Parents only want the best for their children especially when it comes to education. In today’s modern era, there are various options that parents can consider to ensure that their children are indeed receiving the best for their studies. Here are some differences between homeschool vs. online school and why many parents are considering the latter.
Structured Curriculum
Online schools offer a structured curriculum which does not require students to search for educational resources online on their own for their personal use. In an online school, a ready-made structured curriculum is already developed for students comprising the latest resources to ensure students get to keep up with national standards. Every curriculum is state-approved and professionally curated by educators and professors. This allows parents to save some money in view of how costly curriculum materials can get.
Flexibility
Some online schools offer a highly accountable structure for every semester. This usually consists of a basic grading system and assignment deadlines. Alternatively, families can also choose to have more flexibility in an unconventional school schedule. This allows students to focus on extracurricular activities while juggling their studies and social life. Attending online school is definitely an opportunity for them to pursue their interests without being deprived of quality education.
Faculty Support
Online students can fully interact with their faculty members even without actually being present on campus. There are plenty of platforms for students to get or send feedback regarding their online classes to ensure no learning gaps are present. This allows students to seamlessly integrate into the online curriculum and see rapid progress in their learning journey. Students are also able to receive prompt assistance regarding any lesson materials that they may be facing difficulty with.
Grade-Oriented Resources
With a pre-planned curriculum that is structured to suit your learning needs and objectives, it can be a huge advantage to your learning journey. You can study at your own pace and style without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. Educators can come up with a suitable lesson plan that is customized to meet your unique needs. Various interactive modes of learning such as videos and animations can also be incorporated in each online lesson to better facilitate ease of understanding and retention of information.
Preparing for an Online Homeschool Program
- Always research about the online school to see if it has sufficient accreditations from the relevant state educational bodies.
- Reach out to instructors to introduce yourself and let them know your concerns especially if you have special learning needs.
- Plan your schedule ahead of time to ensure you can cope with the structured curriculum without excessive pressure.
- Interact with other students to expand your social circle in preparation of group projects and to exchange notes.
- Set up a dedicated area at home where you can achieve full focus to ensure your daily lesson plans can be fulfilled with ease.
- Decide early on the steps you need to take for online school so as not to run into problems that can jeopardize your online schedule.
- You can visit the online school’s site and navigate through the different functions to get a feel of how the school’s operations are run to ensure you know where to retrieve your resources.