Homeschool vs School at Home: Which is Right for Your Student?

Break out of the four walls of a classroom and learn without limits.

From student-athletes and performers to advanced learners and children of military families—and all the students in between—kids require a delicate balance between their education and their lives outside of school. And, often, the traditional brick-and-mortar experience doesn’t allow for room for a commitment to their current needs and future possibilities.

When a child takes a unique path, parents may first lean toward homeschooling as a learning alternative. Parents often look for flexibility, allowing for nurturing an innate talent or desire to achieve a goal that doesn’t fit neatly into an 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. traditional K–12 school day.

So, what if homeschool doesn't exactly fit either? Homeschooling and school at home are two vastly different approaches.

Take Charge Of Your Schedule

Homeschooling requires a commitment on the parents' side to meet all standards that fall to experts in a traditional school. This includes developing and approving curriculum, lesson plans, and appropriate assessments and measures. True success in homeschooling requires 100 percent total commitment and dedication of the parent(s) (or whoever is serving as the facilitator) to be fully involved in every aspect of learning from kindergarten through 12th grade. Are you ready to sign on as a full-time teacher, principal, tutor, and academic advisor? That can be a daunting thought for any parent, regardless of the circumstances.

The beauty of a flexible, asynchronous (on your student’s timeline) online education offered through Laurel Springs School is that you as a parent have a defined role as an academic coach. You’ll support your child's education, not act as the sole source of every element of that experience. 

As our partner, parents agree to provide the structure and organization that fosters the ideal learning environment their student needs to be successful. On our side, we bring more than 30 years of experience in the distance learning space, with experienced instructors in elementary, middle, and secondary education who know how to guide students to mastery in subjects and skills while recognizing that school is, by design, part of a bigger picture.

Together, Laurel Springs instructors, administrators, counselors, and more work with parents to provide an environment for students that encourages excellence and serves as a springboard for a career path that brings joy and success. Our instructors are poised and ready for their learners, with advanced degrees and experience in their licensed area. 

Nurturing Dreams Through Standards of Excellence

At Laurel Springs School, we view each learner as an individual. Sure, they're part of a cohort and will engage with other students as they work their way through each grade level. They'll have the opportunity to participate in social experiences and be a part of a larger educational community. They’re also competitive surfers, tennis players, dancers, authors, Olympians, musicians, non-profit business owners, and figure skaters, just to highlight a few.

Our students pursue dreams, and we honor and support those goals by providing an educational model fostering inquiry, growth, purpose, and independence. They have the opportunity to determine their path, as they master skills and concepts from kindergarten through high school at a pace that makes sense for them—all while attending school from home.

And, the personalized online curriculum allows students to learn from the comfort of their home—or anywhere in the world. Our academic year consists of two, five-month semesters during which students may complete coursework on their schedule. This provides students the flexibility to integrate their passions and pursuits into academic and career pathways.

At Laurel Springs, whether your child is grappling with their fourth relocation in as many years, a theater protege, or university-bound, they have their unique schedule. By using a virtual learning program, parents can rest assured their children receive the highly-individualized educational support they need from the industry experts most suited to provide it—when and where it fits in the schedule with your student’s other endeavors.

Our self-paced, mastery-based instructional model allows students to revisit material until they achieve the desired level of proficiency before moving on to the next level. There is no pressure to cram-study material to meet a deadline set by someone else.

At an institution with rolling enrollment, your child can start their courses on almost any date throughout the year. That means that your up-and-coming snowboarder can focus on his sport during the winter months, while another student who needs periods to travel to a location-based climbing and bouldering competition can do so.

Homeschooling or School at Home? The Choice is Yours

Homeschooling, as we’ve said, is a huge commitment. Traditional classroom settings may not suit your child, but homeschooling may not suit you either. Through Laurel Springs, you’ll be a partner in your student’s learning while trusting qualified, passionate teachers who understand your student's unique needs to handle the education.

 

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