When you’re considering your options to give your child the best education available, explore the difference between homeschool vs public school.
Take a second and think about the differences in your children’s personalities. This only works if you have multiple, but if you only have one child, compare them to a close-in-age friend.
Each child comes out of the womb with a clear personality, which differs from everyone else in a few unique ways. All that to say that no child is the same.
What worked for your oldest may not work for your youngest, or vice versa. And when it comes to education, the same is true.
If you’re weighing the benefits of homeschool vs. public school, we’ve got a quick guide for you below.
Homeschool vs. Public School: Parent Time Involvement
If you’re a stay at home parent and are considering homeschooling, that’s one thing. If you have a job and still are looking for a non-public school solution, that’s another.
Even if your child is homeschooling through a guided program, it still takes more parental involvement than non-online, or in-person school does.
That’s because homeschooling parents decide on their child’s curriculum and have to be both the teacher, the counselor, and the principal to their student (child).
If you have time for that, then great! Homeschooling may be a good option for you.
If not, we’re not saying that sending your child to a public school means you can check out entirely – students do better on all levels when their parents are involved. But you’ll have fewer responsibilities day-to-day if you send them to a structured school, for example.
Religious Schools
If you’re not into public school and you don’t have time to homeschool, consider religious schools. They’re usually a little less expensive than non-denominational private schools, and the church gives what they can in scholarships.
One of the benefits of catholic school, for example, is that your child will get involved at the church, while they have a classic school experience, at the same time.
But if you’re not a religious person and you send your child to a church-led school, even if it’s the best choice, given your options, there will be road bumps.
Sometimes that’s something you just have to take in stride – but it’s worth mentioning, anyway.
Online Public School
A relatively new option is an online public school, run through your county or state. It’s free, just like public school is, but it’s not quite homeschooling.
It will still require more supervision and parental involvement than sending your child off to school every day does, but it’s a happy medium for most people.
Before you commit to online school, however, make sure your child can learn in an online classroom. Not everyone has the attention span or the self-discipline for it – and that’s okay!
Homeschool vs. Public School: Neither is Better
When it comes to learning, there’s no one “best” solution. Even professional teachers disagree on the “best practices,” which is why you see different learning ideologies, like Montessori and Waldorf.
So if you’re asking yourself about the benefits of homeschool vs. public school, start by personalizing your questions to your child’s specific needs.
Then, and only then, will you find the solution.