Mimi Rothschild - Home School Support & Home Education News

By Mimi Rothschild

Though some are intrigued by the idea of home schooling their children, many are weary at the same time. Unsure of their ability to handle the job of traditional home schooling (i.e. figure out requirements, create curriculum, teach each subject, test, grade, make it fun, et cetera), many parents opt out of the whole home school idea without even trying.

For these families, there has arrived a middle ground: online home schooling. No longer are online schools just for adults earning a degree after work and on weekends. Now there are classes available online for kindergarten through 12th grade, allowing home schoolers to take some or all of their courses via the Internet. Curriculum materials including textbooks and CD-ROMs are either rented or bought, a teacher is available via email or live chat for questions, and the home schooler can learn at her own pace. There is no grading, but a minimum score must be earned before the next level can be taken on.

For those who haven’t taken online courses before or are uncertain what level to begin with, there are placement tests available through many online home schools. Home school students receive transcripts and other documents that make applying for college a simpler process than if applying from a traditional home school setting. All of this at a cost that is considerably less than a private school education and a little more than a traditional home school curriculum, with a limited time money back guarantee for most courses.

Why would a parent want their home schooler to take classes online? A variety of reasons; the parent may not feel comfortable teaching every course or may not have the time or patience to do so sufficiently. Also, with academics in which a parent doesn’t feel strong, there’s the reassurance of an online professor who can offer back up and answer questions while validating the child’s progress and understanding.

The time saved on research, planning, and developing a curriculum is considerable, but online home schooling is not a license for a parent to kick back and read the paper while their home schooler clicks away on the computer. For every five hours spent doing online home school work, it is advised that parents be intimately involved in at least three of them.

If there is an online home school that is reputable, offers courses that fit state regulations, and suits the motivational standard behind the desire to home school, then perhaps online home school is for you. However, no need to jump in with both feet. Try one class, to see how it fits, and if it’s for you and your home schooler, go for it!