Table of Contents
- Pivoting to Online Homeschooling
- How to Transition from In-Person to an Online Homeschool Education for Gifted Students
- Online Gifted Testing
- Applying to an Online Homeschool Program for Gifted Students
- Time Management & Organization
- Additional Resources
Is online homeschooling right for your gifted child? How does it work? When is the right time to enroll? This article will help you answer all of these questions!
To begin to understand whether online homeschooling is the best fit, it’s crucial to first understand the difference between “pivoting” and “transitioning” to online homeschooling. While these terms may seem similar, each captures a unique approach to educational change:
- Pivoting describes a sudden, substantial shift from in-person classes to online homeschooling. This often is brought on by unexpected events.
- Transitioning, however, represents a more gradual and intentional adjustment.
By clarifying these differences, families can better navigate the pros and cons of each approach, leading to more informed decisions.
Pivoting to Online Homeschooling
Some families live in a place where school takes place face-to-face in the classroom. Others live in places where school is remote or where they have hybrid options. Certain life events, like a family’s relocation, may force a quick or unexpected move from one to other.
Especially in cases where a child is moving from in-person learning to homeschooling, it’s common for families to feel unsure how long their school will be able to provide this option. At the same time, these families are also unsure about how to pivot to homeschooling again. Our Family Consultants provide a free service offered through the Young Scholars program for families across the country and U.S. families stationed abroad, and they are equipped to help.
How to Transitioning from In-Person to an Online Homeschool Education for Gifted Students
Making the switch from traditional in-person gifted education to online homeschooling can be a pivotal moment for both parents and students. This transition involves not just a change of medium, but also a shift in how learning is approached, structured, and personalized to meet the unique needs of gifted students.
Here are three things to help make the transition as smooth as possible:
- Embrace flexibility and individualization
- Prepare for a different social landscape
- Foster self-advocacy
Embracing Flexibility and Individualization
In a traditional classroom, pacing may be set by the curriculum with limited time for exploration of topics. At home, learning can easily adapt to your child’s strengths and passions. Here are a few examples of how the flexibility of online homeschool for gifted students can play out:
- Diving deep into interests: Say your child has a strong interest in marine biology. With online homeschooling, you can spend more time exploring this subject than a traditional classroom would allow. Think of interactive online courses or connecting with a marine biologist for a Q&A session.
- Accelerated learning: It’s likely that your child has already mastered certain subjects. Online homeschooling allows you to move on without waiting for the rest of the class. This adaptability lets your child progress without feeling held back, which can be particularly important for maintaining motivation.
- Cross-disciplinary projects: Online homeschooling makes it easier to create projects that incorporate multiple subjects. For instance, if your child is fascinated by space, you might design a project that combines science, math, and literature by exploring the physics of black holes and writing sci-fi stories inspired by their findings.
- Customized schedules: If your child is most focused in the morning, they could tackle challenging subjects first, leaving the afternoon for more creative activities or free exploration. Alternatively, if they’re passionate about an activity like music or athletics, you can adjust the school schedule to make time for these pursuits.
- Hands-on learning and real-world experiences: Learning doesn’t have to happen only through books or screens. You might take field trips to museums, science centers, or historical sites as part of the curriculum.
Prepare for a Different Social Landscape
One huge change when moving from a traditional school setting to an online one is the shift in social dynamics. A gifted child may be used to the daily interactions with classmates and teachers.
Online homeschooling for gifted students requires conscious effort in how and where social connections happen. For gifted children, this can be both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s important to plan for enriching social experiences—whether through virtual classrooms, online enrichment activities, local groups, or in-person extracurricular activities. These options connect them to peers who share their interests and perhaps their learning style, empowering them to build meaningful relationships.
Foster Self-Advocacy
With online homeschooling, gifted students often take on more responsibility for their learning. Although it may take some time to grasp, this is a great opportunity to develop self-advocacy skills. They will learn how to articulate what they need, whether it’s additional resources, clarification on assignments, or more challenging material. Encouraging your child to express their needs and set personal goals will not only enhance their homeschooling experience but also fuel their self-confidence.
Making a transition from in-person gifted education to online homeschooling is a major shift, but with a supportive approach to these areas, parents can help ensure their child’s unique needs are met, providing an environment where they can truly thrive.
With these flexible, individualized options, online homeschooling can be a fulfilling way for gifted children to learn on their terms—without the constraints of a one-size-fits-all program. For more detailed information on how to prepare for online education, check out these guides:
- What You Need to Know to Prepare for Gifted Online Middle School
- What You Need to Know to Prepare for Gifted Online High School
Online Gifted Testing
There are plenty of testing opportunities to identify gifted students and to test their abilities when applying to specific academic institutions.
Davidson Institute collaborated with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to create two assessments for eligibility—both of which are completely online. These tests, an official practice SAT and an above-grade-level Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), cater to gifted students who are interested in or already engaged in online homeschooling. They are conducted remotely on specific dates, ensuring alignment with Davidson program eligibility requirements, such as those of Davidson Academy Online. Families seeking homeschooling options for gifted students can explore these assessments to start their journey.
You can learn more about the Official Practice SAT and register here.
Applying to an Online Homeschool Programs for Gifted Students
It can be a challenge to find a program suitable for your gifted student. This requires testing, research, understanding the entry requirements of various institutions, organizing requirements, interviewing, planning, and preparation.
If you are interested in Davidson Academy Online, the best place to start understanding what it takes to apply is by reviewing our step-by-step overview.
Time Management & Organization
The Family Consultant team has seen an increase in the variety of homeschooling schedules as families share how they are going to get things done. There are many ways to organize your homeschool life, as different styles work better for different families. And, for some families, the way they’re homeschooling may be largely dictated by their school; they may be hosting virtual classes or sending home specific curricular materials.
For those families who have been left to their own devices, we want to share a big homeschooling secret:
Homeschooling takes a lot less time than brick-and-mortar schooling. In fact, many families in our community spend only 2-4 hours on academics a day (and some spend even less!).
When you think about it, there’s a lot of time spent in schools making transitions, repeating directions, making announcements, and waiting for everyone to finish assignments. So, if you realize that your child is only spending a fraction of their time on schoolwork, that’s okay!
We’re living in extraordinary times, and we hope you don’t put too much pressure on yourself as parents to make sure your child is doing schoolwork for 7.5 hours a day.
Five Ways to Organize Your Online Gifted Homeschooling
- Create a daily rhythm
- Reflect on how you start the day
- Use mealtimes as anchors
- Make working from home work for you
- Brainstorm with your gifted child
Create a Daily Rhythm
No one enjoys a school or work day spent watching the clock. That’s why a daily rhythm can help you build a schedule around what matters to your family, shifting the mood and energy throughout the day. You might notice that there are certain times of day when everyone is cranky. Could that be time for a snack, taking the dog for a walk, or for everyone to quietly read in their rooms? What if family movie time was at 2:00 pm? Consider trying some reset rituals throughout the day to keep everyone refreshed.
Reflect on How You Start the Day
Think about how each day begins for your family. Are you starting with something easy and enjoyable? For example, maybe everyone brings their books to the breakfast table and then shares what they’re reading during a post-breakfast neighborhood walk. Homeschooling mother, Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley, explains how this changed everything for her family in her article, “Coffee and Books.” Her idea can even be used with older children.
Use Mealtimes as Anchors
One thing you’ll be doing every day is eating. How can you use this time effectively? Can other activities be built around that? For instance, perhaps everyone does chores for 30 minutes after lunch or dinner is a time for conversing about the “Wonder of the Day” from Wonderopolis. Mealtimes are opportunities to start a special family tradition during homeschooling.
Make Working From Home Work for You
If you’re also changing how you work, you might glean some tips from “How These Parents Work and Homeschool, Too.” These parents have a key insight: There are 168 hours in a week. Think about all that time. Which do you, as a parent, have to work? When can that time overlap with homeschooling activities—and when can it not? If you have a partner at home, how can the load be shared?
Brainstorm With Your Gifted Child
You have an amazing child who may have additional ideas on how to make homeschooling work. Work together! In fact, including your children in brainstorming may result in creative ideas and instill more buy-in from them. This collaboration can help your children be more invested in following the new family rhythm and helping you make this work. Dr. Dan Peters talks about the benefits of including gifted children in this sort of discussion in his article, “Family Rule Setting and the Gifted Child.”
Additional Resources
We know that, no matter how many hours you homeschool a day, you need to find something to fill that time with. Below are a few to get you started:
- Educational resources – These resources include lists of online courses, books, magazines, podcasts, educational videos, and further inspiration for your family.
- A Short Guide for Building an Independent Study Course (with an example included!) – This is a useful resource if you decide to homeschool without a program or if your child just wants to do a deep dive into their passion subject(s) as part of homeschooling.
- Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Space – This resource will help you figure out ways to organize your home to support your child’s homeschooling classes while balancing the rest of your family’s needs and activities.
- Tips for Taking Care of Yourself – This will help parents integrate practical, functional self-care practices into their lives.
As the school year progresses, things are going to evolve. Your family dynamics and priorities may shift, along with your school’s requirements and procedures. These changes may come at once or be spread out throughout the year. Whatever happens, know that Davidson Academy Online is here for you.
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