We are keeping our kids home from school because of COVID-19. If we decide to use our local school board’s remote learning options, is it still considered homeschooling?

If you are still registered with your local school board and if the online teacher is fully responsible for the educating, assigning, and grading of your child’s work, then you are not homeschooling as much as helping your child learn from home.

These are difficult days for parents. Many are still working outside of the home or have transitioned to working from home, all while trying to ensure their kids have a fast internet connection and are actually using the laptop for school work.

Homeschooling families will tell you that proper homeschooling actually sounds easier, in some ways, than what public and private school families are trying to navigate at home in these times. With homeschooling, you have the freedom and flexibility and control over all the variables. Lack of control over those same variables (length of lesson, scheduling of lesson, assignments to complete and turn in, home life schedule, attention span and learning style of children, etc.) are what seem frustrating to parents trying to make schooling decisions today.

There are many good reasons to stick with your school board’s remote learning options. But if it would help you and your family to be directing more of the details and being less at the mercy of COVID protocols, you may want to consider a switch over to full, parent-led and student-inspired homeschooling. Read these homeschool success stories to see what it could look like in your home!