When discussing the differences of online schooling vs homeschooling, there’s a lot to consider. Whether you’re considering one or the other for middle or high school, each of the benefits we go over should be looked at carefully. It’s also important to note that many parents opt to do a hybrid between the two. This means a parent can homeschool their child for a subject they feel comfortable in and use online schooling for other subjects. There’s no right answer so without further ado, let’s talk about some of the differences!
Online Schooling
So let’s discuss some of the benefits of online schooling vs homeschooling. Online schools feature the same ease and comfort as online homeschooling. They allow students to work from home, on their own time, and can be extremely flexible. They’re even a great supplemental program to a ongoing homeschool program.
Benefit 1: Graduate Early
While it’s possible to graduate early while homeschooling, you won’t get a college counselor like you would while using online schooling. College counselors are an essential part in building out a plan for a student to graduate early. They can even recommend scholarships that are only available to students who graduate early. While it’s possible to still graduate early through a homeschooling program, an online private school is going to be better equipped. We recommend checking out our modular-base online school platform: Tenney School Live. With it you’re able to take as many classes as you want. This enables you to take classes while still being homeschooled, or you can choose to enroll as a full-time student.
Benefit 2: Diverse Curriculum
Online private schools feature a diverse curriculum. This is a leg up over homeschooling where many students only take the required courses. While this is fine for many, it should be noted that it doesn’t give students an opportunity to explore interests. This is a vital element in helping students figure out what they wish to do post graduation. Whether it’s a programming class or a baking class, each type of elective plays an important role for the student.
Benefit 3: Teacher Expertise
Private school teachers are known for being some of the best available. This is no exception for online private school institutions. These schools have private school teachers that can be accessed from the comfort of your own home. On top of this, since online private school is cheaper than in-person, the barrier of entry is lowered for the private school learning quality. I highly recommend looking into the offerings of online private schools for their quality and accessibility.
Online Homeschooling
So let’s switch gears and talk about some of the online homeschooling advantages. Online homeschooling programs have a number of advantages and disadvantages when compared to other online schooling alternatives such as online private schools. Let’s start by discussing some of the benefits of online schooling vs homeschooling:
Benefit 1: Self Driven Curriculum
The biggest benefit is the freedom of what is taught. While homeschooling has a general curriculum, a lot of it is left up to the parent to decide what is taught. If a parent identifies a weakness for their student in math, they may spend more of the school day working on those concepts. If done effectively, lesson planning for online homeschool curriculums can be an efficient and effective tool for the student.
Benefit 2: Accommodates Current Needs
While everyone chooses an online homeschool program for different reasons, one of the biggest is the fact that it can provide a solution for a student’s issues with their current school. Whether this be social issues, curriculum issues, or attendance issues, homeschooling can solve all of these problems starting on day 1. It’s important to note that not all issues are solved by homeschooling which we’ll later discuss. It is also heavily dependent on the student’s time and drive to learn while at home.
Benefit 3: Flexibility
Homeschooling has the leg up in ultimate flexibility. This means that the parent and student’s schedule can be altered at any time to accommodate for life-related events. While many online schooling alternatives have flexibility, not a lot are able to match online homeschooling’s flexibility.
What’s Right For You?
Ultimately it comes down to what you’re looking to accomplish. Each has their own benefits as we’ve outlined, while having caveats as well. Here at Tenney School Live, we work with students in grades 5 – 12. We recommend checking out our page for more information on our online private school program!
