As homeschooling becomes more and more prevalent, I think the definition is slowly going to need to shift and expand. There are many that don’t view online schools as homeschooling. But how true is that? I guess it depends on how you define homeschooling.

Define Homeschooling

To answer the question of whether using on online school is really homeschooling, I think you have to define homeschooling. While you might expect me to give you a concrete definition, the truth is I can’t give you one. And I don’t think we should stick so hard to strict labels for things. I often wonder if homeschool is really an umbrella for not choosing the 4 walls of a traditional school.

That may mean your homeschool looks like school at home. Or maybe you went the total opposite and are radically unschooling. (See more about specific homeschool methods here – What do homeschool methods look like in real life? Some people would argue that unless you are doing all the teaching yourself, inside your home, you are not homeschooling. I guess that’s means I don’t homeschool because my kids always took outside classes. Not for everything, but they took music lessons, art lessons, sometimes even science outside the home. And in the high school years all of their school is “taught” either to themselves or through I program that teaches them.

So What About K-12 Online Schools? Are They Really Homeschooling?

I guess for me homeschooling has always been more about choice and freedom of my schedule. I wanted to be able to choose what and how my kids were learning. I wanted the freedom to speed up or slow down as necessary. Getting out of a classroom and the rigidity of that made it possible for my kids to do and explore things they would have otherwise not had time for. So maybe by those standards, full time online schools don’t fit into my personal definition of homeschooling. Note the word PERSONAL. I think homeschooling is personal. And what works for one does not necessarily work for another, even with kids in the same household.

So are K-12 Online Schools really homeschooling? I think they are if that is what you have chosen. For me, I would say no. You need more control and parent involvement and online schools are kind of like farming your kids out, just not to 4 physical walls. But that doesn’t mean it’s not right for other families and that it shouldn’t be included in the homeschool umbrella.

A Quick Look at Pros and Cons of Online Schools

Many parents love to teach their kids at home because it provides freedom in every way imaginable. Children guide their own lessons through curiosity, exploration and play. Adults get to choose materials that are both engaging and exciting, and there’s no doubt that schooling at home is cheaper than a private academy or full time online schools. But the freedom can also be dizzying, and for some families, it can backfire into total stress an chaos for both kids and parents.

Ultimately, you want what’s best for your child, and there may be reasons why an online school is a better fit than traditional homeschooling for your student. Let’s explore some of the benefits, as well as the drawbacks, to online homeschooling.

Tuition Costs

Homeschool parents are no longer limited to the traditional school at home type methods to educate their children’s education. Now, even from foreign countries, students can learn online, from online schools. But the cost of enrolling in a private K-12 school can be large, especially if you’re on a budget. An online school can provide parents much-needed relief and guidance while offering structure and stability for students. However, this does come at a hefty cost.

There are some options to offset the cost, though. For starters, you can talk to the school about need-based scholarships and financing plans. You can also adjust your own finances to free up room in your monthly budget. Look to an Earnest student loan refinance helps you lower debt and reduce interest so you can stay current on your repayments while saving more each year.

Providing for Educational Needs

A big worry with homeschooling is that you will not be able to provide the education you want your kids to have. Or you may have to work full time and are unsure about how you will find the time to educate your children at home. Many find the elementary years to be manageable but the growing skill level and intensity of high school courses can seem unmanageable.

There are certainly endless options for homeschool curriculum and free resources for you to choose from. So much so that it can be overwhelming. Personal tutors can come in handy, but may not hold up to the guidance and support of an online teacher for all subjects. When considering the needs of each of your children, and how comfortable you feel teaching various subjects, in many cases, an online school is worth the investment.

College and Beyond

You can look online to find a homeschool friendly college, and universities that accept homeschool students, but many parents worry that learning from home may put their students at a disadvantage. This is FOR SURE not the case. You can homeschool, never outsource, and your child can still get into a good college. It may just take some extra work and planning on your part to be sure you are covering all your bases. That being said, I know there are plenty of people who would feel more comfortable going through an online school where they set the curriculum to be sure it meets college standards, and they prepare your student’s transcript for college applications. Neither way is better and neither way is wrong. It is simply about having the advantage of being able to choose what fits your family’s needs.

In the end, homeschooling is what you make of it. I guess that’s how I see it. Homeschooling is about having the choice. That’s the beauty of it. You decide what works for your family and how you want to handle it. They don’t have to fit into those 4 walls. Instead there are a myriad of options to put the say back in your hands, whether that is doing all the teaching yourself, or hiring someone to help you out.