School at Home

There are probably as many different ways to homeschool as there are families homeschooling, but this article will look at school at home as one method that works for some families. You'll learn the pros, cons and insider tips that will help you decide whether school at home is the right method for your family.

What exactly is school at home? As a teaching method, it simply means traditional curriculum and schooling, but at home. There are many ways to achieve this type of schooling, some involve using local school resources and some you can do on your own.

There are times when it isn't feasible for a child to be at school. At times it is an illness that might be contagious to others. At other times, the school environment is not in the child's best interests, as with some special needs children. Or, perhaps your child has a problem with bullies at school. Some school districts will allow parents to become the teacher. In these cases, the school district provides the books and materials and the teaching manuals. The parent then teaches from home. Usually, there is a licensed teacher who checks in and oversees the process. If you are uncertain whether your school district has a school at home program, talk to your superintendent.

If you simply want to use the materials and methods the school uses, there are companies that sell services similar to what schools use.

• Time4Learning
• K12 Homeschool
• Connections Academy]

Some of these services provide the teachers and do most of the work for the parent, while others ask the parent to do the majority of teaching while they provide the tools.

Occasionally, teachers look for tutoring work outside of the classroom to supplement their income. A teacher currently teaching a subject or grade will be familiar with state standards and which types of curriculum are being used by the local school district. By hiring a teacher to tutor your child, you get the benefit of his or her experience, but the comfort of teaching your child in your own home. This solution can be pretty costly, so consider how many hours of tutoring you can afford and whether you can continue to teach the material on your own should the tutor become unable.

Probably the most common way that people choose to turn a homeschool into a school in the home is by setting up a classroom area, having a set number of hours each day and traditional subject areas and work. In fact, many homeschoolers start teaching this way, because they were educated in a traditional school and this is the method they understand. This is probably as far from the unschooling method as one can get. Interestingly, many parents who begin their homeschool in this way eventually move to a more relaxed method of homeschooling later on. It is important to understand what technique works best for your children and make adjustments as necessary. You may find that you use different methods at different times and with different students.

There are many benefits to choosing school at home as an option.

• Peace of mind of knowing you're meeting state standards.
• Schools often provide free curriculum.
• Ability of student to work at own pace.
• Organized method.
• A method the parent understands and knows well.
• Keeps school and home separated a bit more than other methods.

However, there are also some major drawbacks to choosing this method.

• Lack of flexibility in curriculum choices. For example, sticking to the text when your child develops a sudden interest in knights, instead of letting him explore the topic further.

• If working with local school, being accountable to an outside party who might not have the same educational goals for your child as you do.

• If using local resources, state based materials are often secular in nature and may not meet your family's moral and religious views.

• If working with the local schools, some schools require at least a portion of the day be spent in a traditional classroom.

• Burnout is a big danger with this method of homeschooling, because many parents feel they cannot take a break, but must complete the text book. There is also a lot of preparation if not utilizing outside services.

• Students may grow bored sitting at a desk all day long.

There are many different reasons why people choose the at home schooling method. For most parents who choose this method, it allows the safety of home and the comfort of traditional schooling all rolled into one package. This method also allows parents to be much more involved in their child's schooling than if the child is gone at school seven or eight hours a day. Typically, students spend a set amount of time on their work each day, where with other methods they may work a little more than they'd like. All in all, this is a good, solid method to use when homeschooling.

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