Online Homeschooling
The internet has a wealth of resources for HS and it can get overwhelming to have to choose from so many. Apart from printing off resources and getting references, it can also be a second teacher. You have to admit it, sometimes you just don't have the time or your child might have so many interests which don't always last and you can't keep up.
Over the decade of HS, I have tried a few online homeschooling websites such as reading A-Z (RAZ) and time4learning. There are many types of websites; for example RAZ has resources and teaching guides that you use to teach offline while time4learning is almostly completely online except for some exercises you can print off.
Then there are websites that are free like Khan Academy and paid websites which you can only view with a subscription like arts attack. Youtube has many video series that provide intriguing perspectives and attractive animation.
With so many to choose from where do you even start?
Here's a few pointers to help you:
1. Consider your needs. Do you want something organised with well-defined curriculum or would you prefer something you can pick and choose? Are you preparing your child for an exam and would like online support geared towards this?
2. What is your budget? Free is not necessarily bad these days. My children have greatly benefited from Salman Khan's clear explanation of concepts and the crash course series on youtube is fun yet educational.
3. Do you want the online programme to be the main source of learning or just a supplement? If it is going to be them main learning platform you would want a well organised curriculum or tutor support.
4. How much time do you want your child to spend online? The younger the student, the shorter the time that they should spend online. While it may be educational, too much screen time (or any) is not healthy for the child.
5. Is the website well-managed and has stable support? Is payment hassle free and can you easily get support when you encounter problems? The last thing you want is to spend time trying to kickstart your child's lessons and technical problems lagging your child's learning experience.
6. Does the site track your child's activities and progress? This will greatly help to reduce your workload and keep you up to date on what and how your child is doing. It is especially helpful if you need to send reports of what your child is doing to the education ministry.
Hope these pointers will be helpful to anyone considering online schooling for their children. Next, insyaAllah I will share my experience online homeschooling.
Over the decade of HS, I have tried a few online homeschooling websites such as reading A-Z (RAZ) and time4learning. There are many types of websites; for example RAZ has resources and teaching guides that you use to teach offline while time4learning is almostly completely online except for some exercises you can print off.
Then there are websites that are free like Khan Academy and paid websites which you can only view with a subscription like arts attack. Youtube has many video series that provide intriguing perspectives and attractive animation.
With so many to choose from where do you even start?
Here's a few pointers to help you:
1. Consider your needs. Do you want something organised with well-defined curriculum or would you prefer something you can pick and choose? Are you preparing your child for an exam and would like online support geared towards this?
2. What is your budget? Free is not necessarily bad these days. My children have greatly benefited from Salman Khan's clear explanation of concepts and the crash course series on youtube is fun yet educational.
3. Do you want the online programme to be the main source of learning or just a supplement? If it is going to be them main learning platform you would want a well organised curriculum or tutor support.
4. How much time do you want your child to spend online? The younger the student, the shorter the time that they should spend online. While it may be educational, too much screen time (or any) is not healthy for the child.
5. Is the website well-managed and has stable support? Is payment hassle free and can you easily get support when you encounter problems? The last thing you want is to spend time trying to kickstart your child's lessons and technical problems lagging your child's learning experience.
6. Does the site track your child's activities and progress? This will greatly help to reduce your workload and keep you up to date on what and how your child is doing. It is especially helpful if you need to send reports of what your child is doing to the education ministry.
Hope these pointers will be helpful to anyone considering online schooling for their children. Next, insyaAllah I will share my experience online homeschooling.
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