Online homeschooling programs can make schooling at home or on the
road, easy and more stress-free, for busy families choosing home-based
education.
With the growth of technology and easy access to the internet, students can enroll in and take classes from almost anywhere in the world.
No longer are students confined to the four walls of a classroom, or a home school, for that matter.
Your child can live in one city and enroll in a school half way around the world. Your child's classmates could be from other states, or countries of the world!
Because online schools differ from regular brick and mortar schools or businesses, always do a thorough check before enrolling your children in an online class or program. You never want to become the victim of an online scam!
If you haven't discovered it yet, no two homeschooling families are the same. Some want to homeschool independently, foregoing ANY outside professional help or support. Other families want or need support services and professional help, for a variety of reasons. There isn't a right and wrong way to teach your child/ren at home.
You may want to enroll in an online school because of your state's home education requirements, or because they issue diplomas and organize high school graduations.
Many online programs allow you to pick and choose the support services you want, which can help you save money.
A curriculum-only, no-frills program will be the most economical. Although full-service programs may cost more, they eliminate homeschooling head-aches and time-consuming activities like grading, record-keeping or transcript creation. Your time is valuable and may be better used elsewhere.
Online schools may or may not provide online curriculum; some offer both offline and online courses.
While many kids LOVE learning online, you may find that your child doesn't like to complete all his or her schoolwork on the internet, or sitting at the computer.
At first it may sound fun, but after a few days, the novelty may wear off and they may be happier using a mixture of mediums. If you are not sure, look for an online school that offers curriculum through different delivery methods.
You could do a trial run with a course or two, to see if online learning is a good fit for your child. One of our daughters took a few online courses when she was in high school, and really liked that she could do her lessons on her laptop, ipad, or itouch. For some classes, work was completed in a notebook, but lessons were taught online. Other courses were done completely online.
While she enjoyed online lessons, her sister did not enjoy online classes. Sometimes, it just depends on the course. Some courses are just easier and more enjoyable to complete online.
Graphic courtesy of stockimages/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
If you are looking for a non-religious or secular home education program, you will find a variety to choose from.
Although my children have completed a number of online classes, I have not personally used any online academy, distance learning, or umbrella school. However, I have research many different options. Below are some recommended online homeschooling programs that provide flexible support and enrollment options, depending on your needs.
A growing number of religious online homeschooling programs are available. Before enrolling your children, you will want to check out the curriculum to make sure it coincides with your beliefs. Look for downloadable samples, or sample online video lessons, to give it a test before you buy. Many schools and organizations have a Statement of Faith and make this available to potential families.
Seton Home Study School and Mother of Divine Grace School offer Catholic curriculum; however, neither of these school offer an online homeschooling option.
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