Some families want to homeschool their children but cannot afford to have one parent stay at home and teach full-time, so they skip the option and either have to keep their kids in public school or spend a large portion of their budget for a private education. However, the top online homeschooling platforms provide an easy solution with professional teachers that work directly with each student, assignments and exams are on the computer and a daily lesson planner helps to keep the child on track. Parents still can retain an important and effective supporting role and monitor their progress with their parent portal. 

Parents who choose to homeschool their elementary children are committing themselves to being intimately involved with their child’s education on a daily basis. Every subject can be taught by the parent if that is the option they select, along with the traditional responsibilities that come with this role, so it is important to find a balance so that everyone has a good experience and develops strong relationships.

One of the hallmarks of homeschooling is flexibility but this can be taken to the extreme when parents leave too much room for ‘student choice’. This typically results in no set schedule, kids deciding how much (or little) they want to do that day and a mad dash at the end to get everything done and turned in on time. This approach does not benefit anyone, so moderation is the best course. Create a schedule that works for your family with the knowledge that there may be days when it needs to be ‘tweaked’ due to unexpected events or exciting opportunities.

If your’ homeschool student has expressed a desire to go to college or wants to be in a career that requires a degree, then you need to start thinking about the requirements before they start high school. There are some steps that can be taken in middle school, but the majority of work will start in 9th grade with each year including a new task to help them prepare for the admissions process to the college of their choice.

Education is important so selecting the best online homeschool platform is a decision that requires careful research to make sure that the student receives the maximum amount of benefits and a quality academic program in a college preparatory program that will help them reach graduation and their future goals.