How do you know if homeschooling software will be right for your child? And once you've made the decision to find a program or software series to help with your child's homeschool education, how do you evaluate whether it will be effective? Many factors will determine whether you and your child will get value from your investment - is it fun and interesting for the child, does it teach the ideas and concepts that are intended, is it the right level for your child's current progress, etc.

Different children will have different ideas of what a 'fun' homeschool software program is. There are all sorts of topics and styles that current programs provide, and without a doubt you should be able to find something that is fun for your child, at the same time providing a valuable learning experience. Interactive games are probably the most fun, along with simulation programs (music), learning exercises, logic puzzles ... the list is endless.

So how do you find the perfect combination of educational and fun? This is going to depend on a combination of factors: your child, your chosen curriculum, and your budget. Your child's preferences with respect to game styles will determine what style of software you will look for. The focus of your curriculum will determine whether you choose math/reading/sciences games, or alternatively you may determine that the curriculum already covers enough subjects and you are looking for something which will stimulate your childs imagination. And lastly, budget will play some role in what you choose - educational software doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, although it can be. For example, there are many free online games which will work on particular skills - hangman, scrabble, Sudoku, Google sketchup for art hour, etc. On the other hand there are many homeschool software titles which have been specifically designed to provide a very specific and organized learning experience, along with built in facilities for measuring your child's progress.

One important factor to keep in mind is the interaction with other children that your child misses out on when they are home schooled. An important interaction with normal group schooling is the competitive nature of some of the school events. A fun way to introduce a fun and challenging learning environment that will imitate this competitive aspect is with home school software. Competing against a previous 'high score' or achieving the next level is a very strong motivator for competitive kids, and adds an element of fun to their homeschooling day.

Another interesting attribute of learning software is that they are often designed with enough flexibility so that they will suit a wide range of experience levels and learning speeds. The child is able to start out at the level they are currently studying at, and advance virtually at the maximum speed at which they are capable of learning. The combination of interactivity, challenge, and appropriate skill level makes homeschool software a very accessible learning tool which adds fun to your child's education. The secondary benefit to this adaptability is the ability for you to use the same program for multiple children, regardless of their individual levels and learning styles.



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