Searching best home school program for learning? Whether your need a high school homeschool program, top-rated online homeschool program or want homeschool program reviews, we’ll discuss all the home schooling options so you don’t waste money on homeschool curriculums, courses or programs that don’t work!
OK, before you go all crazy and starting searching for homeschool program near me and getting all overwhelmed, let’s break down exactly what you need to know when searching for homeschool programs.
Deal?
First, before you find the best home school program, you need to understand what kind of homeschool programs you’re looking for…
What Are Homeschool Programs?
When people say homeschool programs, they may actually be talking about a wide variety of homeschooling offerings.
Homeschool programs may refer to:
- Homeschool methods
- Homeschool curriculum
- Online courses
- Free online homeschool programs
- Public school alternatives
- Co-ops
- Homeschool meetup groups
- Christian home school program or Catholic home school program
& MORE
We’ll discuss these homeschool programs in more detail in a bit to help you understand exactly what you need.
But, before we get into more detail about what is home school program, let’s talk about something that you may hear:
What Are Accredited Homeschool Programs?
Accredited simply means that something is officially recognized. An accredited home school program is one that has been reviewed and approved by an accrediting body. While your personal home school cannot be accredited, there are accredited homeschool programs that offer courses and classes.
Most parents are concerned with accreditation because they are more comfortable with a high school diploma issued by an accredited program. However, it is not necessary for your child to be affiliated with an outside accredited program to receive a diploma. As your child’s educating authority, you have the authority to issue the diploma.
As always, check your state laws to guide you during homeschooling.
LOOKING FOR K12 HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM? READ THIS FIRST!
What is the best home school program?
The best home school program will depend on your family’s learning needs. If you’re looking for an online homeschool program, you will need a computer that can handle the online course and remote learning. If you are looking for homeschool curricula or even high school home school programs, ensure those homeschooling programs fulfill your time for learning.
How do I choose a homeschool program?
Steps to choosing a homeschool program or homeschool curriculum:
- Understand your teaching or leading style.
- Understand your child’s learning style and how they best learn.
- List your priorities for learning.
- Review how many hours per day you are allocating for homeschool.
- Consider your time for learning and teaching. (Do you need a more more independent learning program because you work from home?)
- Understand any special needs that help determine your choice.
- Be aware of homeschool program cost and any budgetary constraints.
- Ask your child what they’re interested in learning or joining!
CHOOSING THE BEST HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM
Types of Homeschool Programs
Now that we covered accredited homeschool programs, let’s take a closer look at those types of homeschool programs to help you better understand before signing up.
►Homeschool Methods
Sometimes when people say “homeschool programs” what they are really referring to are homeschool methods.
Homeschool methods are also called homeschool styles or learning styles. It simply means the approach you take to homeschooling.
Will you follow a specific method or style, like Charlotte Mason, or will you create your own way with eclectic homeschooling?
Examples of homeschool methods include:
- Charlotte Mason
- Classical
- Eclectic Homeschooling
- Unit Studies
- Roadschooling
- Worldschooling
- Unschooling
- Montessori
There are more homeschooling methods, but the ones listed here are some of the most popular.
The homeschooling method that you choose will depend on your:
- Goals
- Schedule/Time constraints
- Special needs
- Educational philosophy
- Family needs
►Homeschool Curriculum
Another thing that people mean when they say “homeschool programs” is homeschool curriculum.
A homeschool curriculum is a set of learning materials for a particular topic or groups of topics. A homeschool curriculum can be made up of “boxed” materials, where you get everything in one box to learn about that topic.
For example, you may receive a textbook, a student workbook, and a teacher’s manual in a boxed curriculum for homeschool.
There are also computer-based homeschool curriculum (homeschooling online) where the student works through a homeschool program or subject using the internet. (We’ll cover those in the next section.)
Choosing the best homeschool curriculum can be difficult and costly if you make the wrong decision!
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►Online Courses
When some people ask What is the best online homeschooling program? they are looking for online courses.
There are several different types of online courses for homeschooling:
- Public school online courses that are completed at home (“school at home” or at home school programs)
- Homeschooling courses that are complete programs covering several subjects under one program
- Stand alone homeschool courses where the child participates in one course on a topic
The type of online homeschool program you choose will depend on your needs.
Do you need a complete program that covers multiple topics/subjects, or do you just need to cover one course (like a homeschool math program)?
Do you need homeschool programs for high school or a homeschool program for preschool?
Or, are you looking for public school that your child completes at home?
You need to understand and answer questions like this before finding the best homeschooling programs online.
This is one of our favorite resources for best homeschool programs online!
►Public School Alternatives
In some cases, parents may say “homeschool programs” and may really be looking for an alternative to public school (or a way to do regular school from home).
While this may meet your needs, know that this is not true home schooling.
Virtual public school, also called tuition-free school (and many other names), is just public school from home instead of the child going to a brick-and-mortar school building.
If you are looking at this kind of program, you will follow the same rules, regulations, and laws as the local public school (including standardized testing).
If you are looking for autonomy from the public school system, then you probably want to stay away from this option.
►Co-ops
Another thing that people mean when they reference homeschool programs is a homeschool co-op.
Co-ops, or cooperatives, are generally organized by a group of homeschooling parents for a variety of reasons that act as a homeschool support group to achieve common goals.
There are different types of homeschool co-ops like
- Field trip co-ops
- Buyers co-op for group discounts on curricula and supplies
- Class co-ops where kids meet up regularly in a class environment to complete work
- Social/meet up co-ops
- Nature co-cops
And more!
Just be sure to understand what kind of co-op you are joining and the requirements.
►Homeschool Meetup Groups
Sometimes when parents ask what are the best homeschool programs, what they are really looking for is a homeschool group for meetups.
In most communities today, you will have plenty of opportunities for homeschool programs through meet up groups for a variety of reasons — homeschool socialization, art camps, nature hiking and more!
To find a local homeschool program or meet up (or even just a homeschool summer program), start with the library or search Facebook homeschooling groups for your area.
As you can see, the phrase best home school program can mean many different things based on who you are talking to or your current homeschool learning needs.
It can mean a homeschool method, specific curriculum, or that people are looking for the best homeschool online program.
It can also mean a program that is an alternative to attending traditional public school.
And, in some cases when people ask What is the best homeschooling program? they may mean co-ops or meet-ups.
Before you sign up for a homeschool program, be sure that you are getting exactly what you need!
Choosing the best home school program is an important part of homeschooling!
STARTING HOME SCHOOL? CHECK OUT OUR HOW TO HOMESCHOOL GUIDE
