In the past few years, online education has become exceedingly popular as eLearning becomes a viable option for many students who are homeschooled. There are lots of reasons why a student, or their parent, might decide homeschool is the best option but now virtual learning is a solution that can make homeschooling even more advantageous.
Some of the most popular reasons why homeschooling is chosen in lieu of traditional classroom education include:
- Bullying
- Religious beliefs
- Medical problems
- Learning disabilities
- Lack of good area schools
- Convenience
- Questionable disciplinary methods of traditional schools
- Safety concerns
In some cases, the parent may feel more equipped to handle their child’s education and oversee their studies than their local schools. However, although some parents might still feel like homeschooling is the best option, they might feel ill-equipped to successfully educate their children in some areas of their education. Online learning can be very helpful in these situations, as well as for other reasons.
Online homeschooling permits the parents to establish an individualized learning experience for their child that is customized for the student and their individual needs. Some parents might also choose to incorporate tutors, homeschooling groups, and other offline educators in their child’s life, but online school can be an added benefit that can be very complementary to the overall experience, making it more enriching.
There are quite a few different online homeschool options that are available so knowing what you’re looking for and need is important. Most elearning programs will cover a wide variety of subjects and perform functions such as evaluations, offer college prep programs, and even issue diplomas. This last part can be particularly important when the child gets ready to apply to college, since some colleges have strict guidelines about certificates and sometimes a homeschooled student can have difficulty producing a written record of their work and graduation.
Online homeschool programs can also offer a curriculum that specializes in one specific subject like reading or science. This can give you the added benefit of being able to find assistance in a subject matter that you might not have as much experience in. If you’re the type of parent that likes to use textbooks and other materials in your child’s learning process then incorporating a few online facets in education through an online program can make the process more fun for the student.
The flexibility of homeschooling can’t be ignored. For parents who enjoy traveling and taking their child with them, online school is a great way of ensuring that the student continues to receive an education while enjoying an exciting adventure that they might not have undergone otherwise. Traditional schools, after all, only allow so many absences a year and this rigidity can be challenging to those who need a more flexible schedule.
For those students who are self-motivated and love working with new technology, online school can have an advantage over traditional classroom work since it offers more independence and innovation. Some students work better when they don’t have a teacher constantly standing over them and being able to work at their own pace gives them the creativity and incentive to try harder on their work. In traditional classrooms, the students must keep up with one another. In home school, however, the student is able to work at a pace that is more suited to their own abilities.
In the past, this kind of “alternative education” wasn’t as widely accepted as it is now. These days, however, a lot of parents are seeing the benefits of online school and homeschooling. In fact, one day in the future it might not even be considered alternative education since so many students are taking part in it.