There are really three options for classical Christian education: brick-and-mortar private school, online private school, or homeschool. All three are great options and work differently for different people. In this post, I want to write about why homeschooling is my preferred option.
First, I want to say that I have never actually done a full curriculum through a private school, so I don’t have equal experience with private and homeschool. However, I have been homeschooled for twelve years and have taken (and am taking) a la carte classes from both online and brick-and-mortar private schools, and part of the reason I enjoy homeschooling is that I can take a la carte classes while still being homeschooled.
I really love the freedom that comes with homeschooling. When I was younger I don’t think I appreciated it as much; I just liked being able to finish my schoolwork before noon. My parents chose my curriculum, so I didn’t realize how much of a privilege it truly is. Now, I definitely have a role in choosing the classes I take, and I love being able to do that. I don’t have to take all my classes through one provider or be confined by the classes that one school offers. I’m able to research a variety of curriculum providers and mix-and-match the classes I take each year. For instance, this year, I just finished taking two live online classes through Wilson Hill Academy, one live online class through Memoria Academy, one self-paced course using Shormann Math, and one self-paced class from Memoria Press. I also took a semester-long class from a local co-op. So, I took six classes from 5 providers. While I might have been able to find similar classes all from one school, I like that I was able to tailor my curriculum to fit my interests and credit needs.
I will say that while I appreciate being able to pull from a variety of providers, I can definitely see the value in using only one school. It can be stressful sometimes to try to coordinate class times and curricula. Still, the flexibility and freedom of being homeschooled is wonderful.
Another benefit of being homeschooled is being able to take days off for things like vacations. I actually can’t do as many of these now since I do have due dates and a few online class times to be accountable for. However, with a little bit of pre-planning, I can usually manage to get ahead in my schoolwork by either doubling up, or, more realistically, doing some school on the weekend. My youngest siblings, on the other hand, can fairly easily go on an outing without too much planning. Being in preschool and second grade, they already can usually get their school done before noon, so they have the freedom to be able to go to a park or a field trip during any given weekday.
Homeschooling is a wonderful option, especially for classical Christian education and I thoroughly enjoy having the freedom to choose my own classes and curriculum.
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