Thinking about an Online Homeschool Program? Thanks to the internet and new technologies, there are more opportunities to homeschool your way than ever!.
As homeschooling continues to rise, most families discover that their children’s educational needs cannot be met by a single curriculum.
You may wonder what is the best online homeschool program? How do you choose the online homeschool program that fits your family’s needs?… the answers can be overwhelming.
So which way is best for you?
We’ll give you a few tips to lead you in the right direction of creating the perfect online homeschool curriculum that fits your family best.
1. Flexibility
You’ll find most families choose to homeschool their children because of the flexibility it gives them. Where it be schedule, pace, and their personal learning goals… it’s really the freedom you can get with it all together.
So when choosing an online homeschool curriculum you need to consider the flexibility it gives. Choose something that allows room for you to tweak things according to the needs of your child/children.
2. Price
This is where your homeschooling goals and core values come into play. Before you even start to homeschool your children, think of the main reason why you want to homeschool them, your family values, and your ultimate goal at the end of your homeschool.
With the market flowing with options for homeschooling programs, it would be hard and could get very pricey to choose a homeschooling curriculum, so you need to stick to a budget and set it around your “Why”, your goals and the end in mind.
3. Know what you want
You can’t find something if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Since I promised to make it easy for you, here are some Types of Online Homeschool Programs you can choose from:
Virtual Schools
Virtual schools may enable individuals to earn transferable credits or to take recognized examinations, to advance to the next level of education.These can include charter schools and may be tuition free.
One of the best online homeschool programs in this category is Florida Virtual Academy.
Complete Online Homeschool Curriculum
While you need to be cautious about a curriculum that promises to be all that your child will ever need, there are homeschool curriculums that you can get a general idea of how it is tailored and you can either choose to get it as is or customize depending on your child’s preference.
One of the best online homeschool programs in this category and a sponsor of this site is Time4Learning. Note that these types of Online Homeschool Curriculum are less likely to be accredited, but they are more affordable and can be used as a good supplement for teaching.
Subject-Specific Online Homeschool Programs
These are used to complement full-time studies or to satisfy one subject area of an online homeschool curriculum.
Some of the best online homeschool programs in this category are:
- HookedonPhonics for online preschool phonics curriculum as well as other grade levels
- Khan Academy for a wide range of math, science, and history – completely free
- NoRedInk for grammar – free trial
- Tynker for coding
- Massive Open Online CourseS (MOOCS) – free college-level courses
Know that parents are also cautioned that relying entirely on an online homeschool program also has its own disadvantages such as the following:
1. Since physical interaction by students and teachers is unnecessary, or only supplementary, Retention might be a challenge. We need to make sure that the kids are not just clicking their way to the next lesson. Children need to know that they are the one in charge of their own learning, and there are repercussions if they do not take their lessons seriously. One of the things that can be done is to encourage children to share what they learned and its application.
2. Engagement could also be a factor, due to the unidirectional nature of these online lessons. It is important that there is an opportunity for the child to bounce ideas with and encourage discussion. Creating an environment where children can freely express their thoughts and ideas is a great way to promote healthy and intelligent discussions at home.
3. Physical health should always be a prime concern. Poor posture and long hours working/studying in front of a computer could cause negative effects on children’s physical health, such as back pain and eye strain. It might take some constant reminder for the children to learn to keep the proper posture but would ultimately benefit them on the latter. We also need to make sure that we’re creating a well-balanced schedule where children can take their time outdoors. Learning is fun and it needs to stay fun! Keep the children happy and raise a well-rounded child.
A final word of advice
Do your research. Online homeschool programs have a lot of advantages! They are learner-paced, can be free or with very competitive pricing, and students can work on their courses anytime on their schedule since access to the curriculum is 24/7.
Whatever the case, be a choosy customer and look for an online homeschool program that provides what your child needs. Don’t forget to ask lots of questions before making a decision. Try out the free-trial if there is one and go from there. Good luck!