I hope you have had a chance to read the previous 3 part series on homeschooling choices in BC.  To read, or re-read these articles check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.  Momentum is also here to support your Homeschooling or Distributed Learning (distance learning) needs. 

The staff at Momentum Learning Centre offer consultations to help in all aspects of the school-at-home environment.  Perhaps you need help understanding how to translate your teenagers changing interests into a goal and program for the year?  Need help to organize and plan the school/learning year?  Confused between requirements and choices?  Is your student close to graduation and you need help planning courses, paths for the future? As well, BC Ministry of Education documents can become confusion and Momentum can help translate this into relevant information for you.  We can also help guide you through the transition between public school and homeschooling, helping provide resources, contacts and strategies for transitioning. 

Homeschool Consultations can be held at our Centre where we can access many resources needed, or at your home depending on your situation and needs!  Please look at our Programs and Services page for additional information!

Book your Homeschool Consultation now!

Last time, in Part 2 of this series I helped you sort out the Ministry of Education’s requirements and helped explain the difference between Distributed Learning and Homeschooling.  The link to that article is here. 

Once you have chosen to either Homeschool or enrol your child in a Distributed Learning Program, you have so many choices!  Right now we will focus on the options we have in BC for Distributed Learning.  A DL program can be offered in many ways, however the main ways are either through a paper-based program and online.  A paper based program is led by the parent using regular school textbooks, information and resources and the student’s work is then submitted back to the teacher in charge of monitoring the program.  An online program is situated where coursework is presented online in a variety of ways (text, links, videos, Skype sessions, group discussions or forums, audio clips and virtual online classrooms) with the student most often communicating directly with the teacher.

Each school district has its own DL program such as our own SD#28 Distributed Learning Program, or another such as EBUS Academy located in Vanderhoof.  Recently, the Fraser Valley Distance Education School through SD#33 has been recently brought to my attention because of its use of the Fast ForWord program (which I had never heard about and had to investigate here!)  Another two common school district DL schools are Central Interior Distance Education and South Central Interior Distance Education (depending on your location in the province). 

Your local DL program is a great way to start your learning-at-home program.  This way you are able to receive support, learning materials and results face-to-face on a regular basis.  Once you feel you have the “hang of it” you can explore your many other homeschooling options.

Independent schools can also have DL programs.  Two schools I am very familiar with are Heritiage Christian Online School and Self Design.  Both schools offer traditional homeschooling registration as well as DL.  These schools offer their DL programs in a variety of ways including both paper-based and online.  For a complete list of Independent schools offering Distributed Learning programs, click here.

I hope that this three part series has been able to clarify the multi-faceted world of homeschooling.  Whether your child is in a brick-and-mortar school, an online school, or learning in the comfort of your own home, you are doing what is right for your family!  Congratulations, what a great job you are doing!

Last time, in Part 1 of this series I brought up a few questions to consider while you’re discovering what homeschooling is all about.  The link to that article is here. At Momentum Learning Centre, we believe that families should know their options for education, and the subject of homeschooling can be confusing.  There are many styles of homeschooling and here, we’ll sort out the basics!

Did you know that prior to 1989, homeschooling in BC was not allowed? In fact, those parents who did choose to homeschool their children were often putting themselves at risk with the possibility that Social Services might get involved.  All over teaching their children in their home, what had been done for centuries before!  However, now that those laws have changed, there are many different options for families to consider.

There are two two Ministry of Education terms that you should know before you start.  They define schooling-at-home in two terms; either Distributed Learning or Homeschooling.  Distributed Learning (previously known as Distance Learning) is where your child is enrolled in a school (whether public or independent but in the same province you live) under supervision of a certified teacher, but completes learning in a home environment. Homeschooling on the other hand, is the traditional idea where a student may be registered with school, but may complete their learning in any way the family requires.  One other important difference between the two is that while registering with a DL school, you are still following the Ministry of Education’s guidelines for meeting provincial standards however with Homeschooling, you do not need to meet these standards and may educate your child in whatever way you feel best.

Two helpful websites with great FAQ sections are the BC Home Learners Association and the BC Homeschool Association.  Both of these websites support families who are Homeschooling their child, but also will help answer questions that you might have regarding Homeschooling or Distributed Learning.

Learning can happen in so many ways, that exploring the option of Homeschooling or Distributed Learning can open your world in ways you had never imagined!  Stay tuned for Part 3 where we discover some well-known Public and Independent schools that support DL and Homeschool learners in BC!

You're thinking about homeschooling your child?  What a wonderful opportunity for your family!  Homeschooling, no matter what kind, can be a very rewarding experience for your child and your entire family.  It can bring the family closer as you navigate the world of learning together with your child.  Instead of asking "So, what did you do today at school?" and getting an answer of "I don’t know, stuff..." you and your child will already know the answer!

There are also many different options when it comes to homeschooling and this series of articles will help you navigate the many options you will first be introduced to. 

First of all, here are some questions to consider before you start.  This list may seem overwhelming; however it is a good exercise to think about the many options and possibilities before embarking on this wonderful journey: 

• What type of schooling/unschooling will work best for your family?  
• Does every member in your family support this?
  
• Do you have any close friends who home school?  if so, what is their experience and advice? if not, who could you talk to in order to get some advice?
  
• Those subjects you struggled with in school, are you prepared to re-learn them to help your children through?
  
• If you are unsure how to break something down into small steps, or don't have a background in a subject do you have the desire to learn or help your child find out about it on their own?
• Perhaps you could 'outsource' this to another family member?Is your family in a financial situation where you could afford variety? 
  
• Home schooling can sometimes be more affordable than traditional public school, however, there may be quite a cost in setup and materials depending on what type of program you will do with your children
• .Who will be the primary 'teacher' or 'learning guide'?
• and lastly, Are you excited and enthusiastic to spend the day learning alongside your child?First, what type of home school do you think will work best for your family?

You may have the answers to all these questions, and you may need to ask around and do some personal research on your own.  Whatever choice you make, whether to homeschool your child or not will be the right one for your family!  Good for you!  You made a great choice!

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we will investigate the many options available to families in B.C.!