Having the right tools and resources is a critical piece in homeschooling so parents must take the time to research the various options and methods to find the right fit for their student. There are local homeschool groups that work together to share the tasks or online portals where students can login to take courses and complete assignments with access to teachers for help. Students often provide important feedback to parents seeing the approaches, but parents must make the best decision related to cost, quality of education, accreditation and what works best for the home.
Another benefit is that you can homeschool in Florida, Texas or any other state regardless of where the online platform is located so long as it meets the standards set by the state. It is not uncommon for kids to decide that school is boring and not needed so parents have to step up and get involved in motivating them and using positive reinforcement. Parents do not have to be the full-time teachers, but it is helpful to plan exciting field trips and hands-on learning events based on what they are learning in the ‘online classroom’. This keeps education fun and interesting for kids at any age and can be used to show them the importance of staying in school and current with their studies.
In addition to providing the necessary curriculum, access to tools and a healthy study environment, accountability is critical. Most parents work, have multiple children and stay busy helping get the kids to extracurricular activities. This means that they can’t always be looking to see if the student is getting the work done but they do need to take advantage of the parent portal access and check-in periodically to view the progress. If the child is not keeping up with the schedule or grades are slipping, then parents are the key role in finding out why and how to get back on track. Professional instructors can provide the technical information and help students understand the material, but they have little direct influence miles away to get the student to work on schoolwork when there are other things the student may decide is more important. This belongs to the parent and by encouraging the student to take the roles of self-study and self-discipline, they are giving them the ability to be in control and develop life skills that will help them in the future into college and their career.
A successful homeschool family requires the participation of the student, teacher and parent so that the process works smoothly and effectively for the child’s benefit. These patterns and expectations should be set early on to make it easier as the student gets older and the work becomes more challenging. They can be done in a way that is unique to your family and how the child best adapts to changes but the ultimate goal is to help them stick with the program, learn the information to move to the next level and eventually graduate so they can pursue their dreams as adults. Homeschool in Florida, Texas or just about anywhere with the knowledge that you have the support of an online school system that will make your job as a parent as easy as possible.