Remote VS. Homeschool?

It’s the question parents everywhere are asking.  Some feel like it’s a choice between the lesser of two evils—potential health risks at school versus what might be a semi-ideal education at home. 

It is not an easy question.

There are, however, ways to reach an easier answer: narrowing the options. No matter how parents choose to school at home during COVID, they must accept the reality that in some form they are becoming teachers at home.  Though they may or may not be directing the content, they are directing the school day. 

Work Schedule

First, let’s consider the parent work schedule.  While that may not always seem the most important factor to measure, it is the most realistic.  

If both parents are working full time, or if the child lives in a single parent household, is schooling from home actually possible?

Yes.  And, you want to know the even crazier part?  Some parents say it is easier to homeschool privately than any other option because they are able to choose the curriculum, pacing, and time of study as it best fits their child and family’s needs.  Granted, at the outset, it is more work.  But, it pays off.

Families with inflexible work structures need a flexible school solution.  The most flexible schooling option is the one which gives families ultimate autonomy, authority, and control to direct the school day: private homeschooling.  That doesn’t mean parents are responsible for teaching all the content--that can be outsourced to other programs as needed--but, parents are fully in charge of making schooling decisions.

Prior to COVID, I knew dual income and single parent households that managed to homeschool privately by creatively using time on evenings and weekends to teach core content, using down time during the week for concept practice.  This is largely possible because teaching information to one child takes far less time than teaching that same information to thirty.   In addition, some of these busy families selected curricula that was self-grading and adaptable to their schedule.  Check out Links to Experts to learn how to homeschool legally in your state.

For parents whose family needs make private homeschooling seem like an impossibility, there are ways to create a positive learning environment at home with practical tools that make remote learning more successful--such as building a flexible learning schedule for the school day at home, setting tangible goals so you can measure progress and provide accountability.   See the Bonus: Quick Start Guide for practical ways to bring school sanity to your home in an afternoon.

The hybrid model of public homeschooling is also an option for some families, with the state reimbursing families for curriculum and providing accountability and a structured homeschool model.  Listen to our podcast on Public and Private Homeschooling to learn more.  

Depending on what parent schedules and family needs require, there are multiple creative ways to learn from home.  Check out 4 Ways to Homeschool for more information about education choices.

Learning Preferences

Secondly, narrow the schooling options further by considering your student’s learning needs. If your student is a kinesthetic or social learner who performs better collaborating with others or with immediate feedback, consider a computer program or a daily or weekly online school to provide structure and accountability.  If your student performs better in quiet, consider creating a focused learning space by using textbooks with optional supplemental resources (like a teacher’s key or instructional videos).  What is critical as parent teacher is to identify what kind of space would help your student learn best. 

After you have a starting idea of how to create a meaningful learning space, adapt the material to whether she learns by seeing, hearing, or getting hands on with the content.  If you decide to homeschool privately, you will have the most options in customizing the work to meet your student’s needs; if you decide to school at home with direct learning through your district or private school, the content may be less malleable to your student’s learning type but there will be the advantage of additional teacher support. Either way, aim to adapt the content to your student.

Social Needs

Thirdly, let’s address developing the holistic student.   For some, school and social seem inextricably linked.  However, as a professional educator and experienced homeschooler, I can confirm that doing both at once is not always best. 

Imagine for a moment what it would mean to practice social and schoolwork separately.  A student could learn about science independently during one part of the day and play unhindered with friends during another.  He could finish math in 15-20 minutes working on his own and then get creative building legos with friends for an hour.

Even during COVID, this model is still possible.  Elementary students can easily finish school before lunch in an individual learning model and then gather with a group of friends on Zoom afterwards to play charades.  Not only is this potentially more fun than remote learning, the education will likely be more customized.  

For middle and high school students, consider completing school work independently in less than 6 hours and then collaborating later with peers in meaningful ways—like an historical fiction book discussion over facetime with other teens, or a group project developing a podcast on an important social topic that is the result of their coursework in economics, psychology, and social studies.  We are limited only by our imaginations. 

These suggestions about engaging socially are available, of course, to students no matter what kind of schooling option their parents choose during COVID.  For students engaged in remote learning who may feel like they still need friend time at the end of their school day, consider developing some of the options above into their weekly routine.

The Best Answer

Whatever you decide works best for your family for this season, take heart; no educational model is perfect during COVID, and parents globally are doing the best they can to meet their children’s needs.  Realize that this school year is going to look different from every other, and do your best to embrace those differences rather than fight them.  How to figure out what that looks like?  Easy.  Watch our Homeschool LIke an Expert: Video Series--gleaning advice from experts in diverse fields as well as over one hundred successful parent teachers--and, in less time than it takes to watch a Marvel movie, you will be set to have a successful school year that will be unlike any other.  

Still have questions?  We’ve got answers.