Just because you’ve partnered with one of the top accredited home schools doesn’t mean that you, the parent, can completely step away from your child’s education process. In fact, there is additional work to do before the start of the school year to ensure that everything goes smoothly and the student stays on track. After all, kids will be kids and they are more likely to find a way to put classwork off until the last possible minute which makes it harder for everyone. By taking a few simple steps, parents can set their kids up for success and build the necessary skills that will benefit them in the future when they become adults.
The purpose of a top homeschool program is to provide families with an established quality backed curriculum either in print or online form, record documentation and general accountability based on a traditional school year time frame. It is up to the individual families to decide what a school day looks like and how to get the work accomplished. Every course is provided with a lesson planner or online progress map to help students know how much work should be done in each subject on a daily basis which assists parents in knowing what they should hold the student accountable to. However, every child learns differently and there may be days where more or less work needs to be done to account for unexpected situations. In addition, parents should help students determine how to organize their schedule to make the best use of their peak learning times and balance their strong and weak subjects. Online learning platforms allow students to access courses in whatever order throughout the day they want to while providing guidelines on teacher availability and schedule.
Just about every homeschooler thinks that if they spend all morning working on school then they will have the afternoon free, but this can often lead to burnout and discouragement. Parents should encourage scheduled breaks especially after harder or more challenging subjects so students can take a break from the screen as well as the information. They don’t have to be long and can be scattered throughout the day so the student can go outside, play a short game or do something they enjoy. This recharges the mind and provides an opportunity to get a snack to feed the brain and hydrate for health reasons. The online platform is the method for learning, but it doesn’t dictate a schedule to parents have to help with this organization and as the students get older, allow them to have more of a say in what the day-to-day looks like.
In alignment with this is the amount of screen time a student has on a daily basis. When you choose one of the top accredited home schoolsonline, the assumption is that the student will be using a tablet, laptop or desktop to complete the assignments through the portal. Smart phones may have the capability but should be used sparingly because of their small screens and limitations which can interrupt the student’s work. Make sure the home schoolroom has plenty of light, good Internet connection and the technology requirements the school program requires for maximum performance.
There is nothing more discouraging for a student than to complete an assignment and have a glitch where they have to redo the work. The breaks mentioned above are also meant to help the student’s eyes which can get tired and strained from the screen work so you will need to make sure they get annual eye checks and pay attention if they start complaining of headaches and such. The younger generations are used to spending a lot of time in front of a screen, but these are still things that parents should watch for as they engage their education through an online platform.
Lastly, work with the school’s guidance counselor for your high school student to create a path to graduation so they can take the courses they need (and in the correct order) to build the foundation for the next phase. Every school program is different so you need to look at this before they reach high school so everyone can be prepared for course selection and expectations. Online homeschool programs are a great resource and an ideal way of giving students a quality education in the comfort of their home with no distractions, peer pressure, safety concerns or stress about how fast or slow they learn. Instead, they can focus on their work, have a custom schedule each day and balance their education with personal activities and events. Parents are a key part of the process and its success so take time to find the top accredited home schools and then plan the details with your student so they can start working and get their education completed.