Online Classes for Middle School Homeschoolers
Online classes for middle school are a perfect way for tweens to learn and grow. Even though we’re homeschooling them, that doesn’t mean we have to teach everything. In fact, there are huge benefits to kids learning from someone else.
Have you tried this type of learning before? I successfully used virtual classes regularly with both of my girls.
Luckily, finding online classes for your teen is easier than you think. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of virtual classes for middle schoolers that will engage and challenge your students. And, best of all, these classes are offered completely online, making them perfect for busy homeschooling families.
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Benefits of Online Classes for Homeschoolers
There are plenty of benefits that online classes can offer homeschoolers. We’ve successfully used them over the years. My youngest absolutely loved her online writing class and I was thankful to have someone else checking her papers. My oldest was able to catch up in math thanks to an online math program.
So why should you add virtual classes to your homeschool? For one, they provide flexibility in terms of scheduling and pace. This is great if your kids find it difficult to focus for extended periods of time. With virtual courses, tweens can take breaks when they need to and come back to the material when they are ready to learn again.
Online classes also offer a flexible approach to learning, which is often very helpful to busy homeschooling families.
Additionally, these types of courses can provide tweens with experience using a new learning platform. For tweens who are used to a traditional classroom or homeschool setting, this can be a refreshing change of pace. Plus, it’s valuable in terms of preparing for higher education or future jobs.
Finally, online classes can take some of the stress off of homeschooling parents. By taking some classes online, parents won’t have to teach every subject and can focus on other areas of their tween’s education.
Ultimately, there are many reasons why homeschooling tweens may benefit from taking classes online. With them, you can rest assured that your kids are getting a well-rounded education.
How to Choose an Online Class
More and more homeschoolers are taking classes online, so there are more options than ever.
So, how do you choose the right classes for your tweens? Here are some questions you need to answer as you begin your search:
- Do you want something with a mix of lectures, readings, and interactive activities or would your tween prefer straight lectures?
- Are you looking for a traditional class format or a self-paced program?
- Does your tween need individual access to the teacher?
- What is your budget?
Answering these basic questions will give you a good sense of what you want from an online class.
Here are a few other things to look for:
- If it’s important to you, check to see if the class is homeschool-friendly. Some online classes are designed for traditional school students and may not be a good fit for your homeschooler. Look for classes that specifically say they’re for homeschoolers or that offer a homeschool discount.
- Choose classes that fit your child’s learning style. Not all kids learn best by sitting in front of a computer all day. If your child is a kinesthetic learner, look for classes that include lots of hands-on activities or that allow your child to move around while they’re learning.
- Consider your child’s interests. Online classes can be a great way to help your child explore their interests and develop new ones. This is a great way to give your kids some experience in an area they’re passionate about, but you’re not as comfortable teaching.
- Look for classes that are both challenging and engaging if you’re using them for core courses and ones that are fun and interesting for electives.
- Are you using it as a fun summer activity for tweens? Or as a full course credit?
Don’t forget to ask other homeschooling moms to see what they recommend.
By taking the time to carefully choose the right online classes, homeschooling tweens can thrive.
Online Courses for Teens
Here are a bunch of awesome choices for homeschoolers who want to add some online courses to their lessons plans. FYI – these are sites that offer a wide variety of complete classes which is different from the virtual curriculum options offered by many well-known homeschooling companies.
Florida Virtual
If you live in Florida, you can take advantage of the free online classes offered by Florida Virtual (those out of state can pay to take classes). Their flex option is perfect for homeschoolers who just want to add a class or two to their school year. Tweens can take any of their core courses through them, including foreign languages. They also offer a wide variety of electives for kids to choose from.
Both of my girls took lots of classes here, including photography, health, and driver’s ed. They even completed their foreign language requirements through this virtual school.
Outschool
Outschool is one of the more popular online class platforms right now. Their site offers thousands of classes on nearly any topic your teen could want to learn at affordable prices that make it easy to add a class or two to your child’s curriculum for the year.
This is the perfect place to find classes on your child’s hobbies and career interests like coding.
Destinations Academy
Destinations Academy offers free online classes over the summer in the fields of marketing, information technology, and health care. This is a great way to add to your child’s transcripts with a fun and self-paced program for light summer learning. These classes are accredited and you can get an official transcript to add to your files for your teen’s high school transcripts.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy offers classes that are self-paced and perfect for homeschoolers looking to learn about topics mom and dad may not feel confident teaching. You can find all of the science and math classes required in most states for free on Khan Academy. They offer reports on your child’s progress through high school. You can even find college-level classes and SAT prep on their site.
Coursera
Coursera offers free online classes that can be used as part of your homeschooling ventures. Take advantage of thousands of free courses and even a few affordable certificate options to get your teen learning and working towards a future career while you home give them an amazing personalized education that fits their needs right from home.
Coding Classes
Coding is a popular STEM topic that is becoming an essential part of our society. More and more kids are exploring coding learning how to make their own websites, games, and apps. Code.org offers free online classes your teen can use to learn how to code their own games and apps as well as coding for working with popular games like Minecraft.
Connections Academy
Connections Academy is a great option for families looking to add online homeschool classes for their teens to help them excel. With core and elective classes available to choose from you can use this as an entire high school curriculum online or pick and choose classes that fit your child’s needs and goals.
iD Tech
iD Tech offers small classes, virtual camps, and private lessons geared toward building your child’s STEM skills. They’re taught by live instructors who excel in their fields. Whether your tween is a beginner or expert, there’s something for them here.
Taking online classes is a great way for tweens to learn and grow. There are tons of different courses available, so it’s easy to find one to fit your homeschooler’s needs and interests. Are you ready to add some to your homeschool?
Resources for Online Learning
Here are a few things your tween will need in order to take online classes.
- Make sure you have a reliable computer for your middle schooler, like this touch screen laptop.
- Wireless Bluetooth earbuds will make sure everyone doesn’t have to listen to the class.
- Even though the class is virtual, you tween will still have to print stuff off, so make sure you have a quality printer.
Do you use online courses in your homeschool?
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