Home-school parents should be aware that many home-school DVDs have a strong Christian or religious theme. If teaching from a particular perspective is part of the reason you are home-schooling your child, this may be a welcome element. If not, be sure to sample the content of DVDs you may be considering to test their approach to certain subjects such as the Civil War, Black History Month and equal rights for women and gay people. Even textbook-based DVDs can be biased.
Keep in mind that there is no official national or state accrediting agency for home-school DVDS. One DVD may bear a stamp of approval from an obscure source, such as "Old Schoolhouse EE Award" or "Practical Homeschooling Reader Award." Another may bear the insignia of MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, or NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
NAEYC and NPSAA, the National Private School Accreditation Alliance, are the two most professional home-school agencies for evaluating and accrediting DVDs and other materials for home school use.
Consider a DVD's overall reputation in the home-schooling community. Even if it does not claim accreditation from a group or agency, it may still serve your student well. For example, Hooked on Phonics has been around for generations as a teaching method in schools and is now available for home use.
Buying or even renting home-school DVDs can be expensive, especially over several years. Your public library may be able to recommend DVDs for you to borrow as your child progresses and order any DVDs they might not have through inter-library loan. You will need to plan carefully, though, since most library checkout periods range from two days to two weeks.