As education transforms with the rise of school choice options in America, there is a need to understand the arguments for and against school choice reforms from the angle of effects on a student’s academic performance so parents can make more informed decisions as school choices will likely continue to expand¹. The purpose of this academic article is to explore the impact on a student’s academic performance based on parental involvement in choosing online education. If parents are actively involved in choosing online homeschooling to fulfill their child’s academic needs, that in and of itself tends to improve the student’s academic performance primarily because of the increased parental involvement in their child’s education. Research suggests that the student's academic performance is likely the driving force behind the parents’ choice². 

November promises to be a busy and meaningful month for your school community, packed with activities that celebrate achievements, strengthen partnerships, and inspire reflection. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 12th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.

One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 12th grade are expected to understand the reason for carefully storing sensitive data.

At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 11th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.

One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 11th grade are expected to understand the reason for creating secure passwords.

Passwords can be a beast. Below are some practical (and actually sort of fun) actions for you to take to stay on top of your passwords.

At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 10th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.

One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 10th grade are expected to understand malware and antivirus.

Keeping your computer free from malware allows you to surf safely. Malware could be planted by hackers, terrorists, or bored individuals.

At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 9th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.

One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 9th grade are expected to learn how about data organization.

Students should review this article with a parent.

Did you know that the state of Arizona offers a program called Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), which provides the parents or guardians of eligible students with a certain amount of money that they can use to pay for private school tuition or other educational expenses? 

Distractions in the classroom are a common issue for many students, leading to a decrease in academic performance. For some students, the solution to this problem is homeschooling, as it can provide an environment free from interruptions and allow them to stay focused on their studies. In this article, we'll discuss how homeschooling can help students stay motivated and avoid distractions that may come from classmates. We'll also explore the benefits of homeschooling and tips on how to make the transition easier.

Getting to Know Enlightium Academy’s Executive Director – Part 2

In my article entitled “The Formative Years: Education and Family”, I briefly shared my early dream of starting a school with Christian values. Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, the former Soviet Union republic, I longed to be able to learn about God in school.

Adapting to America

Spokane, Washington is known for being a family-friendly city with many parks and lakes. The climate is very similar to Kyrgyzstan, where we lived before moving to the United States of America. Our family came to Spokane in August of 1991. Within ten years, more than 20,000 Slavic refugees immigrated from the former Soviet Union and made Spokane their home.

Since the dawn of the 21st century, various alternatives to K-12 public education have become more common. One of the rising school choice options available to parents, which reflects the reality of how students learn nowadays, is online education. Online education (1) is designed around the learner, allowing for self-paced learning that provides students with opportunities to speed up or slow down as necessary; (2) provides the flexibility offered by online technologies to support the needs of diverse learners; and (3) opens a wide array of options to all learners¹. 

In a post-pandemic world, online education has drawn more attention not only from the media but also from academia and health organizations. In the fall of 2020, many public and private schools switched from in-person to remote learning. A decrease in teachers and students’ physical presence in the classroom resulted in an increase in interest in online learning. This is why parents wanted to enroll their students in an online school such as Enlightium Academy: to prevent gaps in education in times of crisis. One parent reported that they enrolled their child “due to COVID and that their public school was not fully equipped for remote learning” (Parent of a 6th-grade student, WA).

Ken Robinson², an international advisor on innovative education, noted that a solution to the downsides of public education is individualized learning through the use of technology. Using technology in education allows students to discover their individual talents, puts students in an environment where they want to learn, and helps them naturally discover their true passions.

Family Foundation - Part 1

As far back as I can remember, I had a deep desire for education. I was the seventh of nine kids in my family. My dad valued education and spent evenings with all of us. I remember having a big round table in the living room where all my siblings would complete homework under my dad’s supervision. Sadly, he passed away when I was only eight years old.

As a parent of an online student, you want to ensure that your child has the best learning environment possible. But did you know that the quality of the air in your home or workspace can have a significant impact on your child’s ability to learn? Poor air quality can cause allergies, illness, and distraction from unpleasant smells. Investing in an air filter for your student’s learning environment is one simple way to dramatically improve their educational experience and help them stay focused and healthy.

For some high school students, the question of whether their high school diploma will expire, is a confusing one. What good is an academic diploma if it won't be accepted by a college admissions department? 

Welcome to Enlightium Academy’s blog series, Healthy Meal Plans for Homeschoolers! It’s important for families to be healthy at home and in their communities. Food and nutrition are important components of lifelong health. My goal in this series is to share the tools you need to plan and provide healthy meals for your homeschoolers.

What is the best diet? People understand that there is a connection between what you eat and your health. Parents especially are eager to provide the best they can for their growing children. Whatever your family eats should meet your family’s health and nutrition needs, respect your resources (e.g. time, money, energy, and skills), and, of course, taste good! 

Meal planning is a popular method families use to make sure what they eat is appropriate for their lifestyle. Ideally, meal planning also makes mealtimes less stressful so you can enjoy spending more family time together. In the next sections, we will discuss the basics of meal plans, how you can stick to a meal plan, and what to do when you are tired of eating the same foods over and over. Finally, I will share a simple meal plan to help you get started.

Summer is a time of rest and relaxation, and for most people this means putting off most, if not all, of their academic endeavors. And while taking a mental break can be a good thing and result in renewed energy for school later, this doesn’t mean that learning has to stop. It’s easy to fall victim to laziness during the summer and cease reading and learning in every capacity.

An individualized approach to learning has been used for decades in K-12 schools as it addresses students who need to proceed through a curriculum more slowly or immerse in a certain topic or principle to really “get” it. 

Personalized learning goes beyond individualization; it seeks to understand the personality of the learner which includes the student’s preferences, interests, and aspirations. In personalized learning, instruction is tailored to each student’s interests, innate curiosity, strengths, and needs. It includes enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when, and where they learn - to provide flexibility and support to ensure mastery at the highest standards possible. 

As you experience the differences of schooling with Enlightium Academy compared to your child’s previous school, you may feel the need to celebrate your journey with family and friends. Since you likely share stories with your friends and family about important milestones and events in your child’s life, along with the joys of watching them grow, we would like to empower you with this guide on how to share your educational achievements and the fruit of a sound Christian education through Enlightium. To help you celebrate your story with your friends and family, our Referral Program allows you to gift a tuition credit or Amazon gift card to anyone who enrolls and receive a tuition credit or gift card for your family per referral.

Some of the most important developments in education have happened since the launch of the Internet - online learning.

At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 8th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.

One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 8th grade are expected to learn how to keep your computer secure.

Students should review this article with a parent.

At Enlightium Academy, students have Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) for each grade level. This means that upon completing the 7th grade, each student is expected to grow not just academically, but spiritually and socially.

One of the three academic ESOs is technical capabilities. Upon reviewing this article, students in 7th grade are expected to learn how to use social media wisely.

Students should review this article with a parent.