Are There Different Types of Homeschooling?

If you're new to homeschooling or have been homeschooling for awhile but need some new options, this post will dive into the ways you can homeschool your child. Let me start by saying no matter what way you choose to school it is all to be looked at as a beautiful, dedicated, move for excellence. You as a parent chose to take your children's education seriously because you care deeply about how, where and what they are taught for that you are to be admired.

Private Homeschool
This type of schooling is were you the parent have the responsibility of creating and keeping your child's records, cumulative file, course of study, attendance records, and immunization opt-out forms. You also have the choice of what curriculum to use, as a side note you do not have to use the same curriculum for all children you can pick what works best for each child. The choice of what school calendar you want to follow is up to you as long as you complete your state's required attendance by the end of the year. You also have the freedom to take Christmas, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and any other holiday however long you wish or not at all, again as long as you meet the required attendance days. Some states recommend you file a Private Homeschool affidavit with the state in which you reside, check your state's laws first. Again as a private homeschool, it is all your choice. You as the parent are responsible for making sure all courses are completed and that all credits are met for each subject every year, which sounds much harder than it really is. If your school through high school you wanna make sure you keep track of cumulative points and GPA averages each year and have your student complete required graduate courses. As a school, you have the freedom to take your kids on field trips that match what you learn, and explore the world very differently than most children. You are the teacher, principal, and committee, in saying that you wanna give a name for your school and keep that name until you are done schooling. A lot of homeschool families offer classes they teach so look for homeschool groups in your area it is a valuable resource.

Private School Satellite 
A PSP is a private school that files an affidavit with the state so you won't have to. When you sign up your still your child's own teacher but the PSP keeps your school records and any other required documents such as the course of study, which is at the discretion of the director of the private school. Some PSP's offer field trips, curriculum packages, and or guidance. You usually have to pay a fee to be part of a PSP so you want to be aware of there cancellation and refund policies. Remember your still your child's teacher you just leave the paperwork to them. One thing to keep in mind is that they may have restrictions, or requirements that may not fit for your school so please make sure to look into the PSP you choose thoroughly. Some of these schools offer classes you can take on there campus for a fee, look carefully as some can be a little overpriced.

Public School Independent Study
This type of schooling is a bit different than the other two we talked about, as it is guided by a teacher. You are not your child's instructor, and you do not file an affidavit. School records are all kept by the teacher. This type of program has students taking the same classes as their peers and you really don't have a say about what they are taught. Many districts offer this as an option, but not all of them so you want to look at your state's Department of Education site to check. This option is usually for parents who don't mind their children following the public school requirements and who may have children that don't do well in a large school environment.

Public School Charter School
A charter school is an independently run public school, meaning they choose its own mission statement, programs, students it reaches, and performance goals. With these schools you are in a public school, that is not an independent study program, instead caters to special programs like performing arts, music, dance, visual art, and many other fields. The school is responsible for all records and requires the same type of courses to be met as a public school. A big difference in these schools is they work toward preparing their students for college, in which they have school schedules that are a lot like college schedules. This type of schedule helps them to work towards perfecting their conservatory of choice.