Homeschooling is a growing trend in the United States but there are still many questions that need to be asked by parents before they decide that this is the right way for teaching their family. Will you be the full-time teacher? What technology is required? Is there testing involved? What is accreditation and does it matter? These are just some of the questions that you need answers to plus the ones that you don’t know to ask.
Many families look at homeschooling because they want an alternative form of education that takes their child out of the public school for worldview or curriculum reasons or they need a more flexible option that fits within their lifestyle. This could be as a result of a long-term illness, continuous moving with an employer or the best way for a child to learn in a non-traditional environment. The best home school programs can be found by starting a search online that is not limited by geography and begins with looking inside your comfort zone (i.e. Christian if you are looking for faith-based program).
In homeschooling, you need to look for the best home school programs that are associated with accredited schools to ensure that your children are working within approved standards and will have the course levels they need for graduation and transition to the college/university of their choice. The core subjects should be set in a widely-approved and reliable curriculum along with available options to select Honors to challenge and motivate your child to their level of success and accomplishment.
A good path to follow is to review several sites, make notes and then schedule an ‘over the phone’ conference call with the Admissions specialist at a couple of the schools. This will allow you to check into a few options and compare the answers you are given regarding tuition, extra fees, usability of online tools and resources and other factors. The general standard of practice is for parents to opt as full or part-time teachers in the elementary and early middle school grades while transitioning into a support role in middle and high and high school grades. The professional instructors attached to the school have the required certifications and training to teach the difficult and complex concepts that will be used as the foundation for college courses and entrance exams. For the best organization in the home school programs it helps if their staff takes care of the report card tracking and handling of transcripts so that you have access and can request but don’t have to keep up with the paperwork according to state requirements.
No matter your reason for starting your child’s education at home or pulling them from their current school to become a homeschooled student it is important to be familiar with the process and know how to set the foundation properly. There are wide range of ‘helps’ online but the best home school programs will have everything you need directly on their website with information on how to connect to the right people to get your questions answered, walk you and the student through the process and give you peace of mind that you have made the right decision for the future of your child.