Virtual Homeschooling with Connections Academy

by Maria Melinis
(Parma, OH, USA)

We are "virtual" homeschooling through Connections Academy. My daughters have their teachers online for two sometime three days a week for about a half an hour to an hour. The rest of the time it is up to me to be there for them and to help them out with their curriculum.

Sometime we like to do extra projects on our own or with other home-schoolers. This way we can mix it up a little and the girls get to meet other students. We love the freedom from a "brick & mortar" schooling environment.

I have to say we have gone on more field trips between Connections Academy and our home-schoolers support group, than we would of ever have done in a regular school. The girls actually get more out of their lessons when we go on these field trips. So much, that when we went to Florida, we actually went to the "Ponce de Leon" landing site and drank from the "Fountain of Youth"! We also visited the fort at St. Augustine, we had a blast! Then when we went to Norfolk, Virginia, we stopped in at Williamsburg. My daughter said we need to go back because there wasn't enough time to go through it all!

So I have to say home-schooling, whether it be "virtual" or not has a positive effect on children. And I don't know about the adults, but I find it easier to help the kids out with their work, since I'm going through it with them!