Parent-taught: This traditional version of homeschooling allows parents to select the curriculum, books, activities and schedules for their students. While it allows great flexibility in what to teach, it also requires parents do all grading, testing, record-keeping and more.

Online: Digital courses vary in structure. Some offer live classes with other students, while others are self-paced. These courses can be a good option for parents who have limited time to teach, who want automated grades and final reports or who want their child to learn a specialized subject like a foreign language.

Dual enrollment: In this model, students are taught primarily at home but have the legal right to access public school services, classes and activities like extracurricular activities or sports teams. Dual enrollment offers a way to study college-level or trade courses not typically offered by homeschooling curricula. Even if your children are not dual-enrolled, they may be entitled to some public-school amenities, such as driver education or standardized testing.

Co-ops: This is a combination of traditional homeschooling and outsourcing some courses to other instructors. It gives children some classroom time with other students. Popular at the high school level, co-ops widen course availability and reduce some of the teaching and grading time for
the parent.

Why homeschool?

Each family begins homeschooling with personal goals. Research by the National Center for Education Statistics reveals the most common reasons parents choose to homeschool.

1. Provide religious and/or moral instruction
2. Offer a nontraditional education
3. Alleviate concerns or dissatisfaction about the school environment
4. Educate a child with special needs or physical or mental health issues

Other reasons cited by the study: finances, travel, more family time and a more flexible schedule.