One of the things that I am very transparent about is that I am a homeschooling parent who is also an educator and I absolutely love both forms of education. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing them both!!! Today I’m going to be sharing with you what are some differences between homeschool and traditional school from the perspective of a teacher who is also a homeschooling parent.
Before I began my homeschooling journey, I often heard people talk about how homeschooling and traditional education were different. To be honest, I didn’t really understand what they meant. In my mind, homeschooling was simply doing school at home. Now that I’ve been homeschooling for the past few years, I can confidently say there’s so much more to it.
Which one is better, homeschool or traditional school?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question! The better one is simply the one that fits your families needs the best! So they both are great options 🙂
I know that many people feel very strongly that one is better than the other, but I’m not one of them. One of my strongest beliefs is that families should be able to choose the best form of education that fulfills their family needs without feeling any shame!
I have seen both forms of education being done very well and very poorly too!
So with that being said, the better one is the one that is being done right and fulfilling the needs of your children.
The Key differences between homeschool and traditional school
1. Responsibility of Education
In traditional education, the responsibility of teaching falls primarily on the school system. Parents are encouraged to be involved, but the school handles the bulk of the educational process—curriculum, assessments, report cards, and meeting state standards.
Homeschooling places the responsibility for your child’s education entirely on the parent. It’s a huge responsibility, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. You’re not just teaching, you’re preparing your children for life. You get to decide the values, skills, and knowledge they’ll carry with them as they grow. As a homeschooling parent, you’re in charge of it all: lesson planning, record-keeping, and meeting state requirements.
2. The Setting
I think the most obvious difference is the setting. Traditional education takes place in a school building, often divided into grade levels and classrooms, with about 25 kids in each room, depending on the school and grade level. Some classes are departmentalized by subjects, while others have one teacher all day long. Field Trips take place during designated times and from time to time classes may be taken outside of the building to conduct lessons.
Homeschooling, on the other hand, can happen anywhere! It’s not just limited to your home. You can homeschool at the park, in the car, at a friend’s house, or even with a co-op group of other homeschooling families. You can host a small group in your home, turning learning into a community experience. Homeschooling is as flexible as you make it, and the setting is truly wherever you decide.
3. Scheduling
In traditional schools, classes typically run from around 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with holiday breaks and summer breaks.
Homeschooling, however, allows you to break free from that schedule. Learning can happen at any time of the day, mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekdays, weekends or summer. You can design your school hours around your family’s needs, making education fit your life, not the other way around.
4. Curriculum Choices
Traditional education often uses a set curriculum chosen by the school or district, aligned with state standards. If the traditional schooling is occurring in a private school, the curriculum used might be one that is tied to the schools mission, philosophy and values. As a parent, your input in curriculum choice is limited.
Homeschooling is a whole different story. You have the freedom to choose exactly what your child will learn and how they will learn it. For example, in Pennsylvania, when we submit our homeschool affidavit, we also provide our learning objectives for the year. My family uses the Abeka curriculum because it aligns with our goals of providing a Christian education and a high-quality academic experience. We chose this curriculum because it works for us, but homeschooling families have countless options, from piecing together different resources to designing a completely personalized learning plan.
5. Looks Different for Everyone
There is no “one size fits all”!
In traditional classrooms, teaching is differentiated based on student abilities, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), or gifted status, but it still operates within the boundaries of a set curriculum and classroom environment with provided supports. All students have access to grade-level content, and there are various specialists available to offer additional support, such as school psychologists, special education teachers, reading specialists, ESL specialists, and behavior specialists.
In homeschooling, each family’s journey is unique and tailored to their specific needs and dynamics. Families can seek out resources and support from different agencies if they need additional help. For example, I have two kids, one in upper elementary and one just starting first grade, and their homeschooling experiences differ significantly from each other. Their personalities and learning styles shape how our days unfold, and the one-on-one attention they receive makes the learning experience highly personalized and flexible.
Our Personal Learning Experience
Through this journey I’ve learned that Homeschooling isn’t just about schoolwork, it’s a lifestyle of learning. Education happens all the time, anywhere. It’s not confined to a classroom or specific hours. You cultivate a love for learning that goes beyond textbooks, encouraging independent research and exploration.
When my son was in traditional school, he developed the mindset that learning only happened at school. When he came home, he was done—home was for relaxing, not more work. This wasn’t the schools fault, I feel that as parents, we too had this mindset that just created that mentality in our homes. Since we’ve started homeschooling, that mindset has shifted. Now, learning is part of everyday life, and it’s not limited to a specific time or place. It’s not about replicating traditional school at home; it’s about creating an environment that works for your family.
Is traditional school or homeschool better for my family?
Traditional schooling nor Homeschooling is always the right choice for every child or family. There are situations where a traditional school setting is the best fit for a student. For example, when I think of my own experience growing up, traditional education was the ideal choice for me and my personality! My husband experienced both settings and feels homeschooling was the best fit for him. Our son, who previously attended a traditional school, now prefers homeschooling and wouldn’t want it any other way. As for our daughter, she has only ever been homeschooled, and she loves it. If, as she gets older, she expresses a desire to try a traditional school, we would be open to that. Every child and learner is different—just like some adults thrive working from home, while others prefer working outside the home.
If you’ve experienced both homeschooling and traditional education, I’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments below about what you love about each, or what differences stand out the most to you. Let’s keep the conversation going and support one another on this journey!
💖 Yessi
