Curriculum Links
Which curriculum will you use? There are hundreds of options out there. But even the most highly touted curriculum, may not work for your child. That is the beauty (and the challenge) of homeschooling - each child has the opportunity to receive a customized education. Your Distributed Learning school may have some excellent suggestions.
Online Homeschool Book Stores
3. Canadian Home Education Resources
Resources
Below is a great big list of resources
Types of Homeschool
In BC, we are fortunate to have two learn-at-home options that are available to us the whole time our kids are school-aged.
Registation — our right as parents to access this option is enshrined in the School Act under Section 12 and expanded upon in Sections 13 and 14 (plus the School Regulations). Called “Home Education” In the School Act and “Homeschooling” in Min Ed policy, this option puts the parent fully in charge of their child’s education. The parent is responsible to provide their child with an educational program (which does not have to refer to the Provincial curriculum at all) and the school has no legal right to oversee it (inspection only happens if someone reports that you are not offering an educational program).
Enrolment — this option is a learn-at-home option offered through both independent and public Distributed Learning (DL) schools. The enrolled child is having an “out of desk” experience, as the MinEd considers this the same thing as school, minus the venue. That means that although the parent facilitates learning in the home, a BC certified teacher oversees the child’s educational program and is responsible for evaluating and reporting the child’s participation and academic progress throughout the year.
Because Registration is free from oversight (and accountability to the government), there isn’t a lot of “money” attached to the option even though schools are legally required to loan materials that “the board” deems “sufficient to enable the child to pursue his or her educational program.” Most independent schools who register provide some sort of reimbursement for materials at the end of the school year (between $120 and $150). By the way, public schools get $250 per homeschooled child per year, independent schools get $175.
Distributed Learning, however, has more funding so offers more. This fall, the amount available for resources/activities tied to the child’s learning plan (and provincial PLOs) is $600 for all DL schools, in addition some DL schools have supplemental funding of a certain amount of money to cover internet costs, field trips, subscriptions or to purchase items on loan.
Once you have decided to enroll or register you must register or enroll your child with a public or independent school in BC. Although the choices are endless, below is a small list of schools for distance learners and homeschoolers.
1. Heritage Christian Online School
2. Traditional Learning Academy
3. Regent Christian Online Academy
4. U-Connect (Langley School District)
6. Christian Homelearners eStreams
7. SelfDesign