This information is intended as a reality check—and perhaps a ray of sunshine—for independent home schoolers who, though convinced of the nobility of their choice, are a bit out of breath. Relax for a moment, and consider a work-saving alternative.

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A Question of Independence

Many home schoolers, especially well-seasoned ones, choose to be independent, i.e., they do not enroll in an established program. They spend many hours every year at conventions, book fairs, used book sales, and teacher supply stores, poring over every kind of curriculum. They spend more hours deciding among the myriad of alternatives. They develop lesson plans; assemble or create all their children’s daily work and tests; grade all of it; and design report cards, diplomas, transcripts—and everything else—on their home computer.

Some home schoolers simply desire to be completely independent, but others have been driven to this kind of effort because they have been led to believe that, unless they home school from scratch, they have fallen short of the ideal.

Nonsense.

Now, mind you, we love independent home schoolers. Many of them select Christian Liberty textbooks and readers! People who already know and love our books are the kind of people we like to introduce to CLASS, a proven K–12 Christian home education program that has much to offer the independent-minded.

Before I introduce you to CLASS, however, let’s take a quick look at the whole “independent vs. program” question. Which is best? Well, it depends. Programs typically offer complete grade-level curriculums, a measure of accountability, and some level of administrative services like grading, report cards, etc. Going independent offers, well, independence. You decide what to include in your curriculum; you set your own schedule; you don’t have to worry about work submission schedules; you do only what seems necessary administratively.

On the negative side, programs can be demanding, restrictive, and unforgiving. Being independent can involve a great deal of work, scant and unreliable support, and no little amount of uncertainty.

For over fifty years, CLASS has been a great alternative for those who prefer independence but are weary of having to do everything themselves. Today, CLASS still offers a reliable educational framework, but more freedom than ever.

First of all, you can choose the Family Plan or the CLASS Plan. With either plan, you get the benefit of standardized testing and the opportunity to participate in selecting an appropriate curriculum for your child from a variety of publishers. The original curriculum can even be adjusted if necessary.

In the Family plan, once you receive your curriculum, you take over. No work is sent to CLASS. You operate your own school, but still enjoy access to our customer service department and online and email academic assistance.

In the CLASS Plan, once you receive your curriculum and begin submitting work, we grade the student’s tests, issue report cards and transcripts, maintain the student’s cumulative records, award a certificate upon completion of kindergarten, and issue diplomas when the student graduates from eighth and twelfth grades. There are no rigid schedules for submitting work. You can finish a grade level as quickly as you like, but you can take the full twelve months, if necessary, to complete your assignments. You may even purchase up to three (3) extension quarters if you need more time.

Whichever plan you choose, your daily schedule is your own. The order in which you complete your courses is also up to you. You can wait to start history or science until the second semester if you want.

While CLASS can assign a complete and appropriate curriculum for your child if you wish, you can participate in choosing courses and publishers, too. If you have an elementary-level student, you can select alternate publishers if you have a preference. If you have a high school student, our High School Choice plan allows you to virtually create your own curriculum from our wide selection of courses.

Another reason for independent home schoolers to consider CLASS is that it’s a great value! For no more, and often far less, than you spend doing it all yourself, you can eliminate guesswork and drudgery. Help is just a toll-free call or email away every business day.

CLASS is a proven program, having been used successfully by well over 100,000 busy, dedicated, and independent-minded families worldwide. Why not join them?

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