Online Schooling for Elementary School Kids (homeschooled, teachers, writing, good)

[tlarnla]

Any opinions or experiences?


I've been seriously considering this option, because I love the ability for a child to progress at their own pace and level in each subject, and delve more deeply in the subjects she is gifted at.

I think it would also be a good fit for my family, because my husband is from overseas, so it would be easier for our daughter to visit relatives if she could bring school with her. We work at home, but are still bound by her school schedule. I'd like to visit relatives when plane tickets are cheaper, and stay for a few weeks.

I think the customization that homeschooling allows would also make it easier to fit in time for her to study Japanese, her other language. I'm afraid she's going to fall behind in Japanese writing skills (and has already fallen behind in Japanese math), because she doesn't have much time to study Japanese when she gets home from school in the US and finishes her homework. It would be nice if I could have her Japanese studies integrated into her regular schooling, and we could do that if she homeschooled.

Does anybody have experience with online schooling for elementary school children? Can anybody recommend good programs? My daughter is gifted in music and art, so a school with extra focus on those subjects would be nice. A program with special options for bilingual children to work on their other language would be nice too.

[toobusytoday]

I think a cyber option seems like a good fit for your family. In my area there is a children's orchestra and local artists that do individual and small group classes. Why not connect with a home-school group in your area and see what others are doing and you can craft your own plan from there? I have no experience in this, (besides having raised three kids that played instruments) but I would think that a real live person teaching an instrument would be a much better option than a cyber one.

[CHAIN5]

I have looked a bit into this option, but have not tried it. We are thinking about moving, and my two oldest have asked to be home-schooled if we do.

One of the biggest attractions about home-schooling to me is the idea that families can adapt their schedules and that there is more time to cover subjects that they don't have time/etc. to cover in a traditional school. Also, the individual attention means more time can be spent on "trouble" areas, and less time on subjects the kids understand the first time around.

However, I lack certain skills in key subject areas and am uncertain about my dedication to the home-school route.

Enter, cyber school...it sounds attractive in some ways.

- taught by certified teachers.
- means, I don't have to know it all.
- steady, "set" schedule
- they provide the equipment needed.

On the downside...

- it seems like it takes almost the same amount of time that regular school does.

Actually, I really hope that someone with real experience will comment on your thread, because that's a big deal breaker for me personally right there. One of my biggest pet peeves is how much time school takes away from family time, I get the "dregs" of the day with my tired, irritable kids, AND a lot of time is wasted at school (not necessarily anyone's fault, it's just what it is when there are a lot of kids in one place with different needs at different times).

I did home-school one of my kids for about a year, a trial run. We did not need to spend more than 1-2 hours covering the essential subjects - leaving the rest of the day free for other subjects, field trips, housework, free time, or whatever. If cyber school really takes the same amount of time as a regular school day, I'm not interested.

I'll be following your thread with interest. Hope you find a good fit if you decide to go this route.

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

We have homeschooled since the beginning (with the exception of a year spent in a local charter school). My high-schooler is currently using an online program for three of his classes, and my middle-schooler, for one. I will say that it's a lot of sitting for my older child, and that I personally would not use an online school for more than one or, at most, two classes for an elementary school aged child.

We did more hands-on, child-led learning when the kids were younger. If you are considering homeschooling, using an online school option might be good for part of it. I don't think it would be enjoyable to do all of the subjects that way, though, unless there was really no other way to make it work.