The Ultimate Home Education Solution for Busy Families
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that it is not one size fits all. In fact, I would say that you are hard-pressed to find two homeschoolers who do exactly the same thing. That is one of the beauties of creating an education that is perfect for your individual family.
Today I am going to be sharing a bit more about Legacy Online School (get 10% off your 1st month with code Heather10). This is an online accredited private school option for homeschoolers.
Now, when you use an online school, it does not mean that you no longer have to follow the homeschool laws in your state. But, instead, it is a tool that you use to educate your kids. So, for all of my Maine homeschoolers out there, yes you would still be required to file your homeschool notice as well as do an end of year assessment.
What is Legacy Online School?
As I said above, Legacy Online School is an accredited online private school that offers programs for K-12. They are accredited by the WASC as well as the College Board. This means they also offer AP classes for high school students. Their curriculum is provided by Florida Virtual School and has an emphasis on STEM.
There are a variety of classes that your student can take from elementary all the way through high school. I appreciate that in the elementary years the students are only working on their online school 4 days each week. This gives parents the ability to have a “fun Friday” homeschool day, or to give space for field trips etc.
With Legacy Online School you have both the core classes, Math, English, Science, Social Studies, but then you also have many elective classes to choose from as well. If you would like a closer look at the curriculum used, you can find the different age levels here – elementary, middle school, high school as well as more information Legacy Online School.
Multiple Options for Education
With Legacy Online School you get a couple of options as to how you want your school day delivered. The first is live group classes. This is where a group of students (no more than 10) login in and have live classes directly with the teachers. This would most closely resemble a normal private school setting. Your student would be online and collaborate with her peers.
The second way is to do a more self-paced study with pre-recorded lessons. This would be appropriate for the student who may not be in the specific time zone of the teachers (eastern). It would also work for the student who has a lot of activities at different parts of the day.
Finally, you can choose just a few courses. So, if you would like the ability to have specific help in one or two specific courses for your student, this is another option. I think math and science would fit wonderfully for these part-time options, especially as you get into the high school level courses.
In addition to the normal curriculum, the student as the option to join virtual clubs and other extracurricular activities. This is great for relationship building as well as just a fun way to stay engaged while using a private online school.
Legacy Online School: Affordability
One of the complaints I get most often from parents looking for an online option is the cost. Legacy Online School is one of the most affordable online options I have seen. It starts at $149 per month, depending on the level and whether it is full, asynchronous, or part-time. There is also a multiple student discount. So, if you have multiple students, you will get an additional 5% off the monthly fee.
I like that there is the option to do a part-time schedule, again, if you are just looking for help with one or two classes. Or, you can do the entire program fully online with live teachers. That gives a lot of different options for you, as the homeschool parent, to figure out exactly what works best for your family.
A Look at the Schedule
If you choose to do the live group learning, there is a schedule to follow. I feel like it is very manageable, and gives plenty of space for breaks as well as additional options to keep your child engaged after their school day is done. Here are some sample schedules at the different levels to give you an idea of what a day may look like.
Elementary School
As I said above, I absolutely love that the elementary ages have a 4-day week. I think that is so helpful to parents who want to be out doing other activities on Friday, or have a co-op that they want to join as well. Having some flexibility within the weekly schedule is incredibly helpful. I also like that there is a later check-in time, not just for the younger students, but all of the students. Having the ability to starting the first class for all levels at 10am is a huge bonus. Sleep is so important, and this gives kids the opportunity to get up and ready for the day before they actually start their online school.
Middle School
High School
Legacy Online School Course Options
One of the things I appreciate most about Legacy Online School are the number of course options available. They of course cover all of the core classes – Math, English, Science, Social Studies. However, beyond the core classes they offer a plethora of elective options starting in the elementary years, including foreign language, art, PE, and Computer Science.
Once you get into the middle school years, the elective options pick up and you can start exploring some more specialized elective classes to give you a deeper understanding of a particular subject. It is all about starting to explore your interests in Middle School, so having so many options available is great for students!
Finally, once you get to the high school years you obviously have the largest number of options for classes. Not only do you have the traditional core classes, but you also have the choice of AP courses as well as Dual Enrollment options. Also, your student has a wide range of Career and Technical Education (CTE) options to choose from, so they can really deep dive on particular areas they may have interest in. Some of the elective options are Theater, Cinema, and Film Production, Social Media, Applications of Artificial Intelligence, and Forensic Science.
I absolutely love that there are so many elective and CTE course options. Why? Because as a homeschooler it can be difficult to find some of those specialized classes. If you live in a rural area like we do, it is hard to find options for some of those very specialized elective classes. Legacy Online School is a great answer for that challenge!
Virtual Clubs
Not only are all of the traditional and elective course options available, but they also offer virtual clubs. These are not required, but if your student wants to get to know some other students, or they are looking for some more fun activities to do after their school day is done, the virtual clubs are a great option. They offer book clubs, coding and technology clubs, art clubs, chess clubs. There are so many options to deep-dive on your interests and get to know other students.
Still have Questions?
If you are looking into Legacy Online School, but still have questions, take a moment to watch my video walkthrough of the learning management system. And then, if you are still looking for answers, you can contact them directly. They are incredibly responsive and have answered all of my questions with super quick turnaround. You have the option to experience a day as a student for free. And you can also contact one of the education counselors to help you with any questions or concerns you have.
The Bottom Line
If you are looking to homeschool your kids, but you work full time, or need extra help with the education of your child, Legacy Online School might be a great fit for you. I think that the affordability is awesome for an accredited online private school. The ability to choose the courses your student takes, and the level of the load – either part-time or full-time – is also amazing.
I think that the learning management system is easy to navigate and your student will have no trouble getting finding the information they need without a lot of extra help from the parent. It isn’t just sitting and reading text on a screen. Instead, it is interactive, and offers a wide range of tools to help your child learn – puzzles, videos, images, games, etc.
Overall, I think that this is an amazing option for homeschoolers. Like I said at the beginning, homeschooling is not one-size-fits-all. Instead, each individual family is different. Parents are really taking the time now to figure out what the best option for their individual children are. Legacy Online School is going to be a great addition for some families who need that extra teacher support, or who want to bring their kids home but don’t have the time to do all of the teaching themselves.
Homeschooling is wonderful because it can be tailored to your specific child. Legacy Online School is going to help you if you are looking to homeschool your kids, but you need a little extra support. Or, if your student is getting into the high school years and you don’t feel confident teaching your student those high school level classes, this is a great option for you!
