by Brendan Cassidy | Jul 31, 2018 | Home School, Resources
It’s a big decision, but you’re not alone. Every year thousands of families choose to homeschool over sending their children to a traditional high school. There are many arguments both for and against homeschooling, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is if it will be suitable for your specific child. The homeschooling resources that are currently available to parents today online are vast.
This article will help you weigh the pros and cons of homeschooling so that you can make the best decision possible in regards to your child. Homeschooling is not an easy thing, but if you’re up to the task, it can be a great benefit to the academic success of your child.
Weighing the pros and cons of homeschooling
Of course, that’s a question you’ll have to answer for yourself, but over 1.7 million American families seem to think it’s a pretty good idea. The popularity of the homeschooling option has increased along with the ease of access to available resources and communities.
Deciding to homeschool can be a tough choice. You want what’s best for your children, but you also want what’s best for yourself. While homeschool is very hands on in K-8th, you can utilize an online program for the 9-12th-grade portion for more freedom and less effort on your part. You could even consider mixing a fully online high school program like the one offered by ARHS into your strategy. Having a high school diploma is always a good idea, even if your child is being homeschooled.
Homeschooling pros and cons
Homeschooling Pros:
- You control daily learning: These days it can be surprising what they teach, and don’t teach, kids in school. By homeschooling, you can help curate the information that your child learns and how they learn it.
- Promote stronger family values and bonds: By spending more time with your kids you can create stronger bonds and increase the cohesiveness of your family. Family is so important and homeschooling is a great example of something you can do to engrain this in your children.
- Reduce the opportunities for bullying: Bullying is a huge problem these days. A negative social environment can affect how well your child learns while increasing anxiety about their time at school. Social ridicule is one of the primary things that can make kids not want to go to school and develop a hatred for learning.
- Practical learning prepares them for the real-world: Homeschooling allows you to provide your children with specific skills that will help them in the real world.
Homeschooling Cons:
- Being a parent and teacher is hard: Homeschooling is not a walk in the park. Having to be both parent and educator can put a significant time burden on your day. Once you have committed to this path, it is very had to change courses. There is no doubt that homeschooling will add stress to your life.
- Homeschooling will reduce the time you can work: By becoming your child’s teacher, you will not have as much time to work. The loss of income can be hard and increase tension at home.
- Your kids will lose easy access to social peer groups: This route will most certainly mean some reduction in your child’s social interactions. You will have to take an active role in the socialization of your child and seek out groups of other children for them to interact with.
- Potentially less structure when compared to public school: Of course, how structured you make your homeschooling environment is entirely up to you. That being said, public school has a level of regimen that will be difficult to recreate at home.
Conclusion
Homeschooling has its pros and its cons. The decision can be a tough one, but it’s worth looking into. You have the opportunity to provide your child with an extremely high-quality education right from home, and that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
by Brendan Cassidy | Jul 17, 2018 | Home School, Resources
Homeschooling in Florida has seen a big increase in recent years partly do the availability of online resources and support for parents. The internet has made homeschooling so much more practical of an option for parents. In the past, if you wanted to homeschool your child, you were essentially on your own.
The public school system in Florida has always been innovative, in fact, it was one of the first to introduce an all online public K-12 option and has the largest virtual school in the nation. In Florida, enrolling your child in an online high school, middle school, or elementary school has never been easier. This article is going to show you why homeschooling in Florida makes sense and help you find the resources you need to get started.
How to get started homeschooling in Florida
It’s tough to make the choice to homeschool, but there are so many reasons why it’s a good idea. Beyond being able to take personal responsibility for your child’s learning, you can be confident in the fact that with today’s online resources you can do an extremely good job.
Sending your child to a private school is expensive and public in-person schools many times will not give your child the attention they need to be successful. All that being said it’s still difficult to balance life while you also have to be your child’s teacher.
Once you’ve made the decision to homeschool you’ll probably want the process is. Florida is one of the easiest schools to start homeschooling from and there are a ton of great resources to help you get started.
Helpful websites to help you get started homeschooling in Florida:
http://florida-homeschooling.org/: This is a great all in one Florida specific resource designed to help homeschoolers at every level. The really nice thing about this website is the support groups page, support groups can make all the difference when your homeschooling.
http://www.home-school.com/groups/FL.php: This page has links to tons of great homeschooling groups in Florida. If you’re interested in homeschooling, one of the things you should do is find a group near you and contact them. The group will have area-specific information that they provide you so you can weigh your options and decide if homeschooling is right for your situation.
https://letshomeschoolhighschool.com/2013/05/23/high-school-homeschooling-laws-state/: It’s always a good idea to know the laws of a particular state thoroughly before you start considering homeschooling your child. Florida has some of the most straightforward laws that exist in the country, so you shouldn’t worry about that getting in your way.
Why is homeschooling so popular in Florida?
Florida is pretty unique when it comes to homeschooling. The sheer size of Florida puts a huge strain on the public school system which motivated the school board to start pushing the online option as a way to take some of the pressure off. The online K-12 options in Florida fit right into the homeschooling mentality and give parents more control over how their children are actually processing the information.
There is also a large rural population in Florida where it is logistically difficult for families to get their kids to the schools. Fortunately, the internet brings high-quality education to them no matter where they are.
Another popular trend that we are seeing here in Florida is kids going to public school K-8 and then finishing high school online. There are lots of high school specific online options, both paid and public, accredited by the state of Florida to choose from. It’s a fact that kids who go to school online or at home have a greater understanding of the material and do better on standardized tests. If the goal is to get your child into a good school then homeschooling online is a good option.
Conclusion
If you’re living in Florida, or any state for that matter, you should see homeschooling as an accessible option made easier by modern technology. If you still have questions that this post couldn’t answer then we’re here for you. ARHS is a Florida accredited online high school providing affordable education solutions to anyone who needs them. If you would like more information don’t hesitate to contact us so we can tell you more about your options.
by Brendan Cassidy | Jun 23, 2018 | Home School, Resources
More home education resources are available online now than ever before. Many of the home education resources available are free and can truly help you reach your educational goals faster. No matter if you’re thinking about enrolling your child in an online high school program, or you’re going back to school yourself, these resources can help.
Here we have compiled a list of our five favorite home education resources, but before we dive into the list let’s look at some reasons why you might want to learn from home.
Home education resources can help you get your diploma
If you’re an adult learner there are plenty of educational resources that you can access right from the comfort of your own home. Building your own learning plan can be fun and rewarding. Maybe you aren’t looking for a diploma and just love learning. Maybe you want to challenge yourself, or maybe you need help getting through another online program you are currently enrolled in.
The benefits of educating yourself or homeschooling a child are almost too many to count. For adults, going back to school in person is disruptive and many times impractical. For teenagers, online homeschooling has been proven to be a better strategy to get kids actually understanding the material and test better. There is no question that home education is a great option for many different types of students.
The five free resources we have listed below can help any home educator get the most out of their study time.
5 great home education resources geared toward adult learners
- https://www.khanacademy.org: This one makes the top of the list because of its quality. The Khan Academy is great at explaining different math topics and is constantly being improved by the people who use it. We recommend using this as a study tool more than anything, and the best part is it’s 100% free education.
- https://www.edx.org/: This site is a collaborative effort by many higher education institutions to bring more high-quality education to the masses. Lectors from top schools like Harvard and Berkeley are now available online to anybody. While some classes are paid, there still is a large selection of free resources and classes to choose from.
- www.open2study.com: This site has lots of great resources. The lectors are excellent and they have an impressive library of free content. What’s nice about this site’s material is that it’s so up to date. With a wide selection of courses, it can be a great way to augment existing courses of study with great lectures and class materials.
- http://academicearth.org/: Similar to edX, academic earth is a totally free college-level course platform for you to learn with. They have a state of the art learning management system and the education is top notch when it comes to the free education world. The coolest part is, you can get a degree from their for free if you have the time.
- www.coursebuffet.com: This site takes pre-existing MOOC programs and lists them all in one place. It’s a great site to go for free educational assistance and to take courses. It has one of the most comprehensive databases of free online degree programs on the internet and should be a staple of any home education diet.
Conclusion
The truth is that the amount of home education resources available today online is unprecedented. If you or a family member is considering getting a high school diploma from home then your support options are almost endless. We hope that you found our list useful and if you need any help with online education and your options we would love to help. Comment on this post, or message us correct and let’s start a conversation about your educational future.
by elerman | May 21, 2018 | Diploma, Home School
Would you believe somebody if they told you that earning a high school diploma at home could be fun? We’re here to tell you that going back to school from home can be more than just a great way to improve your life, it can also be a whole lot of fun. Your high school diploma is waiting for you online. All you have to do is put the time in.
This article will show you how to get your high school diploma online and why it might actually be pretty enjoyable.
Should you even care about getting your high school diploma?
I think we can all agree that going back school doesn’t sound like the most fun thing in the world. This especially true if you’ve been out of the school system for a while. Do you even remember half of what you learned in middle school?
How are you going to have time to learn all of that stuff that took most people four years? Don’t worry, your life won’t slow down just because you decided to go back to school. Getting your high school diploma at home on your own terms will be a much different experience than going to school in person.
You’ll be glad you took the time to go back to high school once you see your diploma in the mail. A high school diploma can open doors for you that would otherwise be shut without one. So, if the choice in your head is between getting your diploma and not getting your diploma we’re here to tell you that having one is definitely worth it.
How to have fun getting your high school diploma at home
While getting a high school diploma online will have its challenges, it can also be fun. Here are some of the best ways to have fun while attending high school at home online.
You can listen to music: It is proven that certain types of music help you to focus and when your the only student in class you’ll get to pick the soundtrack. Experiment around and find a playlist that suits your learning style best.
You can wear whatever you want: If you want to show up to class in your pajamas with a cup of hot chocolate that’s entirely possible. Getting your diploma at home means that you make the rules when it comes to dress code.
Attend class outside: As long as you have internet signal you can attend class from anywhere. Try taking your computer in the backyard or to the quad at your local community college. The possibilities are literally endless.
Take breaks whenever you want: If you feel like getting up and making a sandwich or going for a jog, you can. Going to high school from home allows you the freedom to do whatever you think will help you be a more effective student. Even if that means taking a nap before a test.
Conclusion:
If you were under the impression that going back to high school was going to be a drag, then we hope this article has helped dispel that assumption. Earning a high school diploma at home can be tons of fun. If you have any questions about the details of earning your high school diploma online ARHS is here to help answer them. Feel free to contact us and we’ll help get you on the path to your high school diploma in no time.
by elerman | May 5, 2018 | Home School
Homeschool is not free. Besides taking up your time, you need to pay for curriculum plans, test preparation documents, and textbooks. After everything is said and done, you can end up paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for homeschooling your children. If you don’t develop a cost-saving plan early on then you can end up paying for things that you might have been able to get for free.
Homeschooling is a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t have to be overly expensive. Here we’ll look at some resources that can help you homeschool on a budget.
Great home education at an affordable price
If you’re considering homeschooling your child then, of course, you care about the quality of their education. Luckily in the homeschooling world, you don’t necessarily have to pay a lot to get a lot from your resources.
It can be difficult to balance the quality of educational materials with the price. You can’t go through an entire online program on your own beforehand either, so you have to rely on the reviews and experiences of other parents. The primary thing that you will have to pay for is the curriculum. You’ll need to follow some type of pre-approved curriculum based on the standards set out by the state that you live in.
You can avoid a lot of the cost of books and the like by buying previous editions, or taking the time to find free online equivalents. Most curriculum packs that you can purchase online will also come with PDF versions of the textbooks. By getting your child an e-reader and downloading online versions of the textbooks right to it you can save even more.
There are tons of resources available online to help you. While it’s by no means a full list, below we have four online resource categories that can make homeschooling less expensive and more fun.
4 homeschooling resource categories (with examples)
1-Online homeschooling forums: Sites like Homeschool.com provide a great place to ask questions related to just about everything homeschooling. Online forums are a great resource because they have real accounts and advice from people just like you. If you ever have problems, your first stop should be a forum for answers.
2-Online learning resources: Sites like khanacademy.org can give you a different angle on learning. While Khan is geared more towards college, many of the lower level courses can give your child some really great help.
3-Homeschooling Blogs: Blogs like the one from simplehomeschool.net can keep you up to date on many of the changes that are happening in the homeschooling world. By keeping yourself informed you can jump on the newest trends and make sure that your children are receiving the best experience possible.
4-Social media communities: Pages like The Homeschool Lounge on Facebook are a wonderful resource if you’re looking for families in your specific area who are homeschooling too. Building relationships with other homeschooling families can make learning fun. Some of these groups even organize activities and field trips. The social element here is really important for your kids too.
Conclusion:
Homeschooling isn’t cheap. The resources above are meant to make your experience homeschooling a little more affordable so you can deliver the highest quality education to your children possible. The tips and tricks that you can learn from staying up to date on these resources will save you money and make you a better educator.
