We have 5 children and have now experienced every grade level from Kindergarten all the way to a graduated senior. My oldest has now completed his Freshman year of college. OKCA gave us freedom to be involved in extra-curricular activities such as Oklahoma Homeschool Band, Homeschool Gymnastics, Martial Arts as well as social activities such as field trips.
Our decision was we wanted to know exactly what our children were being taught and as well wanted a challenging curriculum. Unfortunately the school district we live in does not have stellar public schools. OKCA has been an awesome experience for us. I as a parent love that I have the support of teachers, principal and counselors like I would in a traditional school setting, but have my children home with me learning.
I am able to view exactly what they are learning and as well help them understand what they are learning. Please note I sit by my 1st grader for about hours a day helping her navigate her lessons and then she does other learning activities independently, like math worksheets, reading, and art projects. I love the electives that are offered. Everything from Chess club, foreign languages, computer skills classes and even an ASL class.
We also love the flexibility this setting provides for our family as we can work ahead so we can have days off, or work their calendars to suit our own schedule around doctor's appointments, field trips, extra long weekends for quick trips and we have even gone on vacation during the school year and the kids are able to complete their lessons while away in our downtime.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. Have a great summer! I am very pleased with the overall experience that we have had as a parent and student. I found that my son had a lot of work to do, I noticed that his grades had a major improvement from when he was attending regular school. He was given the attention and that helped him feel more confident. His teachers are supportive. High school can be a tough transition but they had programs and lessons that help the students through it.
I found that the little quizzes that they have at the end of the lessons are good because the students can recap what they have learned through the lesson. The only thing I would suggest is that there is a way that the student could meet once a week for a fun time just the kids so they can form some friendships and exchange information so they can be friends out of school like they would at regular public school.
Florida Connections Academy. Hi Max. It is so great to hear that your student has been receiving the attention he deserves from teachers. Before the pandemic, we offered social opportunities for students, and we are currently planning to add more social activities once the pandemic is over!
Get buying tips about Online Homeschools delivered to your inbox. Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to our newsletter! Enjoy reading our tips and recommendations. I enrolled my children 7th and 11th grades into Connections Academy PA-Reach Cyber Charter because we were not happy with our local public school's options during the pandemic.
My 7th grader has fallen in love with it so much that he plans to stay for the rest of his schooling. He really loves all of the STEM opportunities, clubs, and pop up type events. He also has less anxiety not having to go to the brick and mortar school. He also loves the live lessons for all of his classes.
My 11th grader is planning to go back to the local public school next year, as she misses her friends and wants to graduate with them But she is also very happy that she has had Reach Cyber as an option this year.
She cannot imagine having to deal with all of the changes and learning curves that the local school has dealt with during this pandemic. She is very happy to have had a choice! As a mom, I am very happy that we have had the choice of a cyber school. I love the flexibility of Connection Academy! There are a lot of live lessons but none of them are required.
So, if my children have a doctor's appointment or something else going on, they can just complete their assignments later on in the day. Hi Brandi. Thank you so much for leaving a review. We love that we can provide a safe and stable learning environment for your family. We decided to enroll our son in a virtual school right after the end of the school year in due to COVID This was such a blessing in disguise!
Connections Academy offers a challenging curriculum that is interesting and fun at the same time. They are able to cater to his individual needs, and he is still on the same pace he was before.
He loves his classes, his teachers, and the flexibility the virtual schedule offers. All of his teachers make the live lessons fun and engaging, and there are so many clubs to choose from plus fun pop up events for more social interaction, fun, and learning!
If he ever needs additional help with his lessons, his teachers are always right there for him. They are more than happy to video chat, talk on the phone, or email and text too. They've been there for me too whenever I've had a question, and have been very helpful and involved.
Once COVID has passed, there are many opportunities to get together with other local Connections families for clubs and field trips that we'll definitely be joining. We are so happy with Connections, that we will be staying on for 7th grade instead of returning to brick and mortar next year, and foreseeably through graduation. Hi Amie. I'm so glad your son is having a good academic year, and is exploring some of the fun parts of being a Connections Academy student, too!
I love teaching her the content of the lessons and organizing it to our schedule. Nothing is a secret or kept from the parents.
My daughter loves working at her own pace and has thrived this school year! We will be continuing on next year into the 6th grade and adding Spanish to her schedule too. Hi Tara, Isn't it great that they're learning to code at such a young age?! So glad to hear that Reach Cyber is working well for your family. As of this year my 2 kids must do a live lesson everyday, which is a bunch of bologna because I'm my kids teacher and all these live lesson do is get in my child way of doing his lessons.
Now it take twice as long to get lessons and and anything they do in the live lesson isn't even noticed. These teachers are in the way of my kids learning and now we are doing homework till about 8pm.
My 10th grader who has always been an A student started this online school in GA this year and after 1 full month in I have to say some subject areas are adequate structured though I would not say they are well structured. There are others such as History that was poorly created and executed. Issue 1. Apparently a some teachers that are teaching the courses have never read the materials in the course that they expect the students to read nor have they taken the tests created for the material they are expecting the students pass.
I found this out after speaking with one of the instructors. I have a teaching degree myself and have taught for a total of 8 yrs though not recently and would never expect my students to take and ace a test that I had not taken myself to make sure the questions asked are in line with the material presented.
Connections Academy is one of the leading e-schools available in the United States. My son started with Connections as a kindergartner in My husband and I place a high value on education, and we were faced with limited options in our local school district.
This reinforced our decision to enroll our son in Connections. Years later, it remains one of the best decisions we've ever made. Over the years, we've had many people ask questions about Connections Academy. They are curious to know what it is, how it works, and how we like it. Below I've addressed the most common questions we get and outlined what a typical day looks like for us. In addition, I've included some important factors to keep in mind before making the decision to enroll your child in Connections.
Connections Academy is a tuition-free online school that teaches students from Kindergarten to grade Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash. Connections Academy is an online public school for grades K— There is no tuition fee to attend, and it is offered in 29 states as of You can look up the current locations on the academy's website. Connections Academy is tuition-free, so you do not have to pay a school fee or an enrollment fee.
The curriculum and many of the materials you will need are sent to you free of charge. You will need to pick up basic supplies like notebooks, pencils, pens, loose-leaf paper, etc. It's always nice to have extra art supplies on hand, and I highly recommend a dry-erase board. Throughout the year, you might need to pick up a few extra items for special projects, like bean seeds or poster board. You will also need internet access and a computer.
Some schools offer laptops, but that's something you will need to look into for your state-specific Connections Academy. Connections Academy is accredited by Cognia formerly known as AdvancED , and the individual schools also hold regional accreditation. Connections gives your child a unique virtual classroom experience. After enrollment, both you and your child are given special login information.
The lessons are planned out for you, and you can find them through both your student's login and your own. All course materials are sent to your house prior to the start of the school year.
Your child will be assigned a homeroom teacher. Every month, your teacher will give you a call and check in on how things are going. The teacher will give you important updates, answer any questions and concerns you might have, and chat with your student to make sure he or she is on track.
The teachers can also be reached by telephone or webmail anytime you or your student have questions or concerns, or if you need help with something. Students are required to have contact with their teacher at least once every two weeks. This contact comes in the form of attending live lessons and making their monthly phone call. As the parent, you are your child's learning coach, unless you designate that responsibility to someone else, such as a grandparent or hired tutor.
Your responsibility as a learning coach is to assist your child with their daily lessons. How much time you spend with your child doing schoolwork depends on several factors:. No, the teachers grade assessments. Some assessments will have multiple-choice questions. Those are graded automatically, so you and your students will be able to see their grade immediately.
When there are short answer questions, you won't see a final grade on the assessment until the teacher grades it. Connections Academy uses letter grades just like most brick and mortar schools do. Materials like textbooks and workbooks are sent to you free of charge for your student to use while studying offline. Photo by Wadi Lissa on Unsplash. Live lessons are an important aspect of Connections Academy. These are exactly what they sound like: live, virtual lessons with the teacher for all the students in your child's grade.
The subjects for live lessons vary by grade level, but for elementary students, there are live lesson sessions for math and language arts. These sessions last between 30 minutes to an hour. These live meetings are important because the teachers will explain the concepts found in the lesson plans.
They also give your child the opportunity to ask questions and engage with their classmates while learning. Attendance requirements for live lessons will depend on your state and your child's grade level. In Ohio, live lessons are not mandatory, but students are encouraged to attend as many as possible.
The live lessons are always recorded, so if your student misses a live lesson, he or she can watch the recording when time allows.
I can't speak for all the Connections Academies, as different states vary in laws and requirements, but I can tell you that Ohio Connections Academy is very flexible when it comes to live lessons, at least at the elementary level. From Kindergarten to 4th grade, the students have live lessons in math and language arts.
In Kindergarten, my son had two per week—one for math and one for language arts. As he got older, the number increased; by 4th grade, he had math live lessons every day and language arts live lessons twice a week. In 5th grade, students have math live lessons every day, language arts live lessons twice a week, writing once a week, and science once a week.
My son did not attend every live lesson, and he did very well. Each state sets laws for attendance requirements. How many hours of school time your child needs to have each week will depend on your state. Just as an example, my son needs to account for How you mark and verify attendance will also vary.
The curriculum is challenging, and there is room for expansion or modification as needed. For example, my son was half a year ahead in all his subjects for a while and is now a 7th grader doing 8th grade math. Students can work at their own pace, as long as they meet deadlines and due dates for projects and tests. There are opportunities for advanced classes, such as gifted and talented courses in subjects like ELA and math.
There are also programs to help those students who are struggling. Because Connections Academy is a public school, students are required to complete state testing. This is done at a separate location, under the guidance of certified teachers. I think Connections does a great job of preparing the students for state assessments without overdoing it. It's not all about teaching to the test; it's about actually learning throughout the year, getting a good education, and then having the opportunity to showcase that knowledge for the state.
The teachers are amazing at helping to prepare the students when testing time comes around. There are also plenty of things that you as the parent and learning coach can do to help your student prepare.
For example, the Ohio Department of Education has multiple practice tests on their website, and I had my son practice with them a few times a week while preparing for the 3rd grade state assessments. Connections provides a wide range of online clubs for students to join. These include, but are not limited to:. Since Connections Academy is an online school, it does not offer sports. Some students are able to play sports in their home district, while other students participate in community or competition leagues.
One room in our house serves as the designated "school room. We have a separate room designated as our "school room. In addition, I have a white board on the wall where he can work out math problems or write spelling words. I also like to put up extra notes that he can copy down. I have a few educational and inspirational posters hung up, a huge vintage world map, a calendar, and plenty of space on two desks for him to complete school work.
We spend a good chunk of our day in this room completing lessons; however, the beauty of being at home is that we can take school with us anywhere. We often head to the kitchen or go outside for science experiments, art class, and gym. In addition, there are times when my son enjoys doing his book work at the kitchen counter while I get a few household chores completed. I have a strict technology and TV policy: My son is not allowed to have his phone or play any video games until after school.
In addition, he must earn them each day by showing up to class with a good attitude, the willingness to learn, and a commitment to give his best effort in all his subjects. As for TV, if he is up early, he is only allowed to watch educational programming before school. He loves it because it's fun and gives him time to wake up. I love it because I can match the episodes with what he's learning in class. We don't have a set subject routine—sometimes we start with a language arts lesson, and other days we'll begin with social studies.
We like to mix it up. Often the subject schedule will depend on what the lesson requires or what live lessons my son needs to attend for that day. Each week, my son needs to have He spends roughly 2.
While that might seem like a lot of screen time, it isn't mindless scrolling through the deep-sea internet while staring at the computer. Instead, he is actively engaging in his virtual classroom, reading through what each lesson requires, completing any book work activities, taking notes, and listening to what I add to each lesson.
Alternatively, he might be engaging with his teacher and classmates in a live lesson, taking notes and answering questions. The rest of his day is composed of other educational activities, such as reading, writing, physical activity, hands-on learning activities, going more in-depth on concepts learned within his lessons, exploring other topics of interest, etc. Because Connections is an online school, we can be flexible with our school schedule. My son does not have to attend school Monday through Friday.
He is able to take days off during the week and attend school on the weekends. This is a wonderful benefit, especially for families who have non-traditional work schedules or children who participate in competitive sports. We work my son's school schedule around my husband's work schedule to optimize family time and give us the freedom to take trips away from home. This is the biggest question I get about Connections.
People are always concerned about socialization and whether students have enough chances to interact with their peers. Connections Academy offers many opportunities for students to engage with their classmates, from the daily live lesson sessions and participation in clubs to school-sponsored field trips.
Each state is a little different, but in Ohio, we've had school-wide field trips to some pretty awesome places:. Every year, we have a back-to-school family mixer at various parks around our state. This is an opportunity for families to meet each other and connect. Building these relationships is a great way to make friends, find a support system, and plan future meet-ups. Connections Academy also has private Facebook groups for learning coaches to join, where they can find additional support and connect with other families in their area.
This is a great resource for planning extra field trips or meet-ups. As mentioned above, there are many different online clubs that students can join to connect with fellow students who share their interests. These clubs are teacher-directed and emphasize collaborative projects to help students make new friends.
Although Connections Academy doesn't offer sports, many students participate in them outside of school. Joining a community or competitive league is another way for your child to socialize with their peers. Children who already participate in extracurricular activities with rigorous schedules, such as gymnastics, competition dance, or competitive ice skating, may find online schools to be a good choice due to the flexibility they offer.
These students can complete their online schoolwork around the demands of their sports schedule. Online learning requires a significant time commitment from both you and your child.
Connections Academy is a great option, but it isn't for everyone. In order to succeed, you must be organized and disciplined. While there is flexibility when it comes to scheduling, there are still deadlines, and work must be completed.
Keep in mind that it can be time-consuming. You can't simply set your child in front of the computer and expect him or her to learn, especially when you first begin. As the parent and learning coach, you are there to help your child with his or her lessons, guiding him or her through the activities, helping to reinforce concepts, adding in bits of information, and answering questions as they arise. If your child is in the elementary years, you should be there most—if not all—of the time, gradually helping him or her become more independent.
As your child gets older, he or she will develop more independence, and you may only need to pop in to make sure he or she is staying on task or to answer questions. Remember, this is your child's education. By enrolling in Connections Academy, you are taking charge of that responsibility.
These are some important factors to keep in mind about Connections that many people don't talk about. Question: Are the live classes through Connections Academy everyday? We have done K12 online before but there are so many live classes Monday through Friday, plus the other online work each day. It is overwhelming and NOT flexible.
Answer: I have friends and have talked to other parents, who have enrolled their students in K12 and they have complained about this same issue. My son will be entering middle school this year. From Kindergarten to 4th grade, the students have math and language arts live lessons. In Kindergarten, my son had two a week -- one math and one language arts. As he got older the number increased.. The live lessons are always recorded so if your student misses a live lesson, he or she can watch the recording when time allows.
In 5th grade, students have math live lessons every day, language arts live lessons twice a week, with a writing live lesson once a week, and science once a week. Students are required to have contact with their teacher at least once every two weeks, this comes in the form of attending live lessons and their monthly phone call. I have found Ohio Connections Academy to be extremely flexible.
My son did not attend every live lesson and he did very well. We also have a nontraditional school schedule. My son does school work Friday - Tuesday and has Wednesdays and Thursdays off.
We've had this schedule for five years and it has never been an issue. Question: Do you, the writer of this article, find the academic standards at Connections Academy rigorous? Do the teachers have high expectations of the students? I am frankly shocked by what our brick-and-mortar teachers are accepting from my son. Answer: Yes absolutely! I think the curriculum is challenging and holds the students to a high standard.
The teachers are wonderful and truly care about their students. My son has had many amazing teachers at Connections!
He has always been able to ask questions and reach out with concerns. Question: To what extent can students at Connections Academy work at their own pace? Specifically, can they move faster through material they understand? Answer: Students can work at their own pace, but there are deadlines and due dates for projects and tests.
How fast your student can move through a course is going to vary from state to state. In Ohio, I've never had an issue with my son working ahead. In fact, he finished Kindergarten and started first grade in his first year of school. As he's gotten older, he has worked at his own pace and is now an entire year ahead in math. Connections does offer gifted and talented courses in various subjects, including ELA and math.
Question: Do you know anything about how Connections Academy works for children on the autism spectrum? My son is high functioning, and we are considering this option for him and his 3rd-grade sister for this fall. She is not on the spectrum, so I know it would be more straightforward for her.
Answer: Connections could be a great fit for your son and he could really thrive, it honestly just depends on a variety of factors. I can't speak from direct experience, but from my Facebook groups and in conversations with other Connections parents, parents appreciate being more hands-on with their children's education.
Connections offers support for a variety of learners and the curriculum is set up to appeal to as many kinds of learners as possible. If you decide to join, please answer the three questions, and put that you are interested in potentially enrolling under the school question.
It would also be a good idea to call your state's school to get a better understanding of how they could meet your son's specific needs. Answer: This is a good question. Connections Academy is tuition-free, so you do not have to pay a school fee.
You will need to pick up basic supplies.. It's always nice to have extra art supplies on hand and I highly recommend a dry-erase board. Question: I have enrolled my children for the next school year in Connections Academy.
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