If You’re interested in virtual homeschooling that means you’re curious about its benefits for students and drawbacks to determine your decision for your kids. Many parents are looking for a developed education for their children to improve the skills that qualify them to be successful in society.
Tremendous changes have happened in education worldwide in recent years due to technological development which has created modern types of learning that compete strongly with traditional education in classrooms.
One of the modern types of education that have been widely propagated is online homeschooling in multiple countries like the United States, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
It’s crucial to highlight virtual homeschooling’s definition before focusing on its pros and cons. So check out its concept.
Here we will learn the following:
Table of Contents
What is Virtual Homeschooling?
Virtual Homeschooling is a combination of homeschooling and online schools. It relies on learning at home through online curricula and programs. It’s not limited to public or private schools as it’s a parent-directed education in an online environment.
Virtual homeschooling is digital-based learning in that children attend classes online by using devices like computers, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets under the supervision of their parents.
In virtual homeschooling, parents seek to provide their kids with high-quality online curricula and programs that achieve the required goals beyond traditional classrooms that rely on a particular curriculum that doesn’t fit all students’ abilities and skills.
Generally, parents of homeschoolers play the role of teaching, but some aren’t enough-qualified for this mission, so they hire professional tutors.
Read more about What is Homeschooling? – 2023 Best Complete Guide
Advantages of Virtual Homeschooling
Parents who choose to homeschool their children should have their decision well planned. Here are seven reasons to tell you why homeschooling is one of the best tech-based education types:
1. Reducing Distractions
Homeschoolers get a better experience of concentration while learning. Unlike school students who face distractions around them that decrease their focus in the classroom, they can’t understand the lesson completely.
Interrupted class and peer talk are the most common examples of school distractions. At home, homeschoolers sit in a quiet space, so they can understand lessons well and finish their assignments quickly. This advantage reflects the efficiency of learning through online homeschooling.
2. No suffering from bullying
At public and private schools, students are more likely to be bullied in different stages by peers. They suffer from several types of bullying like physical, racial, verbal, and religious bullying.
It’s one of the most common troubles that students face and one of the main reasons for depression, anxiety, fear, and suicide.
On the other hand, in virtual homeschooling, children learn at home with parents or tutors, not in a classroom full of students that may bully them.
No suffering from bullying means that homeschoolers are better psychologically, with low rates of depression and anxiety, and can achieve progressive results in learning.
3. Free Scheduling Time
Sticking to an early time of school hours daily doesn’t fit all students. They don’t get plenty of time of sleep. So they won’t be energized, active, and well-ready for the school day. This leads to low concentration in classrooms and getting low grades on exams.
Therefore, homeschooling gives parents free choice to set a flexible schedule weekly that fits their biological clocks, so they start learning at home full of energy and focus. This advantage plays a vital role in making children more productive and advanced academically.
4. A strong bond with Parents
Virtual homeschooling is one of the best chances for parents to be closer to their children as they spend more hours with them teaching and helping them do schoolwork.
Through a strong bond, parents guide their children to success. They will understand their abilities and skills and help them work on their weaknesses.
5. High-Quality Curriculum
Virtual homeschooling gives parents the option to choose the best curriculum that fits their children, which includes hands-on activities to help them absorb subjects. This experience can boost engagement and interactivity.
6. Comfort Environment for Education
Homeschoolers are less anxious compared to public or private schools student. Learning at home creates a suitable environment for them. It stimulates them to work hard in the available time.
7. Less cost
In schools, parents pay high fees for transportation, school tuition, supplies, and uniforms. But they can save money when they homeschool their children and find high-quality programs at affordable costs.
Learn More About Our Accredited homeschooling programs:
- Elementary School K-5 – Sahlah Academy
- Online High School – Sahlah Academy
- Online Middle School – Sahlah Academy
- Arabic K-12 – Sahlah Academy
- Islamic Studies K-12 – Sahlah Academy
Disadvantages of Virtual Homeschooling
Although virtual homeschooling represents advanced education beyond school borders, it doesn’t fit all student’s requirements and abilities. Here are the most prominent drawbacks of it:
1. Finding Answers without any Effort
While working on assignments, homeschoolers tend to search for answers to difficult questions. Using the internet most times in learning can make them lazy to make an effort to finish their work.
They use search engines to shorten the time. Parents can overcome this disadvantage by supervising and encouraging them to work hard.
2. Less face-to-face interaction
Homeschoolers spend their learning times with only parents or instructors using the internet without any engagement with peers.
If they have a previous experience in school, they will miss playing with their friends during break times. This drawback may weaken their social skills and make them more introverted.
Parents can present alternative solutions to boost social interaction for their children by searching for activities outside the home that enhance their engagement with others.
3. Low-qualified online tutor
Some parents find out that they hired unprofessional instructors who don’t have enough experience in homeschooling teaching and can’t meet homeschoolers’ requirements. So the result will lead to ineffective learning and time-wasting.
However, parents should make sure that they hire highly qualified tutors. They can ask other families for the best-certified teacher as a recommendation.
4. Lack of equipment
Parents can only prepare a comfortable space for learning, but it’s hard to equip a room as a lab for their children to make experiments. Moreover, Home has fewer facilities for sports activities like school that include spaces for playing.
In case of finding alternative solutions, parents can provide their home with extracurricular activities as much as they can. They can search for fitness classes for kids in the gym or a favorite sport at the club.
Read more about Homeschool Must-Haves – Top Grade-Based Must-haves in 2023
Conclusion – Why is virtual homeschooling important?
Virtual homeschooling is one of the most common examples of technology-based education worldwide, where homeschoolers learn through online curricula and programs. They learn at home with the assistance of parents and use devices to access lessons.
Virtual homeschooling is a vital factor in eliminating distractions and saving children from bullying. It features scheduling flexibility, high-quality programs, and affordable cost of online programs.
However, it lacks social interaction and facilities for practical activities. Parents should decide to homeschool their children if it meets their requirements.
