Homeschool Software - Is it For You?

There are some methods of teaching kids at home that abhor homeschool software programs. As a matter of fact, they also have disdain for televisions and the Internet being used in homeschooling period. We understand the TV part, but how in the 21st century can you not consider homeschool software and the Internet as at least a portion of your education method?

We don't mean to be argumentative here, but it just doesn't make sense nor does it seem fair to the kids. Computers are part of nearly everyone's life these days and it will only get to be an even greater prerequisite skill that every person must have in the future. Why not teach your student how to use a computer while they're young? Combine the computer science class with a piece of homeschool software and you're killing two birds with one stone.

There are many kinds of homeschool software available on the market these days and the list is only getting longer. Some are just stand alone CD/DVD's and some are subscription-style sites. The discs are normally single subject topics aimed at a certain grade level. The subscription sites require an up front fee to access their software libraries. One has only the one-time fee for life and you can actually give your subscription to someone else when your done with it with no transfer fee.

We believe computer/Internet usage should be a part of any homeschool. Even if it's only a single course in your homeschool curriculum, it should really be considered. Most parents plan to include what are sometimes called real-life classes with their version of homeschooling. This would include things like gardening, cooking , sewing, carpentry and the like. Why not make learning to use a computer one of those classes? It certainly is a real life skill needed these days.
Kids learn so fast. If you could tap into this phenomenon with a computer class while still young, they're probably be teaching you some tricks by the time they are in middle school classes.
And don't forget about the Internet. Many parents rely on the Web as a vital resource for their teaching efforts. They use it not only to look up material for their course work, but also to get more information on teaching methods and/or to join a homeschool forum and network with other parents.

It's also a place where kids can visit websites about museums, historical places, other countries and the whole world at large. The Internet can be one of the most important homeschool teaching tools in your arsenal when you think about it. It just needs to be monitored by the parent to make sure the students stay on topic. Perhaps keeping the computer in the main teaching area and declaring it off limits after school or at night would eliminate some of this worry.

In our humble opinion, homeschooling software and/or the Internet should be integral part of at least some of a homeschool program.