Throughout my educational experience, I have learned the importance of parental involvement in a child’s life. The involvement can take many forms: being a role model, instilling good habits, being consistent in discipline, and building good relationships. This can be done by taking the time to nurture a relationship with grace and love. Equipping children in such ways can help them overcome various life challenges. Since social interactions are vital for children’s development, let’s review how social interactions occur in the family. 

Being a student can be expensive. From tuition costs to everyday items, families often find themselves looking for coupons and discounts. Thankfully, there are a myriad of businesses who want to help families just like you! 

In the current world of education, teaching and learning are moving from brick-and-mortar schools to the virtual world, from 30 students in a class to serving one student at a time. Especially in the last 10 years, online education is on the rise for homeschooling parents.¹ It provides students the flexibility to learn anywhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as long as there is Internet availability. Homeschooled online students can take advantage of unique course offerings such as world languages, Dual Enrollment (taking college courses while in high school), Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Honors courses, Gifted courses, and AIMS intervention. Importantly, homeschooled students enrolled at Enlightium Academy can obtain an accredited diploma recognized by colleges and universities around the world.

What kind of environment provides a proper context for learning to take place? This question is often asked by educators and parents. Let’s try to answer this question in a practical way so it can benefit students and satisfy parents’ and teachers’ expectations. In regards to the environment, the best approach is to minimize distractions while a student is working on school assignments. It is important that students take breaks, get fresh air, exercise, and have nutritious meals. Lave and Wegner (1991) saw learning from non-traditional lenses, instead of asking what kinds of cognitive processes and conceptual structures are involved in learning, they ask what kinds of social engagements provide the proper context for learning to take place.

What can get your kids practicing math, learning about chemical reactions, and following directions? How about working on a team, solving problems, and being creative? I humbly submit that planning and preparing food for the family is a great way for kids to practice all these skills and more. And while, yes, I am biased, I do believe that in a digital age, there is a lot of value in the hands-on, all-senses-engaged practice of cooking. There are many evenings when I get home from work after hours and hours of staring at a screen, and really start to reconnect with myself and my family over chopping vegetables, stirring soups, and sharing conversation. I think kids can have a role in planning meals and nourishing families, regardless of their age or abilities.

BONUS STEP: CONDUCTING AND USING RESEARCH

I’m going to start at the beginning with this, since, in my experience, finding good research is a major stumbling block for students. Even though most of my students are incredibly technologically literate and spend a lot of time online, it is a mistake for teachers (or students) to assume that this is the same thing as conducting research.

This is the final entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link.

STEP 9: REWRITING, REVISING, EDITING

Many students see the process of revision as an unnecessary bother, and rarely do more than correct a few spelling errors. I get it. There comes a point where you just want to turn in the paper, but the truth is that every paper can use some serious rewriting. I personally love this process, because it allows me to move the paper closer to how I imagined it and communicate more clearly.

This is the sixth entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link.

STEP 7: BODY PARAGRAPHS

Each body paragraph starts with a topic sentence. A topic sentence has the same function for the paragraph that the thesis has for the whole essay: it clearly defines exactly what that paragraph will be about. This helps you identify what information to include in the paragraph, and also ensures that the information connects directly to your thesis statement.

This is the fifth entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link. 

STEP 5: OUTLINING

Outlining is the process of taking the information from your brainstorming list and organizing it so you can present it in the most logical and effective way.

Start by taking your brainstorming list and identifying ideas that go together. I like to use a numbering system, but you can also use symbols, highlighting in different colors, or whatever works best for you. The important thing to remember is that your essay should be organized based on ideas.

This is the fourth entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link.

After identifying similar ideas, decide how to categorize them. What is the best way to describe this subtopic? How do they directly support your topic and ultimately your thesis statement?

STEP 4: THESIS STATEMENT

A clear thesis statement is key to writing a good essay. It’s not easy, but it is necessary.

This is the third entry in a series concerning the writing process. You can review the entire series at this link.

The point I’m going to make about thesis statements is very similar to the point I made about essay topics, but this time I have some fun illustrations.

STEP 2: CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC

The second step in writing a good essay is choosing the right topic. Your topic determines what you will write, so choose wisely.

This is the second entry in a series concerning the writing process. Make sure that you read Part 1: Reading the Prompt before reviewing this article.

Choosing the right topic for your essay can be tricky. Usually, there is flexibility built into a prompt, so that you have a choice of which part of the question to focus on.

There are a number of reasons why you may not be receiving some or all emails from Enlightium Academy even after enrolling. The following are the most common:

Rules and structure are important standards to live by in life. As Christians, these standards are laid out in great detail in the Bible. Students of Enlightium Academy also have the Family Handbook, which is provided to students by the administration to set expectations for families for the school year. At Enlightium Academy, we fine-tuned three rules that you are expected to understand and follow to have the best year possible.

INTRODUCTION

Writing essays is challenging and intimidating for many students. This is understandable, especially for students who have never written an essay before. It’s stressful trying to produce a longer piece of writing.

According to a Barna Group survey conducted in 2016, nearly 60% of teens who grow up attending church walk away and become part of the unchurched population after graduating high school (roughly 45%). These numbers aren’t great; in fact, there are many that find them concerning and seek to offer solutions to the issues that are causing our youth to drop out of the church. Some of the studies that have been done on low church attendance among youth point to the need for revitalized programs and systems. If only the church would have a stronger youth ministry, or a greater focus on discipleship, or a more relatable sermon, or edgier worship music, or this, or that. While youth ministry is good and serves a good purpose, and while other programs and structures seek to serve the body in specific ways, the problem is not within these systems. The true issue is within misplaced responsibility. For too long, many have expected the church to do what is the God-ordained responsibility of the parents. Yes, the church makes disciples. Yes, we go to church to worship a God who is infinitely worthy of our praise. The primary disciple-makers of our youth, however, is not the church, it is the parents. Discipleship begins at home. Worship begins at home. 

My favorite Bible verse that I have dwelled on throughout my life is “… with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

In life, as humans, we face unpredictable circumstances: earthquakes, hurricanes, accidents, illness, even death, or circumstances created by humans such as unstable political situations or war. In any life circumstances, God says that with him and through him, “all things are possible.”

For an online private school student, temporarily losing access to the Internet is comparable to an astronaut locking his keys in the shuttle while going for a space walk. Simply put, it is not an ideal situation.

As education transforms with the rise of school choice options in the U.S. such as online homeschooling, there is a need to understand the arguments for and against school choice reforms from the angle of effects on a student’s academic performance, so parents can make more informed decisions as school choices will likely continue to expand.¹ The purpose of this academic article is to explore the impact on a student’s academic performance based on parental involvement in choosing online homeschools. I propose that if parents are actively involved in choosing an online homeschool to fulfill their child’s academic needs, that in and of itself tends to improve the student’s academic performance primarily because of the increased parental involvement in their child’s education. Research suggests that the student's academic performance is likely the driving force behind the parents’ choice.²

When you decide to enroll your student in an alternative to public school, whether it is enrolling him/her in an online private school such as Enlightium Academy or taking on all responsibilities yourself in homeschooling, you are cutting yourself off from the educational standard and therefore have additional steps to fulfill. It’s a tradeoff - you have more of a say in what and how your student is learning, and in return you are accountable to the state to ensure that your student is learning the basics.

Sometimes your academics may feel overwhelming. What classes should you take? What do you do if you’re strugglingstrugging in a course? How do you make friends in a virtual school?

Remember that you’re not alone! Enlightium Academy was founded in 2003 and has helped thousands of students around the world. Learn from those who came before you with these seven basic habits of a successful student.