As homeschooling has become more popular, resource after resource has popped up to help make homeschooling easier for families who choose homeschool over the more traditional options of public, private, and charter school. Not only have curriculum options exploded, hybrid schools, co-ops, and online courses abound as never before. Those of us who have been homeschooling for a while have witnessed co-ops and online learning grow from things to fill in the gaps to, well, the whole package. In many cases, co-ops and online courses are lifesavers, but remember…
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
There are a multitude of reasons parents look to outsource homeschooling through classes taught by others, whether in person or online, but we encourage those who are considering outsourcing to slow down and ask themselves what they really want out of homeschooling. Do you truly want to nurture curiosity, character, and companionship within your family? Or are you simply looking for a viable alternative to a school system that isn’t working for your child?
In either scenario, you have three basic options.
The first is online schooling. A class or two is fine, but we generally try to steer parents gently away from this option. The reasons for this could fill their own article, but the bottom line is that studies consistently show decreased engagement and retention with online learning. Plus, how can you build relationship with your child when they’re glued to their computer all day? The one time we readily give the green light to online schooling is in the case of high school seniors who are struggling to get the last few credits needed to graduate. These are often situations where it’s online learning or giving up on a diploma.
The second option is to pay for an all-inclusive co-op such as LIFE, where core and potentially elective classes are taught by paid instructors. (Additional co-ops may be found here: https://faithfulscholars.com/sc-homeschool-classes-co-ops-list-form/.) This option can be costly, but it will (or should) provide structure, instruction, accountability, and socialization. You, as the parent, must be diligent in providing some level of supervision on days when the co-op doesn’t meet, much as you would if you had a traditionally schooled child with daily homework.
The final option, and the one we most encourage, is for you to reclaim your own education and teach your children alongside yourself. This option is the most exciting, as you are not only learning but also modeling before your children in real time what it looks like to be a lifelong learner. YOU ARE THEIR BEST TEACHER because you fully understand the challenges they face. You are with them in the mud, so to speak, slogging through the states and capitals, the proofreading marks, the algebraic formulas, the periodic table. You’re also with them on the mountaintops, when lessons take you down fascinating rabbit holes, when lightbulbs go off, when victories are won. This is not an “I tell you what to do” model, but a “We are doing this together” model, and in case no one’s told you, you CAN do it!*
In the final analysis, if you want to give your children a better option than traditional schooling, it will cost either money or time. When you choose to give of your time by reclaiming your education and walking the path of learning beside your children, you find the rewards far outweigh the cost. Not only will you create amazing bonds with your children—and your children with one another—before the end of the year, all of those naysayers telling you your kids ought to be in school will be stunned into silence by the vibrancy that empowers you, the mama, and makes your children a delightful to talk to.
*Choosing this model doesn’t mean you can’t dip into co-ops and online classes. It simply means you remain your children’s educational home base.