Finding the Right Environment for Your Child's Education

Not every child is going to learn the same way. Some students need extra help, while others need accelerated programs. While most parents think of helping their child’s education pertaining to their personal cognitive skills, another issue can be where they learn.

Children are going to have different needs when it comes to the locations in which they learn as well. Most students attend brick-and-mortar schools, but some might prefer the flexibility and personal attention of an online school.

Many states offer free online public schools for education. These schools are usually K-12 curriculums and offer individualized learning to meet each child’s needs. Each school has accredited curriculums, and each student graduates with a high school diploma.

Social Interaction

When parents think of online educations, the first thing that pops into their mind is that their children will not have the same social interaction that they receive in a traditional school. While this is true, the students are still interacting with their instructors and other students on a regular basis.

While the social interaction is not directly person-to-person, the interaction occurs through video chats, online collaboration rooms and discussion posts. While to some parents this may seem limiting, but in a more digital society, the online classroom is becoming more popular.

These children are not limited to just online schooling, they can still have social interactions outside the computer screen. They can join local sports, join the band at a local high school as an extra-curricular or take up a hobby with friends.

Flexibility

Brick-and-mortar schools tend to have a very strict schedule of classes that students must attend with little flexibility, especially in lower grades. This can be hard for children who have learning disabilities or ones that can easily become disinterested in class.

Online public schools have opportunities for students to take those mandatory classes at different times and at different levels, beginning at the elementary age. In these settings, classes can become completely individualized for each student’s needs.

Most online schools offer both synchronous and asynchronous classes, meaning that some students do not have to attend live classes with the rest of their classmates. If they have shown dedication and discipline throughout their schooling they may be offered it, or it can be offered part way through a term if a student shows persistence and good grades.

Discipline

One of the biggest things an online student can learn is discipline. This is mandatory because a lot of what the student has to get done is on their own time. No one is going to be there telling them to get it done, or make sure you do this and that. Instead, they are expected to create their own learning schedule, attend their online classes at the designated times and get all of their work done on deadlines.

Brick-and-mortar schools tend to constantly remind students of what has to be done daily and seem to take a guiding hand in some of their work. With an online education, a student is fully responsible for making sure everything gets done.