After waving our kids off at the front door, school gate, or bus stop, we’re unlikely to hear about how their school day goes. Teens are especially cagey when asked, ‘how was your day?’ — which can leave some parents waiting anxiously for report cards, parent-teacher evenings,8 and exam results to see how their kids are doing at school.
This is certainly not the case for parents with kids enrolled in virtual schools. Beyond a number of other benefits, including flexibility and independence, eLearning offers parents far greater (and even real-time) insight into their child’s day-to-day, allowing them to be more involved with their education.
Real-Time Access Can Help Your Child
Gaining insight into your child’s strengths and struggles, as they work through their virtual high school courses will empower you to support them in areas where they may need extra help. Having this insight will allow you to celebrate wins and achievements; it can also provide you with a deeper understanding of your child’s strengths and preferences when it comes to selecting courses that will unlock various pathways to higher education or careers.
Individual virtual schools will vary in how they organize processes and procedures for navigating parental involvement. But if you’ve been considering enrolling your child in a virtual school — for a single course or the remainder of their high school experience — here are a few ways that eLearning may bridge the parent-child divide.
Enjoy Accessible Contact with Your Child’s Teacher
Yes, parents have contact with their kid’s teacher in a brick-and-mortar school. However, often these schools are at capacity with a high student-to-teacher ratio. In contrast, virtual schools have modest class sizes, which gives teachers more dedicated time to respond to parent queries thoroughly.
Receive Frequent Email Communications
In some cases, communications policies may vary for those aged 18 and up. So, depending on the student’s age, parents can receive regular updates via email as to general course and school news, mark updates and reviews, and feedback on the student’s progress and successes.
Get Real-Time Access to Coursework
One of the major benefits of eLearning is that children are awarded a level of independence through flexible study. For some students, however, transitioning to independent study will require time and encouragement. At first, some students may not have the discipline to stick to a study routine. Fortunately, online teachers at virtual schools have experienced this many times and will be able to provide expert guidance. Further, as a parent, you can access your child’s study portal remotely. Here, you can see when they last logged on, review their progress, and scan their current grades alongside any feedback from the instructor.
While access like this may initially diminish one of the great merits of virtual schooling — trust and independence — maintaining a handle on your kids’ education in such a way can also be an invaluable tool in setting them up for success.
Takeaway
Parental involvement in their child’s education has been associated with positive academic performance. Virtual schooling offers this luxury and so much more. Consider eLearning this year if you feel you and your child’s education are drifting apart.