Middle Schoolers: Homeschool vs. Online Options

Homeschooling generally places the parent or chosen educator in charge of the student’s daily learning, schedule, and instructional environment. Online school often delivers instruction primarily through a digital platform and may be self-paced or teacher-led. The School House Anywhere is a homeschool program: parents lead learning with curriculum materials, training films, live support, and progress tools rather than relying on students to learn independently from screens.

The School House Anywhere American Emergent Curriculum serves learners from Pre-K through eighth grade, which includes typical middle school grades. Lessons are designed to connect reading, writing, math, science, civics, entrepreneurship, art, and character development. Families can use the eight-week sessions to support deeper exploration of topics while adapting the home learning environment and daily pace to their learner.

The program is designed to be screen-minimal. Parents use curriculum pages and educator training films to prepare, while students work with printables, lesson materials, and hands-on learning in a prepared home environment. Digital tools also support progress tracking through Transparent Classroom and access to live sessions. The core learning experience is not intended to be a day of independent screen-based classes.

No prior teaching credential is described as a requirement for enrollment. The program is built to help parents prepare through more than 400 educator training films, curriculum guidance, live weekly educator support, recorded Q&As, scheduled office hours, and a member community. These resources give families practical support for understanding lessons, setting up learning routines, and documenting student progress.

The homeschool program is priced at $125 per month per learner through 10 monthly payments during the school year, or $1,200 per learner when paid annually. Both payment options include the same curriculum, educator training films, printables and lesson materials, Transparent Classroom, live weekly support, and member community access. Optional physical materials boxes are available separately.

Families can use Transparent Classroom, the program’s progress and portfolio tool, to record learning and maintain a personalized record of student work. The curriculum also includes a reporting approach intended to help parents monitor development across the school year. Because homeschool requirements can vary by state, families should also review their state’s rules for records, assessments, and required subjects.

Yes. Enrolled families receive access to The School House member community, where they can exchange ideas and find peer support. The program also offers live weekly educator support sessions and office hours, giving families opportunities to ask questions. In addition, the Mighty Networks community is free and open to anyone, including people who are not subscribed to the homeschool program.

Consider how much direct involvement your family wants, how your student learns best, and whether a screen-heavy or hands-on routine feels sustainable. Online classes may suit learners who benefit from digital instruction and external scheduling. A supported homeschool program may fit families seeking flexibility, parent-led instruction, printed materials, integrated subjects, and live guidance without making screen-based learning the center of each day.