Online Learning: Save Gas with Online Homeschooling
By Mimi Rothschild
Homeschool families have the opportunity to take advantage of online educational opportunities, gaining valuable knowledge and spending less on gas at the same time. When a family chooses to homeschool online, there's no daily rush out the door. There's no worry over forgotten textbooks and gym clothing. Instead, the homeschool student simply boots up the computer and starts learning.
Forget about leaving the comfort of your home and getting stuck in early-morning traffic. Don't waste your time with that; homeschool your children via the Internet. By doing so, you not only make it possible to have pleasant, stress-free mornings, but you also offer your children a superior education.
Some homeschool parents choose to use online homeschooling programs to teach their children. Often, these programs provide all the software necessary to complete the appropriate grade. For example, a third grade student would receive the software needed to complete the third grade curriculum.
Sometimes, such online homeschool programs even provide free computer systems for students to use. Depending on the online homeschooling program, the homeschool student might receive textbooks and work texts in addition to required software. Alternatively, some programs provide students with access to an online curriculum site instead of software.
Many online educational programs are run by the public school system. These programs are often called virtual schools or virtual charter schools. With this type of program, the homeschool parent essentially facilitates learning, while the curriculum is provided by the school district. Some government-run educational programs are called independent study programs.
There are an abundance of private online educational programs as well. Homeschool families really have awesome choices available, ranging from secular online educational programs to those that are religion-based. There are some online homeschool programs that require a good deal of hands-on work from parents and those that encourage students to work independently close to 100 percent of the time.
Using an online educational program, homeschool parents can provide a quality education for their children from kindergarten right up through the twelfth grade. Many of these programs are fully accredited. Some are free through the student's local school district and others are private and require the payment of tuition. Programs that require tuition often offer some sort of financial aid.
Without question, online educational programs help homeschool students learn the things they need to know. However, many such programs also offer a hidden benefit: reduced paperwork. In many areas of the country, homeschool parents are required to submit tons of paperwork, from homeschool affidavits to end-of-the-year portfolios. Many online programs complete this paperwork for the homeschool parent, allowing for more time for other, more rewarding tasks.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
