Making the choice on where and how to educate your child is one of the most important ones you’ll make as a parent. If you’re looking for a way to ensure your child gets the best education possible in an environment that works for them, online homeschooling may be an option worth considering. Here are five benefits online homeschooling can offer students and their families.
1. It’s free
While in the past, homeschooling meant buying curriculum and supplies — all of which can add up quickly — today’s online options like iCademy are totally free. That’s because they are free public schools delivered via an online format. You don’t even have to buy a computer. iCademy Global provides you with a device for your child to use the entire time they’re taking classes and working through the online school.
2. It can help boost your child’s focus
One of the biggest pros to online homeschooling is the environment — the comfort of your own home. Many children have difficulty concentrating in today’s classroom environment, which usually involves a lot of sitting still and listening to lectures and not much moving around or hands-on participation. Children who have trouble focusing in class often end up with low grades and are possibly even labeled as “difficult” or not smart enough — even though intelligence and behavior aren’t the real issues.
When you choose online homeschooling for your child, it’s a lot easier to create an environment that’s comfortable and free of distractions — like other students talking or teachers who aren’t able to engage your child. In a comfortable, distraction-free space, your child can focus on the subject at-hand and become more engaged in their school work now and focus on their academic futures.
3. You can customize your schedule
When it comes to flexibility, online homeschooling is pretty much impossible to beat. Your child still gets the core education they need to graduate high school, go on to college and succeed in life — but they have a far greater ability to engage in the activities and hobbies they’re actually interested in.
While there may be times where your child has to be online at a certain time, the vast majority of the time, online homeschooling students can complete their work when it’s convenient for them. That means you can tailor the school schedule to your child’s natural inner clock. Always up early? Then school can start as soon as they’re ready. More of a night owl? Save school for the afternoon/evening hours when your child is naturally more productive. Or maybe your child needs more breaks than traditional schooling allows, so you plan a schedule that allows your child take a 15-minute recess break for every 40 minutes of concentrated school work.
Online homeschooling also makes it much easier to schedule family time and extracurricular activities. When you’re not tied down to the traditional school schedule, you can take guitar lessons in the morning or participate in a noon watercolor class.
4. It saves time
Much of the time your child is in school in a traditional educational setting isn’t really school at all. Time is spent getting up and getting ready, making sure you’re following the dress code or uniform guidelines, driving to school or riding the bus, walking to and from class and watching the teacher try to deal with unruly students — just to name a few. But online homeschooling eliminates pretty much all of these, and lets your child get straight to work, spending all school time focused on learning.
5. It prepares your child for college
Online homeschooling is a great option for high schoolers because it delivers the core curriculum your child needs for college admissions. Plus, accredited schools like iCademy give your child the same options as traditional schools, such as college prep classes and access to live tutors. This means you can be confident that your child is getting a quality education and will be prepared for their next educational step.