How does alternative education work?

Why did you decide to use alternative education? 

I was living overseas with my son when it became apparent that he was struggling with recalling the alphabet,  decoding and blending and writing legible letters and words. It was early 2010 and schools' understanding of special needs wasn't as defined as it is now. Finding help was nearly impossible. I was teaching with an American Head of Learning Support who suggested investigating home education and was kind enough to transport a huge suitcase full of Grade 5 reading books, textbooks and workbooks back to us in the Middle East. It was a great first experience and propelled us into the world of home education.

Why did you choose the American curriculum? 

When my son was 11 years old, he underwent an assessment for dyslexia which not only confirmed dyslexia and dysgraphia but also revealed that his long-term and working memory were weaker compared to his short-term memory. Utilising this information creatively became crucial for my son's educational progress.

I realised the importance of investigating an educational system that met his academic requirements while also enabling him to capitalise on his strengths in his short term memory. The American education system's approach allowed us to concentrate on one subject at a time to collect the necessary credits needed for graduating.

We initially tried this method out in Grade 8 and set a schedule of 3 months to complete each of the core subjects - it worked extremely well and relieved the pressure of multiple subjects.

My son then enrolled in an online programme that allowed for single subject enrollment and to my amazement he completed the whole 21 credits for the High School Diploma in nine months. He graduate with a 3.1 Grade Point Average at just 14 years and 9 months of age!

Enthused by his performance he decided to enrol in an Associate Degree in Psychology and graduated this at 16 years of age with a Grade Point Average of 3.6 

How does the American education system compare to the British education?

A couple things to note about the American curriculum is that the High School Diploma is equivalent to the UK GCSEs and not the A Levels. The High School Diploma will only be considered equivalent to the A Levels if accompanied by an SAT exam or Advanced Placement credits. Please check with potential colleges before enrolling to the HS Diploma or SAT.

From my experience, an Associate Degree will potentially provide entry to the second year of a degree. You must check with the university of your choice before making an application to university. Equally, the international section of the university website will answer many of your questions.

What were the problems with alternative education?

As the parent making the decisions to remove my child from mainstream education the responsibility of getting my child over the line rested with me. I knew that I had to put in a strict 52 week, 7 days a week schedule to get my son in a position to complete the diploma.

During holidays, winter breaks, or on trips, my son would engage in lessons to finish a quiz, essay, discussion, or exam every day. As a result the schedule did put a strain on the parent-child relationship, and I'm certain that there were times when he truly resented me.

For parents who are considering alternative education - you can't expect your child to do it alone, even if you enrol them in a virtual school with live lessons and a teacher. Your child will need someone to check they are completing the work, keeping up with the pace of the schedule that you put in place and are practicing the materials and skills necessary to complete the programme of study.

A learning mentor or coach is necessary to ensure that your child is successful as well as subject specific tutors for courses that prove tricky. For my son, I had tutors for the two levels of German and another for the Algebra and Geometry classes. I was able to teach him English, History and Humanities and he self-studied the computing and Culinary Arts classes.

Finally, and most importantly, alternative education doesn't always provide the social skills or educational skills necessary to transition back into traditional education. As the parent you do need to consider extracurricular activities such as scouts, a team, cadets etc to ensure that your child doesn't become isolated.

What was the result of educating outside of mainstream education? 

My son went to a British university when he was 17 years of age where he studied Japanese Studies - which is impressive when you consider he still struggles to read and write in English! The long term plan includes finishing his PGCE to become a primary school teacher and move to Japan. His experience of alternative education has been a positive one, but the main benefit for him was that his mental health remained intact through his educational years and has allowed him to be successful in higher education.