I was a camp counselor for many years in my teens and into my twenties.
We could always--always--tell which kids were the homeschooled kids.
We could always--always--tell which kids were the homeschooled kids.
With 100% accuracy in which direction? You noticed every homeschooled kid, or every kid you thought was homeschooled was actually homeschooled? Because those have very different implications.
What we are seeing now is a seismic shift that will result in a much more mainstream population of homeschooled kids. I doubt it will be as easy to tell which kids were homeschooled in a decade.
from https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2022-01-24/8-t...
There are many other articles about the growth of homeschooling during the pandemic, and the likely causes. As the author of the LA Times article notes, the data is still being gathered so experts' theories have yet to be validated with certainty.
But I've not seen anyone question the notion that the people who have recently started homeschooling are not demographically the same as those who homeschooled pre-pandemic. If you have seen such claims, I would be interested to see them!
I was homeschooled for several years, and have known a variety of other homeschooled people.
For me personally, I was impacted in my ability to socialize with people in my own group, and did not develop any rebellious tendencies until I re-entered public school and realized there were other options.
For some homeschooled people I know, they can't read at above a first grade level.
Others can read/write at a higher than average level, may be average or better at math, and have little capability to interact with others.
Still others are some of the smartest, most well rounded people I know.
Unfortunately, most homeschooled people in my experience sit somewhere between the first and second groups - which then means that gatherings of home-schooled families will also tend that direction.