Parents who choose to home school in the twenty first century have many more options available to them then ever before. The wide spread use and availability of the Internet is making this possible. Parents can choose between accredited and nonaccredited plans, virtual learning or traditional text book learning, denominational and nondenominational home school programs. In the past, home schooling was primarily associated with religion. Parents made the choice to home school due to their strong religious beliefs and affiliations. While some home school programs still have a religious affiliation, many others do not.

Home school requirements may vary from state to state. A parent who chooses to home school in the state of Wisconsin must provide at least eight hundred seventy-five hours of instruction in a sequential and progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction. The core content areas must include reading, language arts, math, social studies, science, and health. In addition, a parent who chooses to home school in the state of Wisconsin does not have to have any qualifications, does not need to keep records, nor do their children have to participate in any type of testing program.

Home schooling is a time consuming task. Parents who home school find that the education of their children takes up a big part of their day. Planning for lessons and grading papers adds on additional time. If a parent does not want the sole responsibility for teaching a home school curriculum to his or her child, he or she may want to consider a home school in the form of a virtual school. Some public educational systems are offering virtual charter schools. A virtual charter school is operated by a school district in partnership with trained and certified teachers. Parents are provided with the curriculum, text books, and computers. The children complete lessons and assignments via an on-line format. Grading of tasks and assignments are done by the teachers affiliated with the virtual school. While much of the instruction is done through an on-line format, parents are still an integral part of their child’s education. The children need to be supervised at home and need to be encouraged and supported while completed the necessary coursework.

If a home school in the form of a virtual school is not available, there are other curriculum options for parents to consider. Various home school packages can be purchased with costs ranging from four hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars. Some home school curriculum packages can also be customized to meet the individual learning needs and styles of the child. In addition, these customized packages allow the parents to choose from a variety of textbook publishers. When purchasing home school programs, it would be wise to look for ones that are accredited. Accredited plans prove that the curriculum has met certain standards, make it easier to transfer credits to an educational institution, and become important when applying to colleges. Parents can also choose programs that have a religious learning component.

A home school in the twenty first century can take many different forms. Parents have more options than ever before due to the availability of the Internet. If you are considering a home school education for your child, be sure to search around and see what is out there. You may be surprised at what you find.