As online education grows, so does the question every parent must ask: is online school right for my child? Online education can have many benefits that are worth considering, but not every student learns the same. For this reason, it’s important to ask important questions to understand your child’s learning needs and if online school can accommodate them. It’s also worth noting that not every online school is the same. Much like in-person schools, online schools can have specialty programs designed around a specific type of
education. Some prioritize schedule flexibility while others are college prep focused. In this article, my goal is to give you 7 important questions to answer before making the plunge into online education—ensuring it’s the right choice for you and your child!
Questions Every Parent Should Ask:
1. Does Your Child Thrive with Independent Learning?
Online learning will often require a degree of self-motivation and time management. The bell isn’t going to be there to remind students to get to class, and doing class from home can cause many students to lose interest quickly. The benefit of an independent learning environment is that the student can work at their own pace. Depending on the type of online program, the student is able to have a more individualized environment to learn in, where they do not feel held back by other students in the class. Programs like Tenney School Live can even take it a step further by catering entire curriculums around a single student—giving the most individualized learning experience possible! If you’re wondering: is online school right for an independent learner, this might be a strong indicator.
2. How Comfortable Are You with Technology at Home?
Technology is the lifeline between your child and their teacher when enrolled in an online school. For this reason, tech-readiness is a very real factor you will need to consider. All of the following will need to be readily accessible at any point during the day:
- Reliable Internet
- Device Access (Laptops, scanner, digital books, etc.)
- Digital Literacy
As a parent, you’re roll will be supporting tech use for your child. You want to make sure they have access to everything they may need, while also ensuring they are not getting distracted. Different online programs have policies in issuing devices, so it’s important to consider that when shopping around for your online school. Some schools will provide you with physical textbooks and a laptop, while others will rely on you having your own device for your student to use.
3. Is Flexibility a Priority for Your Family?
Online schools can give the ultimate accommodations in terms of flexibility, no other learning program can let you learn from anywhere (and in some cases, at any time). For this reason, if flexibility is an important factor, an asynchronous learning environment may be right for you. These types of environments, while flexible, have other downsides. When a program is asynchronous the student is attending pre-recorded lectures and lessons instead of learning live with the teacher. This means the student is unable to get direct feedback while in class. Additionally, the student will need to message or email their teacher instead of asking a question in class. These programs work best for learners who have intense schedules during the day such as traveling families, athletes, performers, etc.
4. How Well Does Your Child Communicate Virtually?
Many children today are experienced with digital devices. It’s still important to consider how your child communicates virtually. Are they comfortable with writing and sending emails? How about using chat rooms? Can they use web conferencing programs? These are the lifeblood of many online programs and if a student struggles to navigate these digitally, it could be an indicator that online school is not right for them. While online schools are conducted remotely, there’s still a large social aspect to many of these programs. In our program, we conduct our classes through TEAMs which means your child is attending class with their teacher face-to-face (albeit virtually).
5. Does Your Child Have Any Learning Differences or Special Needs?
Online school isn’t going to be the best option for students with learning differences or special needs. That’s not to say virtual programs for these types of students don’t exist—they just won’t have the same level of support as an in-person environment. ADHD is one such learning difference where an online learning environment may hurt the student’s academic experience rather than help them. On the other hand, students with school anxiety may actually benefit from online learning! Every case is different so it’s important to discuss with your child about their learning preferences and if they think online learning would help them.
6. Are You Ready to Be More Involved in Your Child’s Education?
Online learning isn’t easy for parents. Depending on your child’s age, you may be required to stay at home while their doing their lessons. As students enter high school, this becomes less of an issue, but with middle school students, it’s easy for them to get off task and become distracted. For this reason, it’s essential that you consider what your role will be while your child is enrolled online. Are you able to stay home and offer support? Is your child easily distracted? These are all important factors to consider before taking the plunge.
7. What Are Your Long-Term Educational Goals?
Online school programs differ drastically in their specialization. While some programs may focus on college prep, others may specialize on credit recovery. For this reason, it’s important to understand what your long-term educational goals are for your child. Are you planning on having your child go to college? Do you want your child to graduate early? Understanding your goals before enrolling can help you pick the best program for your child. There’s so many different options to consider when it comes to online school, so finding the one that best fits your goals can do wonders for your child! You’ll also want to make sure the online programs your considering is accredited. Most schools will make this easy to find on either a dedicated page, or on the ‘about us’ page. If you can’t find the school accreditation on their website, give them a call!
Is Online School Right for Your Child?
Online school is not a one-size-fits all solution. For this reason, consider your child’s needs and answers to the above questions. Finding the right online school takes time but it rewards you with an unrivaled education that you can’t find in a traditional environment! I highly recommend checking out our program: Tenney School Live if you’re interested in a one-on-one learning environment that adapts to your child’s needs. Every single one of our classes are synchronous which gives students the opportunity to develop a relationship with their teacher over Microsoft TEAMs. Inquire today to discover how we can help your child achieve their academic goals!
