. "A Sense of Self" is the result of her study.

Susannah Sheffer found that homeschooled girls had a stronger sense of self-esteem, a stronger voice, and were much more comfortable with who they were. She found that these girls had a great sense of freedom, they felt safe, and valued themselves.

The author explores an idea that part of the problem for girls in public schools is they are encouraged to be passive and accept whatever the teachers and other public school employees tell them to do. In many ways homeschooling is an act of rebellion, parents are standing up to the social norms and saying they will be different. So homeschooled girls see this pattern of standing up for what they belief is best and right. Whereas in public schools, girls are taught what the teachers feel is best. Girls learn to go along with the group of children.

Susannah Sheffer explores some ideas on how the public school system could provide a better environment, which would nurture girls so they could retain their sense of self.

This was a fascinating book. It is well written, and has a number of interesting ideas and comments. If you are concerned with the struggles girls go through, this is worth reading.



Rating:
Summary: 4 stars!
Review: This book is a real eye-opener for any girl considering homeschooling. It answers some of your questions, and gives you a personal view of what homeschooling is like at this stage of a girls life.