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Claire, left, and Matthew Hunt use a laptop provided by the Lawrence Virtual School to check on their daily lessons. Nan Hunt, their mother, background, home schools the children through the growing alternative to brick-and-mortar schools.

Photo by Nick Krug

Matthew Hunt, 11, concentrates on his laptop computer as he takes a unit assessment for science recently at his Lawrence home. He and his sister, Claire, 13, attend the Lawrence Virtual School.

Photo by Nick Krug

Lawrence mother Nan Hunt home schools her two children through the Lawrence Virtual School. "My whole thing is, the kids are going to grow up, they're going to be independent - it's going to go fast. It's just wonderful to be with them," Hunt says.

Photo by Nick Krug

Claire Hunt, 13, left, and her brother, Matthew, 11, read in the Lawrence family's living room. The two spend about three or four concentrated hours on school each day, and devote the rest of their time to casual learning, such as reading, watching documentaries and visiting museums.

Photo by Nick Krug

Lawrence resident and home school mother Nan Hunt answers a question from her daughter Claire, 13, not pictured, as her son, Matthew, 11, stretches at the kitchen table before preparing to take a unit assessment for science. The Hunts home school through the Lawrence Virtual School.

Photo by Nick Krug

Matthew Hunt, foreground, studies a lesson in his Lawrence Virtual School science unit. His mother, Nan Hunt, back left, home schooled Matthew and Claire, left, on her own for two years before discovering the virtual school.

Photo by Nick Krug

Matthew Hunt, 11, center, shows his mother, Nan, and sister, Claire, 13, a rocket he built. The family members say they enjoy all the time they get to spend together because they home school.

Photo by Nick Krug

The family dog Grace hangs out on the couch with Claire Hunt as she reads on a recent school day. Because of the scheduling flexibility home schooling allows, Hunt and her brother often find time to catch up on a good book.

Photo by Nick Krug

Matthew Hunt checks his academic progress for the semester through the Lawrence Virtual School's Web interface.

Photo by Nick Krug

Claire Hunt, 13, foreground, explains that she likes home schooling because she learns better alone or in small groups. Her mother, Nan, background, teaches her and her brother through the Lawrence Virtual School.

Photo by Nick Krug

Claire Hunt prepares macaroni and cheese during a break in her studies. She and her brother, Matthew, are home schooled, and part of their daily routine includes doing yard work and other chores to earn money.

Photo by Nick Krug

During a break from school work, Claire Hunt, 13, fixes herself some macaroni and cheese as the family dog Grace watches from the kitchen floor. Her mother, Nan Hunt, lets Claire and her younger brother Matthew, 11, fix their own lunches each day so they can learn to become independent.

Photo by Nick Krug

Matthew Hunt, 11, empties a packet of chicken seasoning into a pot of ramen noodles. Matthew and his sister, Claire, often make their own lunch at home, where there mother educates them through the Lawrence Virtual School.

Photo by Nick Krug