As the world continues to move online, it should come as no surprise that online schooling at home has become a more popular choice than ever for students and their families. With more than 100,000 students currently enrolled in Connections Academy-supported schools across the United States, we have over 20 years of experience in making online K–12 education accessible.
Choosing a school can be one of the most important decisions a family makes for their student, and while online school may not be the right fit for every family, there are many benefits to educating children at home through an online public school. Whether families want to create a more personalized learning environment for their students, have access to high-quality educators, build competitive career- and college-readiness skills, or play a more active role in their child’s education, online school can help.
What Are the Top Benefits of Online Schooling at Home
Personalized Education
Families with students enrolled in online school have the ability to personalize their student’s educational experience by making school work with their life and academic goals rather than having to conform to the traditional school structure.
In online schools like Connections Academy, students have a trusted adult, known as a Learning Coach, help them throughout the learning day. While the Learning Coach’s level of involvement depends largely on the student’s grade level, Learning Coaches work with their student’s teacher to tailor learning to the student’s particular learning preference. This way, Learning Coaches can provide a more individualized learning experience than students typically could access in a similar, brick-and-mortar public school where teachers balance the learning needs of several students simultaneously.
Since online school can be more personalized to the student, teachers and Learning Coaches can better help students whether they need more academic support, are on an accelerated learning path, or anything in between.
College- and Career-Readiness
Online school students can take advantage of unique learning opportunities that students in traditional, brick-and-mortar schools typically cannot when it comes to preparing for life after high school. Whether a student is college-bound or plans to enter the workforce directly after graduation, online schools can help students explore their passions, pursue their dreams, or get a head start by dual-enrolling in college courses, taking AP®* classes during the summer breaks, or earning technical certifications.
Connections Academy students can have access to digital credentials that could help them check their career readiness skills and boost college applications or resumes. With the help of trained school counselors, Connections Academy students can find apprenticeships, scholarships, or other learning opportunities that can help students feel more confident about preparing for their future.
Also, students who have experience learning from home may have a leg up on other job seekers when it comes to finding work from home opportunities. With a rise in remote work over the years, many of the soft skills that online students develop such as self-discipline, self-reliance, and digital acumen come in handy when compared to job applicants who may not know how to be as productive while working from home.
Flexible Schedule
Unlike in brick-and-mortar schools, students who learn at home can benefit from setting their own daily schedule. While Learning Coaches still need to ensure that their student meets a state-regulated set of learning hours, they can decide when those hours occur during the day—as well as the order in which assignments are completed—and it all can be organized in a way that best fits the student.
So, if a student has medical appointments, work opportunities, or other extracurricular pursuits that would otherwise be impossible for a student in a brick-and-mortar school to maintain, online school can give them the ability to make both a priority.
A flexible schedule can also benefit students who may need extra time to transition between subjects or could provide opportunities for Learning Coaches to supplement lessons with activities of their own, such as by visiting a museum or meeting with a tutor.
Access to High-Quality Education
Students enrolled in online public schools like Connections Academy can get the same high-quality education as students in brick-and-mortar public schools as all teachers must be state-certified and schools are accredited to ensure they maintain state education standards. This means that transferring to or from an online school can be seamless, and students can graduate with a high school diploma with access to transcripts, GPAs, and participate in national academic organizations like the National Honor Society or Future Business Leaders of America.
Unlike the emergency schooling that many brick-and-mortar schools put on during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools like Connections Academy are purposefully built for online learning. All aspects from the online classroom experience to the recorded LiveLesson® sessions and active message boards create a learning experience tailor-made to a remote learning environment.
Online school, also, can be a great way to bridge the gap for families who wish for their student to learn from home but who are not comfortable with teaching their kids subjects they are not familiar with.
Custom Learning Environment
When a student learns from home in an online public school, they have complete control over their learning environment. Just like how families can schedule their days to make learning as productive as possible, online learning allows students to customize their at-home classroom in the way that prioritizes the student’s individual needs. As long as they have a laptop and access to an internet connection, learning can be done almost anywhere, whether that means finishing math problems on the road during a family trip, watching LiveLesson® sessions from the kitchen table, or posting on a discussion board from their local library.
A custom learning environment also allows families to accommodate students who prefer not to be surrounded by the distractions that could come from disruptive students or who have concerns about school safety, bullying, or accessibility.
How to Do Online School at Home
Deciding to do online school at home can be a big adjustment from sending a student to a traditional school. Here are some essential steps for setting an online school student up for success:
- Find a school near you.
- Start the enrollment process.
- Appoint a Learning Coach.
- Set up dedicated learning space, create a schedule, and connect with other online school families.
- Meet with teachers and establish learning routines.
- Stay flexible.
- Reach out to Connections Academy with any questions.
*AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.
