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Are Most Homeschoolers Using Online Academies Now?


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In our homeschool Facebook group for our area, a woman asked what everyone was using for the year.  When I listed our curriculum she said she had no idea these options existed.  That she saw an ad for an online academy, signed her kid up, and that was it.  She had no idea there was such a thing as curriculum you use in your home with your kids.  This isn't the first time I've heard stories like this.  In another Facebook group, I have heard similar stories about parents not knowing how or where to find curriculum.   Is this because people who had to homeschool during Covid didn't have time to research options?  And just went with the first thing that Google suggested?  It boggles my mind!  But, I started looking at these boards when my baby was two, in 2015, so I had lots of time to familiarize myself with homeschooling.   Any ideas? 

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Not here, I think? At least not in my circle of homeschool friends. There are several that do a one day co-op, but during the other days they are using some sort of curriculum and teaching themselves. Maybe it depends on kids' ages, though-my oldest is only 12 so most of our friends are around that age max.

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Not here, or at least not within my social circle.

Every homeschooler I chat with chooses (often agonizes over) and teaches from various curricula at home.

They often outsource a few things - an Outschool writing class, online Beast Academy, dual enrollment science, etc. - but all carefully chosen individual classes that supplement what they do at home.

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Some do, some don't. I am frequently agitated about the lack of knowledge among the new homeschoolers on Facebook, especially the ones that yank their kids out if school in the middle of the year. They are truly freaking out. They haven't done years of research and reading.  They need a plan NOW and boy, those are for sale online!

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So many here!  It goes in order of popularity:

Online academies

TGTB

CC

Blossom & Root

Weird people putting it together themselves

 

And I try to encourage people to really look at the drawbacks of their choices and supplement if necessary (like, dude, you need motor skills and writing practice!!) but it's inevitable they'll do a year or two of online, complain their kids are just clicking through, try to put them back in school.......and find out they're significantly behind in skills/have no real records of progress/didn't learn anything.

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Among my friends it's a mixed bag. TGTB is very popular. The open and go, and free aspects are the big sellers, plus it is really aesthetically beautiful. 

I get so many ads on Facebook and websites about online academies. They really don't appeal to me because a lot of them sound like regular brick and mortar school just online instead of in-person... If I wanted that I just send my kids to the school with a building and adults who will at least take them off my hands for a few hours.

Most of the people not doing TGTB piece it together like me. It may also be a biased group since the charter school I go through leans toward John Holt unschool philosophy. 

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I had to unfollow a group on Facebook because it made me so crazy to hear "the average amount of work in high school is 1 to 1.5 hours!"  I would reply to them asking for ideas and would be told I'm abusing my child for demanding she do four hours in 5th grade! I just don't understand how you could choose to homeschool your child and not even have the idea to Google "homeschool curriculum."  I'm 43, started homeschooling in 2018, and learned so much from the ladies that share on here and guided me.  Now I feel like an old lady in my denim jumper for even suggesting they not use an online "academy."  There was a lady selling "magical readinh worksheets" for $4.50 A PAGE on our local group, and the post was littered with misspellings, and people were buying it.  It boggles my mind. 

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8 minutes ago, Garga said:

4 hours for a 5th grader is just fine. It’s completely goofy to think someone can do high school level work in 1-1.5 hours. Actually, it’s a bit heartbreaking. 

 

Exactly.  I was called "privileged " to make my daughter do Math, Literature, Writing, History, Science,  Latin, Spelling, etc.  They were hostile, and said it's basically child abuse because their child does Mia Academy for 1.5 hours a day and is 16 years old.  I just can't process.  I spent years on here learning from Rosie, Lori D., Wendy Roo....and then be told I'm the crazy one who uses paper curriculum, like I'm the village idiot.  It's nuts.  Gonna go unfollow some Facebook groups.  It worries me for the kids.

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It's absolutely the case where I live.  Almost everyone either uses online programs like Mia Academy/Power Homeschool/Classical Conversations/co-op/or correspondence (or online version) of school in a box.

And, yes, if you talk about homeschooling not having to be simply moving from one classroom into another and instead you can control what your kids learn/what they use for school/be their primary teacher, most are offended that you even suggest that all things aren't completely 100% equal.  Sure.....your 1.5 hrs of high school work is right on par with what my kids are doing....🤮

Edited by 8filltheheart
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I don’t know anyone who does that.

Most of my circles are people who do everything at home until late middle and high school, when they do a mix of mom-made, local in-person classes, and a few carefully selected online courses. 

CC is less popular here than it was 5 years ago and the groups that survive and thrive in the high school years are very rare. 

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Acellus/Powerhomeschool is huge around here. The other online platforms are popular but Acellus is the one I tend to hear about the most. I’ve met a few families that use BJU distance learning or Abeka Accredited.  

Someone at the library asked me if I used a homeschool program. I mistakingly interpreted “program” as methodology and started explaining we are a blend of CM & Classical but I like a heavy dose of Waldorf in early elementary.  She looked at me wide eyed and said she used ABC Mouse. I felt bad I went in to all that, she probably thought I was condescending. 
 

I love that there has been a surge in homeschooling. I love that we now have access to homeschool opportunities we never had before. There are tons of local places capitalizing on the surge in hsing and creating classes and experiences. Our city isn’t that big and opportunities, in general, are limited. I really do love that the increase in homeschooling has opened up a whole new economy for us. However, it is a little frightening that some parents genuinely seem to have no clue. They don’t even seem interested in education. I’m afraid this is going to backfire on traditional homeschooling and we’re going to end up with heavy oversight. 


 

 

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1 hour ago, Langell0002 said:

Exactly.  I was called "privileged " to make my daughter do Math, Literature, Writing, History, Science,  Latin, Spelling, etc.

Oh my gosh! 

That’s outrageous. 

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There was an incident here involving a bus and erratic behavior/driving. Sometimes parents pull their kids out and ask questions later… Anyway, with four kids, I can understand the desire to outsource. However, I’m skeptical anything that makes it seem easy. I just wish I had more hours in my day. 

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I don't think so, but I do think that parents hear a great deal about online learning in general (I have not heard anyone refer to them as online "academies"), especially after c@vid. And it is the easy way out.

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In my area, most people are using either TGTB or Abeka. It does surprise me how little thought many parents seem to give to their curriculum choices. For a while I assumed this was because I live in a lower SES area and moms might have fewer resources for researching curriculum. But then I came across a homeschooling thread in a Facebook group for moms in my STEM field, and they were also saying things like, “My sister uses TGTB, so I use it too.” Out of the dozens of responses to that thread, I was the only one who mentioned that there were different types of reading and math curricula and that your choice might depend on your kid. Everyone else was just using what a friend or relative had recommended to them. Maybe it goes back to the old marketing advice that word of mouth is the best advertisement.

Edited by Nichola
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5 hours ago, Ellie said:

I don't think so, but I do think that parents hear a great deal about online learning in general (I have not heard anyone refer to them as online "academies"), especially after c@vid. And it is the easy way out.

Mia Academy is one of the new fads. Give it a search. I suspect you just arent around enough of the new, younger moms.  

What I find so incredibly disheartening is that these parents celebrate plopping their little kids in front of a screen and that the teaching doesnt involve them. 

I think it goes to the constant marketing mantra of let us be your kids' teacher. We can do it better. When you try to break through that mindset and share, no, you as the parent who knows the child can do better, you are simply dismissed as wrong bc the loud voices say otherwise.

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For real for real. 🤐

Where I live the only people I know homeschooling "old school" with piles of books, are the ones who'd already been doing it for years before the all online trend really took off. 

The local fb groups are full of ads preying on insecurities, so your don't have to teach science, basic social skills, etc etc. 

Asking for a book suggestion anywhere will get online course recs every time. I just want a good workbook for one specific thing. The recommendations will be Outschool and Dayla. 🙃

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I had no idea TGTB was that popular among homeschoolers these days! I looked at it when I first came out and I think I even tried something, but I didn’t like it, nor did I like their very heavy handed moderation of curriculum discussions, and I just haven’t looked at it since. I never would’ve guessed they were going to become that huge. I just took a look at their site and they certainly have a lot of products now. The high school level makes me think of CLE light units, but in color. 

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41 minutes ago, KSera said:

I had no idea TGTB was that popular among homeschoolers these days! I looked at it when I first came out and I think I even tried something, but I didn’t like it, nor did I like their very heavy handed moderation of curriculum discussions, and I just haven’t looked at it since. I never would’ve guessed they were going to become that huge. I just took a look at their site and they certainly have a lot of products now. The high school level makes me think of CLE light units, but in color. 

What's funny is that the one thing that draws parents to it is also the one thing that makes it difficult for kids: the pages are so busy with art that the easily distracted are not focused on the actual lesson. 

I think it's a trash program with horrendous science and washed out literature, but I seem to be in the minority.  It's pretty and people like it because it's pretty. And there are free units, so free, pretty...it makes them feel good about doing school.

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Our local homeschooling store seems to be doing all right, so there must be enough people around here buying books. I'm doing a mix of things myself.

I hope people using computer-only curricula are having good conversations with their kids to assess what they're actually getting out of the lessons.

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I am genuinely surprised by the responses.   I know only one or two families who use the cookie-cutter "online academy" approach.   Everyone else I know really does carefully select and put thought into their curriculum and/or outsourcing choices.  I wonder if different parts of the country are dominated by different approaches?   

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I, too, can’t think of a single person in my circles who relies 100% on an online academy. Most cobble together a mix of coop + online. 
 

i don’t know many people who create their own courses from scratch, though. Most implement courses they purchase at home. 

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I'm so thankful for this board. I was homeschooled back in the early days, so my mom home-cooked a lot of our stuff, but there weren't many options then. Now there are so many that it's overwhelming. This group plus experience have given me some confidence that I can decide what is needed, gather resources, and create a tailored program. It's my default now. 

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Big homeschool support group of over 170 families here in a low-regulation state. Not that I know everyone, but no, I don't really hear of anyone using an all-online "academy".

Most are doing their own selection of a variety of materials, or may be using "box" curricula such as Tapestry of Grace, Sonlight, Abeka, etc.

At the high school level, many do use a few individual courses, usually to sub out courses that would be hard for the parent to manage overseeing for various reasons -- typically that is Math, Science, Foreign Language, or Writing. Even more families in our homeschool support group outsource a few classes to dual-enrollment at the local community college. But again, a few selected courses, with the majority of coursework done as homeschooling at home with carefully selected materials.

Edited by Lori D.
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11 minutes ago, Porridge said:

I, too, can’t think of a single person in my circles who relies 100% on an online academy. Most cobble together a mix of coop + online. 
 

i don’t know many people who create their own courses from scratch, though. Most implement courses they purchase at home. 

There’s something between a mix of co-op plus online and created entirely from scratch. I would guess most of the old-timers here fall in that range where they use(d) various curriculum that had been created by someone else, but they picked and chose which ones to use and then taught and implemented it themselves at home. Like, Story of the World, WWE, LOE, Pandia Press, etc. 

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32 minutes ago, Porridge said:

I, too, can’t think of a single person in my circles who relies 100% on an online academy. Most cobble together a mix of coop + online
 

Many of my close friends enroll their kids in online homeschool "schools."  No one in my close friend group uses something Miacademy or Power, but those are definitely fan favorites on FB. CC and full enrollment co-ops are also extremely popular. (Someone recently told me that they think there are 26 CC groups in our area.)

Outsourcing everything piecemeal, like your bolded comment, is another popular approach. 

In my close group, I know 2 families where mom is the primary teacher. Mom as primary teacher is definitely the least popular approach.

Edited by 8filltheheart
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46 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

What I’m seeing around here is a lot of use of all in one curricula but not online—Memoria Press is very popular among people I know.

I try to encourage them to branch out, but they sort of listen politely and ignore that input.  

Carol, are you sure it's not online? MP has an an online school.

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I personally don't feel that most new, post-covid homeschoolers are choosing online academies because they doubt their own abilities to teach. I think they primarily do so because it requires little to no parent involvement. The majority don't want to teach their own kids what they believe is necessary or important; they just no longer trust the public schools to do it for whatever reason. 

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4 hours ago, El... said:

I'm so thankful for this board. I was homeschooled back in the early days, so my mom home-cooked a lot of our stuff, but there weren't many options then. Now there are so many that it's overwhelming. This group plus experience have given me some confidence that I can decide what is needed, gather resources, and create a tailored program. It's my default now. 

This exactly!  This forum is what gave me the tools to, after seven years of homeschooling, and two years of reading and prepping before I even jumped in, homeschool my child.  It worries me that some parents are unaware they have options aside from Facebook ad academies. One mom in our local group said she'd been homeschooling for three years and was unaware our state requires a NOI and yearly evidence of progress.  She pulled her kids from school and was giving the advice that you don't have to do anything after that.  She was shocked when I sent her our states homeschool laws.  

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11 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

It's pretty and people like it because it's pretty. And there are free units, so free, pretty...it makes them feel good about doing school.

This.

Moms are being distracted by "free and pretty" and aren't looking deeper to "insubstantial, shallow".

I'm outside the US and online academies aren't big here yet, but I think a majority of local families who started post covid here are using TGTB.  They like the lifestyle of having their kids home and not having to do school drop off/pick up, but many don't seem interested in increasing their own knowledge or developing their own philosophy of education.  It's a lifestyle, not an academic, decision.

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7 hours ago, caffeineandbooks said:

  It's a lifestyle, not an academic, decision.

Alas, they and many other homeschoolers (school-in-a-box or the online equivalent) miss that it doesn't have to be an either/or choice. It can be both.....a lifestyle where it bears little resemblance to a classroom yet still highly academic in focus.

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12 hours ago, caffeineandbooks said:

They like the lifestyle of having their kids home and not having to do school drop off/pick up, but many don't seem interested in increasing their own knowledge or developing their own philosophy of education.  It's a lifestyle, not an academic, decision.

I know some families who fit this description. Most choose two day a week tutorials/hybrid schools from the get-go, even in younger elementary years. They either hold that pattern or go to school for high school. They generally have bright NT kids, but not really out of the box giftedness. Mom doesn’t even tweak or adapt materials, nevermind make up courses. They are “refugees” (as opposed to “settlers”) who dislike and distrust the public school system, cannot afford private school, and enjoy the family togetherness of homeschooling. 
 

 

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We have a wide mix in our area, but we also have pretty established coops and a public school coop program.  We do have CC and a CC like program.  We have so many options that I usually end up encouraging moms that they can choose not to use a coop or online program and still educate their children well.  I run a homeschool library and a lot of people ask for TGTB.  Or they come in and ask for "fifth grade" as if there is a common core for homeschoolers.  A lot of the new parents don't want to learn to teach, they want something very open and go.  TGTB and Masterbooks are the 'new and shiny' curriculum I get asked about the most.  Or they want the latest version of Abeka and have no intention of looking at other things even if their child has a deep passion in a specific area.

There are some parents, and even young ones, who come in and pick out a variety of interesting materials to use with their families, so I have hope that homeschooling won't end up falling into just three pits - online, coop, boxed (as in, we use only one thing and don't adjust for our children's needs).

 

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On 3/9/2024 at 1:49 PM, 8filltheheart said:

...CC and full enrollment co-ops are also extremely popular. (Someone recently told me that they think there are 26 CC groups in our area.)...

That is so interesting that Classical Conversations is still big in some areas, even after the major legal issues with CC started to come to light back in 2016, and then really became more widely known since 2018-19.

We had several levels of CC levels start up in our city about 15 years ago. Since the legal issues came to light, CC has really died down here. While there is a director name listed for our city, I haven't heard of anyone actually participating in CC here for the last 3-4 years.

Our city does have a "university model" school that continues to do well. But that is a school option, not homeschool, since there is an administration that facilitates all of the grades and records, and chooses all of the materials. Parents just oversee work sent home by the teachers on the 2 days/week that the students are at home; all of the teaching happens at the school on the other days of the week. The cost is NOT cheap -- 2/3-3/4 the cost of private schools here.

The homeschool co-op I teach at (just one of MANY activities that the homeschool support group offers) is totally "ala carte" and mostly enrichment. So, pick and choose what you want, which may be one class for one child. Not a drop-off, though, as parents must stay on campus. But also not a "true" co-op, as it does not require all moms to all teach/assist in at least one class. In fact, several who are leading classes are former homeschoolers whose kids have all graduated, or are non-homeschooling people from the community who are good at teaching/sharing their skill or subject.

The more I hear about what is/isn't available in other parts of the country, the more grateful I am for this group! It's been running for 30 years, and really is all about supporting parents as they homeschool their kids--as their kids' primary instructor. The best of "old school homeschooling" still going strong!  💜

Edited by Lori D.
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Not all homeschoolers I know think there is a problem with the academics of a public school. Other reasons I see are safety, vaccinations, flexibility, religion, and bullying. So they feel OK teaching like a public school would. There have been some that along the way they find that they can make the academics better than public school but that was a secondary thought not the original reason. 

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TGTB is also crazy!  We use Cle Math and I joined a Cle Facebook group.  90% of posts are asking how to switch from TGTB to Cle!  I had no idea it was that popular. 

The ones that worry me most are parents who put zero thinking into homeschool,  then wonder why their kids are behind. Will that lead to more regulations for people that actually homeschool?  I did "homebound" for a year in high school before the internet,  for medical reasons,  and a sweet lady showed up and handed me 20 worksheets a week, and I got all A's and learned nothing.  The online academies seem to be on par with my experience. 

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1 hour ago, Langell0002 said:

The ones that worry me most are parents who put zero thinking into homeschool,  then wonder why their kids are behind. Will that lead to more regulations for people that actually homeschool? 

I wonder that as well. I’m seeing a sharp increase in upper elementary age kids who can’t read or write. I have no idea if these are mostly people who were already homeschooling pre-pandemic or if they were pandemic schoolers who never sent their kids back, but it’s a noticeable change from even five years ago. 

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1 hour ago, KSera said:

I wonder that as well. I’m seeing a sharp increase in upper elementary age kids who can’t read or write. I have no idea if these are mostly people who were already homeschooling pre-pandemic or if they were pandemic schoolers who never sent their kids back, but it’s a noticeable change from even five years ago. 

What do they think about their children's inability to read? Do they think it's the way it should be or it's normal or are they so clueless they don't even know their children can't read? That kind of stuff boggles my mind. 

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Today I came across a recent survey of homeschoolers in Queensland, Australia.  A huge increase in homeschooling numbers over the past 4 years has been a factor in a decision to overhaul the state education laws - a bill is before Parliament for debate right now.  The survey was conducted in 2022 by inviting all parents registered to homeschool to participate.  This would exclude those using distance education schools or homeschooling "under the radar", without following the requirement to register.  A little over 10% of registered parents responded, and the results have just recently been published.  I thought it was interesting reading, and also that it shows the change made by covid: there's a clear distinction between those who were already homeschooling pre-2020 and those who've begun since then.

You can access it here: https://education.qld.gov.au/schools-and-educators/other-education/Documents/research-insight-report.pdf

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