How Virtual Learning Benefits the Whole Family

June 13, 2023 byCassandra Polzin

4 min to read

Ms. Daley, a Connections Academy parent is helping her daughter with an online school course

If traditional brick-and-mortar schools aren’t meeting your student’s needs, virtual learning could help them reach their full potential. Discover why one family is glad they made the switch to an online school through Connections Academy®.

Online Schooling Supports Family Needs

For many single parents, figuring out how to get their children to school on time, while coordinating extracurricular and work schedules can be incredibly challenging. Then, at the end of the day, there’s often no time left to spend together.

Narelle Daley is a single mother working non-traditional hours. “I wanted to do something that was a little bit more flexible,” explained Ms. Daley. “Flexible for me, flexible for them, and I still wanted them to have that connection with other students.”

While Ms. Daley initially worried about how she would balance her role as a parent and Learning Coach, she quickly realized one of the benefits of virtual learning for her family is how much easier it is to meet her children’s education needs.

No matter how your family is structured—single parent, aging grandparents caring for children, blended family, or parents with disabilities—online schooling supports non-traditional family structures, ensuring your learner's needs are met alongside your family's needs.

Ms. Daley highlighted how she still wanted her children to connect with other students. A common concern relating to virtual learning is if learners will be able to meet their social needs. Through Connections Academy®, students engage with other children around their age, even connecting with learners who aren’t located in the same town, allowing them to build lasting friendships.

Learn more about Parent Perspectives on Online School Socialization.

Virtual Learning Let’s You Get Involved in Your Child’s Education

When children are in brick-and-mortar schools, there aren’t many opportunities for parents and guardians to get involved in their learning. Often, asking your student what they learned each day can feel like pulling teeth, and you’re lucky to get even one-word answers.

“I am so much more involved in their learning,” said Ms. Daley. “I feel like that’s due to the fact that Connections Academy® is so flexible.”

With online schooling through programs like Connections Academy®, guardians can play a more involved role in learning. For many learners, this can be helpful, allowing them to better absorb the material and encouraging opportunities to practice what they’ve learned in the real world.

As Learning Coaches, guardians get more involved in their student’s learning by:

Providing structure during the day,
Establishing routines
Encouraging them to work through their problems
Consistently responding to their actions
Reengage students and provide motivation to continue lessons

Outside of being more involved in learning, guardians get to spend additional quality time with their learners. “We get to spend so much time together, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” said Ms. Daley.

Students Can Take Their Time on School Work

In traditional brick-and-mortar settings, teachers have to move on after the allotted time for a specific subject. This might happen before a student has completed their work or fully grasped the concepts. It may also leave other learners sitting around, having already mastered the lesson.

“They start their first live lesson at nine o’clock, and when that live lesson is done, they get straight to doing their independent work,” Ms. Daley said of her children’s schedule. “I like that because it gives them time to take their time. Whereas, I feel like, in brick-and-mortar … once that period is over, you move on. At home, they have more time to work through what it is that they’re learning.”

One of the key benefits of online learning is that students are at the helm. Outside of live lessons, they can spend the time they need on each concept, without fear of being left behind or waiting around for others to be ready to move on.

If you think virtual learning may be right for your family, explore 8 Tips for Starting Online Middle School and High School.