Distance Ed or homeschooling

[blossom]

I was wondering if it is better to register through a school and school at home or actually fully homeschool without submitting work etc to a school of distance ed?

Does anyone have an opinion on this. I know it'll depend on what program we want to do but I was wanting to know any pros and cons of each system.....


Thanks

Blossom

[trc123]

My wife just got back from a New England Home Schooling convention this weekend. We home schooled our three children for a few years prior to their going to Christian school (back then it was a struggle with the local board of eds.). Anyway, our daughter is looking to home school her four children.

It looks like to me (from what I'm hearing) that doing distance learning attached to an accredited school and doing today's home school curriculum is very similar in that the tools used are now very similar. More interactive DVD and computer based lessons and classes.

I suppose the only way to know is keeping asking trusted sources and keep researching, evaluating and praying.

[Pastorj]

It really depends on what kind of college your children are going to go to.

If a Christian College - either is fine because all Christian colleges base their acceptance on salvation testimony, act/sat, and ability to pay. Very few students get turned down.

If a secular college - Do an accredited program like the Abeka accredited DVD for High school.

We have been home schooling for a few years now and my daughter is entering 9th grade next year. If we still homeschool, she will begin the accredited Abeka DVD program. My children plan to go to a Christian college for undergraduate, but after that I don't know.

[John81]

Prior to high school I think most often homeschooling is sufficient and better enables the parents to be in full control of the education and the instilling of right values.

For high school one could go either way but must be careful as to what they choose to use regardless. There are some good distance education programs that will provide accredited degrees if one thinks that would be helpful. Depending upon the state, some homeschools can provide a valid degree themselves upon completion of the childs schooling.

For us, the main point with homeschooling has always been about instilling Chrisitan values while protecting our children from the wickedness of the world as much as possible until they are better able to discern, biblically, right from wrong, good from evil. The actual education, while very important, has always been secondary to biblical instruction.

[HappyChristian]

My parents homeschool my nephew using a satellite school. It has been great for her, because they grade all the tests, keep track of what credits he needs, and they will issue a diploma. She is using the exact curriculum she would have used if she hadn't had him in a satellite school.

The university that my son attends doesn't accept homeschool or private school diplomas. He received a diploma from our church's school (and the education he got there is far superior to any public school I could name!), attended the college there for a while, attended another college while he was in AIT, and they still wanted him to get his GED. Fortunately, due to a misunderstanding when he joined the Guard, he already had it done.

Christian colleges have the option to accept or decline homeschool students. I have known of some that required a GED simply because it was mom who signed the graduation diploma. It is simply an extra precaution to show that the student learned...although the SAT and ACT shows just about as much (other than the fact that you have to sit in a few classes for the GED).

Using a satellite school could help free up some time for a busy mom, especially if she has more than one child who is learning. There are plenty out there with different curricula so choosing one to a person's liking would be pretty easy.

And I would echo - be in prayer about it, and the Lord will show you the way to go. There are pros and cons to both.

[deputydog530]

Im a few months late on this lol. We used Landmark Christian Academy out of Florida (we are in Oregon). We wanted our kids to have a Diploma, rather than a GED. If you go through the state in Oregon, your child gets a GED. They are the same thing, just that the GED has a stigma attached to it.

Been happy with it.

[jackydenel]

Strictly speaking it is not homeschooling (certainly in my country it wouldn