Useful Web Sites

• The Children's Online Protection Act
• Kids' Place - Pre-K–6 resources for teachers, students, and families to support instruction in the classroom and at home.
• You Are Here (Smart Consumers grades 5-8)  - For students in 5th through 8th grade and can be used to complement lessons in critical thinking, writing, language arts, media literacy, business, civics, and social studies.

Additional Details

Benefits of online skills practice and test preparation:

• Perfect supplement to any homeschool curriculum
• Adds structure to learning time
• Saves time, less manual paperwork
• Automatically identifies students' weak skills to quickly focus on teaching "needed" concepts
• Promotes creative thinking and use of technology tools
• Broadens the ability to provide one-on-one instruction
• Motivates students to learn in different ways
• Serves as an intervention tool to help categorize students who may need special education status
• Increases performance on standardized tests
• Supports learning by reinforcing traditional teaching methods
• Covers core skills necessary to reach higher learning goals
• Familiarizes students with test formats and is self-paced
• Provides an added tutorial services
• Affordable!

Need More Information?

Helpful Resources for Users

What are effective teaching strategies for parent educators? According to the National Education Association’s best practices research, The Workplace Matters: Teacher Quality, Retention, and Effectiveness (2006), teaching and learning conditions in a public school can be defined as including the psychological features of the environment, such as teacher effectiveness, opportunities for teacher learning and growth and educational elements, such as curriculum and testing.  It is reasonable then to conclude that these same features likely transcend the traditional classroom setting and carry over into the home school environment.

Is homework really necessary?

Most home school students have the benefit of not having daily homework assignments,

In reality homework time can be used to help meet daily goals of learning progression. Students in traditional schools return home at the end of a full day, and spend time reviewing skills learned during the school day. Our online skills builder and learning enrichment program, SkillsTutor, can do the same thing. SkillsTutor is a perfect homework activity. By spending 15 minutes on Math and 15 minutes on Reading each afternoon or evening for homework, students can meet their grade level goals, build confidence, and have a greater chance for success. Data indicates that students who use SkillsTutor regularly, and complete the program earn higher scores on state tests.

Is my child writing enough? How do I motivate him to give more details? Am I giving the right feedback?

We are here to help guide you through tough questions like these with sate certified educators and formal learning opportunities.  As a PT Educator Development member, you will be provided with an overview of standard writing programs for students in our live online learning workshop or with an Education Advisor ready to assist you via phone or email. Online workshops are structured as uniquely supportive professional learning communities offering customized solutions for excelling teaching and learning.