Single Working Parent Homeschooling Part IV

Part IV: Accredited versus nonaccredited curricula
I don't have a lot of money, but I do have time and some familiarity with the Web, so I develop my own curriculum. It does follow state recommendations for my child's grade level (check your state board of education for this information), but it utilizes online Websites and books left over from my college courses, purchased at garage sales and bought on eBay or Amazon.
Not only is it cheap, it's flexible. It permits me to add advanced math and remedial reading to my son's curriculum. And if my son has difficulty with some parts, I can find easier teachings until he can get caught up.
Accredited curricula are accredited by regional authorities. Ground schools are accredited by the state. All the virtual schools with which I'm familiar are accredited. Accredited curricula can also be purchased.
Of course, an accredited curriculum can be pretty expensive, what with supplies, Web components, books, etc. I've found that the more expensive the curriculum, the easier it is to tailor it to meet your child's specific needs.
State-sponsored e-schools can be flexible, but I've found it somewhat difficult and time-consuming to do so.
The chief advantage of an accredited curriculum is that it may make it easier if your child ever decides to transition to ground school or if your child wishes to go on to college.
For example, when my 16-year-old decided he wanted to go to ground school after two years of homeschool, the local high school attempted to put him back in the ninth grade because his curriculum was nonaccredited. I had to show them how they were not only flouting state law, but their own local guidelines and threaten a lawsuit before they let him go into eleventh grade. Even then, they forced him to take a whole battery of tests.
Another advantage of an accredited curriculum is that, in legal matters, it's more accepted. For example, if you're ever involved in a custody case or your child goes to court for a minor infraction of the law, an accredited curriculum is an advantage.
When my 15-year-old son was charged with indecent exposure for mooning the school bus (yes, the local barneys have nothing better to do), the judge demanded proof of what he was studying. Having a printed curriculum that followed state standards was very helpful, but the issue never would have come up if he'd followed an accredited curriculum.

Single Working Parent Homeschooling Part III

Part III: Homeschool options
There are several homeschool options a single parent may explore:
1. Homeschooling Group
2. Virtual School
3. Purchased Curriculum
4. Do-it-yourself Curriculum
5. Unschooling
No matter which curriculum option you choose, joining a homeschooling group is essential for any homeschool parent. They provide opportunities for extracurricular activities, as well as lots of advice. In addition, many homeschool groups offer group classes for subjects parents may not feel equipped to teach. While the majority of homeschool groups are Christian, it is possible to find secular homeschool groups in most large cities.
Several sites, such as Local Homeschool.com; and Homeschool World, offer a list of homeschool groups. Another option is to do a search for the area where you live with the words "homeschool" or "homeschool group".
Another option is virtual school. These schools are accredited and licensed by the states or regions where they're located.
Several states, such as Ohio, Georgia, Florida, and Oklahoma offer virtual academies as options to traditional brick-and-mortar public schools. In many cases, the state uses tax dollars to pay for all or most supplies, although in some states, students must purchase their own high-speed Internet connection and computer. All use textbooks which can be purchased separately, as can the curricula. Your state board of education can offer information about these accredited virtual schools.
Another type of virtual school falls into the purchased curriculum category. These are accredited, for-pay online schools. Different schools are targeted for children with special health or other concerns, for child performers, and for gifted students. Prices for these can vary widely.
K12 is one of the most popular. It claims to be flexible enough to use for gifted and learning disabled students. One of my kids temporarily used it, and we didn't find it that flexible.
Others include Allied National High School, Ashworth University High School and the Christa McAuliffe Academy Online. About.com has a list of other high schools.
Purchased curricula that use mostly hard copy textbooks are also available. You can purchase textbooks for individual subjects or for an entire grade level. One of the best sites to find this is at homeschoolbooks.com.
Unschooling is a philosophy that encourages students to follow their interests. Unschooling is generally not a method used for college-bound students, because while students may learn a lot about one subject, they may neglect others. Unschooling generally works with highly intelligent, highly motivated children and parents.
If you unschool, make sure you document everything - subjects studied, labs, tests, etc. - as much as possible. Many local boards of education don't view unschooling as acceptable, and the more evidence you have, the better you'll fare if a dispute arises.
Next, I'll write about accredited versus nonaccredited curricula.