Would you ever have thought that a time would come in Nigeria when your children would have to stay without the restriction of the “four walls of education”? Well, that time is here right now; Online Learning is soaring high globally in 2020!

The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the entire educational system, revealing many weak points and also creating many more opportunities. However, one major thing parents have realized more than ever is realization that your child’s education is primarily your responsibility, and not the child’s school. This has led to parents searching for alternative educational opportunities for their kids, and why online learning is now more widely considered, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

I remember listening to the conversation among some disturbed parents who were worrying about the asking price for tuition fee from a certain tier 1 school. To be frank, the fees may seem on the high side if you are worrying that your child may not:

• be challenged academically by competitive peers,
• be physically inspired by a teacher,
• use any school tool or facility,
• have the luxury of an engaging playground, and most of all
• be away from home

Considering the factors above you may think that the costs for online learning or homeschooling (which for many institutions are around 50% off the original price) are still expensive. We will write extensively about this comparison in another article.

Whose job is it to train the child?

Parents are beginning to understand what it takes for teachers to keep the children still and inspired to learn on a daily basis (those kids can be a handful). And we can’t overstress the fact parents are the primary teachers in a Child’s life influencing their thoughts, feelings and experiences in the world.

Can you remember some of those practices you engaged in when your little child was just few months old?

• The nursery rhymes,
• The animated (yet educating) facial expressions you made,
• Those questionable dance moves,
• The endless mini-figures you acquired after learning that they could spur creativity in our Child, and
• The little exercises you felt could develop cognitive abilities in our Child.

Well those really helped for your child’s learning, you can achieve the same cognitive results and even better with online tools today, now that your child is much older.

In this blog post, we will take you through four online educational platforms that will help your Child continue the learning process and develop needed skills even in the four walls of their home. 

Check out these Online Learning Platforms Your Kids Can Start Using Today

1. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a non-profit with the mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere through its personalized learning dashboard. You can also register as a parent to help your child(ren) get the best learning experience.

The platform is deeply saturated with educational resources such as practice lessons and instructional videos.

What Grades of Courses Does Khan Academy Offer?

They offer subjects covering kindergarten to secondary school. These include a variety of courses categorized under broad categories such as:

• Math
• Khan  Kids (For ages 2 – 7)
• Science & Engineering
• Arts & Humanities
• Economics & Finance
• Computing
• Test prep, College careers & more. .

How much does Khan Academy cost?

It is an American non-profit organisation and if you are wondering what price you need to pay to get on-board, the answer is ₦0. 

All you have to do is get on to create an account for your Child, get the desired subjects and begin to track his/her progress level.

Click Here To start learning on Khan Academy

2. Code.org

Code.org is also a non-for-profit organization set up to ensure that every child within the age range of 4-19 years old learns computer science at their pace. Their online educational platform also empowers educators with the necessary skills to enable them inspire and communicate effectively with their students.

Children can begin to learn the basics of Coding, Programming, Artificial intelligence, Machine learning and Mobile app development.

 

How much does Code.org cost?

Code.org is completely free to us.

Visit Code.org to get started.

3. Storybird

Do you seem to have a creative child? Then Storybird is solely designed for your child. It is an art-inspired creative writing platform that has within it embedded lessons, multiple writing formats such as comics, picture books, poetry and many more. 

You can access published works from accomplished writers to get your child inspired, and your child can also publish his/her works to get reviews and feedback from experts.

How much does Storybird cost?

You can take advantage of a 7-day free trial, and enjoy an additional 7 days if you download their mobile app on Android or iOS.

Upgrade to a premium plan to enjoy more exclusive features on the platform. 

First things first, log onto Storybird and get your child to create a comical story on his/her stay-at-home with mum and dad experience.

4. Education.com

Have you tried every way possible to help your Child love Maths? One of the proven best ways to get your child drenched in the love for Mathematics is a teaching methodology called gamification or game-based learning. Education.com is a huge online repository for educational games that will get them engaged and inspired towards learning.

What is Gamification or Game-based Learning?

According to Wikipedia,

The gamification of learning is an educational approach to motivate students to learn by using video game design and game elements in learning environments. The goal is to maximize enjoyment and engagement through capturing the interest of learners and inspiring them to continue learning.

Some great educators and teachers already attempt to introduce game elements in physical class settings. For example, conducting quizzes with small gift prizes, or putting out a competition and dividing the class into groups to compete against each other. 

However, with the advent of online learning, we are now able to fully utilize video game design and technology to grab and retain attention, and  achieve full immersion.  According to SpringerOpen,

Gamification has been shown to increase learners’ engagement with course materials and improve their motivation, learning participation and collaboration.

This is exactly what Education.com is offering.

How much does Education.com cost?

You can start with a free basic account and get access to some of their resources, but they have paid plans for more premium content.

Guess what? If you’re a school owner or are part of a homeschooling group, you can actually grab some huge discounts on multiple memberships by applying for a school account here.

Would you love to watch your child’s enthusiasm for learning soar high to the skies? Click Here to Check out Education.com

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