| Home schooling is now, more than ever, being | | | | noted that on average, the parent conducting |
| considered as a viable alternative to | | | | the home school is the mother, who holds a |
| traditional schooling. The reasons for which | | | | college degree. It has been calculated that |
| are diverse ranging from cultural/religious | | | | her staying at home, instead of working, |
| beliefs to economic matters. | | | | costs the family an estimated $38,000 every |
| | | | year - money that could have possibly been |
| The notion that home schooling is much less | | | | used to address the family?s other pending |
| expensive than sending your child to an | | | | needs. |
| educational institution is prevalent, but not | | | | |
| necessarily true. Pound for pound, while a | | | | Helping defray the costs |
| home school education is less costly than a | | | | |
| private school, it will likely be more | | | | But before you get fully discouraged with the |
| expensive than a public school. | | | | idea of home schooling, there are ways to |
| | | | reduce the expenses. One way is to |
| Starting out | | | | participate in support groups for home |
| | | | schooling families. |
| For one thing, if you?re just beginning with | | | | |
| home schooling (and if you don?t have a | | | | This affords you a great opportunity to share |
| teaching background), it is recommended that | | | | resources with similar families saving you |
| you subscribe to an independent study program | | | | the need to buy an entire set of materials |
| or buy a boxed curriculum suited to your | | | | for your child. Joining groups like these |
| child?s skill level. While these may cost, | | | | allow you to borrow or swap things like |
| these will guide your first few attempts at | | | | textbooks, boxed curricula or reference |
| home schooling and help eliminate the | | | | materials. An added plus to joining home |
| trial-and-error process in finding out how to | | | | school family groups in your area is giving |
| run your home school just right. These | | | | your child the opportunity to interact with |
| services and products range from a low of | | | | kids just like him/her who are home schooled |
| $300 to a high of $1,500 depending on the | | | | as well. |
| program. | | | | |
| | | | Depending on where you live, some states |
| Direct costs | | | | allow home-schooled children access to public |
| | | | school resources and some local virtual |
| However, the costs do not end there. You will | | | | charter schools provide teaching materials |
| need to supplement the program with textbooks | | | | for little to no cost. Some will even offer |
| as well as workbooks. Up-to-date reference | | | | annual stipends to pay for activities like |
| materials are also needed such as an | | | | piano lessons. Taking the time to know what |
| encyclopedia CD-ROM and Internet access. | | | | assistance you can avail of to help subsidize |
| These will require purchases and | | | | the costs will more than pay for the effort |
| subscriptions as well. | | | | you made to do so. |
| | | | |
| It will do your child much good to provide | | | | Some money-saving tips |
| proper furniture and fixtures for studying. | | | | |
| Getting them a proper study table, a | | | | It helps to know that if you have other |
| comfortable chair and adequate lighting will | | | | children, the costs of home schooling can be |
| show positive results in the child?s attitude | | | | reduced with each child since the materials |
| towards learning. A computer to aid in their | | | | may be reused or renewed for a much lower |
| research and homework is also essential. | | | | cost. |
| | | | |
| It is also possible that you may have to | | | | Take the time to explore your public library |
| avail of tutorial services to cover subjects | | | | and use what they have to offer. They?ll be |
| that you may have difficulty in teaching | | | | more than happy to see you visit as |
| yourself. These can be done on a per course | | | | frequently as every week. This greatly |
| per subject basis which may help reduce | | | | reduces the need to buy books every time and |
| costs, but not by much. For example, a | | | | on occasion allows you access to newly |
| one-on-one advanced history class for high | | | | published ones that would otherwise be |
| school students can cost about $300. | | | | expensive. |
| | | | |
| To provide a well-rounded education for your | | | | Visit yard sales, book sales or swap meets |
| child, you will also need to include | | | | whenever you can. You may just find that |
| non-academic activities as well. This may | | | | perfect study table, teaching aids or that |
| mean music, sport or art lessons and perhaps | | | | hard-to-find textbook for a fraction of the |
| even planned educational trips to museums and | | | | cost of buying it from a store. |
| galleries, theaters, and nature parks. | | | | |
| | | | When considering the costs of something as |
| Opportunity costs | | | | important as your child?s education, it is |
| | | | best to think of them as investments rather |
| These are the direct costs of running a home | | | | than as mere expenses. When managed properly, |
| school program but in calculating the total | | | | what money you have can go so much farther |
| cost for running a home school, you may also | | | | than the actual costs as you give him/her a |
| need to consider certain indirect costs. | | | | memorable childhood of learning and |
| | | | discovering ? with you at their side. |
| A study on families on home study programs | | | | |