Deciding to enroll your children in an online school has it's own set of challenges. And because online education is still what some may consider "different", we realize that parents need robust resources and support to help - whether it's to hear about fresh ideas, gain a more indepth perspective about online education or just simply talk to someone who "gets it" and can offer advice. 

We also know that no one family is alike, which is why we offer many different types of programs and resources to help families - whether they are already living and learning the online education lifestyle or are just starting to look into the possiblities that online learning can offer.  

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted." - Garrison Keillor 

Do you agree? 

With all daily digital noise vying for our kids' attention, it's important to remember how vital a role, literacy development plays in our children's overall learning and development. Recent research by the National Early Literacy Panel’s (NELP) finds that encouraging young children’s language and literacy development is important in language development and it's critical that our children become proficient readers by the end of third grade.

Educators like to say third grade is when kids move from learning to read, to reading to learn. According to literary specialist, Kathy Callister, "Things change in third grade. Kids are not just learning fundamentals of reading. They are reading for meaning and to learn. If kids are struggling to decode the words, they don't get much meaning from the text and don't learn what they need to know."

Parents and Teachers Help Students Learn 

You may have seen and read about the newly released movie “Won’t Back Down”. It’s about parents and teachers who are frustrated by a school that doesn’t meet their children’s needs. Driven to make a difference, they come together to improve their school and help students get the education they deserve.

Not every school suffers from the problems depicted in the movie, but clearly the traditional solutions don’t work for every child and rapidly developing technologies are forcing us to look at how we prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce. The reality is that too many schools are failing their students. Nearly a quarter of all students drop out of high school. And the number of so-called “dropout factories” (schools in which at least 60% of students do not graduate on time) numbered 1,550 in 2010.*

Online Learning Coach Support 

The learning never stops when you are a parent and an online learning coach and it’s important for you to know that you aren’t alone. Your K¹² community of schools, teachers, staff and families will help you along the way . October is here and we have a full slate of parent events and support resources created for ALL of our families. Highlighted below are just a few of the many support and informational opportunities we have created. 

October Parent Workshops

• Using MARK¹² Effectively 
• Making K¹² Games and Mobile Apps Work for You
• Handwriting Without Tears
• Understanding Your Scantron Assessment Results
• Manage Your Time More Effectively and Have Fun Learning Using Block Scheduling