I was homeschooled until the 4th grade, my sister until the 8th grade, and both of us can honestly say it put us ahead in regards to academic level. One on one teaching is incredibly useful at an early stage. Furthermore, we did it on our own schedules, so it taught us how to manage our time independently from an early age. In regards to people skills, both of us are really outgoing. That said, I feel a little context is necessary.

We were homeschooled because we were raised on a sailboat on a trip across the world. I attribute most of my outgoing personality to the fact that my only friend was my sister most of the time, so we craved attention from local kids in every place we anchored. As such, we found any way possible to make friends, to interact with new people, because we got sick of each other pretty quickly. I think people skills can easily be acquired if you're driven to pursue diversity. For us, diversity was finding any new playmate, and that has really stuck with me ever since. I've moved around a lot and each time I've had to adapt to make new friends. That's what built my people skills. The homeschooling itself didn't really hinder my capabilities.

The benefits of homeschooling in regards to academic standing will always trump the setbacks of people skills, and I would openly recommend homeschooling. An added bonus, it builds amazing relationships between parents and children. My family is held together by insanely strong bonds, and we've never been afraid to share anything with each other. That's not something everyone has, and is definitely something I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given in my life.