Community Slang

Afterschooling is supplementing a child's traditional school education with additional learning at home, filling gaps in curriculum or enriching areas of interest.

"Ahead" refers to the common homeschool community perception and hope that homeschooled children academically outpace traditionally schooled peers through individualized education.

"Behind" in homeschool circles refers to the pervasive parental fear that children aren't keeping pace with public school grade-level expectations—a concern that experienced homeschoolers recognize as rooted more in institutional thinking than educational reality.

Car schooling (or carschooling) is the practice of conducting educational activities during car rides, helping homeschool families transform drive time into productive learning through audiobooks, podcasts, discussions, and portable activities.

Couch school refers to the relaxed, couch-centered approach to homeschooling where families gather for read-alouds, discussions, and shared learning in a comfortable home setting.

A curriculum hopper is a homeschool parent who frequently switches educational programs, often changing multiple subjects each year without clear purpose or giving curricula adequate time to work.

A curriculum junkie is a homeschool parent whose hobby is researching and collecting curriculum, often accumulating more educational materials than they could ever use.

"Done by lunch" is a popular homeschool scheduling approach where families complete all formal academic work before noon, freeing up afternoons for play, enrichment activities, and family time.

Grade level police is informal homeschool community slang describing people who rigidly enforce or judge others based on traditional grade-level expectations, whether from within the family or externally.

Homeschool burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from prolonged homeschooling stress. It affects both parents and students, leading to decreased motivation, disconnection, and a diminished sense of accomplishment.

Homeschool mom life refers to the multifaceted lifestyle of mothers who educate their children at home, balancing roles as educator, curriculum planner, household manager, and mentor while building community connections with other homeschooling families.

In homeschool terminology, 'independent workers' refers to children who complete academic work with minimal direct instruction, reading lessons, managing assignments, and checking their own work largely on their own.

Laminating Queen is playful homeschool slang for a parent who enthusiastically laminates educational materials like flashcards, worksheets, and charts to make them reusable with dry-erase markers.

Multi-level teaching is an instructional approach where one teacher educates students at different grade levels simultaneously, using differentiated expectations and assignments while teaching the same content.

Pajama school is a colloquial term for homeschooling that references the flexibility to learn in casual clothing at home—often used affectionately within homeschool communities to describe the relaxed learning environment.

Second breakfast is homeschool community slang for the snack or meal kids eat mid-morning during school—because when you're home, the kitchen is always open and schedules are flexible.

Shiny curriculum syndrome is homeschool community slang for the tendency to constantly want to buy new curriculum materials, even when current materials are working adequately. It's driven by the belief that a better curriculum will solve homeschool challenges.

Sofa subjects are homeschool subjects typically done while sitting on the couch, usually involving reading aloud, literature, history through narrative, and other book-based learning.

"Squirrel school" is homeschool slang for moments when planned lessons get derailed by distractions or tangents, referencing the easily-distracted dog from Pixar's "Up" who interrupts himself yelling "Squirrel!"

Table time refers to the dedicated block in a homeschool routine where children complete focused academic work at a table or desk, typically following morning time and lasting one to two hours.

Teaching to the test is an educational practice where instruction focuses primarily on preparing students for standardized tests rather than fostering genuine understanding, often resulting in narrow curriculum and shallow learning.

"The S Word" is homeschool community slang for socialization—the question every homeschooling family hears repeatedly: "But what about socialization?" The term reflects both the frustration and humor with which experienced homeschoolers regard this ubiquitous concern.

The Socialization Question is the concern most frequently raised about homeschooling: "But what about socialization?" Research generally shows homeschooled children develop strong social skills through co-ops, sports, clubs, and community involvement.

A Type A homeschooler is a parent whose driven, organized, achievement-oriented personality shapes their homeschooling approach, typically gravitating toward structured curricula, detailed schedules, and measurable progress.

Unschooler lite (or relaxed homeschooling) describes an approach that embraces many unschooling principles like flexibility and interest-led learning while maintaining some parent-directed structure, particularly for subjects like math and reading.