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Are you looking into an online education for your child, but unsure what it will require of your family? It can be hard to know what to expect if you don’t have experience with virtual schooling.
In truth, online school is a flexible, attainable option for educating your child in today’s changing world. Here is how to get your child started with online school and set them up to succeed.
How Online Schools Work
At a typical online school, the school day starts when students log on to their home computers and access the virtual school. Depending on the school, there might be live class sessions with a teacher, recorded classes the students can watch on their own time, interactive online modules to complete, or a combination of all three.
Students will also typically have videos to watch, and afterward, they will answer questions based on the content within. There may also be online clubs for your child to join and allotted time for them to take part in offline activities.
After classes, the student will have homework to complete, either online or offline. They will then submit the work virtually for the teacher to grade. Throughout this process, the parent steps in to help when needed, ensuring their child is keeping up with schoolwork and managing their time well.
Requirements to Do Online School With Your Child
Due to the virtual nature of online schooling, you must have a stable internet connection so your child can attend classes and complete assignments. Your child will also need a workspace that is free of distractions. They will need to develop the skills to be an independent learner and practice good time management.
As a parent, you need to be available to help facilitate your child’s learning, especially if they need a little extra help. This includes teaching your child good study habits, helping them with homework, and communicating with the teacher to monitor your child’s progress.
Some online schools, such as Healing Roots Online School, also strongly encourage parents to take their children on regular field trips, such as hiking trips or visits to the museum or zoo. Field trips give your child a chance to try new things, interact with the community, and supplement what they are learning in school.
How Online School Works at Healing Roots Online School (HROS)
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The typical school day
At HROS, a typical school day includes a combination of live, synchronized learning sessions with the teacher and asynchronized learning based on the family’s schedule. Our students can personalize their class schedules to a large extent.
Some of our classes, especially math and English language arts classes, are live sessions with the teacher and other students that take place in the morning. Other classes are either live one-on-one sessions with the teacher or recorded lectures that the student can watch on their own time. These classes include projects that the student can complete with their family.
On Fridays, we give our students a free day to engage in an offline activity such as hiking, gardening, or volunteering in their local community. This ensures that the student is receiving a well-rounded education and is not spending all of their learning time in front of a computer.
What makes HROS unique from other online schools is that we prioritize time spent outside as part of the school day, as an extension of what the students are learning in class. We also emphasize the natural world and social responsibility throughout our curriculum.
Parental involvement
In virtual schools, parents play an active role in their child’s education as a “learning coach.” As a parent, you must be available to help your child with schoolwork and teach them the necessary skills to be successful in online courses. You may also be expected to take them on field trips and help them with hands-on school projects.
Parents help make sure their children understand the content and are able to keep up with assignments. They may occasionally interface with the teacher and intervene during the school day when necessary.
Parental involvement is especially important if your child has learning differences or disabilities. At HROS, we know that each child has their own unique way of learning, and we will work with you to make sure your child is successful in school.
Online and offline time
We believe that time spent learning offline is extremely important for each child’s wellbeing and a well-rounded education. At HROS, we integrate time into a student’s weekly schedule for art and music lessons as well as outside activities such as gardening and going on hikes. In addition, we encourage our students to complete projects by getting involved in their local community.
We also include agriculture and outdoor education in our academic curriculum. Environmental stewardship is one of our core values. We prioritize time spent outdoors because it is essential to a child’s understanding of the world and healthy development, both physically and mentally.
Social interaction opportunities
In addition to students spending quality time with their parental “learning coach” and making connections within the local community, we also have times set aside where our students can interact virtually. We have weekly morning sessions where students can meet and interact with classmates in other grade levels. There are also synchronized live classes, a group study hall, and optional club meetings where students can work together and share their interests.
At HROS, we understand the value of social interaction with one’s peers, especially in these times. We built our school days with ample time for the students to interact with each other and build community.
Sit in On a Free Sample Class
As you can see, online school requires some planning, but with the right setup and parental commitment, your child can flourish.
If you are interested in what online school through HROS has to offer, you can sit in on a free sample class with us. Seeing what a regular lesson is like can help you decide if online school is the right decision for your family.
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